Libby Drew's Blog

Cover Reveal for Secrets of Neverwood: The Lost Year

Secrets of Neverwood is a new M/M contemporary romance anthology by Libby Drew, Diana Copland, and G.B. Lindsey, available from Carina Press June 30th, 2014.

Three foster brothers are called home to Neverwood, the stately Pacific Northwest mansion of their youth. They have nothing in common but a promise to Audrey, the woman they all called mother—that upon her death, they would restore the house and preserve it as a home for troubled boys.

But going home is never easy.

Cal struggles to recover from past heartbreak, while Danny fears his mistakes are too big to overcome. Devon believes he may never break down the barriers that separate him from honest emotion.

On the path to brotherhood, they discover the old mansion holds more than dusty furniture and secret passageways. Audrey’s spirit still walks its halls, intent on guiding “her boys” toward true love, and an old mystery stirs up a new danger—one that could cost the men far more than just the house.

Secrets of Neverwood includes:
One Door Closes by G.B. Lindsey
The Growing Season by Diana Copland
The Lost Year by Libby Drew

Welcome to Neverwood, home to lost boys and playful spirits! When Diana, G.B. and I first conceived the Secrets of Neverwood series, our biggest challenge was narrowing our idea field to something manageable. Which story would come first? There were many we wanted to explore—countless men had called Neverwod their home, and many more would do so in the future. That list of potential stories only grew as the first three novellas took shape, and the mansion’s history unfolded.

We consider Nevewood the mansion to be as important to the series as any of our living, breathing characters. In a way, it’s alive as well, host to Audrey’s spirit, as well as others. And like any human being, it’s fickle—hoarding its secrets. Cal, Danny and Devon go far in uncovering some of what’s hidden within its walls, but many mysteries still await the curiosity of other lost boys, whose stories have yet to be told.

Until then, we offer three tales of love and romance, each peppered with ample doses of heartache and suspense. I feel honored to be in the writing company of Diana Copland and G.B. Lindsey, who have been professional acquaintances for years, and whom I’ve admired for just as long. Working with them on this project was truly rewarding.

My novella tells Devon’s story…
Devon McCade is no stranger to adversity. As a photojournalist, he’s seen all manner of human struggle. And as a kid, it’s what brought him to Neverwood, to his foster mother Audrey. It’s what he’s facing now, as he and his foster brothers work to restore the once-stately mansion amidst surprising signs from Audrey herself.

But when another anguished soul arrives at Neverwood, Devon can’t hide behind his camera. Nicholas Hardy is certain he saw his runaway son, Robbie, in a photo Devon took of homeless children. Devon knows all too well that a young teenager on the streets doesn’t have many options—and Robbie has been missing for a full year.

Searching for Robbie with Nicholas stirs memories and passions Devon had thought long lost, yet knowing that Nicholas will leave as soon as Robbie is found keeps him from opening himself up to something permanent. Devon must learn to fight for what he wants to keep—his love, and his home.  
Available June 30, 2014 from Carina Press. Preorder Secrets of Neverwood trilogy Preorder the lost year

Fade Away

I miss family dinners. My boys are off creating lives of their own. Playing sports, pursuing other interests. Working. Planning their futures. The girls are equally busy, but still need us there with them every day. Exhausing and wonderful in equal measure. I know my life will one day be less about them and more about me. I’m both dreading and looking forward to that. Hey, I’m not building that retirement fund for nothing. We’re going places and doing things, me and that guy I married. Things I’ve put on the back burner for a couple of decades now. We’ve got plans.

But for now, I cherish the present. We have this routine at dinnertime: each person takes a turn telling the rest of us about the best part of their day. I’ve learned so much about my kids from this short, nightly conversation. Gleaned insights into their goals and dreams. Shared their disappointments and failures. Celebrated their successes. Bolstered their flagging self-confidence and cautioned their ego-centric behavior. Rolled my eyes. Cried. Laughed.

Getting us all around the dinner table these days is almost impossible. Too many other things intefere. School Sports. Clubs. Work. So as my children explore their independence—and as I let them—I find myself grieving for this small thing. The sound of silverware on plates. Food being passed around the table. Burst of laughter. Good-natured bickering. But most of all, I miss how we shared the happiest moments of our lives with each other, which was by far the best sustenance of all.

