Today, we’re celebrating the new release from Maggie Blackbird. Check out Twisted Beauty, a m/m dystopian romance.
Title: Twisted Beauty
Series: N/A
Author: Maggie Blackbird
Genre: M/M Dystopian Romance, First Nations Romance, Native American Romance, LGBTQ+
Heat Level: 4 Flames (Graphic love scenes, Menage a trois, Mild BDSM, Explicit language and/or violence.)
Book Length: 60,000 words
Release Date: November 3, 2023
His community or his enemy. He can’t have both.
Blurb: Deep in the badlands, long after the fall of modern civilization, Hunter patrols the area as the war chief for his Lakota community. His latest mission is to hunt down a marauder who robbed his neighbors of their precious goods. He’ll act as this man’s judge, jury, and executioner.
Having lost everything at his former Ojibway encampment, Chassis is far from home. He wanders the badlands, a grim reaper bringing death to those with what he needs to survive. But there is one man courageous enough to challenge him.
When the duo faces off, neither expects the sizzling chemistry to erupt between them, nor for their duel to touch what both have denied themselves. Now they must choose to either remain together and sacrifice their beliefs, or go their separate ways, losing what they’ve spent their lives searching for—love.
Hunter gave a light as if laugh. “I see. You think I can’t survive out here without my buddy’s help. I hate to disappoint you…Mister…whatever your name is—”
“It’s Chassis.”
“Okay. I hate to disappoint you, Chassis, but I don’t need Mechanix to keep me alive.”
“You don’t? So what would you have done if he hadn’t come to assist you after we finished…getting busy?”
The shameful reminder heated Hunter’s face. God, where had his patience gone that was as second nature to him as breathing? All night he’d been riddled with irritable impetuousness, and he was once again.
He stretched his arm, aiming the .38 at the marauder. He wasn’t the least bit surprised when the Walther was simultaneously directed at him.
“I wouldn’t…” Warning lingered in Chassis’ words.
Hunter had heard the colder-than-ice voice before that told him Chassis was made of pure steel without an ounce of warmth in a dead soul. He had to remember he was dealing with a scavenger who wasn’t conditioned to take life to survive but killed to simply kill. The man driving his car was a foe, not an ally. The aid the marauder had granted came with a price tag.
Hunter removed his finger from the trigger and settled the gun back on his thigh. Just as he performed this task, the Walther vanished from his face.
“You underestimate me,” Hunter said through gritted teeth. He refocused his gaze back to the land that he couldn’t see because of the darkness. “If I’d been alone, I could’ve turned it to my advantage.”
“Oh? Really?” The iciness in Chassis’ tone vanished, and amusement smattered his words.
“Yes. You’re not as crafty as you think you are. Letting your lust command your feelings put you in a situation where I could have seduced that weapon out of your hands. Even now I could easily fuck your ass.”
Chassis’ jaw tightened.
Hunter smirked. “See what I mean? Already you’re thinking of what it’s like to have real sex with me.”
“I won’t deny it.” Chassis continued to stare out at the highway. “Who wouldn’t wanna have sex with you?”
“True. Everyone wants to have sex with me.”
Chassis offered half a smirk. “So. you telling me you’ve used sex to get yourself out of trouble before?”
“No. But am I willing to if need be? Yes.”
“Your integrity can be compromised. You’ll do anything to live.”
Hunter scoffed. “Integrity? Don’t you sit here and talk to me about integrity, you vermin of the badlands.”
Chassis eased the shifter into another gear. “We’re back to this? I’m the bad guy and you’re the good guy?”
“Spare me. I kill to protect my family and the community where we reside. As for you, you kill simply for gain and nothing more.”
“I find your answer on the hypocritical side, seeing how you also kill for gain so you and your family can live. Is this not true?”
Hunter’s brows furrowed. Fuck that damned marauder twisting everything he said. “Killing to protect those you love is a complete one-eighty from killing or robbing people for your own selfish gain.”
“No. I don’t agree.” Chassis’ tone was matter-of-fact. “We both kill to survive. Case closed. Which means you’re no different. If you don’t kill, you risk losing your life and your family risks losing theirs. If I don’t kill, I risk losing my life. Get it?”
“Oh, really? So what was that back there?” Hunter motioned with his thumb behind them. “You killed two road dogs in cold blood—after we disarmed them. Was it necessary?”
“Yep. Some of those gangs are quite vengeful. We could have killed someone’s son, which could have sent some crazed leader into revenge mode. Dead men don’t tell tales. Remember what I taught you, because the last thing you want is a gang of road dogs finding your camp to seek vengeance.”
“It’s well guarded and almost impossible to locate.” Hunter couldn’t help the confidence in his voice. “You’re the first outsider I’ll be taking back with me. We’ve been previously invaded and easily won the battle…a long time ago. If one dares to enter Voodoo Canyon, they don’t leave alive.”
Chassis stiffened. He took aim with the gun, his slanted eyes morphing to the same crazed look when he’d been disarmed by Hunter during their initial encounter. “Your word, Wolf,” he snarled.
Hunter jumped and moved to raise his hand holding the .38.
“Don’t even try it. I’ll fire if you move.” Warning filled Chassis’ order. “Your word, Wolf. Your word. If I take you back, I’ll leave alive.”
****
An Ojibway from Northwestern Ontario, Maggie writes romance starring Canada’s Indigenous People. She resides in the country with her husband and their fur babies, two beautiful Alaskan Malamutes. When she’s not writing, she can be found pulling weeds in the flower beds, mowing the huge lawn, walking the Mals deep in the bush, teeing up a ball at the golf course, fishing in the boat for walleye, or sitting on the deck at her sister’s house, making more wonderful memories with the people she loves most.
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