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Chapter One

Flipping through channels on the flat screen television, Detective Sergeant Kevin Bryson stretched out on his back on the et comfortable James Tucker, his best friend, former partner and probably the love of his life had stopped answering his cell phone, and no one had heard from him in over three weeks

It had been a long drive the day before from the Gulf coast of Florida to North Carolina, and once he arrived, he’d spent so froh it was early evening, asking questions in a few of the shops still open and in the small cafés, just like he’d done all day today He went anywhere he could think of, really, that et him results The local sheriff’s depart, of course They looked at his credentials and were polite enough, but clai in the area When Kevin adly, they told hi they could do

Everyone in town, as a matter of fact, claiious or otherwise They also claimed never to have heard of a former detective from Florida named James Tucker or his lover, a man Kevin knew only as Gavin—but then, he hadn’t really expected to get infors up and get a lead

Using cell phone records, he’d tracked Tucker to this general area, but that was as close as he could get If Tucker had fallen victiht he had, he believed there would be other cultto adh questions, nosed around enough, he roup He was hoping the cultfor him and save him further trouble

He sat up on the side of the bed and stretched He’d spent theon the internet for various churches or religious groups in the area It was late afternoon now, and he needed to figure so out for dinner

Levering hiain Da drive At the ripe old age of thirty-four, he shouldn’t have this many aches and pains, should he? Maybe if he actually did more cardio like his trainer told hiht be in better shape Up to this point, he’d beenhis hts Tucker used to laugh at him and say at least he’d look pretty when he wound up in the hospital with a heart attack someday Tucker, himself, was a runner

Tucker—Kevin felt the faht of hi, it seemed like a part of him by now Tucker had never wanted to be involved roether, and saying it would ruin things if a relationship between the So Kevin had reluctantly accepted the status quo and remained Tucker’s partner and eventually became his best friend Of course, he was still in love with Tucker, and alould be That ithout saying And he wouldn’t forsake hi hiainst his will He wanted to talk to him and see for hi less

There had been almost no word from Tucker since he left Florida to travel to Tennessee almost a uy was from somewhere in the state, close to the border of North Carolina, and Tucker said he wanted to go with Gavin to explore his newly discovered family home Gavin had told Tucker that he was taken frorandparents, and his real father was still alive and looking for hiiven no proof of any of this, and that he’d been hiding out froer seemed to matter to Tucker, no matter what Kevin tried to tell him Tucker had told Kevin he suspected Gavin was the leader of soe his mind so radically?

To ht in the ation, and the chief was so furious when he discovered Tucker’s absence and his refusal to return, he’d fired Tucker on the spot, a not surprising reaction As it turned out, thesuspected that about him, and he kept his orientation secret within the departotten out about him

At Kevin’s persistent urging, the chief had sent soators to check into the situation, and they questioned people at the Nightstick, a bar Tucker frequented, and at the hotel where Gavin had been staying It hadn’t taken hi to discover Tucker and Gavin were lovers At that point, the chief closed the investigation, saying Tucker had ‘gone off with his fag boyfriend ’

He’d called Bryson in his office to tell hiuess he fooled us all with his hoo Good riddance And leave it alone, Bryson, or we’ll start to wonder about you too End of story ”

It wasn’t the end of the fucking story for Kevin For hi The assholes he worked with could wonder about him all they wanted to If Tucker was in trouble, he wouldn’t turn his back on him to save himself

Since the day Tucker left with Gavin, Kevin had only heard froo through with souy, and that he would be staying in Tennessee Nothing Kevin could say would talk hi up on Kevin while he was still pleading with hi he’d be in touch That was the last time he’d heard from him, and Kevin orried sick

A loud knock on the door startled him for a second He moved to the door cautiously It was probably only hotel staff, but this whole thing had made hih, until he started asking questions Way too many of them had clammed up after that, and acted, not exactly with hostility, but like he’d definitely worn out his welcome