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Dirty Blue
The blurred lines of right and wrong were nonexistent for Vice cop, Cliff Stevenson. Taking a little off the top simply compensated for the crappy paychecks he got from putting his life on the line.
He and his partner, Glen Patriani, wanted nothing more than to retire early, find something clean out of the dirty world they’d grown so used to. The more they could take from the dealers and pimps, the quicker to that end they’d arrive.
On a standard bust one night, Cliff found a large stash of cash under a pimp’s bed and thought he’d scored big, but there was something else under that bed that would change his entire life.
Jimmy, a scruffy, battered and beautiful man, crawled out of trash cluttered darkness, and into Cliff’s heart. Seemingly shy at first, Cliff knew he’d seen what Cliff was about to take, and if he talked, Cliff could lose his badge and his freedom.
Taking Jimmy home wasn’t easy. Cliff rarely let anyone into his home, and never into his life, but he had little choice. After a night of passion, Cliff awoke to find the money gone, and the beautiful man with it.
Finding him was easy. With the promise that Jimmy could get more money, quicker than Cliff or Glen could imagine, they set out to steal whatever they could from the scum of the city. That would get Glen closer to retirement and help for his sick wife, and Cliff closer to becoming a man he didn’t recognize. One madly in love with a street hustler, who had secrets that shadowed his every step.
Dennis Collins, another Vice cop, soon to be transferred to Internal Affairs, started to suspect his fellow detectives of being dirty, so after the first bust that doesn’t go as planned, they had to be much more careful. The longer Jimmy stayed with Cliff, the more Cliff knew he wanted him. Jimmy, however, won’t give in, telling Cliff that he’s not ready to leave behind the nameless men in bars, and the excitement of his Vice cop life. All Cliff knows, is that he’d never wanted anyone like he wanted Jimmy.
The last target, Jimmy rushes in, leaving Cliff to fear for the life of his lover. When the truth is finally revealed from an unexpected source, Cliff’s life is turned upside down, and he no longer believes in anything.
Will he be able to have the life he’d wanted, or will he be forever wondering who Jimmy really was?
He and his partner, Glen Patriani, wanted nothing more than to retire early, find something clean out of the dirty world they’d grown so used to. The more they could take from the dealers and pimps, the quicker to that end they’d arrive.
On a standard bust one night, Cliff found a large stash of cash under a pimp’s bed and thought he’d scored big, but there was something else under that bed that would change his entire life.
Jimmy, a scruffy, battered and beautiful man, crawled out of trash cluttered darkness, and into Cliff’s heart. Seemingly shy at first, Cliff knew he’d seen what Cliff was about to take, and if he talked, Cliff could lose his badge and his freedom.
Taking Jimmy home wasn’t easy. Cliff rarely let anyone into his home, and never into his life, but he had little choice. After a night of passion, Cliff awoke to find the money gone, and the beautiful man with it.
Finding him was easy. With the promise that Jimmy could get more money, quicker than Cliff or Glen could imagine, they set out to steal whatever they could from the scum of the city. That would get Glen closer to retirement and help for his sick wife, and Cliff closer to becoming a man he didn’t recognize. One madly in love with a street hustler, who had secrets that shadowed his every step.
Dennis Collins, another Vice cop, soon to be transferred to Internal Affairs, started to suspect his fellow detectives of being dirty, so after the first bust that doesn’t go as planned, they had to be much more careful. The longer Jimmy stayed with Cliff, the more Cliff knew he wanted him. Jimmy, however, won’t give in, telling Cliff that he’s not ready to leave behind the nameless men in bars, and the excitement of his Vice cop life. All Cliff knows, is that he’d never wanted anyone like he wanted Jimmy.
The last target, Jimmy rushes in, leaving Cliff to fear for the life of his lover. When the truth is finally revealed from an unexpected source, Cliff’s life is turned upside down, and he no longer believes in anything.
Will he be able to have the life he’d wanted, or will he be forever wondering who Jimmy really was?
- GenresM M Romance
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2018
6 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Rain Carrington
99 books235 followersI love writing, it's been my dream for many years, and in October of 2013, when my first book went live on Amazon, that dream came true.
Writing love stories that are centered on flawed but lovable characters is my passion. Finding love between people isn't easy, nor should it be. Even in a book, there have to be obstacles for the story to feel real.
I am a mother of three amazing people, and three adorable fur babies. I live in Colorado but love many other places besides my home. One state in particular is New Mexico, the state where I was born has always held a place in my heart.
People and places make my stories what they are. Each character I've written is a part of me in some way. Each place I write is as well. Adventures come in many ways, and each of my stories has taken me on an adventure that I treasure.
Come with me on my adventures and fall in love with my characters, as I have. I promise, you will love the ride.
https://www.raincarrington.com
https://twitter.com/RainCarrington
https://www.facebook.com/rain.carrington
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https://mewe.com/i/raincarrington
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Writing love stories that are centered on flawed but lovable characters is my passion. Finding love between people isn't easy, nor should it be. Even in a book, there have to be obstacles for the story to feel real.
I am a mother of three amazing people, and three adorable fur babies. I live in Colorado but love many other places besides my home. One state in particular is New Mexico, the state where I was born has always held a place in my heart.
People and places make my stories what they are. Each character I've written is a part of me in some way. Each place I write is as well. Adventures come in many ways, and each of my stories has taken me on an adventure that I treasure.
Come with me on my adventures and fall in love with my characters, as I have. I promise, you will love the ride.
https://www.raincarrington.com
https://twitter.com/RainCarrington
https://www.facebook.com/rain.carrington
https://www.facebook.com/Rain-Carring...
https://www.instagram.com/raincarring...
