Don’t we all enjoy tales of forbidden love? While tragic endings are also appreciated, I think most readers want the couple to have a happy ending. In their own life, people usually seek stress-free relationships, but the struggle to overcome all odds in order to be together is generally seen as very romantic. Secret meetings. Whispered promises. The danger of being caught.
I enjoy both reading and writing about those scenarios. In “Guns n’ Boys”, the characters are in a situation that doesn’t allow them to express their feelings freely. Not only because of a difference in status but also because the mafia isn’t a gay-friendly environment. In the second part of book one, Domenico and Seth are forced to face the feelings that they previously denied. Upon their return to the Villani estate, the atmosphere of secrecy starts to slowly take its toll on them.
Domenico looked into the bright lights of the Villani house from his quiet place on a bench in the shadow of the trees. He liked this garden, even on a day like this. He didn’t feel like leaving yet, pulled close by the smells and sounds of the people who made him who he was. He would have amounted to nothing without them, without those walls, even without the horrible weeks in the cellar.
He caressed the lacquered wood and stared at the stray leaves on the ground. There weren’t all that many with gardeners working around the villa every day, but it was November after all.
He wished he wasn’t alone.But then, he wasn’t. The touch of fingers on his shoulders made his muscles tense up. It spoke of familiarity, so he didn’t try to push the other man away, instead raising his hands to touch Seth’s warm hand. He closed his eyes when fingers slid lower down his torso, but something wasn’t quite right. They were long and slim, so unlike Seth’s thick, rough digits. Bile rose in Dom’s throat, and he spun his upper body around, ready to fight.
Who is it that is so close to Domenico that he dares this? You’ll have to read to find out. The one thing I can say is that the atmosphere at the Villani estate gets extremely stuffy with secrets and repressed emotions.
The Family is always right.
The Family doesn’t forget.
The Family pays for blood in blood.
Domenico Acerbi grew up in the shade of Sicilian lemon trees ready to give his life for the Family. Ready to follow orders and exceed expectations. A proud man of honor.
When Seth, the younger son of the Don is kidnapped, it’s Domenico who is sent to get him back. The man he finds though, is not the boy he knew all those years ago. Lazy, annoying, spoiled, and as hot as a Sicilian summer.
Seth Villani wants nothing to do with the mafia. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get a say when the Family pulls him right back into its fold after his mother’s death. Thrown into a den of serpents otherwise known as the Villani Family, Seth has to find a way to navigate in the maze of lies. But when Domenico Acerbi, the most vicious snake of them all, sinks his fangs into Seth, the venom changes into an aphrodisiac that courses through Seth’s veins.
Domenico knows his life is about to change when he gets the order to train Seth up to the role of future Don. Seth isn’t made for it. He isn’t even made. But a man Domenico knows he would never have to fear might just be someone he’s always needed.
If Seth is doomed to follow in his father’s footsteps, he might as well enjoy himself–with the most intoxicating man he’s ever met. Maybe he can even fool himself into believing that Domenico isn’t a handsome sociopath who kills for a living.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
Themes: Enemies to lovers, mafia, homophobia, assassin, organized crime
Genre: Dark, twisted erotic romance / crime thriller
Erotic content: Explicit gay sex, coercion
Length: ~90,000 words (part 2)
WARNING: Adult content. If you are easily offended, this book is not for you.
‘Guns n’ Boys’ is a gritty story of extreme violence, offensive language, abuse, and morally ambiguous protagonists. Behind the morbid facade, there is a splash of inappropriate dark humor, and a love story that will crawl under your skin.
Buy Link: Amazon
About the author: K.A. Merikan is a joint project of Kat and Agnes Merikan, who jokingly claim to share one mind. They finish each other’s sentences and simultaneously come up with the same ideas. Kat and Agnes enjoy writing various kinds of stories, from light-hearted romance to thrillers. They love creating characters that are not easy to classify as good or evil, and firmly believe that even some villains deserve their happy endings. It is easiest to find them in galleries, restaurants and historical sites, always with a computer or notebook, because for Kat and Agnes, every day is a writing day. Future plans include lots of travel, and a villa on the coast of Italy or a flat in Paris where they could retire after yet another crazy venture, only to write more hot homoerotic stories.
As K.A. Merikan, Kat and Agnes have published a number of books, which cross genres while always staying homoerotic.
Email | K.A. Merikan’s author page | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads