Darke Accused (Darke and Flare Mysteries, Book 1) by Parker Avrile

Release date: March 7, 2018

Subgenre: LGBT mystery, M/M romantic suspense,

About Darke Accused: 

 

An FBI agent goes undercover to catch a thief who turns out to be too hot to handle.

Darke Davis destroyed evidence to give his partner-in-crime time to flee with thirty-nine million dollars— and Special Agent Flare Greene is determined to get that money back. Hooking up with Darke at a popular gay roadhouse seems like a brilliant way to insinuate his way into Darke's life.

Flare didn't plan on the two of them stumbling over a body and finding themselves on the run from charges of first-degree murder. It's the perfect opportunity to bond with Darke, but if they can't work together to solve these crimes, they may find themselves locked up together for longer than just one night.

No cliffhangers, and you may expect the killer to find justice. However, because Darke and Flare are at the beginning of their journey together, they reach a happy for now ending with relationship challenges remaining ahead of them.

 

Excerpt:

 

Like any judge, he had an irritating love for the sound of his own voice. “At the time, I was given to understand that federal truth-in-sentencing laws, blah blah blah...”

The words were blurring in my ears. More of that denial process I've come to be so fond of. But I got the gist. Landry was still bitter about the fact the feds rushed in where the state feared to tread. Probably thought they'd impugned his honor or something. His ability to remain impartial.

Bottom line: Me going to federal prison after he'd set me free on the state charges made him look bad.

How did he think I felt about it? For ten minutes there, I thought I wouldn't be prosecuted for the crime I'd supposedly covered up. Talk about a rug pull...

Landry had to be wondering how I was even standing here only eight months after they shipped me out to Texas. I kind of wondered that myself. Hell, even Tommy wasn't sure. Not that my lawyer and I were going to look too hard at a gift horse. It was enough for us to know somebody somewhere upstairs had found some obscure exception to the rules, and here I was, kicked back out into the free world a couple years early.

Blue privilege, I thought. The last instance of blue privilege I'd ever enjoy.

No cop likes to see another cop in prison over a stupid mistake. Everybody makes mistakes, and there's still a blue brotherhood. Well, sort of a brotherhood. The kind of brotherhood where you wish your brother would ship out with the Merchant Marines.

Somebody had pulled strings to let me go, and they doubtless hoped I would take the hint to go very fucking far away indeed.

“I don't want to see you in front of me ever again.” Landry's voice snapped back into focus. “Strike that. I don't want to see you again anywhere ever. At all.”

“You won't. New name, new life. I'm done with...” I gestured my hands to the ceiling and, by implication, to the heavens beyond. I was done with anything and everything Judge Landry could think of. He couldn't tell me flat-out to leave the parish, much less the state, but I knew what he wanted and I was happy to give it to him. “I'm a changed man.”

“You better be. If this crap blows back on me, Darke...”

He didn't finish the sentence. Didn't have to.

It was done.

No more Darke Gauthier, ex-cop, ex-con. Ex obsessed boyfriend of a beautiful con artist.

Landry slammed the gavel down, an unnecessary flourish in his private chambers. Tommy started to shake my hand, then threw his arms around me to give me a big hug instead.

I was now and forevermore Darke Davis.

 

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About Parker Avrile:

Parker Avrile is the author of The Runaway Model trilogy and many other novels.

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