Title: Summers Power
Series: Danger City, Book One
Author: BL Jones
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: 11/05/2024
Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 101300
Genre: Contemporary Romance, family-drama, bisexual, crime family, schoolteacher, enemies to lovers, superheroes, deceased spouse, deceased parent, slow burn
Add to Goodreads
Description
Danger City has been ruled by the bloody iron fists of the Winters crime family for decades.
When the Summers family waged war on the Winters in an attempt to take their power, violence reigned, taking no mercy on both sides of the conflict. The Summers were eventually defeated and as a result Max Summers lost everything.
Flash forward sixteen years, Max is a new man, no longer a gangster, but a simple primary school teacher still grieving the loss of his first love and trying his best to raise his children as a single father.
Cue his old rival Sam Winters re-entering his life when their oldest sons meet at school and become best friends.
During their time apart, Sam continued on the path laid out for him, climbing the organisation’s ranks right to the top. He has become every inch the mighty and lethal crime boss he was born to be.
After their unplanned reunification, both men are forced to confront the nightmares of their joint past and the burgeoning desire developing between them.
Can Max allow himself to fall in love with anyone again, let alone the man who was once his greatest enemy?
Summers Power
BL Jones © 2024
All Rights Reserved
I roll my eyes and make a snorting sound, which causes Sam to look at me again. It feels odd to be the focus of Sam’s attention without the added anger and resentment that tainted our previous interactions. I realise suddenly that we haven’t said a word to each other yet. So really it could all still go downhill from here, especially without my son around as a buffer.
I move towards the counter and away from Sam, in the hopes putting some distance between us will make this easier. Or at least not as weird.
I can feel his eyes on me though. I’ve always been able to feel him like that. It used to drive me batshit when we were teenagers. This once, I want to tell him to just stop looking at me. But that would sound unnecessarily hostile, and I don’t want Sam to think I still hate him. Our sons are friends; I won’t risk that for the sake of my comfort or pride.
For Rory’s sake, instead of trying to get Sam to leave as soon as possible, I ask him, “Would you like some tea, Mr Winters?”
Sam makes a sound that is a cross between a snort and a laugh. “Come on, Max, you’re not really gonna keep calling me Mr Winters, are you? I think we’re a little past standing on ceremony with each other. You don’t have to be polite.”
He makes it sound mocking, like being dignified and civil is something embarrassing. Something meant for other types of people. Not our sort.
I turn on him then, drawing up my protective walls, just like I did back then. “Would you prefer if I was openly rude to you instead?” I snap, glaring at him. “Okay then, Sam. Would you like a bloody cup of tea, you massive prat?”
Sam surprises me by laughing. Not a short chuckle either, but a proper bout of laughter that lights up his whole face like a sparkler. Those stupid eyes of his almost glow with amusement. It makes me want to kick him in the face, the same way I did years ago.
I remember what it sounded like to crack his cheekbone with my boot, and how I felt zero regret in the action. There’s been so much violence tossed back and forth between us. A relationship built on cruel words, on split skin, and congealed blood and broken bones.
“That’s more like it,” Sam says approvingly. “And yeah, I’d like some tea, thanks.”
I already regret asking about the tea at all. But it’s too late now, so, heaving a great sigh, I go behind the counter to put the kettle on. I look up at a still-amused Sam. He’s walking around a bit, which makes me nervous.
I gesture for him to take a seat on a stool in front of the counter. “Sit down before you hurt yourself. I don’t want you tripping over your own feet and marking my nice clean floor.”
Sam does as he’s told without complaint, which is a bloody miracle within itself. As I go about making both of us a cup of tea, Sam gets himself comfortable on the stool. I watch him discreetly out of the corner of my eye.
He looks different. Older, yeah, but it’s more than that. He’s taller, for a start, and broader across the chest and shoulders. His face has changed too, like he’s fully grown into his features. He has the beginnings of dark stubble, and his jaw is more angular than it used to be, stronger, less easy to break, which I would know since I broke it once.
“You look different,” Sam comments when I bring over his cup of tea and place it in front of him. His thoughts mirror mine so accurately it makes me want to take a step away from him.
“I do?” I slip just the right amount of boredom into my tone. “Good to know you’ve been taking notes, Winters.”
Sam gives me a droll look in response to the sarcasm. “Yeah, yeah. I just meant you don’t look like the boy I knew.”
I eye him thoughtfully. “Yes, well, people tend to change a bit when they stop being children and become adults. I’ve heard it’s quite a regular occurrence among human beings. Your intelligence has clearly improved since our schooldays if you’ve noticed it as well.”
Purchase
NineStar Press | Books2Read
Amazon
BL Jones is a twentysomething British author who spends all her free time reading and writing and taming her three much younger brothers. She works as a BSL interpreter in Bristol and lives with a temperamental bunny named Pepsi. She’s been writing stories since she was five, rarely sharing them with anyone except her numerous stuffed animals. BL has had a difficult journey into discovering and accepting her own queerness, and therefore believes that positive, honest, and authentic stories about queer people are very important. She hopes to contribute her own stories for people to have fun with and enjoy.
Website | Facebook | Twitter
One lucky winner will receive a $50.00 NineStar Press Gift Code!
