The Last Dance MM Romance
Dreamspinner Press
April 14, 2020
256
Martin Dance knows better than to get involved with a rent boy. After all, he’s been around the block a few times. And a few times after that. Still, there’s something about Johnny Cotton that catches his eye. And his heart.
When Johnny and his best friend find themselves in over their heads with the woman who owns them lock, stock, and barrel, Martin knows he has to step in.
Martin and his old buddy, Charlie Bass, might be retired from the Firm, but they still know how to manage a gunfight. And how to go underground with a couple of male hookers less than half their age. Just for the purpose of keeping them safe, you understand. No funny business intended.
Odd, though, how funny business tends to creep in when you least expect it.
It’s sort of like love that way, Martin decides. One minute you’re minding your own business, the next minute you’re in a world of hurt. Or, if you’re lucky, a world of happy
Reviewed by Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
It has been five years since Martin Dance’s life has changed and not for the better. Five years ago someone out for revenge shot Martin in the knee and managed to shoot his husband Jason in the head killing him instantly. The only thing that saved Martin was his partner, Charlie who had followed him and Jason home. Charlie managed to shoot the killer but took a bullet to the head leaving his brain scrambled.
Since Jason’s death and Martin losing his job with the Firm, a government sanctioned outfit few knew about sleep has evaded him and every night he goes to Moji’s Diner for coffee and to read the paper and it was there he first saw Johnny Cotton a boy who came in the wee hours of the morning like Martin but always looked forlorn. Martin was determined to help this young man even though he had no idea what his problem was.
Johnny grew up in foster care never knowing love and when a beautiful woman offered to help him by giving him $3,000 to get his life together he thought it was a gift from God, but he learned very shortly after that noone gives something for nothing. He had promised to work for Tuxedo Escort Service as a whore servicing any man she sent him to and paying back the money she first upfronted him became impossible. Johnny like the other boys in her service were nothing more than slaves. His one friend Mace was determined to run especially after Mrs. Miller’s strong arm, Tony raped him. When his next job is to do porno putting Johnny’s face out there for all to see he knew it was time to go.
Johnny is on the run and only twenty and the only money he has been able to save up is hidden in the apartment he shares with Mace and another boy. When he calls Mace to ask him to get the money and meet him he is met with another voice on the phone, Tony in the middle of doing unspeakable things to Mace and as much as Johnny wants to help his friend he can’t risk going back.
As a last resort Johnny returns to Moji’s where he is met by Martin who promises to help him and for the first time Johnny trusts someone even if he wonders what Martin wants in return for his help. Martin is 49 and Johnny 20 so in spite of the fact that Martin has feelings for this young man he knows that nothing can come of it and when Johnny offers himself to Martin, Martin turns him down, he doesn’t want sex to be a means of thanking him, he wants sex to be something both men want because they care.
Martin and Charlie have fought many battles while with the Firm and they are working together to put an end to Tony for what he did to Mace and to Mrs. Miller for what she has done to boys like Johnny and Mace.
I won’t go into anything more about this book and there is alot that happens but I will say that although there were times when the rape and beatings were explicitely written about and I wanted to skip the pages I remained glued to each word. No matter what heartwrenching things happened all I wanted to do was continue reading to find out if Martin and Charlie could put and end to it all so I couldn’t put the book down.
If things like rape, rent boys, beatings and explicit sex are not your thing then I would pass on this book, but if learning about the suffering that some boys are subjected to because the system failed them and how they fight to keep their dignity then this is definitely the book for you.
