Finally, after searching for two years a man named Mason Sierra and his crew, find the notorious Copper Cave. Treasurer of Casper Venturi. But 1st they must "Tie-up-loose-ends." To keep the treasure for themselves. 

This is GhostyZ. The author of many fanfics and some originals on this site. I am using this account to enter into the Fantasy contest for Thrones and Kingdoms. Since my other account already has some other novels saved and I couldn't post this novel. 

>>There will be some graphic content. Just to let everyone know<<

This story will have a system but I won't overdo it with the stats. There will mostly be action and drama as well as other themes. There will also be classes,ranks, and tiers  which I will later list. 

This story is in its project stage. But I hope I can make it good each day. I will try my best to edit each chapter and add more content each day. 

Prologue will be uploaded today. All info chapters will be posted in the Aux section.

If you have any questions ask away. I will try my best to answer each question about this story.

Also I will show some pics of how the MC looks like.

A college student is reborn in a fantasy world that is fused with Magic and Cultivation. Myths, Legends, and Mythical Creatures all exist in the world of Zareth. Clans and Kingdoms filled with Harem Lords roam these lands which are inhabited by the most radiant Maidens and Goddesses of all races. But this world is a brutal and unforgiving one, in which only the strong thrive. Dragons, Spirit Beasts, and an ancient darkness lurk in the shadows. 

Will he rise up the ranks and become a Harem God? Conquer the Divine Lust. 

[Tags]: Overpowered MC, System, Anti-Hero,Harem,Monster Girls ,Reincarnation, Netori, Action, Kingdom Building, R-18, Extreme Gore, Harem, BSDM, NSFW, Dual Cultivation, Summoner, Mature, Sex, Dungeon ,Thrones

>WARNING!

What will you like to see more in this story? 

There will be R-18 content and it will be graphic just to warn people.

How many updates you want to see a day?

Would you like to see longer chapters?

Anything I should change? 

I also will be releasing a Marvel X D.C system fanfic and Akame ga kill this week.


( Best Pa.treon deal. Donate to any tier and a mass release will be sparked for any of my novels. Simply message me on Pa.treon the novel you want a mass release on. You can also choose which harem girl you want. )

Tiers start as low as 5 dollars. Thank you for your support.

( Support: https://www.pa.treon.com/ghostybones )

Take out the pa(.)treon  To see the link. 

Mass release will begin tomorrow if I get any kind of donation. Daily release rate is 1 or 2 chapters a day.

I plan to keep on writing for a while.  


>>This chapter will be deleted after the new chapter is up<<

Logan a top tier assassin in the Planet Earth dies in the most unexpected way. He is reborn in the world of Goblin Slayer as the brother of Goblin Slayer. His destiny will change forever. 

Support: https://www.patreon.com/ghostybones

[Tags]: R-18, Harem, System, RPG, Kingdom Building, Gore

This is the first story that I have/am writing, and I am grateful for the couple of people who are giving me a chance.
This is a novel that I have been thinking about writing for a while now. I have been going through many different stories before I have finally been able to actually put words on paper.
I pushed myself to start writing it now, mostly because of the DC Fan-Fic promotion going on right now.

The idea of this novel came about from imaging what could have been done in other novels that I have been reading. By that I mean, what would happen if this character could do this, or did their power work like this. So, I decided to make a novel where the Main Characters power is exactly what I was wondering about.

I just realised that I haven't actually said what his power is yet.
The Main Character (unnamed in the novel as of now) has a power that allows him to affect the atomic bonds between substance(s).
Now this may sound weird for those people who don't remember chemistry well. Basically, everything in the universe is held together by bonds, and some bonds are stronger than others.
For example, if one oxygen atom is bonded with two hydrogen atoms, you have H2O.


Now, the main character can use his power of affect these bonds in three different ways so far.
1 – He can pull things apart, by deleting the atomic bonds halfway through the object.
2 – He can create artificial bonds, and stick two things together. 
3 – Using both of the powers above, he can 'reshape' objects. This is by first deleting bond, and then creating new ones. Of course, he cannot just make the object bigger than it was originally, he would need another object to take material from.

But in order to use his powers, he has to be in physical contact with the object(s). This is not limited to hand contact. For example if he really wanted to, he could basically disintegrate all of his clothing at will.

What do you guys think of this power? Is it overpowered? Is it too complicated?
I have a couple of idea of how he can use this power, but I am always open to suggestions if you have any.