In slightly less maudlin news, we painted E’s room for her birthday. Her favorite color is blue. We learned early on not to give her anything pink, lest she smother us in our sleep. Yes, that is a softball sitting next to all her body creams, makeup, and perfumes. It was signed by Jennie Finch. My daughter’s mantra is, “You can do anything in a dress. Including pitch a perfect game.” Which is true, because I’ve seen her do it.

Goodbye Ranger

 Younger son turned sweet sixteen a couple of days ago. He now has a driving permit. One child driving was nerve-wracking enough. Two might put me over the edge. But I’m less worried about this kid, because he’s so serious. I mean, too serious for a teenager. He needs to stop worrying about getting internships and going Ivy League (mostly cause mom can’t afford it) and start having a bit of fun. The responsibilities of adulthood come fast enough, baby. Enjoy your youth.

Remember Biscuit? Sadly, her brother, Ranger, passed a couple of weeks ago. It was relatively quick. He was trotting across the kitchen toward the food bowl and suddenly his back legs went out from under him. We all chuckled at first, but as soon as he started struggling to stand and howling (In fear, most likely. The vet assured me he probably felt no pain.) the girls started bawling. I managed to get all the kids out the door to school, and me and that guy I married wrapped Ranger up and drove him to the vet. He was unresponsive and barely breathing by the time we got there. I held him until it was over. RIP, Ranger. You had a good run. 1997-2014 One more cold, wintry day and I might scream. Although there’s something to be said for dark, snowy mornings when the kids DO go to school. *ahem* Both me and that guy I married work from home, an arrangement that has its advantages.

Writing is happening slowly at the moment. Just too many other things to take up my time. But there will be cover reveals soon for Neverwood! Stay tuned.

I want to see Guardians of the Galaxy immediately. Right now. Today. Delayed gratification, you’re a cruel mistress.

Enjoy some excerpts from Paradox Lost

I’ve seen you in action, LJ. I know your potential. You can move mountains. I don’t believe all the naysayers who claim you’re dead. Obsolete. A platform of the past. Nonsense! And to prove this, I’m going to exploit you for my own personal gain. Wait, no… yes. No. YES! That’s exactly what I’m going to do. *evil cackle*

All kidding aside, I really am going to shamelessly ask you to use The Force, ESP, gamma rays, Thor’s hammer, your finger to pop on over to Mrs. Condit Reviews today and vote for me for Author of the Month. However, if you get over there and see someone you like better—because competition is extremely stiff (yes, I went there)—then vote for that author. But please vote! You’ll be supporting a great review site as well as some awesome authors.

I’m up for Author of the Month on the merits of Paradox Lost, which to my happy surprise, has been getting some impressive reviews. As I’ve been popping around the net promoting it, I’ve released a few exclusive excerpts. Now that those giveaways are over, I’m going to post those snippets here, in case you want to take a bite. See if the book fits your taste.

                                                Thank you! Now here are those excerpts.

(Originally Posted at LiveJournal.)

Win your wish list at All Romance Ebooks!

Readers! All Romance Ebooks has an amazing contest going on this month! And you're entered for every review you leave!

Resolve to Read and Review in 2014!

This year why not resolve to review all the books you read. Help your fellow readers find the kind of books they're looking for and promote your favorite books and authors at the same time.

Enter to Win our Resolve to Read and Review Contest.

There are 31 days in January and we will have 31 winners! Each winner will receive the contents of their AllRomance.com / OmniLit.com wishlist - up to a value of $100.00.

How To Enter

1. First, make sure you have filled your wishlist to your heart's content. Log into your account at AllRomance.com / OmniLit.com, browse titles, and add books by clicking on the "Add to wish list" button.

2. Go to your library and review a book, review two books, review ALL of your books. Every time you review a book, you get an entry for that day. Reviews are subject to content guidelines. Don't know how to review? Check out the helpful post DigiMonkey wrote on reviews. (We are counting Reviews, not Ratings.)

Be sure to read the contest page for more details, including the fine print.

Here's my author page over there, if you feel so inclined.
So what are you waiting for? ;)

Show your support for LGBT rights at Sochi

from Takeapart.com

For months, gay rights advocates have been up in arms over the draconian laws that have essentially outlawed homosexuality in Russia. In June, the Russian government passed a bill that stigmatizes the gay community and prohibits educating children on homosexuality, or “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations”—which seems to extend to any public expression of homosexuality.

