NEW RELEASE: Show No Mercy by Thom Collins (Excerpt & Giveaway)

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Show No Mercy

Author and Publisher: Thom Collins

Cover Artist: Kelly A Martin

Release Date: November 14, 2024

Tense/POV: Third person/past tense

Genres: Contemporary MM Romance, paranormal thriller

Tropes: Dark romantic suspense, instant attraction

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 38 000 words/160 pages

It’s a one-off standalone story. No cliffhanger.

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A chance encounter brought them together, but in a world of danger, it might not be for long.

Blurb

When a blind date ends in disaster, Hector is about to swear off dating for good, until he sees a handsome face across a bar and changes his mind. A drink with a troubled man called Callum leads to something far more meaningful. Hector offers Callum the chance to off load his problems.

But when they’re attacked by two men carrying knives, Hector is plunged into a dangerous world of vengeance and retaliation. His decision to stand by Callum puts his life at risk in ways he could never have imagined. Is he prepared to lose everything for a man he barely knows?

Excerpt

They made it to Hector’s apartment without any further incident. He turned on the lights and held the door for Callum before locking it behind him. Callum’s hand, where he gripped his injured arm, was red with blood. Hector showed him to the bathroom before going to retrieve his first aid kit.

“How does it feel?” he asked, pulling on a pair of rubber gloves.

“It’s beginning to throb, but I think the worst of the bleeding has stopped.”

Hector ran warm water into the sink and poured in two cups of antiseptic liquid. “Take off your T-shirt,” he said, soaking cotton balls in the sink. “I’ll give you one of mine, once we clean this up and make sure it’s no longer bleeding.”

Callum sat on the edge of the bath and removed his T-shirt. He winced and gave a sharp intake of breath. Hector suspected his injury was more painful than he was letting on. He flinched again when Hector applied the soaked cotton balls to his wound.

“Sorry,” he said. “I’ll be gentle as I can.”

“It’s fine,” Callum said. “Just do what you have to.”

The cut was about an inch and a half long. “I don’t think it’s gone deep,” he said. “You’ve been lucky.”

“I’m sure Jon-Boy was aiming for something more severe.”

“We have to report this to the police.”

Callum shook his head. “That will be a waste of time.”

“They’ll be searching for you anyway. I’m sure the staff at the bar will have called it in. Especially when Jon-Boy pulled a knife on the premises. There must have been a dozen or more witnesses.”

Callum didn’t reply, and Hector didn’t push it. He would try again in a while. They had a duty to report what had happened. Hector wasn’t about to let those thugs get away with what they had done.

Once he had cleaned the wound, Hector patted it dry then applied a fresh medical cloth and bandaged it. “I don’t think it’s deep enough for you to need stitches, but you’ll have to keep an eye on it. You might need to visit your doctor.”

“You’ve done a great job. Thank you.”

Hector went to his bedroom and rummaged in a drawer. Callum was thicker-built he was, but he found a T-shirt that was too big for him and should fit Callum fine. It was only when he returned to the bathroom that he noticed the rest of Callum’s body. He was incredibly fit with a flat stomach and firm, well developed pecs. His torso was smooth and hairless—he must have shaved it. Hector tried not to stare at his perfect physique as he handed over the T-shirt.

“Come through to the kitchen,” he said. “I’ll get you some painkillers.”

Hector was about to offer him a strong drink, then remembered that would not be a good idea while he had an open wound. The bleeding had stopped but it would not be worth the risk of it restarting. He got two glasses from the cupboard and filled them with water from the filter unit in his refrigerator. When Callum came into the room wearing Hector’s T-shirt, he handed him the glass and a blister pack of Ibuprofen.

“Take two. They should help soon enough.”

Callum nodded and gave a weak smile as he popped the pills from their packet. The T-shirt fitted him far better than it ever had Hector. The cotton spread tight across his impressive chest and shoulders. The small nubs of his nipples stood erect. Hector was again startled by how beautiful he was and told himself to stop looking. Callum was in trouble, and this was definitely not the time.

About the Author

Thom Collins is the author of the Jagged Shores series and the Anthem Trilogy as well as numerous standalone novels and novellas.

His new series Basic Instincts launches in spring 2025 with the novel Now Comes the Dark.

Thom has lived in the North East of England his whole life. He grew up in Northumberland and now lives in County Durham with his husband and two cats. He loves all kinds of genre fiction, especially bonk-busters, thrillers, romance and horror. He is also a cookery book addict with far too many titles cluttering his shelves. When not writing he can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes. He’s a keen traveler but with a fear of flying that gets worse with age, but in 2013 he realized cruising is the best way to see the world.

Check out his website for news updates and a free ebook The Night

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