As I have set the story within DC, I feel like I may need to address my choice of characters.
So far, I have only introduced Question and Batman (Chapter 2), but I think that I will probably add more within the next couple of chapters.
For those who don't know, Question is similar to Batman, he has no super powers but is one of the best martial artists. He is also really good at discovering hidden details and connections, so much so that it seems like he mostly works with conspiracy theories.
My reason for including him, was that I cannot find a single story online which includes him, and he is actually not shown in many of the DC shows/movies. The only ones that I know of is Justice League 2001 - 2004, where he is one of the main characters for a couple of episodes and Batman: The Brave and The Bold, although he only has a small cameo.

For those who want to know, the story is not based on a TV Show or novel. The events that occur, are entirely made by myself and are not based (Yet) around an overarching plot. I may grab inspiration from certain episode or other stories, but I will try my best to keep the events as original as I can. Although I sure that at some point, Darkseid / Brainiac / Doomsday and other such major villains will eventually appear and attack Earth like they always do.

I do not know how often I will be able to upload chapters. It was a lot harder than I thought, trying to write a story without changing the already existing characters of DC.

Project Cadmus has a split secret group who want to artificially create their own Superpower.
They were stopped by Batman and Question, but had already successfully created the first person with an artificial Superpower.

Meet our MC Liam Stone, who through the experiments lost all of his memories. He has the ability to manipulate the Bonds between Atoms, allowing him to tear things like solid steel apart with his bear hands, as well as bonding a blade onto his wrist as a weapon.

Find out how to manages to re-start his life and attempts to discover his old one, while also fighting crime with the rest of the Justice League.

Check out my other book: King of Film 
Synopsis:
 Jiang Cheng a screenwriter is reincarnated to 2001, into the seventeen-year-old body of another Jiang Cheng.
Clutching onto the dreams of his previous life he attempts to succeed where he previously failed.
He starts from scratch, as a small-time screenwriter writing television shows and movie scripts.
Filled with dreams of becoming a generational entertainment legend and establishing an entertainment empire he takes the road to become the King of Film.
....
First Volume of the book:
Amazon- https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07FDK6N1P
Google Play- https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=6KtjDwAAQBAJ
....
Second Volume of the book:
Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FZCSXY5
Google Play- https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=87tmDwAAQBAJ
....
Wanna take this chance to thank Yuumei who very kindly gave me permission to use her illustration it as my book cover. She has some breathtaking pieces on her site, honestly they look so realistic, check them out : https://www.yuumeiart.com
You can also check out her graphic novels: https://www.yuumeiart.com/graphic-novels/


Zhang Xiaohua was a washed-up artist who tragically passed away in a car accident after heroically saving a child’s life. After his death, Zhang Xiaohua’s soul was transmigrated into a parallel universe where the entertainment industry has become sluggish. 

With a group of small musicians, memories and just his wits about him, he is forced to create something for himself in his new environment, working hard to sustain himself and his mother, while also trying to regain control of his father's company.

Follow his journey as he attempts to become a world-class entertainment mogul and conquer the entertainment world by storm.

_____________________________________________

*Get the first volume of the book:
Google Play-https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=6KtjDwAAQBAJ
Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07FDK6N1P 

*Get Volume 2 of the book:
Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FZCSXY5
Google Play-https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=87tmDwAAQBAJ

Discord: https://discord.gg/TeTKhzp

Get Some Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/huaxiang-entertainment
_____________________________________________

Book Cover is by Yuumei Art who very kindly gave me permission to use it as my cover. She also has loads of other amazing pieces if you wanna check them out at: https://www.yuumeiart.com

Why not try my new books: Angel of Death and King of Film

There will only be two chapters each day. Each chapter about 1,000-2,000(EDITED ) or longer words. Unless you vote power stones to get this novel into a higher ranking. Then I can pump out more chapters. Also, review if you can. There are some butthurt reviewers. I think I made it clear that the MC is shameless and that this whole novel is made for fun and entertainment if you expect a Lord of the Rings type of book then look elsewhere cause I will be writing R-18 scenes as much as I want. Its the whole point of this story. I am doing this story to improve my lemon scenes for the original novel I am working on. Yes, there will be some romance, but if you had a system that can do anything wouldn't you want to become a Harem God? No brainer. 


Next chapter up today. The new chapters will be more detailed and graphic. Have fun also check out my Pa. treon if you want to support me. 

Best Pa.treon deal. Donate to any tier and a mass release will be sparked for any of my novels. Simply message me on Pa.treon the novel you want a mass release on. You can also choose which harem girl you want.

Tiers start as low as 5 dollars. Thank you for your support.

