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

Alice smiled wryly in a way that reminded Gabe very much of Jake. “I had a bad day today. I like to bake when I’m upset. It helps calm me down.”


“Oh. I’m sorry,” Gabe said, thinking about how she’d been when he came in: vulnerable and sad in an unguarded moment. “Well, they smell really good.”


Alice looked pleased. “That batch has just come out of the oven, actually. Do you want one?”


They smelled fantastic and Gabe really did want one, but he hesitated, glancing down at his very naked chest and stomach, with only his boxer shorts keeping anything covered. He gestured to the door again. “Um, maybe I should…”


“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” Alice said. “It really won’t bother me, but I don’t mind if you want to get a T-shirt.”


Chapter 77