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

He didn’t say, That’s what I’m afraid of, but Jake knew he was thinking it. He clenched his jaw until it felt like he was going to compress his teeth into powder. “I’m not going to wake him up to beat the shit out of him, if that’s what you’re worried about.”


Gabriel looked at him again, eyes big and shining like black water in the light from the dashboard. “I know that. I’m not worried about him.” And that time Jake heard it as loud and clear as if Gabriel had hollered it at him: I’m worried about you.


“I’m fine,” Jake said again. “And as long as that asshole stays away from Hype I’m not going to do anything. I promise.” He glanced in Gabriel’s direction, but it was too dark to see if Gabriel believed him. He needed Gabriel to believe him.


Chapter 91