Toronto, Canada, 2006. A few months after the worst year of the Iraq war. Gabriel Navarro splits his time between his job slinging ink at the Atlantis Ink tattoo parlor, and working on his master’s degree in fine art. Gabe is twenty-two, sure of his beliefs and his artistic integrity, and na?ve enough to think he’ll never have to compromise. And then one night Jake MacLean walks into the shop and changes everything. Jake Maclean is twenty-eight and a veteran American Army pilot. He's been staying with his ex-pat sister in Toronto while he tries to get his life in order. The problem is, he can't. After his disastrous final mission in Iraq, he's overcome with anger and survivor’s guilt, trapped in a losing battle to atone for a failure he’s sure can never be forgiven. Left without hope, he decides to have his memory of the mission tattooed on his back, with the condemning words: God Will Judge Me. He doesn't expect to fall for the tattoo artist. Gabe falls just as quickly and deeply for Jake, though Jake's reluctance to talk about what happened frustrates and worries him. Gabe knows Jake isn't doing well, but accepting Jake’s claims that he's "fine" is far easier than dealing with the frightening truth. But soon it’s horribly clear Jake can’t control his panic attacks or flashes of violence, and he's getting worse. If Gabe can’t help him face his demons, Jake is headed for a crash -- and there’s every chance he’ll take Gabriel down with him.

Black Hawk Tattoo

“I’m glad you’re okay. From Iraq, I mean,” Gabe said, because he couldn’t think of anything else. At least it was true. Gabe would’ve been glad for anyone who’d been in an actual war and still seemed all right afterward.


“Thanks,” Jake said, like Gabe was only being polite. He took a drink of his beer. The light from the lamp hanging above their table glinted off the dark lenses over his eyes.


“Would you mind losing the shades?” Gabe asked. He realized he’d fallen just short of snapping so he made sure he smiled when he gestured at his eyes. “It’s just…I have no idea where your eyes are. Other than in your head.”


“What?” Gabe was sure Jake was blinking at him. “Oh—oh, yeah. Sorry. I keep forgetting how dark these are.” He slid the sunglasses off and tucked them into the neck of his shirt, squinting until his eyes were almost shut. “Whoa. I didn’t know it was that bright in here.”


Chapter 17