by Nora Phoenix
Noah slowly lowered his hand, which had flown to his mouth in disbelief at watching the news. How the fuck was this possible?
“Did you know about this?”
Noah turned around, startled by Wells’ voice. “What?”
Wells pointed toward the TV. “Did you know about this?”
Noah frowned. “How the fuck would I have known?”
Wells seemed to study him for a bit before he shrugged. “I dunno, but it seems mighty convenient that you’re here when that went down. It’s the perfect alibi.”
Did he really think Noah had something to do with this? Those assholes were shot from…
He stopped mid-track in his thoughts. Could it be? No, he was in the closed ward of a psych hospital. There was no way. Was there?
“You invited me here, remember? And it was about what happened in Kansas, not about this. I’m only now seeing this.”
Wells gestured for him to sit down and took a seat across from him. “This means freedom for Indy,” he said. “The three guys killed were the only ones with motive to go after him. Jeremy Fitzpatrick, the old guy, is dying. He has days at most. They’ve arrested all lower-level lieutenants. If Indy testifies against them, he’ll bring them all down.”
Noah’s head was about to explode with all the thoughts assaulting him at the same time. “What about the contract on his head?”
Wells shook his head. “That was guaranteed by Duncan. Now that he’s gone, there’s no one to pay out. The lieutenants don’t have access to the funds. These guys, they’re in it for the money. They’ll stop looking for him, I guarantee you.”
“Holy fuck, he’s free,” Noah said. A gulf of emotion rolled over him, making it hard to breathe. “He’s finally free.”
Indy had run for hours until he was too exhausted to move anymore. He’d made his way across fields, following dirt tracks and country roads, heading south. That little compass in his backpack had sure come in handy.
His usual strategy was to head for a big city and get lost amongst the masses, but this was Kansas. There were no big cities, not for miles, anyways. Dodge City had to be closest, since he’d seen signs when they drove him in, but even that had to be tens of miles away. He wouldn’t be able to reach it before sunset, and he was sure as hell not spending a night outside here. Fuck knew what kind of animals roamed these fields. No, he had to think of a way to make it to Dodge City, one that didn’t involve walking.
Fuck, he wished he had his female clothes. He felt too exposed without them, especially after that broadcast. Then again, this was a long way from Boston. Would they even have shown that on the news here? Plus, by now that was months ago. No one would remember, most likely. The only people who were actively looking for him were Duncan’s men, the guys who had attacked the farm. And the odds of running into them in broad daylight on a country road somewhere in the southwest of Kansas were small. No, they’d still be hiding, knowing law enforcement was looking for them.
He’d have to take his chances. He had no money, no ID, and food and water that would last him a couple of days at best. If he didn’t find a solution soon, he would be fucked. Maybe in Dodge City he could find a way to contact Noah.
Even the thought of him made Indy’s heart contract painfully. Fuck, he missed him so damn much. He pushed back the thought. Thinking of Noah was a luxury he couldn’t afford right now. He had to get the fuck out of there.
A truck appeared on the horizon, and he made his decision. When he raised his thumb in the universal hitchhiking gesture, the truck came to a slow stop. The driver, a fifty-something guy with a long, brown beard, gestured for him to get in. He pulled himself up, opened the door and climbed in.
“Howdy, son,” the driver said with a friendly smile. “Whatcha doing here by yourself?”
Indy’s eyes fell on the small pictures taped to his dashboard. School pictures of two girls and a boy. The man was a dad. He could work with that.
“My stepfather kicked me out, sir,” Indy lied. He let his shoulders hunch. “He didn’t like my momma giving me attention, I guess. She’s a wonderful mom, but she can’t see him for the monster he is.”
The man gave him a sympathetic look. “That’s a tough situation to be in, son. You got a place to go?”
Indy nodded. “Yes, sir. I have family in Dodge City. I woulda called my aunt, but my stepdad took my phone. And all my money. But my aunt Jenny will take me in, I’m sure.”
His eyes fell on the large tattoo on the driver’s right arm, depicting a curled-up snake with familiar words written underneath. Don’t tread on me. Now there was something he could definitely use.
He lowered his voice, putting some sadness in it. “She’s my late dad’s sister, my aunt Jenny. He was a marine, my dad. Killed in action in Iraq.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, son, but you should be proud of your dad and the sacrifice he made for this country.”
“I am, sir. My dad is my hero.”
The driver reached out with his meaty hand. “I’m Stan, and I’d be happy to drop you off anywhere in Dodge City.”
Indy shook his hand. “Thank you so much. I’m Alex.”
Seconds later, they were on their way, and he sighed inwardly with relief. It was almost four in the afternoon, and he was completely exhausted. The muscles in his legs were trembling with fatigue and overexertion, and his feet were killing him.