( Support: https://www.pa.treon.com/ghostybones )


This chapter will be deleted after new chapter is up.

Zen the worlds most average male is given the most Lewd System in the universe. His whole life completely changes and he finally embarks on an adventure filled with dual cultivation. 

He is the Harem God. 

[Tags]:Anti-Hero, Dual Cultivation,  Overpowered MC,  Shameless MC, R-18, Multiverse Travel, Huge Harem, Sex

Support: https://www.patreon.com/ghostybones

Luke knew about The Colin Show because he would watch it occasionally to adjust his mood.
At that moment, the studio was busy.
Colin was talking to the guest in a low voice, making final preparations for the live broadcast.
Suddenly, the door to the studio was pushed open.
At first, nobody noticed.
But as the black giant moved forward, the staff cried out one after another, and everybody turned to look. They couldn't help but exclaim, "Batman?"
Luke said, "I'm going to use this studio to broadcast some news. Who's in favor and who's not?"
Nobody said anything.
It wasn't that nobody was opposed, but those who wanted to object didn't know what to say or didn't have the guts to speak up.
The eyes of the producer and director of the show, as well as the host, Colin, lit up. "Sure, I've been meaning to interview you for a long time. Batman, I'm a huge fan."
Luke tilted his head and looked at the Batman graphic on his T-shirt, and his lips twitched. A hulking fan like you should stay as far away as possible!
He suddenly remembered that in his previous life, there always were big hulking men who screamed about wanting to have children with so-and-so idol.
But Colin wasn't actually like that. He was a true fan.
"Thank you for your cooperation." Even as Luke thanked them, he threw a rope dart behind him to wrap tightly around the door handle of the studio entrance.
Nobody was scared by the move. Conversely, it excited many people.
What was Batman's specialty?
Firstly, he could fly.
Secondly, he was very skilled with rope darts.
The way Luke sealed off the door proved that he wasn't a fake cosplay fanatic.
But a moment later, Colin cried out, "What? I'm not interviewing you?"
The people who were bustling around paused.
Being the first person to interview Batman was definitely explosive news, and it was worth breaking some rules for.
But if Colin wasn't interviewing Batman, it would be a big problem.
Unless there were immense benefits to be had, everything had to be done according to the rules.
Batman as a guest on the show could suppress the rules and regulations; it would be hard if it was anyone else.
Looking at Colin's face, Luke smiled and said, "I'll give you five minutes to interview me after the end of the broadcast. However, this interview can't be put together with Professor Lawrence Hayes's live broadcast, and you can't hint that I have any connection to it. Deal?"
"Deal." Colin immediately agreed.
He didn't care about the professor; he only cared about Batman.
If Batman hadn't mentioned it, Colin wouldn't have put them together, since this professor didn't have any selling points at all.
The interview with Batman had to be done and advertised solo; only then would it sell for a pretty penny. How could Batman be put together with a plain-looking fatty?
Five minutes later, the live broadcast began.
Just thirty seconds into Professor Lawrence's live broadcast, Colin wanted to bang his head against the wall.
He was wrong!
This fat professor wasn't some mediocre fellow. The man had brought with him a shocking hot potato — there was going to be an earthquake in California.
This hot potato might cost him his job, and he was actually broadcasting it!
It was no wonder that when Colin had asked what he was supposed to discuss with the fatty, Batman only said that he just needed to go with the flow.
Thinking of what might happen to him after tonight, Colin had already gone crazy.
But he still had a trump card — Batman.
As long as Batman agreed to an interview, he was confident he could survive anything.
The live broadcast with Lawrence Hayes was soon finished, and everybody in the broadcast room broke out in a cold sweat.
Not only were they worried about their jobs, they were also worried about the upcoming earthquake.
Luke raised his hand to look at the image transmitted by the drone, only to see that security guards were already on their way.
Luke reminded him, "Alright, Colin, you only have five minutes."
A chill ran down Colin's spine. He turned on his earpiece and shouted at the crew members in the studio, "Focus! We have to finish this in one go!"
There was already knocking on the door. The TV station had discovered that something was wrong with the live broadcast and had sent someone to check it out.
Colin knew that it would only take a few minutes for the knocking to become pounding.
If he didn't finish the interview with Batman before then, he would lose his biggest bargaining chip, and his crew in the studio would also suffer.
Losing their jobs at that time would be a light punishment; they might all be sued.
Everybody in the studio understood this and spared no effort to get the job done.
In less than thirty seconds, Colin signaled that they could start.
Luke, on the other hand, looked at the guest who had been standing silently in one corner.
He bowed slightly and said, "Nice to see you again, Miss Sheerah. It's my honor to be interviewed by you."
Collun blanked out for a moment, then immediately understood. He quickly gestured to the staff. "Record it, record everything! Just this sentence is explosive news."
Sheerah felt strange, but she still walked out of the corner.
She walked onto the stage and sat on the couch at the black giant's signal. "No, I should be the one to thank you. You saved me during the earthquake a few days ago, Batman!"
Everybody looked like they had expected it.
As paparazzi, they were professionals.
Everybody knew that the first night Batman appeared, he had rescued Sheerah and Jennifer Perry from a falling elevator.
It was also for this reason that Sheerah, who was past her prime, had been invited to The Colin Show.
Everybody wanted to know how Sheerah, the singer whom Batman had saved, would describe this superhero.
Now, Batman was on the same stage as Sheerah. It was perfect!
Colin roared in his heart, I'm a genius! I'm too smart! I knew Sheerah would be worth it!
Thanks to his extraordinary professionalism, however, he looked as calm as ever. He quickly skipped the preamble and shifted the topic from Sheerah to Batman.
After all, it was Batman who had saved her!
What Colin needed now was an interview with Batman. They could film with Sheerah alone later, and editing the shots together later would have an even better effect.
That was Colin's excellence as a top news maker.
In a short ten to twenty minutes, he calculated the gains that Batman could bring, which could be increased multiple times.
And his thoughts extended even beyond that.
He was no longer worried about being reproached by the TV station.
That was because he and his men would personally experience Batman's "help."
After the earthquake, the story of Batman along with this broadcast, plus the story of how the upstanding and altruistic news crew here selflessly helped Batman out, could be turned into yet another special topic.


