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

It was brisk in the back garden, although not as bad as he’d expected. He wandered around the circular path, checking out the statuary in the center, then looked up at the tower. I swear, if I didn’t know better I’d think that one gargoyle was Damien frozen in stone. Maybe some ancestor posed for it?


The sundial set in one of what he presumed were flower gardens in the warmer months told him it was almost one o’clock. As he started toward the back door, Damien hurried out. He saw Lyle, gave him a wave, saying, “I’m being sent on an errand for Radclyffe. I’ll see you tonight,” and kept going toward the garage in the far corner of the yard.


“You bet you will,” Lyle called back before entering the mansion. After dropping his jacket off in his room, he went to find his father. Unsurprisingly, he was waiting for him at the top of the stairs to the workroom.


Chapter 70