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

Something in Steel’s chest constricted, and he wanted to smooth the frown from his brow and kiss the hard line of his mouth. For the first time, the desire for Riley wasn’t accompanied with bitter, misplaced guilt. Riley was the brave one. Steel never realized what a coward he was until he’d watched Riley ride away. He’d regretted letting Riley leave only minutes after the other man had left his sight. He didn’t care what Riley did to him. He would consent to any punishment, follow any of Riley’s orders, suffer any indignity as long as Riley didn’t disappear from his life again. He slowed Smokey to a trot, then a walk, then finally pulled him to a stop just a foot from the mare.


Riley’s lip quivered and his eyes darted to the guns strapped to Steel’s hips.


“You know if I wanted you dead, you would be dead by now. I hit where I aim.”


Chapter 14