Luke has transmigrated to the United States, but eventually realizes that this United States is different from the United States of his previous life. Here, the superpowers and characters from the movies in his previous life actually exist. How will Luke fare in a world where such terrifying superpowers exist? 
Fortunately, he has a cheat – the Super Detective System.
Join Luke on his new journey toward becoming a detective.



{Warning: abuse, graphic depictions}

Alpina felt the hot blood dripping off from her tail, it felt quite unpleasant because she had mysophobia, she didn't even care about the pain. She was quite used to it. In her previous life she was often neglected by her parents, so she had little physical contact, that was until her dad died after drinking one day in a car crash.

Once her mom found out, Ichika got plenty of physical contact from her mom, but not in the right way. Ichika had many scars from drunken scuffles from her mom and it became an almost daily occurrence. When she was 12 her mom started bringing men home with her. Let's just say there was too much physical contact. It made Ichika very reserved and she started hating germs.

When she was 13 her mom died from choking on her puke when she got a little too drunk one day. She was sent off to an orphanage later where she was neglected once again, there she learned not to expect anything from other people.

Her life at school wasn't the best either, she was bullied because of her mysophobia and lack of interest to have friends. She learned to not care about it because she knew not to expect anything. Don't get her wrong, she wasn't depressed nor did she lack emotions, she just didn't have anyone she trusted enough to show them to.

Once she became an adult she moved away to a big city and began her career as a businesswoman, she became known for her quiet yet professional manner and was very good at her job. She read all kinds of things in her free time, manga, novels, manhuas, manhwas, the likes, you name it she read it.

She died when she was 26 years old and reincarnated as a dragon.

Ichika Fujita was an otaku businesswoman who led an above standard life, about to get promoted at her job; until one day she was walking to her car and looking at her phone only to hear honking, looking up from her phone she saw a truck speeding towards her she thought 'if it isn't the infamous truck-kun I hear so much about, if I'm going to die like this I might as well reincarnate as a dragon or something', she then felt the truck slam into her and everything went blank. 

'hm, not the death I was expecting, though I feel very cramped right now.'

......wait, cramped?

she fractically tried to touch her body, expecting to feel skin, instead she felt...scales?

