Blurb
A
desire for justice as strong as their passion for each other.
Concerned
about the welfare of his young cousin, Josh Jackson, a restaurant
owner, traces the boy to Winterstone Grange, a gated manor deep in
the country. Miles from anywhere, the protected walls of this stately
house conceal dark secrets. Josh’s search brings him into contact
with Ed Brolin, a handsome journalist who has spent weeks
investigating the secrets of the Grange and its owner. Ray Armstrong
is a wealthy business man with influential connections in Parliament
and the police. Ed knows exactly what goes on at the Grange but
without evidence, he hasn’t got a story.
Drawn together by
instant attraction and a powerful hunger for justice, Josh and Ed are
determined to expose the sordid secrets of the grange despite the
risks it poses. Josh has never met a man like Ed before—so strong,
determined and masculine. Falling in love is easy. But they’ll have
to put their emotions aside if they’re going to give a voice to all
the silent victims of Winterstone Grange.
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Excerpt
Josh
Jackson didn’t worry when his cousin failed to come home. It was
Saturday night and Kevin was eighteen. Josh wasn’t about to impose
a curfew on the kid. Neither was he going to babysit. Kevin was old
enough to take care of himself.
Josh
checked Kevin’s room when he came home from work at one o’clock.
The spare bed hadn’t been made since Kevin had gotten out of it
that morning and yesterday’s clothes were all over the
floor—discarded jeans with his boxers still inside them, a scruffy
T-shirt and a pair of dirty socks. The smell of the socks hit him
from the doorway. Despite the reek of cheap deodorant and aftershave
filling the room, the socks were pungent. Teenagers.
Josh wasn’t about to tidy up after him so he left things as they
were, including the damp towel draped over the foot of the bed. The
kid was only staying a few nights. If he wanted to live in a mess
like that, so be it, so long as he left the place as he’d found it
when he moved on.
Josh
shut the door and went to bed. He wished his cousin luck. If the boy
wanted to get laid, he’d rather he did it somewhere else. It was
bad enough that Josh’s lodger, Bobby, regarded the place as a
Grindr pit stop, without his cousin treating it like a knocking shop,
too.
Josh
read for a while and half-listened for the sound of Kevin coming
home, but eventually fell asleep.
He
wasn’t overly concerned in the morning to find Kevin’s room just
as he’d left it, though by now it smelled considerably worse. The
fancy fragrances had worn off and all that remained was the fetid
odor of teenage sweat and damp towel. So,
he stayed out all night.
Good on him.
Josh had been a teenager once, a horny one at that, so he could
totally relate. Kevin wouldn’t get the chance to fuck around much
when he was at home. His mother had very rigid views on that. It
wouldn’t have mattered whether Kevin had turned out straight or
gay. His mother had raised a good boy and intended to keep him that
way.
Kevin
will be going back to her in a couple of days. He might as well have
fun while the leash is off.
He
was a good-looking lad. Josh knew he’d be popular in town. A little
baby-faced for his age, but with the family features of blue eyes and
blond hair, his fresh twinkie image would attract plenty of
attention. He looked a lot like Josh had at that age. Josh had been a
slim-looking twink until well into his twenties. It was only in the
last few years he’d filled out with muscle and looked more like a
man. The beard helped. How grateful he’d been when the ability to
grow more than a few wisps of pale chin-fluff finally occurred. He
kept it neat with a regular trim, but now that he had grown a beard,
he couldn’t ever see himself being without one.
Josh
called Kevin’s mobile while waiting for his morning coffee to brew.
It rang a few times before going to voicemail. “Hi, it’s me,”
he said. “Not checking up on you, I just want to know you’re
okay. Give me a ring back, or a text when you get this message. Just
to say you’re alive… Otherwise I’ll have to call your mother,”
he added jokingly and hung up.
He
had bigger concerns than a randy teenager. His restaurant, The Cellar
Steps, was short on staff today and fully booked for both lunch and
dinner. He’d asked all his remaining staff to come in early to help
with the prep and service, which meant getting in even earlier
himself. As the owner, it wasn’t necessary, since he employed a
manager for the day-to-day running, but Josh believed in setting an
example from the top down. That meant rolling up his sleeves when
things got tight. He thought about putting a little cash Kevin’s
way to help out, if he arrived home in decent time and wasn’t too
hung over.
He
heard the heavy thud of the newspapers landing in the hall.
Perfect timing.
A little news and some freshly brewed coffee. A relaxing start to an
otherwise hectic day.
Josh
sat at the kitchen table with multiple Sunday supplements spread all
around him when Bobby stumbled out of his bedroom in just his boxers
and a T-shirt, yawning and scratching his belly and balls at the same
time. His semi-hard dick waggled in the front of his shorts. Bobby
lurched into the bathroom and returned a few minutes later, looking
fractionally more awake, minus morning wood.
“Coffee?”
Bobby asked. “Okay if I help myself?”
“You
know where it is,” Josh said, drawing back from the stench of
alcohol that came off him in stale waves. “Jesus, your blood must
be one hundred proof.”
“I
think I’m still drunk,” Bobby observed. “The hangover hasn’t
kicked in yet.”
“I
don’t envy you when it does.”
“One
cup of this and I’m crawling back beneath the duvet.”
Josh
looked at him uncertainly. An idea had just occurred to him. He hoped
he was wrong. “I don’t suppose my cousin is under that duvet with
you?”
Bobby
chuckled, his dark eyes crinkling. “Wouldn’t that be something?
He is kinda hot. But little blond cupcakes are not my thing. In
Kevin’s case, I could make an exception. Maybe.”
“But
did you?”
“Too
close to home, bro. The kid’s a cutie but he ain’t worth the
earache. I’d never hear the last of it.”
It
was some relief. Josh didn’t have a problem with his young cousin
fucking around—but with Bobby, no way. His lodger was a good friend
but a total slut. Kevin would need a lot more experience under his
belt before he was ready for that old hound. “I don’t suppose you
do know where he is? He hasn’t been home.”
“He’s
between somebody’s sheets, all right. I walked into town with him
last night, had a drink and showed him where to go.”
“You
left him on his own?”
“No,
he left me. I guess I cramped his style. He headed off toward Gala
Square with a group of studenty types. He didn’t know how fast to
ditch me once he got to talking to people his own age.”
Josh
loosened up again. He’d been right about Kevin. He knew what he was
doing. A young man in a new city making friends fast. There was
nothing to worry about.
About
the Author
Thom
Collins is the author of the novel Closer by Morning, with
Pride Publishing. His love of page turning thrillers began at an
early age when his mother caught him reading the latest Jackie
Collins book and promptly confiscated it, sparking a life-long love
of raunchy novels.
His
novella Silent Voices will soon be followed by the novel
Anthem of the Sea, the first book in the Anthem Trilogy. He
has recently finished writing the second book in a series and is
making plans for the third.
Thom
has lived in the North East of England his whole life. He grew up in
Northumberland and now lives in County Durham with his husband and
two cats. He loves all kinds of genre fiction, especially
bonk-busters, thrillers, romance and horror. He is also a cookery
book addict with far too many titles cluttering his shelves. When not
writing he can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes. He’s
a keen traveler but with a fear of flying that gets worse with age.
Since taking his first cruise in 2013 he realized that sailing is the
way to go.
Links
Email:
thomcollinsauthor [at] aol [dot] com
