by CJ Bishop
GUILTY BY BLOOD
Santiago Family series
BOOK 1
♦
CJ BISHOP
___________________________________
Author Contact:
www.amsnead.com
www.facebook.com/AuthorCJBishop
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Books by CJ Bishop
The Phoenix Club series
The Phoenix Chronicles
The Cowboy Gangster series
The Phoenix Wedding series
Precious Jules (a Cowboy Gangster novella)
The Innocent (a Cowboy Gangster novel)
Guilty by Blood (Santiago Family series)
Hunted Hearts
Journey to the center of the Heart
Jackson’s Punishment
Written as A.M. Snead
Lost in Love
Boy in the Shadows
Made to Be Broken
The Brokenhearted Necklace
Home for the Holidays
Change of heart
Special Delivery (Boys of Porn series)
The Boys We Love (M/M short story collection)
Boys of Porn series
Jack (volume one)
Soulscape series
Dark Soul
Black Heart
Burning Love
Deadly Devotion
Wander Lust series
Fallen Angel
Broken Halo
Winterhaven series
Slippery Slopes (volume one)
Blackwell Series
Ghost of a Chance
The Ghost of Devon House
This Present Darkness
Love Conquers All series
A Thin Line Between Love & Hate (Vol 1/Bk 1) – Soon to be Released!
GUILTY BY BLOOD: SANTIAGO FAMILY SERIES (BK 1)
Copyright © 2018 Audrey M. Snead | CJ Bishop
All rights reserved. Including right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover design by A.M. Snead
Cover images provided by:
Bigstock.com
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For questions and comments about this book, please contact the author at [email protected]
WARNING:
This book contains explicit M/M sexual scenes and strong language. It is intended for mature, adult audiences only.
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
“Spilled Blood”
CHAPTER 1
“On The Prowl”
CHAPTER 2
“Mr. Wrong & Mr. Right Now”
CHAPTER 3
“Hot & Ready”
CHAPTER 4
“Fire in the Night”
CHAPTER 5
“All Night Long”
CHAPTER 6
“Whispers in the Dark”
CHAPTER 7
“One More Night”
CHAPTER 8
“Misguided Fairytales”
CHAPTER 9
“Persuasion Tactics”
CHAPTER 10
“Family Matters”
CHAPTER 11
“The Cost of Knowing”
CHAPTER 12
“Sleeping With the Enemy”
CHAPTER 13
“Lust & Love”
CHAPTER 14
“Dark Rivers of the Heart”
CHAPTER 15
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow”
CHAPTER 16
“Friend or Foe…Heaven or Hell?”
CHAPTER 17
“Good Men”
CHAPTER 18
“Dawn of a New Day”
CHAPTER 19
“Visions of Grandeur”
CHAPTER 20
“True or False”
CHAPTER 21
“The Devil’s Advocate”
CHAPTER 22
“A Matter of Fact”
CHAPTER 23
“Hearts Divided”
CHAPTER 24
“Wild Card”
CHAPTER 25
“Harnessed Heart”
CHAPTER 26
“Vile Intentions”
CHAPTER 27
“Exposed”
CHAPTER 28
“Quid Pro Quo”
CHAPTER 29
“Shadows of Doubt”
CHAPTER 30
“Of Mice & Men”
CHAPTER 31
“Possibilities”
CHAPTER 32
“Hidden Loyalties”
CHAPTER 33
“A New Friend”
CHAPTER 34
“Calm Before the Storm”
CHAPTER 35
“Clean Sweep”
CHAPTER 36
“Wages of Sin”
CHAPTER 37
“Need to Know”
CHAPTER 38
“Here and Now”
CHAPTER 39
“Real Life Fantasies”
CHAPTER 40
“Ties That Bind”
EPILOGUE
“My Beloved, My Friend”
NOTE FROM AUTHOR
I write M/M Romance under two names: CJ Bishop and A.M. Snead.
CJ Bishop is the pen name under which I began writing the Phoenix saga, a pen name assigned to me by my publisher at the time. We have recently negotiated a deal in which my publisher transferred all rights over to me for the CJ Bishop pen name and all the books/story lines that have been created under that name.
I have included a list of my A.M. Snead books above for those who wish to check out my other works.
I want to thank you all for your support and positive reviews. As an indie author, writing is my job and my sole source of income, so the positive reviews are greatly beneficial in encouraging new readers to take a chance on my books.
I am looking forward to bringing you many, many more books about my beloved Phoenix boys and Cowboy Gangster, Clint, and his clan, and all the new friends they make along the way. I hope you will continue this journey with me. If these books aren’t for you and we must part ways, I thank you for giving my books a chance. Godspeed.
PROLOGUE
“Spilled Blood”
______________________________________________
The sheet of black plastic draped the charred body underneath. Terrell’s nose twitched from the smoldering stench of burned flesh, now cold and flaking. He pulled the plastic off the dead man’s head and halfway down his torso. What had once been his younger brother was little more than a skeleton with a few chunks of cooked meat clinging to the bones. He touched the neck where little to no flesh remained. The tendons hadn’t quite burned away and revealed the method of murder that had taken his brother’s life.
