Lies & Deception

by Nic Starr

  “C’mon. Let’s get that beer. We’ve got something to celebrate, right?” Ross’s grin was wide as he nudged Mitch in the direction of The Rocks.

  Luckily it was early enough that they managed to get a table on the rooftop, and soon Ross was raising his glass in a toast.

  “Here’s to a job well done.”

  Mitch snorted. “I’m not sure how well the job was done, but I’ll drink to the bloody thing being over.” They clinked glasses, and he swallowed the cold lager.

  “You’ve started the celebration without me.”

  They both looked up to see Shelley, Ross’s wife, smiling at them. She gave Mitch a quick kiss before slipping into the seat beside Ross. Ross flung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Envy tugged at Mitch’s heart as he observed their closeness.

  “Hey, Shell. It’s great to see you. I’ll get you a drink.” He pushed back, chair legs scraping on the floor. A minute to himself would be good. “What are you having? Glass of white wine, right?”

  “Ah….” She and Ross shared a look.

  “What?”

  “Well, we’ve got some news,” Ross said.

  “It’s only early days, but we want you to know we’re having a baby.”

  “Fuck. Really?” Mitch’s smile was wide, but he was sure Ross’s grin was wider. “That’s amazing. I’m so happy for you guys.”

  He moved around the table and gave Shelley a quick hug as Ross stood. He grasped Ross’s hand and gave it a shake before hauling him into a back-slapping hug. “That’s great news, mate. I really am happy for you.”

  Ross pulled back, eyes crinkling. “Yeah, me too.”

  “This is definitely cause for a celebration. Lemonade all round?” Mitch said, looking at Shelley. He gave her a wink, her laughter following him as he headed to the bar to order another round.

  “How’d it go today?” Shelley asked when he finally returned.

  “As expected. This was only the internal inquiry to tie up loose ends regarding the whole operation. Bureaucracy more than anything, but critical to make sure the case holds up in court. The trial won’t be for at least twelve months, maybe longer what with the court backlogs,” Ross said.

  “I can’t believe how lucky you were, Mitch.” Shelley reached over and patted his hand. “Thank God you weren’t hurt worse.”

  He instinctively brought his hand to his side where the bullet had entered and thankfully passed straight through. I guess you can call a broken rib, punctured lung, and shredded muscles lucky. Even now he felt the twinge that reminded him daily of that fateful day. The only good thing to have come out of the injury and his subsequent stint in hospital was that he had finally kicked the smoking habit once and for all.

  “Yeah. I’m glad Ross and the others were there, or there could have been a very different outcome.”

  It had been a hell of a lot easier to watch the police cart Finn away rather than the paramedics. But Mitch still had nightmares of coming to, strapped to a gurney, and seeing the look of desperation on Finn’s face as he was dragged away. God, how he wanted to see Finn. The yearning gripped him hard enough to take his breath away.

  “Are you okay, honey?” Shelley squeezed his hand.

  Mitch shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Uh-huh.”

  “You’ll let us know if you need anything, right?”

  “Thanks, Shell. I’ll be okay. The inquiry today was the only thing holding me here in Sydney. I’m free to move on now, at least until the trial.”

  “What happens next?” she asked.

  Ross spoke up. “The presidents of both clubs were killed along with eight other club members. The remaining gang members were taken into custody. They’re facing a slew of charges—illegal possession of firearms, assault, murder, drug importation and distribution. The businesses have been closed down. The assets of each gang have been confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act—cash, vehicles, property. Thanks to Lana and the Forensic Accounting team’s hard work, we think we found most of it.”

  Mitch thought of Finn’s worn weatherboard house that had been declared a proceed from crime, along with everything in it. As a result, Finn owned nothing. He’d lost his only surviving close family member, his job, and his home. He’d paid a heavy price.

  “So what does that mean for you, Mitch? What are you going to do?”

  He shook his head clear of thoughts of Finn. “I don’t have to be back until the Supreme Court trial, so I’m taking some extended time off. After that, who knows?”

  A moment later, his phone pinged with an incoming text. He smiled as he read the message.

  So happy :) Can’t wait to see you.

  “Got to go, guys,” Mitch said as he stood, suddenly impatient to hit the road. He gave Shelley another hug and congratulated Ross once again.

  “Don’t be a stranger,” Ross said.

  “I’ll miss you.” Even though he was eager to get out of town, he knew he’d miss spending time with his partner. “You’ll keep an eye on Pete?”

  “Of course. He’s due out of rehab in a fortnight. I’ll give you an update then.”

  “Thanks.” Mitch nodded.

  He turned his thoughts from his ex to his future as he left the pub, typing a reply message.

  Leaving now. See u soon. Xx

  FINN’S FACE broke into a broad grin. “Thank God you made it. I thought you’d never get here.” Fuck, he was glad to see Mitch. Messaging and phone calls weren’t the same. You’d think he’d be used to the distance, especially since they’d spent time apart when Mitch had been recovering from his injuries.

