I Beleive Now
BLURB
Max Tyler and Asher Madden are back—and so is a very angry man from their past. A man who believes he has been extremely wronged by the great Max Tyler.
Wyatt Jackson knows it was Max who made it impossible for him to be re-elected and that was all the politician had been after. Plus, due to the lies Max told, Jackson nearly ended up in prison.
Jackson not only wants his life back, he wants Max Tyler dead.
First step? Kidnap Max's precious Asher Madden.
Max is well aware of his error in not taking care of Wyatt Jackson when he had the chance. He just didn't think the man had it in him to bite back. But Asher is now in the former Congressman's dirty hands and in order to rescue him, Max needs a plan. One that can't fail.
But what happens when it does?
FIREBORN PUBLISHING COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
I Believe Now
Copyright © 2015 by Hurri Cosmo
eBook ISBN: 978-1-941984-73-4
First eBook Publication: June 2015
Cover Artist: Tracey Weston
Editor: Jamie D. Rose
Logo copyright © 2014 by Fireborn Publishing and Allison Cassatta
Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.
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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is strictly coincidental.
This book is written in US English.
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DEDICATION
To my sister, Debbie. She has been a rock in my life. Funny, crazy, smart and fierce, she is a force of unmeasurable strength.
TRADEMARKS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Bluetooth:
Bluetooth SIG, Inc.
BMW:
Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
Facebook:
Facebook, Inc.
Forbes:
Forbes LLC
Instagram:
Instagram, LLC
Luger:
Stoeger, Inc.
Twitter:
Twitter, Inc.
YouTube:
Google Inc.
I BELIEVE NOW
The path I am on has not always been clear; the light oftentimes has been weak.
Even though I struggle sometimes just to see, I believe now it's your darkness I seek.
I've tried to pull back when I'm moving too fast, to figure out where this path leads.
But I look in your eyes so strong and so sure, and I believe now it's your pace I need.
I have stood up against very hard winds, and have fallen time after time.
But your hand on my shoulder has given me faith,
And I believe now that your strength is mine.
I've been afraid of the dark but it's been in your shadow, where I have felt safe and secure.
With your arms all around me, your presence surrounds me,
I believe now that your way is sure.
I sometimes wake up in the dead of the night, and reach out to where you should be.
I grasp then at air, with a fear you're not there, and I believe now the need is with me.
For this path I am on, though fear dogs my steps and panic seems but one breath away.
You have only to whisper 'be strong' in my ear, and I believe in you more every day.
Though I've bargained with fate and gambled with luck,
Seeking redemption from all that I've done,
I was alone on this ledge until you came along, because I believe now it's your heart I've won.
—Asher Madden
CHAPTER ONE
"So Congressman Jackson beat the charges." Max sat back in his chair behind his large desk high above the city streets of Chicago as he closed the file he had been going through. He blinked back his frustration at the news.
"Yes, sir, but not
congressman
anymore, thanks to you." Jasper took the file Max handed to him. "As you know, the actual evidence against him was fabricated and simply leveled in order to discredit him and take him out of office—which you've done. Even so, his lawyer was only able to get him acquitted by applying pressure on the jury and judge. We've obtained those particular facts through some pressure we've applied ourselves because no one is really talking—not officially, anyway. He was released today."
"Who's his lawyer again?"
"Rubio Montistelli. He's from the west side."
"Oh yes, Montistelli. Old family, old money. Seems
Mr
Wyatt Jackson still has some influence. Do we know what group he's using?" Max continued his line of questioning.
"No, sir. It's not yet clear he's even using a group. It'd be hard to miss what side
you're
playing on, so I highly doubt anyone—even an obscure group—would be stupid enough to help him."
Max thought that could very well be true, but it didn't change the fact he should never have allowed the man to live. That alone could easily be misconstrued as weakness on his part which, of course, was intolerable.
"Find out for sure. And tighten security on Asher. I don't want him getting involved in this."
"Yes, sir."
"By the way, where is he today?"
"Asher Madden is at Grant Park on a photo shoot. He's shooting those Chicago Illusions books you financed to keep the brat out of trouble."
Max's heart leaped at Jasper's words. "Asher doesn't know I financed them, does he?"
"Of course not, sir. All he knows is he was chosen fairly among a number of photographer applicants."
"Good. Good." Relief flooded him. His lover could not be trusted with information like that, not with his ability to slip the guards Max already made sure dogged the man's heels. Having nearly lost Asher before to the thugs Jackson had employed, put a fear so deep in Max's soul it made him sweat every time he thought about it, which was often because Max could not afford to become careless ever again—not where Asher was concerned. The fact he had never felt this way for another human being was reason enough to be overprotective, even if his lover objected. "Keep a close watch. This obviously isn't over yet."
"Already underway, sir." Jasper nodded once and left Max's office.
* * * *
"See you tomorrow!" Asher yelled and waved his hand up in the air at two of the female models heading toward a waiting taxi. They turned and waved back as they slid into the back seat. One covered her mouth and giggled.
Asher smiled, pushing back his once again too-long hair as he finished packing up his cameras and gear. He counted today as another successful session. There were going to be several more days before he'd call this first book done but only because he wanted to change locations again. He certainly had enough material, but he felt he didn't have that one perfect cover shot yet.
Max Tyler, his filthy rich, club owning, political maneuvering, most likely gangster boss-ing, tall, dark, and deadly boyfriend had something to do with him landing this job. He knew simply because there was little-to-nothing in Asher's life
not
orchestrated by the man—not to mention the fact Asher had been climbing the walls with not enough to do thereby irritating the crap out of Max. So he had to have come up with this Chicago photo book project just to shut Asher up. Asher might call himself naive—certainly grateful—but not stupid. He saw the kind of money being spent and it bordered on a little beyond crazy. But, being a photographer by trade and by heart, having a seemingly endless supply of whatever he wanted, was just plain awesome.
What was even better was the fact both he and the actual people in charge really liked the results so far. Not only did they provide a team of assistants, he had been allowed all decisions, from the theme of each book, to when the light was right, from sites and locations, to which models to use and when. He even approached and used consenting passersby on occasion, something of which his babysitter-guards disapproved. They made it painfully clear they didn't like the times he talked with people they didn't give him permission to talk to, so Asher made a point of doing it as often as he could.