Someone had cut his throat.
Terrell had a small band of suspects in mind. One of them—if not all—was the killer.
The men standing around the body watched him tensely, displaying proper regret for having to bring his brother back to him in this condition. Terrell felt nothing. His brother was a reckless fool, going after the man he held responsible for the death of his lover.
Lover. Terrell’s face twitched in disgust. His brother had been fucking a man. He hadn’t made it his business because Terrell needed his brother’s lover. He had been a key player in the plan. But he, too, had
proven himself reckless, incapable of controlling his obsessions. Now, he was dead. And so was Terrell’s brother. The plan was shit. There would be no moving forward. Not yet. Not for a long while.
He threw the plastic back over his brother’s charred face. Fucking fool.
“We’re sorry, boss,” one of the men mumbled.
Terrell shrugged. “No sense crying over spilled blood.” He turned away. “Get rid of it.”
Back inside the house, his son met him in the hallway, eyes anxious. “Was it him?”
Terrell nodded.
The young man stood rigid and uncertain. “Do you know who did it?”
“A few possibilities.”
“Are you going after them?”
“No.”
“What?” His son frowned. “Why? They killed your brother. You’re just going to let it go?”
Terrell approached the young man. “Your uncle…” he murmured tautly, disassociating himself from the dead man. “…was reckless. A fucking idiot. He got himself killed over his faggot lover.” His eyes narrowed. “Regardless, one day they will suffer. But not today.”
His son stood his ground. “Why not today? If you know who they are—why not?”
The same recklessness that had gotten his brother killed, was taking root in his own son. “Because I am not a fool like your uncle. These people are deadly. Only a fucking fool would cross into their territory without extensive reconnaissance first.” He jabbed a finger in his son’s chest, knocking the young man back a step. “Think with your brain instead of your cock…like your uncle…and you just might survive to a ripe old age—unlike your uncle.”
The kid swallowed hard, his lips stretched tight, eyes glaring. “You’re scared, aren’t you? You’re scared of the ones who killed your brother and you’re making excuses not to go after them-” The kid hit the floor, landing with a heavy thud, blood draining from his nose.
Terrell flexed his fist. “Do not disrespect your father.” He pointed at him. “Do it again—just one more time—and you’ll be joining your faggot uncle. Capisce?”
The young man stared up at him with watery eyes and no discernable love for his old man. His jaw clenched as he slowly wiped his bloody nose and ground out stiffly, “Yes, father.”
“Good.” Terrell walked past him as his son crawled to his feet and slowly dragged his weapon from its holster. Terrell didn’t falter or slow. “Make sure you kill me with the first shot,” he murmured. “You won’t get a second.”
No shots rang out.
Terrell smiled dryly and turned the corner in the hallway, leaving his son behind. “Fucking coward.”
CHAPTER 1
“On The Prowl”
______________________________________________
“You want us to handle this?” Cruz stood by the fireplace and sipped from a glass of Chivas. He looked at Sanchez over the rim of the glass. “The cowboy’s guest room is currently vacant.” He smiled coolly, eyes serious.
“As far as I know, it is,” Sanchez nodded.
Cruz shifted his eyes to the young woman sitting on the sofa—in tears. “You don’t have to know the details and we guarantee he’ll regret his actions.”
“That’s very sweet of you to offer,” Caterina smiled weakly. “But torture isn’t the answer to everything.”
“Says who?” Cruz asked honestly. “Nothing like a little strategically administered pain to encourage a man to change his ways.”
“If he survives,” Sanchez murmured.
Cruz nodded. “True. Some men can’t be rehabilitated.”
“Guys.” Caterina stood and shook her head. “He didn’t commit a crime against me. He broke my heart. It happens all the time. It isn’t torture-worthy.”
Walking over to her, Cruz took her hand. “He made you cry, darling. It is absolutely torture-worthy.” He raised his brow. “Just a little castration? To give him pause for thought?”
“A little castration?” Caterina asked. “Is there such a thing?”
Cruz smiled and shrugged. “As far as you know.”
Sanchez chuckled and scratched his temple but said nothing.
Cruz Santiago and his boyfriend, Enrique Sanchez, were like older brothers to Caterina, with a loyalty to her that could be fatal to an unfaithful boyfriend who broke her heart. Cruz was Spanish/Italian with an average athletic build, not overly large but lethal nonetheless. Sanchez was pure Italian and sported a larger physique with substantially more muscle mass that complimented his chiseled features and square jaw. His black hair was cropped short and accentuated his handsome face.
“I can appreciate the thought.” Caterina squeezed his hand. “And trust me, I’m tempted to give you the green light to cut his balls off, but it won’t undo what he did.”