-------------------------------------------------------

Warning: this is not a romance novel
Warning: slight gore depictions

6

Talin hesitated outside his bedroom door, his gaze on the breakfast tray he'd made.  He'd burned the toast a bit, but it was edible.  Pushing the door open, he entered the bedroom to find Dimitri sitting up.  Ignoring his heart's little skip, Talin took the tray to Dimitri's side of the bed.
"I brought coffee," he said banging the tray slightly on the bedside table.
Dimitri helped him steady the tray.  Once it was safe, Dimitri took his left hand.
"I hope you're not leaving me to disappear downstairs," Dimitri said.
Talin laughed.
"No, I called Lori; she'll handle opening the club."
"Good," Dimitri tugged on his hand until he sat on the side of the bed.
"You took my rose," Talin said, shifting until he sat legs crossed on the bed facing Dimitri.
Reaching for the tray, he placed it on the space between them.  He took Dimitri's cup of coffee and held it out.
Dimitri took the cup with a small shrug.
"You don't need black roses, Talin.  I'll get you vibrant red ones if that's what you want."
"But, the black one was unique.  I don't even know where it came from."
Dimitri pressed a finger on his lips.
"Don't worry about a dead rose, my dear.  I'll get you a whole plant."
"And where will I put a rose plant?" Talin asked putting jam on Dimitri's toast.  "I don't have a garden out there."
Dimitri nodded to the windows and the little balcony built in there.
"We'll put a flower pot there."
"What about when it snows?"
"We'll wrap it up." Dimitri grinned.
Talin shook his head.
"You have a solution for everything."
Dimitri nodded.
"That's right."
Talin scoffed.
"It gives you a big ego."
Dimitri bit into the toast with a small happy sigh.
"I want to eat breakfast with you everyday."
"I doubt that," Talin said applying marmalade on his toast.  "You have Kat cooking for you."
"I'm a third-wheel in that house."  Dimitri grinned.  "She and Lukas have eyes for each other in the morning."
Talin laughed at that picture.  He doubted Dimitri would ever be a third-wheel in any situation.  His personality brought him up front and center.
"You don't believe me," Dimitri said.
"I think they both love you too much to make you feel like a third-wheel.  You're whining," Talin said.
"Jeez, there's no joking with you."  Dimitri sipped his coffee.  "Still, I prefer having toast with you to any fancy breakfast."
Talin felt warmth burst inside him and he took a bite of toast to hide it.  They ate in silence for a few minutes.
Talin reached out to wipe away toast crumbs caught on the corner of Dimitri's mouth.  Dimitri took his hand and pressed a kiss on his fingers.
"What are you doing today?" Talin asked.
Dimitri sighed.
"I have to go to the marina.  Lukas needs help with one of our charter boats.  Something's wrong with the engine."
"You like working with engines.  The day I went to your place, I found you working on a pump engine.  Is that what you do all day?"
"I do a lot of things in a day," Dimitri answered.
"Things like what?" Talin asked, wanting to know all he could about Dimitri.
So far, all he knew was that the man had insomnia, and liked to sleep in Talin's bed.
Dimitri put his coffee cup on the bedside table.
"Lukas and I own the marina together, but he does the administrative work and dealing with customers.  Kat helps but she has her restaurant to deal with.  I work behind the scenes.  I check the charter boats, do maintenance and if anyone needs help with their boat, I handle that.  We offer warehouse space, so I make sure shipments are in order.  My job gives me a flexible schedule and I get to work with my hands."
"And your men, those guys you hang with, what do they do?" Talin asked.
"Sean and Tomas help me," Dimitri said.  "They handle all the warehouse problems which can be trying."
Talin met amused blue eyes.
"Satisfied?" Dimitri asked.
"Nope," Talin shook his head.  "Where did you go last night?  I saw your car in the parking lot before I fell asleep.  You weren't in the club, I called Lori to ask."
"A friend picked me up," Dimitri said with a slight shrug.
"What friend?"
"Business friend," Dimitri said.  "He had an emergency to do with a shipment and needed my help."
"Is that why you didn't sleep?" Talin asked with a frown.  "Dimitri, you have to take better care of yourself.  I know how it is to overwork."
"Don't worry about me," Dimitri said.  "I don't sleep that much anyway.  Besides, I slept the whole day yesterday."
"Still," Talin moved the tray to the bedside table.
Dimitri pushed the sheets away and moved closer, reminding Talin that he was still in his boxer shorts.  They hadn't done anything beyond a few kisses and holding each other.  Dimitri sunk his fingers into Talin's hair, tilting Talin's head back so that they could kiss.
