Liam

By C. S Luis

Former Special Forces Marine, Liam Mason, is a rebel at heart and far from what his younger twin brother, Nathan Mason, was - a devoted bodyguard.

Working for the cartel has its ups and downs, and training the cartel’s army of dangerous renegades is a hard business that comes with a price. When Liam gets too close to his boss’s son, the man has his heart bent on ending the ex-soldier’s life.

Hunted by cartel bounty hunters, Liam ends up in his mother’s old cabin where, sore and mending a broken heart, he comes across young Christian Madison, who has no idea who he truly is.

Still aching from the loss of his boyfriend, Christian Madison is overjoyed when Nathan returns into his life. When he awakens and finds himself alone once again, he fears he’s losing his mind.

After a letter arrives and reveals the truth, Christian knows he must get to the bottom of all this; maybe he’s not going crazy and seeing ghosts, after all. One thing is for sure, his world has once again been turned upside down.

But is he really angry, or just afraid to fall in love with another man?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Next Chapter
• Release date: Apr 6, 2024

C. S Luis

C.S Luis write Gay Romance and Science Fiction.

Book preview

1

IRAQ

LIAM

I can’t get a clear shot from this distance, he said as I peered over the scope of my rifle, through the distant desert and into a village just beyond.

We were shielded by a military tent. The only opening was a small rectangular window, where our weapons could be mounted and aimed.

What are you fuckin’ talking about? He’s like…

I peered over the side, immediately ducking down as a bullet blasted near my head.

Yeah, he’s quite a distance. I’ll take your word on it, I said.

Can you get him if I give you a clear shot, little bro? I asked.

Nathan glared over at me. He was six-foot with dark blond locks. His appearance mirrored mine in every way. Nathan had a blue cloth strapped to his helmet. Red was my color.

Yeah, yeah, I know, don’t call you little… I laughed.

Nathan narrowed his eyes back at me. I gave him a smile. In addition to so many physical similarities we shared, our voices were also nearly identical. It was sometimes creepy, mostly strange hearing my own voice answering back.

Or bro, Nathan said.

Alright, Nate. So, can you? Come on, I’ll put in a good word with that cute guy back on base. You know, the one that has his eye on you, I said, grinning wide.

He wrinkled an eyebrow as he wondered who I meant. I had a feeling he knew, though. He denied it, but I had seen him looking.

Does he really? Nate asked.

He didn’t; he was actually into me. I wouldn’t give him the time of day. I was hoping to pawn him off onto Nathan.

No, but does it matter? You’re a better talker. A true romantic from what I hear. Geez, I went to bed with this guy one day. Now, he’s talking about getting together after we’re released.

Nate shook his head. Seriously? What do you have against relationships?

Nothing. I just don’t do relationships, you know that.

He gave me a frown. Can we talk about it some other time? he finally asked.

There was a sudden sound of heavy firing coming from the distance. Two soldiers entered from the other end into the tent.

Sergeant wants us to move out, one of them said. Grant’s squadron has been boxed inside the village. They can’t get out. They’re pinned by heavy fire from all directions.

Mason twins, your unit is up. I need you all out there, the sergeant said as he walked in with a group of men behind him.

Pardon me, but what are we doing, Sergeant? You can’t expect us to go out there, Rob spoke up.

He was a little cowardly at times. He had been sitting at the far part of the tent taking a nap. He’d been so quiet I had forgotten he had been there. Sergeant caught the sleep he was trying to shake off and furrowed his brows at him.

I couldn’t figure Rob out. I wondered if he was gay. Sometimes, he would give me a look or brush up against me, but other times, he boasted about how hot some chick in a magazine was. I had no issues with who I was. All our team knew my sexual orientation and had no problems with it. They shouldn’t; it was fuckin’ 2018, get over it. I’d been contemplating asking him out.

We’re getting Grant’s team out, Sergeant growled back at him.

Rob swirled like a dried-up prune. Shit, sergeant, they’ve got snipers, RPGs – there’s no fuckin’ way we’re gonna get through, Zack said.

He was a young guy, had been with us for two years. He knew his stuff despite his age. He was handsome and handy with a gun. Too bad he was straight. He was married with twins, so we had that much in common.

Zack, you’re coming with me, I said. It seemed to put him at ease. He knew he could depend on me and Nate. Nate and I will go in first. We’ll lay out cover fire and get in, Sergeant. We’ll get Grant’s team out.

Nate nodded in agreement. He liked the action; knew the routine. We worked better together, and the team leader knew it.

Zack, Rob, Jones, Gutiérrez, and Peters, the Mason brothers will take the lead. Everyone got that? Sergeant yelled.

The men nodded from their various positions around the tent. Their faces were full of exhaustion. We were all worn out, dirt and sweat stained our cheeks and brows. The armor we carried was heavy—vests, assault rifles, and ammo were all strapped to the already hefty uniform of a soldier in battle.

I put on my helmet, and Nathan mirrored the gesture. The sensation of seeing my own reflection caught me off guard for a moment. Others were often confused by who was who. That’s why I started wearing a red bandana on the side of my helmet.

Let’s get our boys. Head out! Sergeant yelled.

The team moved out. I walked out alongside Nate. Keep your eyes open, I uttered.

Nate nodded.

From the moment we approached the village, the snipers seemed to ease. It made Nate wary.

It went down quickly. Getting there was easy. It was when we were close to the side wall enclosing the village that the heavy firing began.

Grant’s team was taking heavy fire. I could make them out, even from the distance separating us.

Shit! We might have underestimated our enemy, Liam. We need to fall back, Nate suggested.

Men were dropping fast. I called for the RPGs, but our men were gunned down.

No, we got this, Nate! I yelled back over the heavy shooting.

