Charlie's Mission — Lynn Lorenz

Charlie's cut himself off from the pleasures of life. After all, he was a drug addict who killed his brother and doesn't deserve them. He also believes he should have never gotten out of prison, but he did, and now every day he struggles to do penance for his crime, and working at a shelter for homeless men in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans is his way of doing it.

Devon is mysterious, dark, and dangerous. Especially to Charlie. Devon's refusal to speak about what he does, his comings and goings at night, all lead Charlie to one conclusion -- Devon's a drug dealer. And for a recovering cocaine addict, a dealer is the last thing he needs in his life, because the need for the white powder is always there.

But so is the physical and emotional need Charlie feels for Devon. Charlie fights his attraction, but he know he's in a losing battle. He's always been a sucker for a bad ass, and to him, Devon looks to be the baddest of them all.

Can Charlie keep his internal pledge to pay for his crime, or will Devon destroy everything Charlie's worked so hard to build? Or will giving in to Devon be the freedom Charlie's secretly prayed for?