All thoughts of what Dimitri did or didn't do disappeared.  Dimitri tasted like coffee, strawberry jam and toast.  Dimitri's tongue stroked his, Talin pressed closer, his arms moving up Dimitri's strong upper arms to his shoulders.  He could kiss Dimitri all day.  Their kisses were drugging, heated...he sighed when Dimitri broke away to trail kisses along his jaw to his neck.
His fingers sunk into Dimitri's mink black hair, and a moan escaped when Dimitri bit at the curve of his neck and shoulder.
"I've dreamt of holding you like this," Dimitri said sucking on the sensitive spot.  "I can't believe it's finally happening."
"Why do you keep saying that?  Am I really so unapproachable?" Talin asked leaning back to meet Dimitri's gaze.
"I—," Dimitri pressed a kiss on his jaw and let him go.  "It seemed better to look at you from a far."
Talin sighed and got off the bed.  "Well, seems you're still looking from afar."
"Why do you say that?" Dimitri asked in surprise.
"Nothing," Talin said, picking a knitted sweater he'd thrown over an armchair beside his bed.  "I have no clue what we're doing, so—, it doesn't matter what I say."
Talin wore the grey sweater and tugged it over his t-shirt.
"Talin."
Talin tried…he tried…to fight that sexy voice, alas he was mortal and weak.  Dimitri's low voice was tempting; it felt like expensive silk stroking his cock, arousal slammed him hard.  He wanted…meeting pale blue eyes, he sighed, berating his body for wanting a man with secrets like Dimitri.
"What?" he asked.
Their gazes locked.
"I want in," Dimitri said, "all the way."
Talin forced himself to look away from Dimitri.
"Ah…well, if it was sex you wanted, you could have asked that first day," Talin said, trying to joke through the intensity of Dimitri's words.
He had no idea what to say.  He didn't know if he could handle someone getting to know him.
Isn't that what Dimitri was implying here?
It had to be…he frowned.
"Sex is easy, I want more than that.  I need it, Talin," Dimitri stated.
Dimitri got off the bed in a fluid motion and closed the distance between them with a few steps.
Talin couldn't help the gasp when Dimitri held his shoulders, turning him, so they faced each other.  Unable to resist, Talin touched Dimitri's stomach, his fingers tracing soft hair dusting down to the waistband of black boxer shorts.
Dimitri ran his fingers through Talin's hair, stroking the long messy strands.  Talin leaned into the touch.  It was so new, yet so familiar: comforting, he let out a shaky breath and looked up to meet Dimitri's gaze.
"Can we take it slow?" Talin asked
His chest felt tight, fear creeping in at the thought of allowing someone in…again.
Dimitri's smile was slow, roguish…sexy…jeez, everything the man did linked back to sex.
Talin's cock hardened, pressing against his jeans.
"Whatever you want, Talin," Dimitri said leaning to touch his lips to Talin's, "as long as you let me have breakfast with you."
Talin chuckled.
"And have my bed for sleeping?" he asked.
"Yep," Dimitri said his fingers bunching in Talin's hair gently.  Using the hold on his hair, Dimitri tilted Talin's head back, "for sleeping…and other pleasurable activities, hopefully soon."
Talin closed his eyes when Dimitri finally kissed him, this time leaving no doubt what type of pleasurable activities Dimitri wanted.
***
The trash pick-up truck showed up at around one o'clock.  They were two days late.  Talin stood at the back door watching them clear the trash area.  He'd been worried the health officers would show up and find the trash area messy.  Health officers were a pain…not to mention the fines…he sighed and stepped back into the building.  He needed to call the removal company and straighten the schedule.
Instead of going to the main club floor where Lori was dealing with late deliveries, Talin went to his office.  He'd spent the past thirty minutes compiling a list of potential waiters for hire.  Settling behind his desk, his gaze fell on the card Detective James left him.  He'd brought it down here by mistake.
Picking it up, he touched the number with a frown.  Dimitri thought it was a good idea for him to keep the card.  When he'd asked why, Dimitri had smiled and told him to let the detective know if Ken Luther showed up at the club.
Dimitri.
Now there was a man with secrets.
Talin opened the top drawer of his desk and dropped the card inside, his thoughts firmly on Dimitri as they had been through the week.  They'd only spoken for four days, and it felt like he'd always known Dimitri.
It had to be the epic kisses, Talin thought with a smile, though the secrets intrigued him too.
Like last night, he'd glanced out the living room windows to see Dimitri's car in the parking lot.  Talin wondered why Dimitri would leave his car in the parking lot when he'd need it to get to the marina.  Then there was the Caleb Barnes saga, and the two men who followed Dimitri around.  Then there was this morning…why had Dimitri looked so stressed when he'd shown up?
The questions were many, but then the kisses filled his thoughts and the questions rather took a backseat.
He was in lust with Dimitri's kisses.
