Hunt In The Night
(Blood and Bonds series #3)
by S. J. Coles
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Release Date: August 6, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Paranormal Mystery/Cop
Tropes: Bi Awakening, Vampire, Men In Uniform, Gay For You
Themes: Coming out, forgiveness
Length: 71 136 words/282 pages
Heat Rating: 4 flames
It is book 3 of 3. It does not end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links
Blurb
Detective Inspector Mason Walker is good at his job. He has never focused on much else in his life. Women come and go. Friends take time he doesn’t have to spare. The job is constant. He works hard and has built a reputation for determination and integrity.
Now his skills are needed more than ever. The level of violence in York has risen, involving both the haemophile and human communities. These are unexplored waters for Mason, with both political and professional implications, and Mason is afraid to lose his way.
But there’s been a murder—a haemophile—and Mason’s facing the question of not only who committed the dreadful crime but how? Nothing seems to be adding up. And being assigned a haemophile partner, Special Officer Cai Bracken, a freelance detective working for the Met Police, only increases his tension.
What’s really unnerving is that Cai is not only making Mason question his professional convictions, but his personal preferences, too…his most personal preferences.
With so much at stake, can Mason really cope with overhauling his police work and his personal life all at once?
Excerpt
Sunset was still an hour away when Mason pulled in at Oswald House, but the day already felt like it had lasted twice as long as any other he had lived through. Fatigue from the sleepless night was like an undertow tugging at his brain. But his heart was skipping about when he pressed the doorbell.
Jesse Truelove opened the door. He blinked when he recognized Mason.
“Any news?” he asked as he stepped back to allow Mason inside.
“Not yet I’m afraid,” he said, glancing up the stairs. “I’m here to see SO Bracken.”
Truelove raised his eyebrows. “No one’s supposed to know he’s here…not even you.”
“I am a detective, you know. And I have a matter of some urgency to discuss with him.”
“Well, you’re a little early, mate,” Truelove drawled, glancing at his watch.
“I know,” Mason said awkwardly. “If there’s just somewhere I could maybe wait? I don’t want to be in the way.”
“Detective Inspector Walker?”
Mason turned. Tom Addams was there. His face was strained. There were shadows under his eyes. “Anything?”
“I’m sorry…no, not yet,” Mason said with sincere regret.
“He’s here to see Cai,” Truelove said.
“There is one thing I wanted to ask you about, actually, Mr. Truelove.”
“Mate, please,” Truelove said, opening the door to the same sitting room as before. “Call me Jesse. I’m changing my name soon anyway.”
“Jesse,” Mason said, taking a seat on the sofa as Tom took the armchair and Jesse perched on the sofa arm. “It was that that I wanted to talk to you about. I don’t want to sound insensitive, but have you and the Baron considered postponing your wedding?”
Jesse exchanged glances with Tom. “Yes. We considered it. I did more than consider it, if I’m honest.”
“I heard their shouting match from the other end of the house,” Tom said with a smile.
Jesse made a noisy sigh. “We’re not postponing.”
“Jesse,” Mason started, but Tom interrupted him.
“Darragh fought very long and hard for Emory and Jesse’s wedding to be allowed to happen,” he said. “He would want it to go ahead. Otherwise, there’s no point to any of it.”
“Okay,” Mason said. “I understand. I just wanted to make sure someone had mentioned the idea.”
“They’ve both mentioned it,” Tom said. “And I told them the same thing I told you. The wedding is going ahead.”
“You’re a stubborn asshole, you know that?” Jesse said to Tom, but he was smiling.
“Darragh would never forgive me if we just gave up.”
“It’s not giving up,” Jesse argued. “It’s just looking at the bigger picture.”
“And what did Emory say when you said that to him?”
Jesse rolled his eyes. “Let’s not have this argument again.”
“Okay, we won’t,” Tom said with a shaky smile and stood. “Now, if you don’t need anything else, I have a security sweep to run.”
Tom left and Jesse stared after him with a haunted expression.
“I’m very sorry you’re having to go through all this.”
“Not your fault,” Jesse murmured. “Just catch the bastard. That’s all we want.” Mason nodded, even though Jesse wasn’t looking at him. Jesse stood. “You can wait here if you want. Get you anything? Coffee? Something stronger?”
“I’m fine, thank you,” Mason said. “I’ll just wait here, if that’s okay.”
“Knock yourself out,” Jesse said, and left.
The room was warm. The sofa was comfortable. The light grew dimmer, and Mason’s eyes began to droop.
A touch on Mason’s hand brought him out of a soft, pleasant dream. He blinked groggily. Bracken was sitting in the armchair.
“You should get some proper sleep.”
Mason sat up, rubbing his eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have nodded off.” He blinked at Bracken, all the feelings he’d told himself he’d keep suppressed rushing to the surface. “You didn’t call back.”
Bracken’s expression closed. He stood. “Not here.”
Mason followed Bracken along a corridor, down some stairs and through a series of locked doors to a comfortably furnished room. There was a wardrobe, a sofa, a desk covered in papers and an open laptop. There were minimalist paintings on the walls, several shelves of books and a large TV. It was airy and comfortable, but with no windows. No bed.
“This is where you sleep?”
Bracken indicated an inner door locked with a numbered keypad. “I have a secure sleeping cell through there, completely up to grade.” Bracken gave him a pained look. “Walker, no one’s supposed to know I’m here.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not exactly neutral ground, is it? But it’s not like I can check into the nearest hotel, either.”
“I think you’re capable of keeping your sleeping arrangements separate from your professional duties.”
Bracken lifted an eyebrow. “Well, that’s loaded.”
Mason sank onto the sofa. “I’m sorry. I…I didn’t sleep last night.”
About the Author
S.J. Coles is a Romance writer originally from Shropshire, UK. She has been writing stories for as long as she has been able to read them. Her biggest passion is exploring narratives through character relationships.
She finds writing LGBT/paranormal romance provides many unique and fulfilling opportunities to explore many (often neglected or under-represented) aspects of human experience, expectation, emotion and sexuality.
Among her biggest influences are LGBT Romance authors K J Charles and Josh Lanyon and Vampire Chronicles author Anne Rice.
Blog/Website | Facebook | Twitter
