Fighting the Man (Enigma #2)

Silver has been freed from sexual slavery and settled down with River, his lover and former patient, yet cracks begin to form when it becomes increasingly obvious that the stress of constantly having to care for Silver, begin to tell on River. When River’s parents die, leaving him to care for his 12 year old brother it, at first, seems that the introduction of the lively twelve year old into the mix was going to do them all the world of good. However, when spiteful relatives involve Social Services, the previous flaws nearly rip them all apart.

Faced with the dilemma of keeping either Ben or Silver at home and sending the other to stay with Sam, a personal friend, River chooses responsibility for his brother over his love and concern for Silver. Things come to a head when a series of misunderstandings lead Silver to believe River doesn’t love him anymore and that everyone is secretly ashamed of him because of his past. After running away, Silver reasons the only place he can fit in is with his own kind and he sets out to search of a new “home.”

At the Theatre de la vie he meets Tony, a club owner with big ideas, who ‘looks after’ a group of young men who dance and “entertain” patrons of the club. There, among others, Silver finds Ariel, an ephemeral little minx with a knack for getting into trouble, Alex, the big hearted mountain of muscle, and Asher. With Asher, a former sex slave like himself, Silver finds a kindred spirit and soon finds himself falling for the beautiful, broken boy.

Together, Ariel and Asher show Silver a whole new way of looking at the world, a transformation echoing the sleeping chrysalis of his soul, and soon his inner self emerges as the beautiful butterfly he was always meant to be. Yet as happy as he is with his new friends, Silver eventually realises he truly misses River and intends to return to his side, but a dark figure from his abusive past returns to threaten both a possible reunion and the very ones who would protect Silver.

Book #2 in the Enigma Series.