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

“‘Never been with a white guy who wasn’t circumcised before.” Gabriel moved his mouth to murmur the words against Jake’s jaw. He slid his hand along Jake’s shaft, gliding his fingers over the foreskin, pumping it carefully forward and back. “I like how it feels.”


Jake let out a panting laugh. “Me, too.” He closed his eyes, moving his hips helplessly to Gabriel’s rhythm. “Don’t stop.”


“Like I would,” Gabriel said, just before he leaned in to kiss Jake again.


Jake arched against him, running his hands over Gabriel’s body and pulling him closer. It was easy to lose himself in Gabriel’s kisses, in the pleasure coiling in his groin as Gabriel moved his hand faster. It was perfect.


Jake wrenched his mouth away from Gabriel’s and leaned his forehead against his shoulder as he shuddered and came, and for a few precious seconds, his mind was filled with nothing but the euphoric white rush of silence.


Chapter 46