It’s a slaughter. They wanted to get us here. We need to fall back! Nate yelled.

I dropped my head and narrowed my eyes over at him. He had that look in his eyes. It was no longer the situation that we were in in my mind. All I could think about was the video chat I had overheard.

Why didn’t you say a thing? Did you know anything before that day? I asked as the battle continued around us. The sound of bullets flying passed our heads. Soldiers returned fire to no avail.

Didn’t tell you what? What are you talking about? Know what?

You know what I’m talking about, I pushed.

Shit, Liam; we have no time for this. We have to get out of here! Can’t you see what’s happening around us? Nate called over the heavy firing.

There was an explosion near the side wall that had protected us from the gun battle a few feet away.

Did you know about Mom before the video chat? Did you know she was sick? I snarled back at him.

He spun his head toward me. The men were yelling, firing over our heads. Zack came over with the RPGs. He was readying the weapon. There was a blast from behind the wall.

Sergeant! I heard Rob on the radio. It was something about Grant’s team.

I slammed a hand over Nate’s helmet to wake him. Did you know she was dying of cancer? I spat.

A blast knocked the ground a few feet from us, knocking poor Zack to the dirt. Nate shook his head and dashed to the side of our friend. He was moving into open fire. My first reaction was to grab him and pull him back, but sometimes it seemed Nate had no fuckin’ fear. I wondered if it was because of what I knew now. Mom was dying.

I launched myself up from beside the wall and started shooting.

An RPG blast fired from the opening of the helicopter above. It knocked the village’s buildings like crumbling leaves off the branches of a tree. Our men had come to our aid just in time. They fired several rockets, knocking back the hostiles. I covered my brother as he kneeled near Zack.

Nate! I called as I shielded him. I was watching for enemy fire. This was a bad place to be; we were completely out in the open.

I looked back; there was blood everywhere. We have to go! I yelled over the chaos around us.

I just can’t leave him!

Fuck, of course not. I bit my lip.

The helicopter fired down at the enemy, covering the remaining part of our team. Grant’s men wandered out as a Humvee pulled up and let them climb in. A few were carrying others, some lifeless, others limping alongside a shoulder for assistance.

Shit!

Zack? Zack! I heard Nathan’s voice calling. There was no answer, blood dripped down the side of his face, his hands were covered in it. I knew he wasn’t going to make it.

2

RECRUITED

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I blinked around the room. The nightmares of those days in the military were still very fresh in my mind. I felt the cold sheets of the bed, and the soft mattress on my back. Looking up at the single fan above spinning in the bedroom I exhaled. The temperature was comfortable, all the accommodations of a Holiday Inn and more.

Having depleted the last of my inheritance, I was on my last dime and trying to figure out what to do with myself. I surely couldn’t call my brother after the way we had parted ways. I was the arrogant one. Deep inside, I knew he would never turn his back on me. Nathan would always be there, even when he claimed he would never talk to me again.

My cell phone began to ring on the side table. I grabbed for it. I was seriously considering going back into the military. It was all I knew.

When I looked at the screen of my phone, just like on cue, he was on the line, Nathan. I hadn’t talked to him since he had slammed the door on me after missing Mom’s final words at the hospital. I’d been in a bar fight the night before for trying to convince another guy’s boyfriend to come home with me after he let me buy him two drinks.

I had no clue he was already in a committed relationship. The fucker gladly let me buy him drinks. When the time came to collect, he threw out that shit about being with someone else. After feeling me up at the bar, acting like he didn’t know where his hand had been most of the night. He’d been making out with me. When I wanted to take it further and go to my place, suddenly he had a boyfriend. He looked rather guilty about it. His boyfriend had gotten all up in my face; I turned him sideways with his face against the table. His buddies came to his aid, a bunch of heavy bodyweights. Outnumbered, I got out of there immediately, but not before getting in a few blows. I escaped out the back of the bar.

Hey, little bro. What’s up? I answered.

He was quiet for a second. How have you been doing? he asked.

Hey, listen… I’m sorry about what happened, I said.

He was quiet for another moment. Yeah, we were both going through a rough patch, he said.

I guess there was some truth to that. I just had some guy’s hand on my shaft the night before.

I miss her, I admitted.

It got quiet again before he asked, Are you doing ok?

Yeah, I answered before the memories and all the emotions they entailed could suck us in. How about you?

Good. Where are you? What have you been doing with yourself?

I didn’t want him to worry about me. Mom was always worrying about me; I didn’t want my brother to start doing the same. He’d always been the more responsible one. He acted like the older twin.

Oh, you know. Here and there, I said. Around.

It wasn’t much of an answer. His silence indicated he knew I was being vague about certain details so he wouldn’t worry.

You know, if you need a place— he began to say, and I knew he was keen to my ways. He was my brother; he knew me.

Nah, I got a place, I tried to reassure him.

Mom did leave us both the house, Liam, he said.

Yeah, we still have the cabin, too, I responded.

You there now? he asked.

I lied and said, Yeah.

I had a feeling he knew I was lying. The cabin was boarded up for the winter. I could have gone there, and I had thought about it. It had a generator and a storage of supplies. The lake was just a stroll away. Shit, why the hell wasn’t I out there?

The recruiter said he’d call me when something suited to me came up, but my field was carrying a gun and heading out to battle. I just didn’t see any hope of that being one of his jobs. I was either joining the police academy, or heading back to the military. The truth was, I didn’t see myself as a police officer, either. I was more into breaking the rules rather than abiding by them.

So, how are you, little bro? I said, breaking the silence.

He laughed. I knew he hated when I called him that. He also missed hearing it.

I’m good, just started a new job.

Working? Really? Shit, as what? This could be