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

When he finished Damien gestured to the papers. “Let’s see what’s in them.”


They sat and spread them out. The majority of them were detailed reports on Warner’s business dealings. After reading them, Damien shook his head. “I can tell you for a fact these are all lies, or doctored reports.”


“Yeah. I’ve gone with him to many of his business meetings as his bodyguard so I’m always in the room. I know what goes on in them.”


Lyle blew out a relieved breath, putting them to one side. “How could Orsino possibly believe I wouldn’t check out what they contained?”


Damien chuckled. “Wishful thinking?”


“Stupid thinking.” Lyle picked up one of the remaining papers. The handwriting was cramped, the verbiage somewhat archaic. It took him time to get through it. When he had, he handed it to Damien, saying, “The man I know, although admittedly it only been for a short time, would never, ever use his magic to destroy a whole village because one of the women spurned him.”


Chapter 74