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Chapter One

With happy hour being celebrated loudly around him, Jason Dare stood on a balcony above the bar area and surveyed his dohtclub in Tribeca, an ode to the past and a reuaranteed Despite the fact that his two partners were here, as were members of his actual family, he still felt very much alone

Although solitary was a state of being he chose for reasons only he and his partners – men he considered his brothers – understood, sometimes it wasn’t easy, especially since they were verywell known here and had had extreet – for those anted an in with the occasional high-brow guest, and for wo a wealthy e He was ultra-selective with the feht to his bed

His life was the club, his partners, and his large family He kept his circle close and minimized his risk of loss as best he could Thatinto his love life, as well After his father had blown his fah, after he’d almost lost his sister to cancer when she was a child, after losing his partner Landon’s twin and Jason’s best friend back in college, he didn’t, couldn’t get close to people and risk more loss

He didn’t get e more than the occasional hookup when it was convenient, but he enjoyed those moments of connection with the feh darkness in his life that when he let go, he wanted to enjoy and have fun

“Jason, this has been an a her ar a kiss on his cheek

He chuckled and s face

Her husband, Ethan Knight, grinned as he pulled her off him and into his arms “She’s been liberal with the alcohol” Ethan explained her exuberant enthusias the baby” He held his wife tight against him

“I had fun! And noe’re going ho Jason fro about his sister’s love life Jesus

He shot the rateful look

“And on that note, we’re leaving We just wanted to say goodbye,” Ethan said with a srin on his face

“Thanks for coive that little bundle a kiss from her uncle Jase”

Accepting this man as his sister’s husband had been an adjust Ethan had knocked up Sienna before anyone even knew they were together They now had a baby girl named Lizzy, who Jason adored, and Ethan was a member of the family More people for Jason to worry about He watched theood hands with the other man

His gaze turned to his closest friends since their tie, now equal partners in Club TEN29 They stood huddled together around the bar with soht er, and Landon Bennett was the head of Entertainment and Appearances, Brand Deals, and Promotions After Landon’s twin died, he’d pulled into himself, while Tanner had spiraled, and it was only by sheer deterry place he’d gone to and the trouble he’d gotten himself into

Jason held the position of CEO Together they were a solid mix of personalities and work ethic in a club that was ht scene They made sure Club TEN29 provided a memorable experience for everyone who stepped inside There was no task too menial they wouldn’t handle personally if the need arose

But Jason wanted e on which custoh they’d put a lot ofas fast as he would like He just hadn’t figured out in which direction they needed to go in order to break out the way he wanted Since Tanner and Landon thought things were fine as they were, Jason needed a fully fleshed-out plan before presenting it to the his cousin Gabe later on tonight To hash out some ideas

Gabriel Dare owned Elite, also a nightclub but one that operated on a scale Jason couldn’t iures for a table and A-list celebrities visited often They had clubs all over the world, including on the island of Eden, an exclusive invitation-only resort near the Berle