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

Quinn leaned back where he sat, resting his head on Aaron’s thighs. He looked up at the boy he’d loved since he was a teenager and wondered how being with Aaron now could hurt this much. The elusive memories of that summer had started to feel like a utopia of sorts. Like it couldn’t have been as good as he remembered it.


But he saw it there, in Aaron’s eyes, even now. Even after a decade of fucked up distance, tragedy, and getting hurt in various ways. “I love you. I’ve always loved you.”


Aaron’s face did something extremely complicated, then he smiled sadly. “Yeah.” It was as close to a declaration Quinn was going to get right now, and that was okay.


“I have to go,” Quinn said and pushed himself upright. “I need to find a way to figure out how much Ian knows. Arthur too.”


“It can’t be easy, having to keep stuff from them when they’re your family.”


Chapter 43