The unofficial Olympic creed states: "The most important thing is not to win but to take part.” Here’s how you can take part.
The Global Principle 6 Campaign

According to Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter, "any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement."

That includes discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

In support of the Olympic message that the practice of sports is a human right, U.S. clothing giant American Apparel has teamed up with nonprofits Athlete Ally and All Out to launch a specially branded clothing line targeting Russia’s anti-LGBT stance. The coalition views the campaign as a means for both athletes and advocates to call for an end to the anti-gay policies prior to the Winter Olympics.

More than 30 Olympians and professional athletes are participating in the movement, including Australian snowboarder Belle Brockhoff and Canadian Alpine skier Mike Janyk.

"By openly supporting Principle 6 at the Winter Games in Sochi, everyone can help uphold and promote the Olympic values of non-discrimination and stand in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bi and trans people in Russia and around the world," Anastasia Smirnova, spokesperson for a leading coalition of Russian LGBT groups, said in a statement.

Principle 6 gear is available online; American Apparel will stock the clothing in stores in January. It Gets Better, International

In December, the It Gets Better Project launched an international campaign aimed at Russia’s LGBT youths. The new video initiative aims to bring messages of hope and support—in Russian and English—to the estimated 2.5 million gay youths in that country.

"We want every gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individual to know they are beautiful, valued and important, and that their friends and allies in the international community are keeping a close eye on their situation while working to end such injustice,” Executive Director Ted Farley said in a statement.

The campaign encourages gay rights advocates to add their name to the project and submit videos of their own to be shared around the world. Sochi Protest Zones

The International Olympics Committee announced Dec. 10 that protesters will be allowed to advocate and share their views during the Olympics, despite an August presidential decree forbidding any protests over issues not tied to the Games.

While the exact size and location is unclear, organizers have agreed to section off an area where people can gather, demonstrate, and express their opinion during the Games, which take place Feb. 7–23. IOC President Thomas Bach called the move a “measure we welcome so that everybody can express his or her free opinion.” The Human Rights Campaign's "Love Conquers Hate"

The HRC is calling on the top sponsors of the International Olympics Committee—including Coca-Cola, General Electric, and Samsung Electronics—to condemn and take action against Russia's draconian anti-LGBT law banning "homosexual propaganda."

The June 2013 law states that people who share information contributing to a "distorted understanding" that gay relationships are equally acceptable—or just as normal—as straight relationships can be fined or thrown in jail. Gay or pro-LGBT foreigners can be detained and deported as well.

The HRC's "Love Conquers Hate" campaign stands in solidarity with members of the Russian LGBT community as well as LGBT advocates in that country. The organization has launched a Love Conquers Hate Collection online; 100 percent of net proceeds from the Russian-language T-shirt benefit LGBT supporters in Russia. Petition That Urges Olympic Sponsors to Condemn Anti-Gay Laws

One Ohio woman has taken it upon herself to organize a campaign to convince Olympic sponsors such as Procter & Gamble (a Cincinnati-based business) to end their support of the Sochi Games. Julianne Howell’s Change.org petition urges the company and others, such as Panasonic and Visa, to condemn Russia’s anti-gay laws and pull their sponsorship from the Olympics.

“It’s time for these companies to put their support for LGBT people first, and send a message to Russia that their anti-gay laws are not only contrary to basic human rights, but fly in the face of the spirit of the Olympic Games, which celebrate human dignity and community above all else,” she writes.

Her petition has garnered more than 218,000 signatures since August and is backed by the NOH8 Campaign and Perez Hilton, among others.

Here is a link to the petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/stand-against-russia-s-brutal-crackdown-on-gay-rights-urge-winter-olympics-2014-sponsors-to-condemn-anti-gay-laws

Hey M/M Book Reviewers!

Paradox Lost is now available on Netgalley.

And those of you who add the book on Goodreads between today and next Thursday will be entered to win an advanced copy, which I will deliver next Friday. I'll be monitoring Goodreads, but to make sure I don't miss you, please comment here as well. (You are under no obligation to review the book if you win it in the drawing.) Time travel tour guide Reegan McNamara’s job—taking eager tourists whenever they want to go—is usually a breeze. A trip back to 2020 to watch a world-changing speech seems no different, until a woman runs away from his tour group before the jump home. Now her tycoon husband is demanding her safe return—or Reegan will lose more than just his job.

