Vince was looking down at his phone, texting his daughter who was already inside, that they would only be a few more minutes when he felt Mitchell take a step forward. Vince looked up as Mitchell was about to move around him and block the man approaching them. Recognizing the man, Vince held up his hand, stopping his bodyguard.
“It’s okay, Mitchell. I know this guy.” Vince focused on the man in front of him, but he didn’t smile and failed to offer his hand in greeting. “Hello, Avery.”
“Vince, it’s so good to see you.” The tall, fair haired man reached to give Vince a hug, but Vince stepped back. The younger man looked a bit confused. “I’ve been meaning to give you a call. I divorced David.”
“More likely he divorced you.” Vince's eyes narrowed. He had no intention of being kind.
“I thought maybe you and I could get together for coffee or a drink. Talk?” Avery glanced up at Mitchell, more than a little unnerved by the giant, stone faced man. “I’m sorry. Is this your boyfriend?”
Vince glanced away, “He’s my bodyguard.”
“Oh, so, Gio got you in some trouble. I always thought that might happen with your little brother.”
“No, my husband thought it would be a good idea to have these guys for a while.”
Avery frowned, “Husband?”
“Yeah,” Vince raised his left hand and waggled his ring finger at him. The black tungsten carbide band with a circle of flawless one carat inset diamonds that sat atop his engagement ring graced his hand. “I married Martin Kull about six months ago.”
“The billionaire?”
A deep voice came up behind Vince. “You talking about me?” Martin smiled at his husband and gave him a quick kiss. Handing over a couple of bags of gifts to Vince, he held out his hand. “And you are?”
“That’s Avery.” Vince supplied before deliberately looking back down at the screen on his phone.
Martin's grin broadened and he shook the other man’s hand. “Oh, that Avery.” Turning to Vince, “We should go inside now, everyone’s waiting.”
Vince and Mitchell went inside, but Rick stayed at his employer’s side. Still gripping Avery’s hand, Martin squeezed it a lot tighter and pulled the man closer. “I just wanted to thank you, Avery.”
“Thank me?”
“If you hadn’t dumped Vince, I wouldn’t have married the most amazing man in the world. Isn’t it strange how things work out and…,” Martin leaned in, placing his lips next to the other man’s ear, “I don’t want you to call or text or see my husband. You got me? Like I said when I talked to you before, I’m the jealous type.” With this, he gave a meaningful glance at his bodyguard, who had no problem giving off a definite air of malice. “Understand?”
Martin released Avery’s hand and took a step back. “Well, I have a party to attend. You take care of yourself, Avery.” He said as he opened the restaurant door then he turned to watch the other man start to walk away, “And, Avery?” The younger man stopped and looked up. “Merry Christmas.”
Martin stepped into the warmth of the lobby. He shrugged off his coat and handed it to the young woman standing at coat check.
Vince looked down at his husband. “Did you scare him off?”
Martin leaned in for a long, slow kiss before releasing his lover, “I thanked him.”
“Thanked him?” Vince frowned.
“He gave me the opportunity to find the most wonderful man in the world. His loss, my gain.”
Vince shook his head and wrapped Martin in his arms. Loud laughter filled the otherwise empty restaurant they’d rented for this special occasion. They looked over at the increasingly rowdy group and smiled. Releasing Martin, Vince held out his hand, beckoning his lover to lead the way.
Martin touched the expensive watch on Vince’s left wrist. “Nice watch.” He grinned.
“Thanks,” Vince gently placed his right hand against Martin’s lower back and guided him toward the crowd. “My husband gave it to me for our anniversary.”
“Smart man.”
Vince’s smile grew, “Actually, he’s an idiot, but I love him.”
Again, Martin turned and kissed his husband, “And he loves you. Merry Christmas, Vince, thank you again for marrying me. Thank you for saving me from a lifetime of loneliness and bad decisions.”
Vince snagged another little peck, “Merry Christmas, Marty, I love you, too. I’m not really sure who saved who, but that’s a discussion for another time. We have a bunch of guests who are getting more shit-faced by the minute.”
Arm in arm, they headed into the dining room, losing themselves in the family and friends that meant so much to them both.
The End
Now Available from M.J. Calabrese
Warrior’s Way
Coulter and Woodard 1
Geni.us/WarriorsWay
Friends since childhood, Albuquerque detective Eagle Woodard and criminal profiler Adam Coulter are dragged into a serial killer case. Gay couples are being murdered and tortured and the FBI needs their help to capture the sadistic murderer.
Deciding to implement a plan to trap the killer, Adam and Eagle go undercover as an involved gay couple. Or is it really pretend?
Faced with their toughest challenge yet, they must find the active serial killer before he strikes again. With the powers that be not cooperating and the killer proving to be elusive, will Eagle and Adam be able to stop the murderer while navigating their changing relationship?
PLEASE NOTE: This is the first book in an ongoing story arc. Although the case is solved, the relationship ends on a cliffhanger. Contains graphic violence and scenes of torture.
Mountainway Chant
Coulter & Woodard 2
Geni.us/MountainwayChant
Adam Coulter has returned and is coping with the horrific events of sixteen months ago as best he can, but not everyone is happy about it. His best friend and new husband, Detective Eagle Woodard, doesn’t want to speak to him and it’s starting to look like his fifth marriage isn’t going to be any more successful than his other four.
FBI Agent Rick Kessler and Navajo Reservation Police Lieutenant Carlos Aiello, Eagle’s cousin, have pulled a reluctant Adam into another case. Five bodies discovered at the site of a planned casino, all dressed and painted up as Native American mythological characters offer confusing clues. Are they dealing with another serial killer?
Fighting to stay clean and sober, Adam’s 12 step sponsor is murdered. At first, it seems unrelated to what he saw in the desert, but evidence comes to light that says otherwise. Revelations concerning Adam’s past and his father, Richard Coulter’s, connections to the local crime syndicate boss, Nelson Greybill creates even more chaos.
Can Adam repair the damage he’s done to his relationship with Eagle so he can help him solve this case? Can he win back the only man he’s ever truly loved, or will the demons of his past win the battle for his soul?
PLEASE NOTE: This is the second book in a continuous series. For full enjoyment please read Warrior's Way before reading Mountainway Chant. Contains murder and mayhem, as well as dealing with an alcohol and drug addiction. If these are triggers for you, please skip this one!
Nightway Chant
Coulter & Woodard 3
Coming September 1, 2020
Author Info
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hank you for reading books on Archive.
Songs of Love : Books 1-3 Page 28
