First, the “411:” Wesley (Wes) Laurence Kelly is a desirable, wealthy gay African-American superstar, who hires deliciously muscular Puerto Rican Antonio (‘Tonio) Miguel Rios, Jr. as his Chief of Security and Numero Uno Bodyguard. Immediately, they are attracted to and drawn to each other on various levels. However, having both been severely burned in the love department more than once, Wes and ‘Tonio valiantly fight their feelings. However, these emotions are like a raging inferno-- threatening to consume them, and then totally sweep them away. Finally, they give in: they declare their love for one another, and form a monogamous relationship. However, the honeymoon doesn’t last forever—Wes and ‘Tonio confront serious trials and tribulations which put their union in jeopardy. And then enters “Ruffkut,” a badass, ruthless gangsta who has a score to settle with the celeb. The thug sets up Wes to make it look like he’s cheatin’ on ‘Tonio, who, because of serious issues, physically batters his partner. Soon, the couple discovers that the gangsta is behind the duplicity! Devastated, Wes kicks ‘Tonio to the curb. But, do the bruh and the papi find their way back to one another? And what about Ruffkut? Does this psycho nut job have other nasty, diabolical plans in store for our “Dynamic Duo?” Well, why not visit “Nothing Can Tear Us Apart”…and find out. 



Excerpt One:

I was fucked up. Figuratively. And let’s not forget literally.

I was in my master bedroom suite, staring out of the French doors with a tear trickling down my right cheek. I still hadn’t wrapped my head around what had happened to me just shy of a couple of days before. Antonio, the love of my life, had battered me. He actually believed I’d been unfaithful.

Plus, I didn’t wanna acknowledge my reflection in the mirror. A busted, blown up lip. The right side of my face was swollen, bruised. Black and blue, in fact. One of Antonio’s extraordinarily powerful hands had hammered that side of my face. It felt like I’d been rammed into a slab of cement. Fortunately, no bones had been broken.

Enraged, the massively built Antonio had shoved me against a hotel room wall, pinning me as he inflicted his damage. My shoulders and back took the full brunt of that impact. They felt on fire.

Let me say that physically, I’m no slouch. But even with a worked-out body, I simply couldn’t compete. Allow me to explain. At 6’4”, 280 rock-solid pounds (we’re talkin’ absolutely zero fat here), Antonio was what you’d call a “bodybuilder’s bodybuilder.” Extraordinarily strong and powerful, he was simply a mountain of muscle.

As well, childhood demons prevented me from defending myself. And most importantly, I just couldn’t bring myself to strike the man whom I loved.

And now, nearly a couple of days after the attack, how was I doing? Well, I was a basket case. That was the only way to describe it. So many jumbled thoughts and emotions ran through me, colliding into each other. How could Antonio, my significant other, my life partner, the love of my life, my soul mate, do this to me? How could the hands that so deliciously stroked my body heap such cruel suffering onto me? How could he have disrespected, violated, and betrayed me in such a way? How? How? Never had I felt so completely lost, adrift on a vast, lonely sea, with absolutely no end in sight.

God, how I wanted it to work with Antonio! I had such high hopes. I’d already had two failed relationships that left me bitter and disillusioned. Nearly ripping me apart inside. I didn’t think I could ever trust again.

But I wanted to. Desperately, in fact.

And then, enter Antonio. I’d hired him as my Chief of Security. We became so tight. Discovered we had so much in common. We grew to deeply care about each other. And daymn—the sexual attraction between us was huge, “off da chain.”

But oh, how I fought my feelings. Hard. But I couldn’t help myself—and neither could he. So, we fell head over heels. And it felt sooooo good.

I trusted this man, felt safe with him. Loved him like I’d never loved anyone before. And the icing on the cake was that he seemed unaffected by my wealth and position, only wanting me for me.

Therefore, I couldn’t wrap my mind around his betrayal.

And so, I continued to peer aimlessly out of the French doors, still a zombie.

Then, Antonio materialized. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’d been true to him. There was concrete evidence attesting to that fact. The truth of the matter was that I’d been set up. No—actually, we’d both been set up.

You see, there was this gangsta, this thug who called himself Ruffkut. Yeah, Ruffkut. We’d had run-ins before and after I’d met Antonio. This “smooth criminal” wanted to buy into my company so that he could look “legit.” Of course, I was having any of it.

