1 Chapter 1

1

“Fuck!” Gage Hawkins cussed softly when he finally arrived at the funeral home in downtown Manhattan and checked the time on his smartphone. “Two minutes.”

He parked his bicycle and secured it before rushing into the funeral home. His heavy backpack was sticking uncomfortably to his sweaty shirt, and he grimaced because he could smell himself. Fall in New York wasn’t that warm, but it was a sunny day. Moreover, he had to ride his bicycle as fast as he could because he had a few other deliveries to make before attending classes at New York University later in the afternoon. Fortunately for him, Nancy, the recipient of the urgent documents, was waiting for him in the lobby and she was a generous tipper. Gage thanked Nancy before heading toward the exit with a huge smile on his face.

He was one foot away from the door when he heard the tiny tintinnabulation, as faint as fairy bells. Then someone entered the funeral home on a gentle breeze blowing in from the outside. The visitor was a man, dressed in black from head to toe. He was holding a black walking cane with a sharp, pointed edge at the bottom and a big, black butterfly handle on top. He had no noticeable limp. Gage wondered if the cane was more of a fashion statement to grab other people’s attention. Not that it was necessary, because Gage stopped in his tracks and stared. The man was beyond gorgeous. The stranger’s flawless skin appeared to be evenly tanned everywhere, and his short, black hair seemed to glow.

The main feature that caused Gage to almost lose his breath, however, was the man’s eyes. He was mesmerized by them. They were light brown in color, and to call them beautiful was a huge understatement. The man was at least seven to eight inches shorter than Gage, who was six feet and two inches tall, and maybe eighty to ninety pounds lighter. Then again, Gage was made up of two hundred and twenty-three pounds of bulky muscles. He identified as bisexual, but he was honestly rarely attracted to other men, both romantically and sexually. He liked women, and sex with women was awesome, but there were times when he was instantly aroused by men. There was something about this unknown man that Gage simply couldn’t ignore.

When the nameless man walked past, Gage was stunned by the scent that wafted toward him. It was something flowery and sweet, yet also woodsy and earthy. The fragrance was refreshing and sexy. It was unlike any that Gage had ever smelled. As a college wrestler who had been offered a scholarship by the university three years ago based on his stellar ability to pummel his opponents into the ground, he’d been up close to many men over the years, both on the mats and in locker rooms, and more often than not, they stank to high heaven.

Gage was tempted to follow the man, to at least get a name to go with that pretty face, but he realized that would be creepy. Besides, he had places to go to. Otherwise, he wouldn’t get paid. His employment might even be terminated, and he couldn’t afford that. Living in New York City wasn’t cheap, but Gage really liked it here, and he was determined to succeed in the big city. He didn’t want to go back to his tiny hometown in Missouri. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Gage wanted to prove to his parents and two older brothers that he could make it all by himself in New York City. With that thought in mind, he took one final peek of the man’s back before dashing from the funeral home. He didn’t have any time to waste. He had things to do.

* * * *

Calian sat on one of the chairs at the back of the room at the funeral home. He knew some people were glancing in his direction, and he could sense their curiosity, but he ignored them all. He wasn’t there for them. Or even the deceased. Calian was there for one specific purpose. He waited patiently until a black butterfly popped into being right next to him. It gently flew toward the front of the room where it hovered above the head of a beautiful young woman for several seconds. Calian knew who she was. Her name was Cynthia. Calian observed as the black butterfly made its way back to him and landed on his lap before disappearing.

For the next few moments, he remained in his seat while keeping an eye on his target. He couldn’t make a move. He had to get Cynthia alone. Unfortunately, Cynthia didn’t seem inclined to go anywhere. Calian thought he would have to stay there for hours. He sighed under his breath. He would most likely be bored out of his mind after five minutes. However, his concerns were alleviated when Cynthia abruptly got up and made her way toward the door before exiting from the room. Calian followed her in an instant. He didn’t bother to cloak his presence with his magic. He had to gain her attention. He obtained it when she abruptly stopped walking and turned around to face him.