*manxman* Third installment in 'The Crane Gang' series! Craig left his family in an attempt to figure out who he was now that the life he'd lived for so long was gone. Everyone else seems perfectly content but he can't seem to find that peace. He's lost.... self destructing. He doesn't want to hurt anyone but he can't seem to help himself from giving in to the very things that keep causing those around him pain. So he takes a job at a ranch to keep himself busy. Determined to learn to live without his vices and vowing to only return home when he's sure he won't let everyone down once more. But still that inner peace seems elusive. Until the strong, arrogant, bossy foreman, Ezekiel Marks begins to break down Craig's walls, crash through his defenses and refuses to give up on him. Somehow, lost in Ezekiel's arms, Craig begins to find that peace he's longed for--and the dark-skinned foreman begins to replace all his other outlaw vices.

An Outlaw's Silence (Wyatt's Story) ***Only a handful of people in Wyatt's life ever given a darn about him-because of that, Wyatt is extremely loyal and protective of his 'family'. So when he catches a man sneaking around at the edge of Jeb's land, he is quick to apprehend him and hold him captive in a shack. Wyatt's intention had been to discover what the man wanted and determine whether or not he needed to be killed-until the trespasser somehow gets loose and vanishes. *** Zachariah is on a mission. A mission to save his sister from the outlaws who are holding her captive as a way to get their revenge on him for a life he had been trying hard to leave behind. He doesn't have time for the quiet man who is holding him captive. He doesn't have time to delve into the feeling the stranger stirs in him. ***But when trouble follows Zachariah and Wyatt ends up in trouble, Zachariah rides to the rescue and the two embark on a deadly journey to save Zachariah's sister, get rid of the outlaws holding her and find out if love can be found without words.

Gilliam Tomlinson had had to fight for every ounce of respect he had ever managed to gain from the Texas Rangers. His late father had been less than an honorable man and it seemed that despite Gilliam's attempts to distance himself from that memory, he carried his deceased father's legacy along with him like a heavy wool cloak he never could quite shake off. Then the chance he'd been waiting for fell right into his lap. A gang led by a mysterious outlaw who had so far evaded any notice had been wreaking havoc and stealing cattle from the rich land barons of Texas and they wanted it stopped. Gilliam's job was simple: infiltrate the gang, learn about their leader, gain their trust and then bring them down. It should have been easy. It should have been a simple, cut and dry operation... but Gilliam had never imagined the gang leader would have such fiery green eyes and he'd certainly never imagined the leader would be a man named Jeb who made his body heat up and his brain shut down. What follows is a struggle unlike any Gilliam has ever known. Law, order and duty tell him what he was supposed to do but there was something about that man, something about that life, something about the way he felt among those people that just felt right. Now he faced a choice. Listen to the code of a lawman or the heart of an outlaw.

After losing everything, Caden stumbles into the territory of a lion pride. But not any lion pride, it's Ajax' pride. Ajax is a typical alpha male: cocky, overly confident and when he wants something he does everything to get it. And as soon as he sets his eyes on Caden, he knows that he has to have him. But Caden isn't fond of being owned and doesn't hesitate to use his claws. After all, he's a cougar and cougars tend to keep to themselves. Don't they?

With Patrick out of his life, Derek attempts to go on with daily life and put the young man out of his mind. But thoughts of Patrick haunt his heart and his dreams. With help from his friends - and a deeper look within his own heart - Derek begins to understand that love is not just a "feeling"... but a willingness to sacrifice. Patrick struggles to convince himself and Brian that he wants nothing to do with Derek, but with each passing day, that conviction weakens. When everything concerning Derek is suddenly exposed to everyone in his life, Patrick finds himself alone, no longer certain who is friend or foe... or who he can trust.

"Love is Sacrifice." As one of Gideon's Angels, Derek lives a carefree, sexual life with no thoughts of commitments or boyfriends. Living it up with his fellow porn stars is fulfillment enough-until he literally runs into sweet, shy Patrick at a gay Pride event in Chicago. Unprepared for the aftershocks, Derek is suddenly off his game and treading uncharted waters when he learns of the unusual life choices Patrick has made for himself. As Derek quickly falls for the cute boy, he can't help but wonder what he's gotten himself into... and if it's something he can live with.

With the threat of Randall Scott now eliminated, Frank is cautiously hopeful that life with Alec-and Sheriff Dennis Hawkins-can be a comfortable life of love and relaxation. As things settle down, Frank contemplates resuming Alec's therapy, desperate to get to the core of Alec's origins. His plans are temporarily derailed when Ron and James make a surprise visit. As Frank struggles with the tension of having his observant best friend in close quarters with "Zeke"-new risks to their peace and safety are quietly building in and around the town of Coldbrook. Risks that Alec means to annihilate before they inflict harm upon the doc... or the sheriff.