  Mitch dropped his bag on the floor and wrapped Finn tightly in his arms. Finn buried his face into Mitch’s neck, inhaling the scent he’d missed over the past two weeks. Mitch’s hold was strong and tender at the same time, and Finn allowed himself to melt into his arms. It didn’t matter that their future was uncertain. All that mattered was this moment.

  “Fuck, I’ve missed you,” Mitch murmured against his ear. “So bloody much.”

  “Me too.”

  “I won’t leave you again.”

  Yes. Oh God, that’s all I want.

  Finn tilted his head, and Mitch brought his mouth down in a hot kiss. He tightened his hold, pulling Finn to him while he kissed him desperately.

  Later they lay on the bed, Mitch’s arm under Finn’s neck and their legs tangled. Cool air chilled his damp body, so Finn tugged up the sheet and doona, drawing them up to ward off the cold. He wished he’d lit the fire in the bedroom, not just the one in the living room, but he had been planning for a dinner, not a passionate tumble. He laughed to himself. I really should know better.

  He traced circles on Mitch’s chest, playing with the dark hair, loving the ache in his body, the feeling of being totally sated. This was exactly where he wanted to be.

  “Mitch?”

  “Mmm….” Mitch’s voice had that sleepy quality of someone only half awake.

  “You haven’t told me what happened today.” Finn knew the concern was evident in his voice, and he hated raising the topic, but he had to know. He needed the reassurance that everything was going to be all right.

  Mitch moved, hauling himself up until he was sitting propped against the headboard. He drew Finn with him.

  “It’s going to be okay, Finn. Everything went well, just as I told you it would.”

  “You didn’t lose your job? You weren’t suspended?” Finn had worried himself sick at the potential cloud over Mitch’s career.

  “Not even close. But I told you that wasn’t going to happen.”

  “I was sure I was going to fuck up your career. That they’d find out about us and you’d be reprimanded in some way.”

  “Finn, listen to me. They weren’t going to find out about us because no one was going to tell them. Plus the operation wasn’t compromised. It may not have gone down the way I thought it would, but all in all, we got the result we wanted. Both of us.”

  Finn hated the fact
he wasn’t allowed to speak up on Mitch’s behalf at the departmental inquiry, but he understood the whole situation was complicated. It took weeks to sort out his own role in the whole debacle. Mitch was astounded and overjoyed to find out Finn was the person passing over confidential club information. Finn and Pete decided together they wanted to bring the club down—Pete because he wanted to make amends for getting involved in a drug running operation, Finn because he hated everything the club and his brother stood for. Thankfully Finn was able to strike a deal for his testimony.

  He was seeing a counselor, someone to help him come to terms with not only the events of that day, but everything that had happened leading up to the siege. Unsurprisingly, he was dealing well with the death of Rocky, but old wounds had reopened when information came to light after the arrests of a number of the Soldiers. There was still no concrete proof and it was largely hearsay, but Rocky had bragged to fellow Soldiers about killing their father. There was enough substance to the story for the police and Finn to believe it was most likely true. Carl’s death was still unclear, but it reopened old wounds and Finn grieved for his loss of family again. But how he had hope.

  “So—what now?” Finn asked.

  “Now we have probably a year until we testify and get this thing over with once and for all. Then we do anything we want. You, me. The world’s our oyster.”

  Finn pressed close to Mitch. “I’ve been thinking about that conversation we had, the one where you asked me what I’d do if I didn’t have to stay with the club, if I could do anything I wanted to do.” He paused, listening to Mitch’s strong and regular heartbeat under his ear. “I think I’m ready to have those dreams now. For us to have our dreams come true.”

  Finn could hear the smile in Mitch’s voice. “I’m so glad to hear that. Starting with the coast?”

  “Uh-huh. Then working on the other things—you know, the white picket fence?” Mitch hugged him tighter at those words. “Maybe we can stay right here.” Finn looked out the window at the crashing waves below.

  “Anywhere you want, Finn. Anywhere you want.” Mitch pressed a kiss to the top of his head. And Finn realized that so long as he was with Mitch, he didn’t care where they were. His place was with the man he loved, and that was all that mattered.

  More from Nic Starr

  Dr Nathan Powell is ready to settle down near his family, and hopefully find the man of his dreams. He returns to the small coastal town where he grew up, but while life is simpler than it was in the city, there are also complications—like patients’ reactions to an openly gay doctor. And like running into Nate’s first love, Damien, an out-and-proud local business owner who is unwilling to be any man’s dirty secret. The reunion reignites old desire even while it stirs up Nate’s guilt over the way things ended with Damien.

  When Nate’s nephew runs away, Damien accompanies Nate on his mission to find the young man. The drive to Sydney, and the search of the city, gives Nate time to reconnect with Damien—and to wonder if he made the right decision years ago—when he determined a future for them was impossible. Is a fresh start realistic for two men in their forties? But before he can ponder the second chance they’ve been given, Nate must locate his nephew.

