When they were teenagers, Quinn MacGregor and Aaron Larsen fell in love over the course of one magical summer. It ended in bloodshed and tragedy. Now, ten years later, Quinn is back in Spruce Creek, Nevada, to inherit his family’s criminal cartel. His cousin Jimmy has been making friends -- and enemies -- in dangerous places, but that doesn’t mean he’s happy to hand over leadership to Quinn. And Jimmy might not be the only one who wants Quinn out of the way for good, especially if Quinn’s secret comes out. Aaron Larsen is back in Spruce Creek to sell his former family home. Aaron lost a leg in Afghanistan, and he’s drinking too much and battling depression and PTSD. The last thing he needs is for Quinn MacGregor to drop back into his miserable life. But when Quinn is shaken by the news that he left more behind in Spruce Creek than his bad memories, he turns to Aaron like it’s old times, and Aaron doesn’t know how to say no. The events of ten years ago cast a long shadow, and in a town where they can’t trust anyone else, Quinn and Aaron just might have to learn to trust each other again.

A Desperate Man

“What the hell happened?” he asked again.


“Yeah,” Aaron said, staring out into the back yard, where the afternoon light was making everything turn golden. He shook his head and snorted. “Life.” 3


Quinn replied to a text from his mom while trying to make himself cognizant enough again. He’d slept surprisingly well, maybe because the town was quiet and he knew he could take most things it could throw at him.


Besides, he was pretty sure he’d know if Jimmy wanted to try and take him out. The previous day had proved that he could still read his cousin—a thing that had kept Quinn safe that last summer in town. He put his phone on the worn-out Formica table and forced himself to eat the toast he’d made.


Chapter 8