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

It was close to ten when they finally made it to the meeting spot. They’d decided to take Quinn’s car and buy a more spacious one on the way. It was time to go.


Charlie sat behind the wheel with Lennox on the passenger’s seat. They looked at Quinn and Aaron in the back.


“You guys look like sh—crap,” Lennox said for the second time. He was tired and not at all surprisingly excited as hell about what’d been going on that night.


“He’s right. Sleep, all three of you. I’ll drive until I can’t anymore and I’ll find us a motel.”


“North, then east,” Quinn said, trying to get comfortable. “The truck is coming from the east, from the 319, so better get out of the way.” He was drooping immediately. The ibuprofen Charlie had fed him as they changed cars started to take the edge off.


They had pillows and blankets, and soon enough, Quinn fell asleep to the sound of the engine.


Chapter 69