Steel Coleman sinned in his heart the day he saw fifteen-year-old Riley Spencer. Driven by lust he couldn't acknowledge or control, he encourages his mother to marry Riley's father, joining the two families and creating a living hell for Steel in the process. In an attempt to spare his sanity, he goes for long rides from the family ranch, and he's not home to protect the family when bandits strike. Riley survives but their parents are murdered. Haunted by grief and guilt, Steel flees to catch the men responsible, promising his younger stepbrother he would return. He never does. When they meet again ten years later, Riley is a far cry from the boy Steel left behind. And he needs his former stepbrother to pay for the very real sin of abandoning him when he needed Steel the most. But their fateful meeting sends Riley running. Leaving Steel is the hardest thing he's ever done, but Riley understands what Steel knew all along -- it's too dangerous to stay. Will he be prepared to face the consequences when Steel inevitably catches up with him? Can forgiveness be possible?

Steel's Redemption

“You must have been really special back east, with your daddy’s training and his guns. But I grew up just a stone’s throw away from Indian Territory. I learned how to shoot, too.” He released Steel and shoved him back to the bed. “Have you ever committed this sin? Sodomy?”


Riley set the gun on the bedside table within reach and began to unbutton his long underwear, knowing exactly what he had to do. Shooting Steel wouldn’t be satisfying, and he could always crush Steel’s face, but he wanted to find another way to beat the man down. A way that would scar him more deeply than Riley ever could with his fists. “Because I expect this will hurt a bit.”


Riley put a knee in Steel’s back, pressing him down as he leaned over to speak in his ear. “This is your worst fear, right? Your nightmare? Well, I lived through mine. I think it’s only fair you get yours, too.”


“Riley, you don’t know what you’re doing.”


Chapter 7