Lyle Atwood's company is hired to costume a party given by multi-millionaire Warner Radclyffe. As he and his employees begin preparations for the job, Lyle begins to feel as if someone is watching him. Then he meets Damien Sauvage, the newest tenant in the apartment building where he lives. Damien tells Lyle that he's a waiter, and when Lyle confides in him that he thinks he's being stalked, Damien offers to help find out who it is. What he neglects to tell Lyle is he actually works for Radclyffe, who wants him to protect Lyle from a very powerful enemy. As Damien gains Lyle's confidence, he becomes attracted to the younger man -- an attraction that Lyle reciprocates. He fights his feelings, knowing Lyle will hate him when he finds out his secret -- and even more so when he learns what Damien really is. Radclyffe orders Damien to continue the job, as he has a secret of his own involving Lyle. A secret that cannot be revealed until the night of the party. Can Lyle survive what is to come, or will the lies of omission be the death of him -- or worse?

Lies of Omission

“What’s wrong?” Damien cocked his head, obviously having caught Lyle’s grimace.


“Nothing. I suddenly remembered something we have to do for the haunted house thing. One of the clowns should be the guy from It,” Lyle improvised.


“Oh, the newest one. He’s the scariest, and fresh in people’s minds.”


At that point, by mutual if unspoken consensus, they turned and headed back to the apartment building. When Damien asked, Lyle told him which characters had been decided on by him and Mr. Radclyffe.


“All the classics and then some,” Damien commented when he’d finished.


“You bet, and with a few minor purchases we can do them all.”


Damien grinned. “Of course. You are the best shop in town, at least to hear you tell it.”


“I think so and Mr. Radclyffe apparently agrees.”


By then, they were home. When they were outside his apartment, Damien thanked Lyle again for dinner then said, “I’ll pick you up at seven?”


Chapter 22