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

“Yeah.” Quinn hated it too. He hated that it took good people like Aaron’s mother, and fucked up the whole town like in Ian’s case. He knew Uncle Ian had blood on his hands, just like Quinn himself did, just not in this town, yet.


The front door opened, and Arthur rolled his eyes. Quinn turned his head and saw Sheriff Henderson walk in.


The man went to the bar and got himself a coffee from the bored girl behind the counter, and then ambled over to sit at the table across from the booth.


“Morning,” Sheriff Henderson said, smirking a little.


“Good morning, Sheriff,” Ian said in a pointedly neutral tone.


Quinn felt like this was a frequent occurrence. Then Henderson aimed his piercing gaze at Quinn.


“Quinn MacGregor. Haven’t seen you in town in a while,” he said in a conversational tone


“That might be because I haven’t been back since my father was put away for killing your predecessor,” Quinn said in the same exact tone.


Chapter 25