Stan made some small talk with the radio playing in the background, and Indy forced himself to respond, sticking to the persona he’d created.
“I’m gonna listen to the news for a minute,” Stan announced. He turned up the radio.
Indy’s stomach twisted. Would the attack be on the news? It was damn local, but surely the FBI would have tried to keep it under wraps, right? His hands started to get clammy as the news reader announced the first story, which was something about the president, thank fuck.
“The Boston Police Department is still not coming forth with any information about the identity of the sniper who shot three men through a hotel window this morning. The three victims were top leaders in the notorious Fitzpatrick crime family, and have been identified as Brian Fitzpatrick and his two sons Duncan and Alan. A police spokesperson stated the shooting is most likely related to the many crimes of this Boston mob family but refused to speculate about the identity of the shooter.”
Blood rushed out of Indy’s head, and he wavered in his seat. Duncan was dead. Holy motherfucking hell, he was dead.
Shot.
By a sniper.
Duncan was dead.
“Stan, can you please… I’m sick…”
Stan stopped the truck immediately, shooting Indy a worried look, but Indy was out of the cabin before the truck had even fully stopped. His stomach heaved violently, and he threw up on the shoulder. A tremor tore through his body as his stomach revolted again, and he deposited more on the side of the road.
Indy wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as his stomach finally settled down. Duncan was dead. That son of a bitch was finally dead. Unbelievable.
His lightheadedness lifted, and instead, a sense of euphoria rushed through his veins, even as tears started falling down his cheeks.
He was free. For the first time since his mom had sold him to Duncan, he was free.
Indy breathed in deeply, wiped the tears from his eyes, and straightened himself. A massive wave of longing hit him.
Home.
He was about to go home, to the one true home he’d ever had, with Noah and Josh and hopefully Connor.
Finally.
(Turn the page to discover how to receive a free bonus chapter for No Fear!)
Free Bonus Chapter
If you haven’t had enough yet of Blake and Aaron, check out this free bonus chapter with an extra scene featuring our main lovebirds from No Fear: https://instafreebie.com/free/w01Jn
And while you’re at it, make sure to download Ballsy, the free prequel/intro to Ballsy Boys, the sexy new series from Nora Phoenix and K.M
. Neuhold: https://instafreebie.com/free/so1mA
Here’s the blurb for Ballsy:
Meet the men of Ballsy Boys Productions— Rebel, Tank, Brewer, Heart, Campy, and Pixie— the hottest gay porn stars in LA. They seem like they have it all: fame, money, and lots of good times, but what about love?
Join these sexy, cocksure men as they journey through love, lust, friendship...and of course, a whole lot of what porn stars do best.
Ballsy is the introduction/prequel to the Ballsy Boys Series, a super sexy MM romance series with plenty of good times. While this series do contain some instances of sex outside of the main relationships, they DO NOT contain cheating.
Meet Nora Phoenix
When she was a little tot, Nora’s mom got a library subscription for her. That, as they say, was that, and a lifelong love for books was born. Nora never stopped reading and doesn’t exaggerate when she says she devours books, rather than plain reads them. She started writing stories as soon as she could hold a pen. She wrote her first full book as a teen (on a typewriter!), but waited waaaay too long to follow her dream to become a published romance author.
Nora writes M/M romance, because hello, sexy boys, and likes her men flawed, strong, and a tad broken. She appreciates a little kink but insists on a happy ever after.
If you want first dibs on freebies, updates on new books, announcements of sales and more, sign up for Nora’s Newsletter. No spamming your email inbox full, promise.
Come hang out with Nora in her Facebook group Nora’s Nook where she shares previews, sneak peeks, freebies, and much more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norasnook/
You can also stalk her on Twitter and Goodreads, where she shares tons of reviews of M/M romances.
And please, leave reviews of the books you read and loved (including this one, hopefully). It’s the most helpful thing you can do for an author!
Acknowledgments
Three down, one to go. In hindsight, it may have been a little ambitious to publish four books back-to-back, but the support of so many people around made it possible.
A first huge thanks to my readers, who constantly encourage me with their messages and emails. Every time I post a teaser, you guys go all “Gimme, gimme,” on me, and I love it. You make me feel special, and it’s the best feeling in the world.
Sloan, I love this cover. Thanks for your hard work on this.
Courtney, your editing rocks, both because of your smart advice and because of your hilarious remarks along the way.
Kyleen, Michele, Amanda, and Tania: thanks for beta reading this book. I loved your feedback, and it helped make the book so much better. Tania, your scene-by-scene comments while you were reading were so awesome. I loved reading the book through your eyes!
Last but not least, a big thanks to my ARC readers for reading and reviewing my book. Reviews matter SO much to self-published authors like me, so thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
Coming Soon
Don’t miss the last installment in the No Shame Series! In No Shame, we’ll follow Miles, Brad, and Charlie on their journey to love:
Brad feels nothing but shame about himself. Shame about his sexual needs, about his reputation, about his medical problem no one knows about. No one, except his best friend Charlie, but no matter what feelings Brad may have for him, he’s not going there. Charlie deserves so much better, and Brad desperately needs something not even Charlie can provide.
Charlie has loved Brad forever, but he’s never acted on his feelings, unsure of where he stood. Plus, there was the complication of his boyfriend. But when his boyfriend’s abuse gets too much for Charlie, it’s Brad who helps him escape and recover.
Miles ends up severely wounded in the line of duty as an FBI agent. He’s floored when the man he was protecting, Indy, opens his home to him so he can recover. Indy also sets him up with Brad, who turns out to be a perfect solution for Miles’ sexual issues…until Miles wants more than sex from him, and a developing friendship between Miles and Charlie complicates things even more.
Bit by bit Charlie and Miles break through Brad’s defenses, until they come crumbling down. Miles will have to prove he can provide what Brad needs, and Charlie’s sweet love will be put to the test. But when Brad finally finds the courage to break free of his shame, will the fragile love that has blossomed between the three of them survive?
No Shame is a steamy M/M/M romance that ends with a happy ever after for all characters, including those from the previous books in the series. It’s the fourth book in the No Shame Series, and is NOT a stand alone novel, so make sure to read the first three books first (No Filter, No Limits, and No Fear). It contains hot sex, a ménage, a little daddy kink, more hot sex, and a poly-amorous relationship that transcends labels. Also: trigger warning for mentions of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and rape.
Preorder No Shame now on Amazon!
(Turn the page to read an (unedited) excerpt from No Shame)
Excerpt from No Shame
Miles Hampton awoke to the sensation of his cock being sucked. Quite expertly, as a matter of fact. A hot, wet mouth with a devious tongue that licked him top to bottom and back, then teased his slit. A throat that seemed to lack a gag reflex, as it sucked him in all the way with pressure that drew his balls up tight after mere seconds. He clenched his fists as his orgasm barreled through him.
“Thank you,” he managed.
Warm hands cleaned his cock with what smelled like a baby wipe, then put it back in his pajama bottoms. “You’re welcome. Sleep well.”
He was halfway back asleep when it hit him. Who the fuck had just sucked him off? Had he seen him before? Yes. Yesterday, he’d quietly slipped into the room as well. Dark hair, olive skin, gorgeous brown eyes. A quiet little mouse, who could suck cock like it was all he did.
Miles dreamed of him, that slick mouth, that perfect tongue. What was his name?
It was hard to stay awake, with so many drugs in his system. Painkillers, sedatives, whatever else he needed to not die. He kept waiting for his balls to start hurting, but they never did. Had they started giving him hormones after all?
He came in his sleep. Or had he been awake?
He woke up, knowing he’d orgasmed again, but his pajama bottoms were dry. What the hell?
The next time he roused, warm hands dragged down his pajama. He reached out, slower than he’d liked but still fast enough to catch the guy’s hand. Slim. Soft.
“Who are you?” he croaked.
“I’m Brad. Can I suck you off?”
“Hell, yes. Please.”
He put his hand on dark messy curls, so soft to his touch. He held it there until he came hard, groaning as he spurted cum into his mouth. Who the hell was this?
Brad.
Brad with the perfect mouth.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Sleep well.”
Hadn’t he said that before? Deja vu.
Pain radiated from his heavy balls into his cock, his legs. It had been too long. He moved his hand down, vicious pain stabbing him in the ribs, and reached inside his pants. Rock hard, of course. That never changed. Fuck, he hated this.
He jerked himself once, biting his lip from crying out as the uncoordinated move sent a wave of pain through him. The door opened, and he was too slow to pull out. Shit. What would they think? Pervert. He was a fucking pervert.
“I’m sorry. I’m here now.”
Before he could say another word, his hand was pulled off his cock, and that mouth descended. Wet heat, tongue, hard sucking. He exploded, tears forming in his eyes as his balls furiously emptied. Fuuuuuuuuck.
He looked up to meet apologetic brown eyes. “I couldn’t make it here earlier. I’m so sorry. Do you need another one?”
“Brad?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“You suck cock like a champ,” he heard himself say, his eyes drifting shut again.
A low chuckle. “I’ll take that as a yes. Close your eyes, I
’ve got you.”
It took slightly longer, but when his second release hit him, he fell asleep instantly.