So, Ruffkut vowed that one day, somehow, he’d give me a world of pain. Unfortunately for me, he was true to his word.

Slowly, I turned to Antonio, who was totally dejected.

We were just a few feet apart when he gasped. My face, which looked worse since the last time we’d seen each other, made me wince. His expression revealed that he was sickened to his very core.

Before he spoke, Antonio chose his words carefully. “Ba..baby, I’m so sorry. Are…are you in a lot of pain?”

Staring him down, I said, icily, “I’ll survive.”

Next, Antonio began his entreaty. “Wesley…can we really talk?”

My blood began to boil. “What more can you say, Antonio? I pleaded with you that I hadn’t cheated! I’d never do that to you! Never!”

“I know that now, I…”

“You know that now? My God, ‘Tonio! You should’ve known from ‘Jump Street’ that I’d never be untrue to you!” My blood pressure began to skyrocket.

I continued, “Dammit, I was kidnapped and drugged! It was made to look like I’d been unfaithful to you when you found me in that hotel room!”

I reminded him, “And you knew that Ruffkut had vowed he’d get back at me one way or another! You fell for it…all of it!”

Antonio responded, hesitantly, “You gotta understand, baby. Insecurities I thought I’d beaten kicked in. My other lovers played me, fucked around on me…”

I refused to listen. Instead, I bellowed, “Besides, there’s absolutely no excuse for what you did! None! I mean, how can you make love to me and then strike me? How??” Now, the tears burned down my cheeks.

Then, ‘Tonio interjected, “Wes, I love you more than my life! I was outta my fuckin’ mind when I did what I did! Outta control….didn’t mean to do it…didn’t mean to hurt you.” He was frantic, trying to make me make sense of what he did.

I ranted, “’Out of control? Didn’t mean to do it?’ Why couldn’t you just fuckin’ stop? After you shoved me into that wall, why couldn’t you have thought, ‘Oh, shit, just what am I doing? I love this man more than my life! I’ve gotta stop!’” I waited for a response, any response. But there wasn’t one.

But then, Antonio pleaded, “I’ll do anything to make this up to you! We can work this out! I don’t wanna lose you! Don’t give up on me…on us! Please!”

“Don’t give up on you? I suppose you want me to give you another chance so’s you can kick my black ass again! I don’t think so!”

“That’s not true!” he screamed. “Please don’t say that!”

Now I said to myself, “Doesn’t he get it? Doesn’t he fully understand the ramifications of his actions?” As those thoughts swirled around in my head, I was standing near one of the curios. It held pricey and antique crystal and porcelain. With my blood pressure hovering in the stratosphere, I shoved over that curio.

Glass shattered every which way. Taken aback, ‘Tonio cowered.

What I’d done shocked me. All this crap was eating away at me, and it had to end. Then and there. At that moment.

Meanwhile, Antonio frantically searched for the love light that had once shone brightly in my eyes. I don’t think he found it.

Swallowing, he said, “I will do absolutely anything to redeem myself, to make you love and trust me the way you used to. Therapy, counseling, whatever the fuck it takes! You mean that much to me!”

Now, I was outraged. Angrily gesturing at the double bedroom doors, I demanded, “Git the fuck outta my house before I call the security guys you NO LONGER supervise! I mean it, Antonio!”

Inhaling and gazing deeply at me, Antonio moaned, “I’m not giving up you…on us. We’re not through…not by a long shot! You can bet your life on it! After saying that, he turned and walked off. Michael Jackson’s “She’s Outta My Life” ran through my head.

I opened the French doors, which overlooked the gardens. I mused, “Could I’ve done something to prevent all of this? Any of this? Well…could I? And all at once, I got lost in thought, traveling back in time to right before I first met Antonio, the love of my life….

Wyatt O’Brian Evans is CEO and founder of Nair’Bo Universal. He’s also a writer, actor, stand-up comedian, and voice-over instructor/talent. He conceived, developed and wrote a gay, Black, erotic serial for “Gay Black Male” magazine, which was quite popular. This is his first full-length novel. To order “Nothing Can Tear Us Apart,” visit: www.lulu.com/content/833337. And, visit Wyatt’s web site at: www.wyattobrianevans.com