Sex can be a dangerous business. So can love. On the worst day of his life, Wren Gallagher wants oblivion when he steps into Tricks for a drink. When a mysterious stranger steps up to pay his tab, he offers Wren the key to fulfilling his dreams of prosperity and true love. But appearances are not always what they seem. His savior owns the escort agency ? Louer, and he wants the young and handsome Wren as part of his stable of men-for-hire. Down on his luck, Wren figures, why not? He needs the money. When he joins, though, he doesn't count on meeting Rufus, another escort with whom he falls hopelessly in love. But their love story will have to overcome the obstacles of not only trading love for money, but ? Louer's dark -- and deadly -- secrets.

A Dangerous Game

It might have been nice to commiserate together about the perfidy of men, but Wren had never told her about Rufus. Such an admission would entail too much confessing, too much explaining. And besides, sitting in front of the TV with your mom when you were in your twenties, comparing notes on how rotten men could be was, well, sad.


So he kept his frustration and hurt bottled up inside and did little beyond go to work, come home, eat, watch TV, and sleep.


He supposed this was what depression felt like. But he didn’t even care enough, nor have the energy, to Google the symptoms of that malady to find out if he was indeed suffering from it.


As the bus headed north, it would typically empty out as people got off to begin shifts along Clark and its cross streets. Wren sat up straighter, reminding himself he needed to stop wallowing in misery, to just try to look outside himself for five minutes—then maybe he could begin to move on.


Chapter 60