PI Saul Kildare’s business is running on borrowed time. Due to a messy break with the police, he can’t get a referral to save his life. When an enigmatic stranger bangs on his door one night and promises a windfall for a missing-person case, it seems too good to be true. But the two men have an immediate connection, and Saul can’t pass up the chance to spend more time with Reegan, even if he is clearly hiding something.

Saul knows he shouldn’t trust Reegan, and Reegan knows he can’t get involved with Saul. But as their attraction evolves into feelings neither can deny, will they have the strength to take a leap of faith – together?

Available January 27, 2014 from Carina Press

2014 Here I come!

Happy New Year!

2013… what can I say? It was busy. Lots of good happened. Some not so good, but those things seem trivial in retrospect. I wrote over 182,000 words of fiction—original, gift, and fan. I’m satisfied with that. Very satisfied. A good portion of those words make up two books that will be published this year.

I wished I had spent more time on LJ. That's one thing I plan to do better in 2014. I don’t mean all that promo crap either. I mean the fun stuff. Meta. Silly family posts. Memes. Recs. I vow to comment more on friends’ posts. I have no excuse for my silence beyond that I can be incredibly lazy.

I think it’s going to be an exciting year. I’ve got two kids on the cusp of big things. Things they worked hard for. I’m very proud of them. And apprehensive, but that’s a mother’s prerogative.

As for writing, I’ve got loads of ideas for books, a better understanding of how to mesh what sells with the kind of story I like to tell, and a solid support group of friends and professionals. I just need to pick an idea out of pile and run with it.

Resolutions, I have them. I promise to better balance the scales of work and play. To remember my kids won’t be kids forever. To be silly and romantic with my husband whenever I can. And to never forget how lucky I am.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Have a recipe! It’s cold and snowy here tonight. This is a favorite when we’re all home for dinner.

Apple Butter Pork Loin:
4lb pork loin (or 2-2lb loins)
1 cup apple butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
2 cups apple juice
4 T water
Salt and pepper to taste

SO easy. Salt and pepper the loins and place them in a 13x9 baking dish. Pour apple juice over the meat, cover, and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Mix the remaining ingredients. After 45 minutes, remove the loins from the oven and cover them with the apple butter mixture. Re-cover and bake for an additional 45 minutes to an hour. Watch the meat carefully to make sure it doesn’t overcook. Internal temperature should be 145 degrees.

Like I said, super simple and super tasty. Comfort food on a wintry night. (Goes great with rosemary roasted potatoes. Just sayin’!)

It's Puppy Time!

So after all these years, I finally caved and agreed to a puppy. Yeah, it's been a long wait, but that guy I married understood and never pushed the issue. See, up until recently, I wasn't ready to take on another baby. Any animal that comes into our family is, well... family, and I needed all the kids old enough to understand that.

Now the question is, buy the Brittany we've always talked about? Or go with the kids' and husband's shiny new discovery--the English Cream Golden Retriever? I'M SO TORN! They're both great family dogs. Does anyone here have any experience with either breed?

Teaser...Thursday?

Time travel tour guide Reegan McNamara’s job—taking eager tourists whenever they want to go—is usually a breeze. A trip back to 2020 to watch a world-changing speech seems no different, until a woman runs away from his tour group before the jump home. Now her tycoon husband is demanding her safe return—or Reegan will lose more than just his job.

PI Saul Kildare’s business is running on borrowed time. Due to a messy break with the police, he can’t get a referral to save his life. When an enigmatic stranger bangs on his door one night and promises a windfall for a missing-person case, it seems too good to be true. But the two men have an immediate connection, and Saul can’t pass up the chance to spend more time with Reegan, even if he is clearly hiding something.

Saul knows he shouldn’t trust Reegan, and Reegan knows he can’t get involved with Saul. But as their attraction evolves into feelings neither can deny, will they have the strength to take a leap of faith – together?

Available from Carina Press in January 2014!

Teaser excerpt! In which Reegan tries to explain to Silvia's husband how he lost her 125 years in the past... and how he plans to find her. Just click Read More...
D’arco rose, smacking his gloves against his palm as he circled behind Reegan. “She wasn’t with you when you returned. Please tell me you have a satisfactory explanation for that.”

Oh yeah. They were screwed. Reegan prepared to confess and take his medicine, but D’arco was one step ahead of him. “Did you help her run away?”

