Steele My Heart by Tatum West

I swore I’d never set foot in this town again. But Abingdon needs me. And Kendall Vincent might just get me to stay for good.

Gil:
I was tired of working the police beat in Northern Cali. Exhausted–my whole body was yearning for a place I hadn’t been in years, my old home. When my mama died, I knew I had to come back, and my new job as police chief sealed the deal.I got away from heartbreak. From being so tired. From the constant, never-ending world of crime I’d come to know.In Abingdon, I can relax, see all my old friends from Jackson Academy. Maybe I can even change this place and make it better for all the kids like me. The ones who were different, who needed a place a little bigger and broader than a small mountain town could provide.I always promised myself I wouldn’t come back.But Kendall Vincent–he might get me to stay for good. When I’m in his arms, I feel complete, whole again, like a man reborn to the world.Everything seems perfect, right up until the moment that it’s not.When two gay kids get hurt bad by a gang of thugs, I realize that Abingdon needs me far more than I thought.And I’m here to protect the town–and the man–that I’m growing to love.

Kendall:
I’ve survived everything this world has tossed my way–ignorant parents, falling for men who want to play straight, and running a food truck in a town that likes its men butch and its hot dogs bland as all hell.I even got through chemo and three bone marrow transplants when I was a kid.But nothing prepared me for meeting Gilman Steele.Six feet of pure muscle with eyes that shine like gold and a smile I’d like to see every morning for the rest of my life.I know I’m crazy, but I swear to God almighty that I fell in love with that man of Steele from the first second I laid eyes on him.There’s a secret I know that could change my relationship with Gil, a lie I’ve been hiding for over a year.It could threaten Gil’s life here, everything he’s worked for. But justice is justice, and I believe in the Abingdon that Gil wants to create.When the drama gets worse than I ever imagined, I realize that Gil’s not the only one in danger.I’m toppling off a bridge and getting sucked down into the murky water of Holston Lake when I know for sure–this isn’t the day I meet my maker.I didn’t survive everything I’ve been through just to die at the hands of an evil man with a secret far darker than my own.I’ll make my way back to Gil. He’s mine, now and forever.This town might not be ready for us, but I am.And I plan to let the world know it.