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rain-...
https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-bo...
https://mewe.com/i/raincarrington
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 17, 2018
WOW!!! WHAT A RIDE....
This was a great way to introduce a new storyline that I'm not going to be able to resist. I have to admit that I struggled with this story at the beginning. I flat out didn't care for Glen and Cliff being bad cops. BUT. Once I got over my personal hang up over that, this was one wild ride. The relationship between Jimmy and Cliff was complicated, sad and exciting. In the end it all made sense. There is nothing more magnificent than a fantastic epilogue. This story was filled with a lot of amazing story angles, twists and big surprises. Can't wait to see where the next one is headed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book very much. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!
This was a great way to introduce a new storyline that I'm not going to be able to resist. I have to admit that I struggled with this story at the beginning. I flat out didn't care for Glen and Cliff being bad cops. BUT. Once I got over my personal hang up over that, this was one wild ride. The relationship between Jimmy and Cliff was complicated, sad and exciting. In the end it all made sense. There is nothing more magnificent than a fantastic epilogue. This story was filled with a lot of amazing story angles, twists and big surprises. Can't wait to see where the next one is headed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book very much. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!
March 18, 2018
3.5 stars
May 11, 2018
I love Rain Carrington's work. And I'm glad she's publishing again and was thrilled to get this book. I struggled with the topic matter and some of the choices of the characters. However, she delivered on heat and complex characters as always and I wouldn't want to dim anyone else's enjoyment just because I got hung up on some of the setting. Looking forward to the next book.
February 28, 2021
Dirty Blue tells an interesting and fairly original story. The bones were good but there was enough that didn’t entirely work for me in execution; and that put it in 3-star territory. The story starts with Cliff Stevenson, who is a great hero; or I should say anti-hero. He’s a dirty cop. Cliff works Vice where he revels in the excitement. He takes kickbacks and protection money; and more often than not, anything of value confiscated on a bust never sees the light of the evidence room – and he’s unapologetic:
“He hadn’t even gone into the force to help people, like so many idealistic young people did when they joined, only to find it dirtier than the thugs they were there to protect people from. No, he’d joined up because it was the easier and most logical choice. He could be a cop or a criminal, and he chose both.”
I can see where he wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea; but it’s not like he’s *really* a bad guy. He’s very gray in a morally ambiguous world. All the cops in his precinct are dirty to a degree. It’s not like he’s mean-spirited. He doesn’t kill people, he shows kindness to those he considers victims, he even hands out condoms to the hookers – so there’s that, right? Cliff thinks he just wants to get out with enough money to retire. He also wants to support his crooked partner Glen Patriani; who just wants to retire with enough money to care for his mentally ill wife.
Cliff spends his life living on the edge between his job and the bar – where all the guys line up for him. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s hot, or they want the bennies of banging a cop. Likely both. (Although to be clear, Cliff is the top in case anyone cares). He seems pretty set in his ways until a random bust leads to a bag full of ill gotten money found under a bed; along with a very thin and very pretty young man with big brown eyes. The man is Jimmy, a presumably homeless street kid (who is of age; otherwise; Ewww). Cliff and Jimmy embark on a rather complicated non-relationship, which leads to some of the issues I have with the story. Cliff’s character doesn’t seem to so much evolve as it just does a 180 transition. I don’t really get his change of heart from fancy free promiscuity to love and white picket fences. Unfortunately for Cliff there’s more to Jimmy than meets the eye, which lead to (I felt) some unnecessary angst that also felt a little too hallmarky for me (But I love you, you’ll hate me, I want you, you can’t have me, enjoy the time we have). I also felt the details around Jimmy’s deal were a bit sketchy.
So all in all; a good story – it just didn’t tick all my boxes. If it turns into a series I would read the next book.
“He hadn’t even gone into the force to help people, like so many idealistic young people did when they joined, only to find it dirtier than the thugs they were there to protect people from. No, he’d joined up because it was the easier and most logical choice. He could be a cop or a criminal, and he chose both.”
I can see where he wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea; but it’s not like he’s *really* a bad guy. He’s very gray in a morally ambiguous world. All the cops in his precinct are dirty to a degree. It’s not like he’s mean-spirited. He doesn’t kill people, he shows kindness to those he considers victims, he even hands out condoms to the hookers – so there’s that, right? Cliff thinks he just wants to get out with enough money to retire. He also wants to support his crooked partner Glen Patriani; who just wants to retire with enough money to care for his mentally ill wife.
Cliff spends his life living on the edge between his job and the bar – where all the guys line up for him. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s hot, or they want the bennies of banging a cop. Likely both. (Although to be clear, Cliff is the top in case anyone cares). He seems pretty set in his ways until a random bust leads to a bag full of ill gotten money found under a bed; along with a very thin and very pretty young man with big brown eyes. The man is Jimmy, a presumably homeless street kid (who is of age; otherwise; Ewww). Cliff and Jimmy embark on a rather complicated non-relationship, which leads to some of the issues I have with the story. Cliff’s character doesn’t seem to so much evolve as it just does a 180 transition. I don’t really get his change of heart from fancy free promiscuity to love and white picket fences. Unfortunately for Cliff there’s more to Jimmy than meets the eye, which lead to (I felt) some unnecessary angst that also felt a little too hallmarky for me (But I love you, you’ll hate me, I want you, you can’t have me, enjoy the time we have). I also felt the details around Jimmy’s deal were a bit sketchy.
So all in all; a good story – it just didn’t tick all my boxes. If it turns into a series I would read the next book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews