Title: Toxic
Author: Rick R. Reed
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: 03/15/2022
Length: 77900
Genre: Horror, LGBTQIA+, author, men with children, mystery, criminal, murderer, celebrities, dark, over 40, revenge, tear jerker, Seattle
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Description
Connor Ryman thought he had it all—a successful career as a mystery novelist, a condo with stunning views of Seattle’s Lake Union, a supportive and long-term partner, Steve, and a loving daughter, Miranda, who was following in her father’s creative footsteps.
It all went bad when Steve left the family suddenly. Jilted and heartbroken, Connor begins to search for love online. So long off the market, he enlists his daughter’s help in crafting a dating profile.
His prayers are answered when Trey Goodall, smart and handsome, answers his ad. He’s witty, urbane, a wealthy attorney, and his sex appeal is off the charts. But he’s a liar, a monster under a pretty mask. Miranda sees through the red flags and senses something very wrong beneath the façade.
Can she convince her father to save himself before it’s too late? Or will Trey, a master manipulator with a very tainted history, play upon Connor’s innocence to ensnare him in a web of deceit, intrigue, and, ultimately, murder?
Toxic
Rick R. Reed © 2022
All Rights Reserved
Dad hovered at her shoulder, reading when she was done. “It’s not that good,” he said laughing. “Kind of cornball.”
“You don’t want it to be slick, Daddy. You want guys to feel free to chat with you. Sure, you could write it so it sounded like a marketing expert wrote it, but that wouldn’t do the trick. Trust me—this, with your handsome pic and your stats, is all you need. They’ll come runnin’.”
“Sure. They’ll be beating down the door to get to this ‘mature gentleman.’ Don’t you know that the gay world is rife with ageism? Thirty is over the hill. I’m ancient in gay years.”
“And you know that how?” Growing up with two gay dads, Miranda was very comfortable herself in the gay bars of Capitol Hill, and she knew firsthand that, yes, ageism did exist in the bars, but no more than what she saw when she ventured out to her own straight bars. A good-looking man was a good-looking man, period. Her dad’s kindness, wit, compassion, and sense of adventure would charm anyone; she was sure. “Ever heard of DILFs?” She waved her hand as her stomach lurched. “No, no. Forget I asked that. Just trust me on this, Daddy. You’ll get responses…and maybe even some good ones. What have you got to lose?”
“Oh, my dear, I hope that question doesn’t come back to haunt me.”
“You always told me, ‘Leap and the net will appear.’ This is no different. The worst is you end up going back to the drawing board. And then we can try another approach, another site. Whatever.”
“I guess.”
She met his gaze. And she was surprised to see a mix of terror and sadness on his face. His hand rested on her shoulder, and she reached back to cover it with her own. “We don’t have to do this, you know. There’s always time. Maybe wait until after the holidays?”
“Actually, there isn’t time. You say that because you’re a kid in college. To you, there’s all the time in the world. I’m not getting any younger.” Her father leaned over her and hit Return to send his profile.
A pop-up appeared. Your profile has been successfully created.
He grinned. “If I didn’t do it fast, I never would have done it. I would have second-guessed myself to death.”
“Okay, then.” Miranda laughed.
The screen was now populated with thumbnail portraits of dozens of local gay men. Good Lord, what have I done? Miranda got up from the computer. “I should be getting home. I have a paper to write.” She nodded at his laptop screen. “Check things out. Have fun. Be careful.”
“I’ll keep you posted on what happens.”
She planted a little peck on his cheek. “You do that.”
“I won’t expect a miracle.” He laughed. “I am so over the hill.”
“Are not. You’ll be surprised.” She pointed to the monitor. “This right here could change your life. You never know what could happen.”
“You never know.”
She turned and looked back at her dad, who’d sat back down at the computer, scrolling through the rows of pictures. She could see, though, that he did it with a kind of resignation, rather than anticipation.
She wondered if maybe he wasn’t rushing things, if she should have done more to dissuade him from this idea.
“Bye, Daddy. I’ll call you.”
He waved over his shoulder. “Talk soon.”
Miranda left him in his office and went into the living room. She gathered up her coat from the back of the couch and put it on. She moved to the floor-to-ceiling windows and sliders that overlooked Lake Union. She watched as a seaplane landed on its dark waters.
She stared for a while, trying to convince herself that her last glimpse of her father wasn’t a face filled with yearning and sadness.
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Rick R. Reed is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifty works of published fiction. He is a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Entertainment Weekly has described his work as “heartrending and sensitive.” Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…” Find him at www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his husband, Bruce, and their fierce Chihuahua/Shiba Inu mix, Kodi.
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