Breath whooshed out of Reegan’s lungs. Deflated, he turned. “I’m sorry?”

D’arco made some sort of signal. Either that or he used telepathy, because Reegan was suddenly on his ass in a chair with one of D’arco’s apes holding his arms behind his back.

Cyberschooling wasn’t looking so bad anymore. “What the hell?” Reegan wheezed.

“Where is my wife?” D’arco repeated. “The truth. If you’ve hurt her, you’ll regret it.”

“I…”

D’arco loomed. “Yes?”

The hell with it. “I lost her. Actually, she ditched me, the bi—” Reegan clamped his mouth shut when Maxie went gray and shook his head so fast his jowls did the hula. “She slipped away when my back was turned.”

D’arco’s lips peeled away from his teeth, and he growled. Reegan recoiled.

“Why didn’t you stay and look for her?” D’arco’s hands, fisted at his sides, began to shake. His eye twitched rhythmically.

“I couldn’t. I had fourteen other people whose safety I needed to ensure. And I sure as shit wasn’t going to be able to go looking for her with them in tow.”

Hissing his annoyance, D’arco spun away to stand in front of the two-way mirror. “She’s alone. Scared and helpless.”

Did this guy know anything about his wife? “I’m pretty sure she’s okay,” Reegan felt compelled to say. “She seems like an intelligent, capable lady.”

His words made the situation worse. D’arco glanced over his shoulder at Reegan, his expression morphing to pure hatred. The silent standoff lasted several seconds, then D’arco clasped his hands behind his back and brooded. His apes brooded in sympathy. Reegan took the opportunity to raise his eyebrows at Maxie. The look he got in return wasn’t encouraging. This was it. His career was going to end over a lover’s quarrel.

“How will she survive?” D’arco asked. “She has no money. None that would be recognized a hundred years ago. How long until she’s back at the destination point, praying you come to rescue her?”

“Hopefully she’s there now,” Reegan said, though he thought the odds slim. Silvia had ditched her bio bracelet without activating an alarm. He doubted she came by the knowledge accidentally. That was a tidbit he wouldn’t he sharing with her husband. “However, I think we should assume we’re going to have to look if we want to find her.”

“I can’t believe this is happening,” D’arco whispered. “She’s going to get hurt.”

“Yeah. I’d say she’s going to start running into trouble pretty soon.”

The temperature in the room dropped. Goose bumps rose on Reegan’s arms as D’arco pivoted and speared him with dark eyes. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

“Well.” Reegan looked to his boss for help, but all he got in return was Maxie’s impersonation of his goldfish, eyes wide and mouth formed in an O. “I’m talking about the Novikov Principle.” D’arco’s expression didn’t change. Reegan appealed to his goons. “Paradox-free time travel?”

D’arco stalked across the floor toward him. “Explain.”

Reegan licked his lips and gave an experimental pull of his arms. D’arco clocked the move, gave a slight nod to his man. “Let him go, Emilio.”

The pressure on Reegan’s shoulders eased. He shook free. “The Novikov Principle is what makes all this possible.” He spread his hands to encompass the crowded office. “Time as we know it is a series of closed curves. Loops,” he specified when D’arco’s brows drew together. “The portal folds the loops so that we can travel back in time.” They couldn’t go forward yet. Not reliably. Although Reegan was hoping for that breakthrough in his lifetime. “People used to think time travel was dangerous, or even impossible, because interfering in the past would cause a paradox. Do you know what a paradox is?”

“I’m not an idiot.”

“Just checking. These days we know paradoxes don’t happen. Novikov’s research proves that if an event occurs that might give rise to a paradox, the probability of that event is zero.” He’d quoted that gem directly from his eighth grade science lesson, and it had been twenty years since he’d laid eyes on it. What kid graduated cyberschool without knowing this stuff backward and forward?

D’arco stepped close to Reegan and loomed. “That’s it?”

Pretty much. That was as simple an explanation as he could manage. And no way was Reegan going to extrapolate what that meant for Silvia unless he had a gun to his head. “That’s it. That’s how we’re able to travel into the past without causing a paradox. It’s scientifically impossible.”

D’arco pulled back, nostrils flaring. “But you couldn’t stay in the past forever and not change something.”

