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Black Hawk Tattoo

Toronto, Canada, 2006. A few months after the worst year of the Iraq war.<br><br>Gabriel Navarro splits his time between his job slinging ink at the Atlantis Ink tattoo parlor, and working on his master’s degree in fine art. Gabe is twenty-two, sure of his beliefs and his artistic integrity, and na?ve enough to think he’ll never have to compromise. And then one night Jake MacLean walks into the shop and changes everything.<br><br>Jake Maclean is twenty-eight and a veteran American Army pilot. He's been staying with his ex-pat sister in Toronto while he tries to get his life in order. The problem is, he can't. After his disastrous final mission in Iraq, he's overcome with anger and survivor’s guilt, trapped in a losing battle to atone for a failure he’s sure can never be forgiven. Left without hope, he decides to have his memory of the mission tattooed on his back, with the condemning words: God Will Judge Me. He doesn't expect to fall for the tattoo artist.<br><br>Gabe falls just as quickly and deeply for Jake, though Jake's reluctance to talk about what happened frustrates and worries him. Gabe knows Jake isn't doing well, but accepting Jake’s claims that he's "fine" is far easier than dealing with the frightening truth. But soon it’s horribly clear Jake can’t control his panic attacks or flashes of violence, and he's getting worse. If Gabe can’t help him face his demons, Jake is headed for a crash -- and there’s every chance he’ll take Gabriel down with him.

Aundrea Singer · LGBT+
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123 Chs

Chapter 96

Gabe ran his hand over his face then hissed and cursed at himself when he pressed too hard on his black eye. Jake had looked guttedwhen he’d realized what he’d done. Gabe had been way too angry then to care, but now he kept remembering that expression on Jake’s face and he couldn’t stop aching for him. He wished he could just hug Jake and say everything would be all right and pretend it had never happened. But it had, and no matter how awful Jake currently felt, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t hit Gabe again. Gabe was still in love with Jake and he didn’t think that would change anytime soon, but loving Jake wouldn’t protect Gabe from him.