After ten years of battling the evil in the world, the life no longer holds the attraction or meaning it once had, and he’s ready to walk away. Then he meets Samuel, a young man forced from the age of twelve to work as a sex slave. If ever a man had a need for Haven, it is this one.
Yet nothing about this growing relationship is one-sided. Sammy gives Haven a stability he’s never known, and Haven becomes the rock upon which Sammy knows he can depend.
When Sammy reveals something about the enemy Haven has been hunting for months, Sammy fears it will destroy what they’ve built and he’ll lose his home in Haven’s heart.
Enter centre stage Michael - who we later know as Haven. He was specially recruited to work for a Government Agency that doesn't exist, basically working as an assassin ridding the world of people who continually managed to evade prosecution, for any of their crimes.
He has a house, and it is just a house, where he has Kelly to oversee everything. It is literally just a place to stay in between assignments. He doesn't seem to have any feelings, he doesn't really ever notice Kelly at the house.
Haven is sent on an assignment, which is one of the many he is due to undertake, trying to get to the top person in a huge crime syndicate. Although he thinks he has everything arranged, and the game is being played his way, he couldn't be more wrong, but manages to extricate himself from the situation, but not alone....... enter Samuel.
Samuel has been used as a rent boy for 12 years, since he was 11 years old, and when Haven finds him, he is locked away in a dark cold, filthy room. Haven releases him, with the intention of handing Samuel over the the clean-up team that arrives as he completes his tasks, to find somewhere safe for him. But Samuel has other ideas, he clings to Haven and refuses to let go. Haven agrees to take him home, thinking things will change there.
Haven was so wrong in his thinking, and somehow Samuel (who he alone is allowed to call Sammy), gets under his skin. It is a totally weird combination, but somehow they fit together so well. There is a hidden side of Haven coming out as he cares for Sammy, one that has been buried for many years. Sammy too is changing, and shows that he may be smaller than Haven, but he is literally like a little spitfire. He is not frightened by Haven, and will stand his ground on any disagreements.
When Haven comes back from an assignment a total mess, surprisingly it is Sammy not Kelly who looks after him. Sammy becomes a dominant in the bedroom, ordering Haven on what he has to do - and Haven accepts it, as it seems to be what he needs - not to think of what he has done, but to be totally dominated. Sammy totally grounds him, giving him the time to recover.
Sammy and Haven grow closer - although Haven is not ready to admit he loves Sammy. It takes Haven time to realise that just having Sammy near him, a little touch here and there complete him, and the same applies to Sammy too. He seems to bloom under Havens attention. Things seem to be going well for the two, until it comes down to the final person in the syndicate, and Sammy and Haven disagree about this.....mostly down the last secret that Sammy has. When things get really bad, Sammy disappears and Haven is distraught, but decides to start the assignment early, even though in his heart he knows this is wrong, he is angry and upset and this can only mean his attention to detail is off, and the inevitable happens, and Haven is caught.
Can Haven manage to escape and complete the last assignment? Does Sammy appear back in Havens life? Do they stand any chance of being together, especially with the work Haven does?
I absolutely loved this book, and I will admit I have read it twice already, and I enjoyed it as much the second time as the first. I think it is the dynamics between Haven and Sammy, of how Haven changed once he was with Sammy, but also how Sammy changed once he was with Haven. When you first meet Haven, he doesn't seem to have any feelings, as he has buried them so deep. Although he has Kelly looking after his house, and him, he doesn't really see him as a person, until Sammy. Although being a dark book, it was the relationship between Haven and Sammy that had me not wanting to put the book down, I just had to keep reading and see if they were able to actually build on what they had.
Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Parker held his job for nearly 28 years before he decided to retire and try new things. He enjoys his new life as a stay-at-home author and also working on Pride-Promotions, an LGBT author promotion service.