  Heroes: Book One

  Schoolteacher Charlie Matthews returns to his hometown, looking to regain a sense of community, reconnect with friends, and settle down. It looks like his dreams have come true when paramedic Josh Campbell attends an accident at the school. It’s love at first sight, and a romance begins.

  But Josh’s reluctance to come out to the brother who raised him, puts pressure on their fledgling relationship. While Charlie understands Josh’s concerns, he can’t help growing impatient. After all, Charlie came out years ago.

  It’s not until Charlie confronts his own parents and realizes he hasn’t come to terms with their rejection that he fully understands what Josh has to lose. But Josh is Charlie’s hero, and Josh will do anything to prove to Charlie that to be part of a family, he doesn’t need his parents.

  Heroes: Book Two

  Young mechanic Andrew Campbell’s life couldn’t be better. He is about to restore a Ford Mustang with his dad before heading off on the ultimate cross-country road trip with his best friend, Tanner McKenzie.

  But tragedy strikes, and Andrew’s life is shattered. Worried his family will be torn apart if he doesn’t step in, Andrew makes a tough choice between following his heart and doing what he needs to do to protect his little brother.

  When Andrew pushes Tanner away, Tanner heads off on the planned trip alone. Once Tanner leaves town, his life takes a different path, and it’s ten years before he returns. Now a firefighter, he’s never forgotten his first love, and no one has ever taken Andrew’s place in his heart. He’s determined to see if Andrew feels the same way. He just hopes Andrew’s excited to see him, hopes that he’s available—and finally out—after all this time.

  They might not have been ready to deal with emerging feelings years ago, but now might be the time for their second chance at love.

  More Than: Book One

  Sam Miller’s dreams are simple—to give back to the aunt who supported him since his mother’s death and to have a family of his own. He focuses on making a success of their catering business Poppy’s Pantry, and his close group of friends. However, when Aunt Poppy ends up in the hospital, it’s a stranger Sam meets in the corridor who gives him the support he needs.

  Rob Taylor is a man with secrets. His life in the public eye has taken its toll, and now he lives with the repercussions. When he finds himself falling for Sam, he knows things are finally going his way.

  But just as Sam and Rob find their happiness, another secret threatens to tear them apart.

  More Than: Book Two

  Tim Walker is a free man. He’s broken up with his girlfriend and is ready to move on to a new relationship. But the relationship he wants to pursue is fraught with challenges. Firstly, Scott Richardson is a man, and only Tim’s closest friends know Tim’s bisexual. Secondly, everyone knows Scott relishes the single life. And then there’s the big one: Scott is the younger brother of Tim’s best friend, Paul.

  Scott can’t deny an attraction to his brother’s friend Tim. Lean, dark blond, and blue-eyed, Tim is hot and hard not to notice—especially since Scott and Tim work together. Too bad the man is straight, and too bad Scott worries how Paul will react if Scott hooks up with his best friend.

  Tim and Scott want to see if there’s a chance for more than friendship between them, but neither of them wants to lose Paul. Together, they must find the courage to follow their hearts and find a way to have it all.

  Readers love Nic Starr

  Runaway

  “…it was a sweetly romantic story with a low heat level that fit perfectly into the story and its flow.”

  —Diverse Reader

  “Runaway is short, but not without emotion or fully thought-out characters and plot. I think Starr’s novella will appeal to a huge range of readers.”

  —Joyfully Jay

  More Than a Friend

  “Nic Starr has written another great book.”

  —Bike Book Reviews

  Andrew’s Promise

  “This book is an emotional roller coaster in the very best of ways—the perfect combination of sentiments, feelings and reactions that tugged the heartstrings and made the characters seem so very real.”

  —Gay Book Reviews

  “It’s a lovely, trouble-free ride with a bit of steam if you are willing to join along.”

  —Boys in Our Books

  NIC STARR lives in Australia, where she tries to squeeze as much into her busy life as possible. Balancing the demands of a corporate career with raising a family and writing can be challenging, but she wouldn’t give it up for the world.

  Always a reader, the lure of m/m romance was strong and she devoured hundreds of wonderful m/m romance books before realizing she had some stories of her own that needed to be told.

  Nic
loves to spend time with her family—an understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a cherished Cairn terrier. Nic is a foodie and wine lover who lives in the city but is a country girl at heart. When not writing or reading, she is often found indulging in her love of cooking and planning her dream home in the country.

  You can find Nic on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog. She’d love it if you stopped by to say hi.

  Website & Blog: www.nicstarr.com

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/nicki.nicstar

  Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/NicStarrAuthor

  Twitter: @nicstarr_author

  Instagram: www.instagram.com/nic_starr_author/

  Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/nicstarr_author

  Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/8139967.Nic_Starr

  By Nic Starr

  A Day at a Time

  It’s Not Easy

  Lies & Deception

  Runaway

  HEROES

  Charlie’s Hero

  Andrew’s Promise

  MORE THAN

  More Than a Superstar

  More Than a Friend

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Lies & Deception

  © 2018 Nic Starr.

  Cover Art

  © 2018 Tiferet Design.

  http://www.tiferetdesign.com/

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.