Talin touched his lips and couldn't help smiling at the memory of Dimitri pressing him against the front door before he left two hours ago.  He hadn't wanted that kiss to end.  He'd instead wanted them to go back to his bed.
Dimitri, however, had broken the kiss, patiently held him until they both could breath easier, and then he'd left with a devastating smile.
Damn Dimitri, he frowned, the man had insane self-control.
"Talin," an amused deep voice broke into his thoughts.
He glanced up to find a tall thin black man smiling at him.
"Carl," Talin said, pleasantly surprised.
Getting up, Talin walked around the desk to meet Carl and give him a tight hug.  He laughed when Carl patted his back and tugged on his ponytail.  Carl Brown was his oldest friend.
"I knocked twice, but you seem preoccupied," Carl said stepping back to study him.  "I see smiles, visiting the land of the living again, Talin?"
Talin chuckled and playfully punched Carl's arm.
"It's great to see you, Carl.  Did Terry kick you out of the house today?  I haven't seen you in a while."
Carl laughed and moved to take a seat on the armchairs set before Talin's desk.  Talin joined him, moving his chair so that it faced Carl.
"She's driving me crazy," Carl said, his voice soft, dripping with fondness.
Terry was Carl's wife.  Talin had been Carl's best man at their wedding six years ago.  They had one two-year-old boy they both doted on.  Carl was madly in love with his little family.  Happiness radiated from deep within.  It brightened Carl's dark brown eyes as nothing else could.
Talin was jealous.
"You haven't come to visit the Turnip," Carl said studying him.  "We worried.  Terry asked me to come here and drag you out to lunch."
Talin smiled at the mention of Carl and Terry's eclectic bookshop.  He missed that place; the couple had a knack of stocking the bookshop with the best of books.  They'd let Talin name bookshop when they first opened it.  Talin still couldn't believe Terry had agreed to call the bookstore the Turnip.
"That woman," Talin smiled.  "She's so bossy."
"She worries about you," Carl said leaning forward, elbows on his knees.  "Although, I have to say, you're not as depressing as you usually are.  What's changed?"
Talin scoffed.  "What are you talking about?"
"Secret smiles, happy eyes, hmm…" Carl grinned.  "Anyone I know?"
Talin shrugged.
"Not really," he said not ready to mention Dimitri's name.
Carl gave him a knowing look and stood.
"Guess you're not ready to share.  Come on then, I'm not taking no for an answer.  We're going to the steakhouse down the street.  We need to get some meat on them bones."
Talin gave the list of names on his desk a wistful glance.
Carl took his arm before he could launch any protest and led him out of his office.  Talin barely grabbed his jacket on the way out before Carl closed the door.
It was wonderful to walk down the street with Carl.  He listened to Carl talk about his son, and watching him grow.  Carl talked about Terry, love in his every word.  He'd forgotten what this was like, just listening…Carl could talk for hours…somehow it had always seemed like the best thing about Carl.  He'd never needed to talk, Carl did it all…Talin just listened.
"How's your store, Carl?" Talin asked as they settled in their seats at the Steakhouse.
Carl picked up his napkin giving him a surprised look.
"Doing great, Terry ordered new graphic novels, you could come over and check them out."
"That sounds like a plan," Talin said studying the menu.
"Really?" Carl asked sitting back.  "She's kept stuff for you for months."
"I'll drive to the bookshop later."  Talin looked up to find Carl staring at him.  "What?"
Carl took the menu away from him.
"Okay, what have you done with the real Talin?"
Talin laughed.
"I'm the same old Talin."
"No you're not," Carl shook his head.  "You're definitely not the same Talin I've seen the past four years."
Talin held Carl's gaze for a moment, before he looked away.
The past filled the silence between them…too close…too hard…yet now; Talin took in a deep breath and let it out slow.
"I'm sorry," Carl said his tone regretful, "I've ruined it."
"No," Talin shook his head.  "There's nothing to be sorry about.  I-I checked out…"
Carl studied him, and then reached out to squeeze his hand.
"Don't think about it.  I'm insanely happy to see the icicles melting.  Please, let's go to the bookshop after this.  It will be like old times."
Talin watched Carl pick up the menu, a small grin on his lips.  He wondered why he'd never seen how much his self-imposed exile worried Carl.
"I feel like having barbecue short ribs," Carl said grinning at him.  "What do you say?"
Talin laughed.
"Sure, definitely feel like getting sauce all over my face.  Why not?"
Carl nodded and called their waiter.
****
Hours later, Talin drove back to the Talon from Carl and Terry's bookshop feeling happy.  He'd strapped in a box full of new copies of fantasy graphic novels on the passenger seat.  Terry knew his tastes well, and she'd kept the best titles for him.  Glancing at the box, memories came back, happy memories.  He'd always loved graphic art, the more conceptual the better.  Carl and Terry had helped fuel that love through the years, encouraged him when he'd created it too.  Thinking about his art skills brought back memories.