Finally he was catching on. “No, you can’t. We do change things. We make small changes all the time just by being there. But small changes iron themselves out. They smooth over. Like ripples on a pond.”

“Forever?”

Maxie spoke up. “That’s what Dr. McNamara has been working around to. It doesn’t work forever. Eventually, the probabilities shift. The longer we’re there, the greater the potential for our presence to create permanent changes to the timeline.”

Reegan winced. D’arco wasn’t going to like what came next.

“When that happens,” Maxie continued, “the jaunter is eliminated.”

“Eliminated?”

“That’s right.”

“How?” D’arco directed the question at Regan.

Reegan shrugged. A million different ways. Car accident. Lightning strike. Heart attack. It was the ultimate catch-22. A person could go anywhere. See anything. As long as they returned within a certain period of time. “I couldn’t say exactly how it might happen.” He laid it all out. “But you can’t make a long and happy life in the past. The clock starts ticking the moment you step into the portal. Statistically, the more aggressive your interference, the quicker you’ll expire.” Lots of people had died before the science of jaunting had been perfected. A strict code regulated the tech’s use because of that.

A sound escaped D’arco’s throat. “So what you’re telling me is that if you don’t find her, she’ll die.”

Reegan swished that watered-down version around his mouth before answering. “Right. She’ll die.”

“But you’re not going to let that happen.”

Reegan bit back hysterical laughter.

“Find her, Dr. McNamara. Before any harm comes to her. If you don’t, I’ll shut this whole operation down and throw so many code violations at this company, you’ll both rot in jail for the rest of your lives.”

Reegan’s instinctive loyalty to Silvia, a woman who didn’t even know his name and whom he hadn’t laid eyes on in ten years, was causing him more trouble by the second. She was nothing like the young woman who haunted his dreams. That girl had been helpless, relying on him to keep her safe. His mistake had been an unforgivable breach of trust. Silvia, on the other hand, had brought this mess down on herself. He’d have to remember that, if he could. He rose from his chair, gritting his teeth at how shaky his knees felt.

Maxie stood as well, crushing his broken cigar in a white-knuckled grip. “We’ll get her back.”

D’arco gathered his men close. “We’ll wait in there.” He pointed at the jaunt room, where earlier Reegan had watched Silvia through the mirror. “I’m sure you and Mr. McNamara have preparations to make.”

“It’s Dr. McNamara,” Reegan muttered. He acknowledged the bodyguards as they filed out, then closed the door and turned to Maxie.

“Well, isn’t this a fucking ugly pickle?” Maxie asked. He’d lumbered over to the mirror. In the room beyond, D’arco accepted a glass of brandy from Emilio and made himself comfortable on one of the plush sofas. He twirled the snifter, watching the amber liquid ride the inside of the glass. With one leg crossed over the other and head tipped to the ceiling, the only sign of his agitation was the ever-present tic in the corner of his eye.

His two other goons hovered close by. The biceps on the biggest bulged through his suit coat, and with the patchy beard and growled, unintelligible responses, could have passed for Bluto. The other, tall and thin, had decided to compensate for his receding hair by growing it long. Braided in a scrubby brown pigtail, it protruded from the back of his neck like a boot spur.

Reegan joined Maxie in front of the mirror. “Something’s not adding up. She planned this. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing like he’s suggesting.”

“If that’s true, her planning skills suck. She’s going to get herself killed. And all because her husband probably wanted her to serve chardonnay instead of Chablis with dinner. Rich people are twisted, and not in a good way.”

“No. She’s running from him. I’d bet on it.”

Maxie harrumphed.

“Is that all you have to say?”

“You want to know what I think?” Maxie cut his eyes to the side. “That’s her fucking problem. We need to be worried about ourselves.”

“I’m sorry,” Reegan ground out. “I didn’t mean to bring this down on you.”

“Yeah, you sound real sorry.” Maxie waved off his retort. “Drop it. I’m an asshole, not an idiot. If this bitch wanted to disappear, you didn’t have a prayer of stopping it. This is on her.” He stabbed a finger onto the desk in front of him. “The best we can hope for is to come out of this breathing, with our balls and our business intact.”

“Our business? You circling the wagons, boss?”

“Just putting things in perspective.” Maxie flipped a switch at the side of his desk, and a virtual screen appeared in the air between them. His fingers flew over the holographic keyboard. “There are no good solutions to this shitstorm. Our best hope is to find the woman and get her back here before the two of you are killed. After that, she’s on her own, and we can hope to hell D’arco feels like being kind to the rest of us.”

