Page 12 (1/1)

Chapter 1

Dominic

Leveled

Laid out

Knocked sideways

Flattened and collapsed

Breathless and stunned

I’d had the proverbial rug yanked out from under me more than once in my twenty-five years The first time had been whenuncontrollably Dad had taken a bullet during a routine traffic stop and in the blink of an eye I went from little boy to the man of the house It was er sisters, so that’s what I did

The second time hen my very best friend in the entire world tapped h school Royal Hastings was everything a teenage boy should want, beautiful, funny, and sweet as could be with a rack that wouldn’t quit Kissing her should have been a treat and not a chore I loved her so fierce, so when our lips touched and I was left wholly unaffected and completely unmoved, it forced me to stop and really consider why That summer when I went away to a very exclusive baseball camp andit beca for me I liked boys, really liked them, in a much more than friendly way Initially, the revelation had freakedand into denial, but I was too close to ht with Royal to keep the revelations quiet for long And like everything else I eventually just accepted it ho I was along with being ay was simply another facet of the etting out of high school and doinga cop just like he was

I oal I set out forharder than the next guy because I felt like I had not only a legacy to live up to but also ot shot in the line of duty, which led , which, of course, did a brutal number on my body, the uncertainty of what my future held as I healed nearly paralyzed eneral pain in the ass to be around My family was sick of me, and it had killed me to watch Royal, as nowuilt because she felt likehurt was her fault It was a mess I was a mess, both physically and mentally

I always considered s shifted and tilted aroundcircumstances with a stiff upper lip and practical sensibility This go-around, I was scra was off-balance, and I couldn’t seeht to reht It pissed me off even more that my current disorientation had little to do with the li, and my questionable future with the Denver Police Depart across from me

It had taken et an appoints because she sharedin his schedule that was packed because the guy was in demand across the board when it cauy was no joke when it ca broken bodies and he didn’t take on just anyone as a client

He was supposed to be a ic hands and the perfect touch He wasorder but also my place on the force

Orlando Frederick also happened to be a gorgeous speci at rayish blue eyes He atchingto solve I didn’t like being dissected and picked apart I was used to being the one in the position of authority and coto help le shred of self-control I had not to fidget or twitch anxiously under that cool, unwavering gaze

I decided to check hi way he seeey-red ginger, but his auburn hair leaned further on the red side than the brown, and it was cut in a fashionable style that was super short on the sides and er on top He had a paler complexion than I normally found attractive, and he had freckles that dotted the bridge of his nose Who knew freckles could be so sexy? Rusty eyebrows arched elegantly over eyes the color of a mountain stream and while all of that should have made him seem wholesome and approachable, it had the opposite effect All of those distinct and elegant features combined made him seem way more refined and sophisticated than the men I typically found myself interested in

He was dressed in a black polo shirt with his clinic’s logo on it and when he stood up to shake my hand, I noticed he was an inch or so taller than reat shape, I figured he would have to be, considering his job, and he uided the way into his office He seemed like he was built for speed and flash, whereas I was built to take a beating and keep on going There wasn’t a hint of sophistication or refine in with the guys on the force slightly easier They all kneas gay, but I went out of my way to make it a nonissue

After an initial question-and-answer session, where he quizzed me about the accident, the subsequent injuries and what kind of physical therapy I had been doing up to this point, he lapsed into silence, where we just spent a good fivefor hi he could do That’s what the doctors said That’s what the physical therapist at the hospital said That’s what the orthopedic surgeon said afterto have a li s was acceptable when you chased bad guys around for a living

He reached out and shut the medical file in front of him and leaned back in his chair His eyebrows arched up, and he laced his fingers together and put his index fingers under his chin

“What exactly are you after, Mr Voss?” His voice was smooth and modulated I was a disaster, a bundle of nerves and anxiety, and this dude was acting like ere talking about the weather, notI had ever worked my ass off for