Memories…the vault in his head clicked open.
Gabriel.
Talin remembered afternoons in the sun, seated under a huge oak tree, the grass so green…gorgeous green, but not as gorgeous as Gabriel's green eyes.  He remembered sketching those eyes, trying to put them on paper, and capture the light just right…but never quite getting it.  Kisses under that tree, giggles of delight…followed by…emptiness.
On coming headlights blinded him, and Talin jerked his car to the side of the road, his foot heavy on the brakes.  He came to a stop with a jerk as the driver behind him honked his irritation.
Glancing at the box on the passenger seat, Talin wondered when the past would stop hurting.
His cell phone buzzed.  Glancing at the caller ID, he let out a soft sigh when he saw Dimitri's number.
"Where are you?" Dimitri asked when he answered.
"On the way back to the club," Talin said adjusting his seatbelt.  "I went to see old friends.  Are you at the Talon?"
"I stopped by to drop something off, you weren't there," Dimitri said.  "Are you alright?"
Talin glanced at the box of graphic novels.
"Yeah, I'm fine.  Are you coming over tonight?"
"Later," Dimitri said, his voice filled with promise.
Talin smiled.  "I'll wait."
"Drive safe," Dimitri said then.
Ending the call, Talin placed the phone on its holder on the dash.  Holding the steering wheel with both hands, he let out a steadying breath and eased back into traffic.
"Steady, steady…," he whispered.
***
Back at the club, Talin helped Lori clear tables for the night.  It was almost three o'clock in the morning, Dimitri still hadn't shown up.  Picking up the last stool, he overturned it on the table and stretched his arms above his head.  His shoulder muscles complained and he dropped his arms.
"Did you have fun with Carl?" Lori asked as she filled out the daily forms.  "I saw him drag you out of here earlier."
"Yeah," Talin said taking the rag he held to the counter.  "I didn't realize I was neglecting them until I saw him today.  Their son is walking and everything.  It was surreal, I remember a small tiny baby who had to be carried with care."
Lori chuckled.
"Boss, you haven't noticed much these last few months.  Working, working," she shook her head.  "I guess you've turned on a switch in there.  I can't wait for the new employees you're hiring.  It will mean day offs."
Talin frowned.  "You get day offs."
Lori scoffed.
"From where?" she asked looking around the empty club.  "I'm pretty sure the bulk of the work has been between you and me."
Talin picked up the dirty rags and went around the counter to dump them in the washing machine.  He put in the right amount of soap and started it.
"Dimitri came over earlier," Lori said as she put away the daily forms.
She went back to his office and brought back a package wrapped with delicate green netting.  She placed the package before him with a wide smile.
"Unwrap it, I've been dying to see what's inside all night."
Talin undid the green string holding it all together, and the netting fell away.  He grinned when he saw the small potted plant, the thorns unmistakable.
"A plant?" Lori asked.
She touched the earthenware pot with intricate designs on its surface.
"The pot is expensive.  I don't get it."
Talin touched the leaves carefully.
"It's a rose plant."
"A rose plant?" Lori frowned.
Talin ignored her confusion and instead reached for the card tucked into the plant.  He opened it and found Dimitri had written a note.
>>>For your balcony, water it everyday. D
Talin placed the card on the counter and went to the sink.  He picked up a beer mug and filled it with cold water.  Lori gave him an amused look when he returned to water the plant carefully.
Twenty minutes later, he carried the box of graphic novels, with the rose plant carefully balanced on top, upstairs.  Stopping at his door, he got his keys and unlocked the door.  Ignoring the lights, Talin went into the living room to place the box on the coffee table.
He went back to close the door and turn on the lights.  That's when he saw the white envelope on front door rug.  Frowning, he picked it up, as he locked the door.  Opening the envelope, he pulled out a picture with a note on the back.
'Dimitri Sedlackov is dangerous.  He's not what he seems.'
"Well, that's ominous," he said under his breath turning the picture.
There was Dimitri holding a bundle of…money?
Talin frowned.
***

#BLNovel #boymeetsboyworld
Talin focuses on work, barely giving anything else attention. One encounter in his club's parking lot drags him out of his dull life. 
Dimitri has watched Talin for so long, when Talin storms into his workshop, Dimitri decides he won't stay in the sidelines any longer. Dimitri decides he wants Talin for life.

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