“And how are we going to do that? The city is huge and packed to the gills.”

“Yeah? I doubt she made reservations at the Marriott. So she’ll have problems finding a place to stay.” Maxie’s fingers flew over the keys. “How much planning do you think we’re talking about here?”

Reegan chewed his thumbnail, then dug in his pocket for Silvia’s bracelet. He jingled it in his hand. “She managed to get the bio bracelet off without alerting me.”

Maxie’s fingers froze. “No shit?” His brows crawled into his hairline. “I was going to ask you how you lost her. How’d she manage that?”

“With money and a bit of trolling online, probably.”

Maxie snapped his fingers. “So she’s smart.”

“Not really.” Reegan swept a hand across the desk, pushing the 3D screen aside. “She has no idea about closed timelines and traversable wormholes. What was she thinking?” He smacked the wood with his fist, rocking the fishbowl hard enough to splash water over the rim.

With a flick of his wrist, Maxie repositioned the screen in front of them. “She was thinking she wanted to go back in time.”

Reegan snorted. “Don’t we all?” He glanced into the jaunt room. Bluto and Pigtail had spread themselves along the perimeter. Emilio stood directly in front of the two-way mirror, staring inward. As intimidation tactics went, it worked a little too well for Reegan’s liking. He gave the guy the finger. “No. What she wanted to do was erase the past. That’s completely different.”

“Not when you’re desperate.”

That hit too close to home for Reegan’s liking. “You got a plan?”

Maxie spun his finger in the air, and the display rotated to face Reegan. He squinted at the information hovering on the screen. “A P.I.?”

“Yeah. Why not?” Maxie lit a fresh cigar. “It won’t be cheap, but a dollar stretched a bit further back then. I’ve got enough old currency in the vault to make it work.”

Bring a stranger into the mix? Wasn’t he tempting fate enough as it was? “I don’t know. Getting involved with a local could get me eliminated even more quickly. And it’s late at night there. Where the hell am I going to find a reputable private investigator at that hour?”

A slick smile spread over Maxie’s face. He winked. “Who says we need reputable?”

No one. But qualified would help. The two tended to go hand in hand.

“Fine. Let’s say I find some workaholic willing to take on a missing person’s case at nearly midnight. There’s going to be a fine line between giving them enough information to help and withholding enough to protect myself.” Minimizing timeline ripples would buy him time, but there were no guarantees.

“Thought you were a big-shot professor?”

Reegan dropped into a chair and massaged his pounding temples. “Of history.”

“You’re field trained.”

“Jesus!” Reegan exploded out of his seat, waving at the thick smoke hovering over Maxie’s desk. “Not for this. I don’t think my three-hundred-page dissertation on the internal politics of the Unionist Party is going to be a huge help here.”

Real fear crept in. D’arco hovered like an angry wasp, and now Reegan had to play a game of chicken with the cosmic forces of the universe. Maybe some help wouldn’t be amiss. “Okay. We’ll try the private eye.” He’d have to make up one hell of a cover story. “You have someone in mind?”

“Right here.” Maxie stabbed his cigar at the data scrolling on the screen. Smoke floated into the graphics, causing them to flicker. “Saul Kildare. Ex-marine. Ex-police detective. Hung out his shingle in 2019. Took it down about a year and a half later. Must have got a better offer somewhere. Small operation. Just him, it looks like.” Maxie expanded a picture of the guy, and Reegan had to bank his instinctive reaction. Black hair, longer than what Reegan had expected for ex-military, and deep-set blue eyes.

“Nice.”

“I thought you’d like that.” Maxie scowled at Saul’s handsome, chiseled face. “Ready to hear the best part?”

“He’s gay?”

Maxie wheezed a laugh. “Don’t die, McNamara. I’d miss your sick sense of humor.”

“I was kind of being honest.”

“That’s the sick part. No, the good news is that the address for his residence matches the address for the business.”

That was good news. Maxie’s database was state of the art, a supercomputer so full of information about the metro area’s history that it made Reegan dizzy. It was Maxie’s pride and joy. If he said the guy slept where he worked, then Reegan trusted him. “All right. It’s not going to get better than that. Guess I’ll pay Mr. Kildare a visit.”

“Say hi for me.”