“So?” Cruz said. “It isn’t our intention to undo it. We just want to make him cry, too.” He smiled.
Caterina laughed softly. “He deserves it, for sure. But…” she sighed. “Maybe next time.”
Cocking an eyebrow, Sanchez pointed at her. “There better not be a next time with this asshole. We raised you to be smarter than that.”
“Raised me?” Caterina bemused. “You’re only, what, five years older than me?”
“Even so,” Sanchez dismissed the point-of-fact. “A man cheats on you once, shame on you. He cheats on you twice, shame on you. Cheaters cheat, honey. It’s rarely a one-time thing for them.”
“Don’t worry,” Caterina stressed. “I have no intention of taking his ass back, even if he decides he wants me back. I don’t want him. I just want…” She sank down on the sofa and ran her fingers through her hair.
“What?” Cruz asked.
Caterina looked up. “Hot sex with a random stranger.”
The two men exchanged a glance. Sanchez said, “You got over him quick.”
“No,” Caterina moaned. “I didn’t. It still hurts like hell. That’s why I need a distraction. A different man to take my mind off Armand. Just a wild one-night stand to kind of, I don’t know, reset my emotions.”
Cruz looked at her doubtfully.
“Don’t judge me,” she mumbled with a small, labored smile. “I’m not talking about converting to whoredom. I’m just suggesting a little casual sex. Where’s the harm in that?”
“There isn’t,” Sanchez said.
Cruz looked at him. “You’re encouraging her?”
“Sure. Why not?” Sanchez nodded. His eyes grew heavy with desire as he gazed at Cruz. “In case you forgot, I started out as a one-night fling.”
“Really?” Caterina perked up. “I didn’t know that.”
“Oh yeah,” Sanchez smiled. “This guy was coming out of a bad relationship, sour on love, and just wanted to fuck some random man’s brains out. I was lucky enough to be that man.”
Cruz chuffed. “As I recall, I was the one who got my brains…pumped out.”
“Yeah, well.” Sanchez shrugged and smirked. “I was stronger. And I knew what you really wanted.”
“You still do.”
Their flirty banter was nothing new. Caterina envied their relationship. They were a perfect match. She had tried to find her perfect match in Armand and failed miserably. Though she was only twenty-two, it was already beginning to feel as if she were doomed to a loveless life. Not a sexless life—not by any means—but it would be nice to have a little love to go along with the hot sex. Cruz and Sanchez had a powerful sexual relationship, but their true feelings for one another was the force behind their overall relationship. They had the best of both worlds, though she was beginning to wonder if either of them would ever take that final step and propose to the other. She supposed it would happen one day. Again, her envy flared.
“Well…” Caterina rose off the sofa again. “I think I’ll go out and do a little prowling. There’s got to be at least one sexy guy out there who wants to be used as a sex toy for one night.”
“Shit,” Sanchez snorted. “There’s a lot of guys out there who are waiting for that. Es
pecially for a beautiful, sexy woman like you.”
Catarina smiled. “Thank you.” She stepped over and kissed Sanchez’s cheek. “I think Cruz is lucky to have a sexy, beautiful man like you.”
“Lucky, indeed,” Sanchez agreed with a quirky grin and a wink tossed Cruz’ way.
“What?” Cruz chuffed. “Isn’t he lucky to have me, too?”
Caterina laughed lightly. “Absolutely.” She hugged him and kissed his face. “You’re beautiful and sexy as well.”
“All right, then,” Cruz mumbled. “No playing favorites. Unless I’m the favorite, then it’s okay.”
“The fuck it is,” Sanchez growled.
“I love you both equally,” Caterina assured and walked toward the doorway. “I’ll see you boys…well, if I get lucky, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Cruz sobered a bit. “You be careful, darling. Hit that speed dial if you get into trouble and we’ll be there in a flash.”
“Of course. But remember, I am a product of my upbringing.” She winked. “I can take care of myself.”
“Never hurts to have a backup plan, though,” Sanchez said. “And we’re it.”
“I’ll keep my phone handy,” she said as she passed through the doorway. “Just in case.”
Once outside, rather than take a car, she chose to walk. She tugged her black leather jacket around her slim body and stuffed her hands in the pockets. The light evening breeze teased her long honey-brown hair. In the company of the boys, she’d been drawn out of her funk a little, but alone again, the pain of Armand’s betrayal resurfaced. A steady ache settled in her heart and pushed fresh tears into her eyes. She blinked them back and thought instead about her prospective lover for tonight. She’d played it off lightly to the two men, but picking up a stranger and having sex with him wasn’t something she did. She wanted it to be something she did tonight, but wasn’t sure she could actually go through with it.
Would you rather sit in your room and pine over Armand while he’s out screwing other women? Yeah, that’ll show him.
With renewed determination, Caterina straightened her back and blinked away the tears. Armand expected her to sit and cry for him until he decided to wander back into her life, then for her to take him back as if he were doing her some kind of favor by returning.