Paradise Island — Heidi Belleau; Rachel Haimowitz

Mat and Douglas's time as Nikolai's wards is finally drawing to a close. Though torn apart by Nikolai's machinations, their fates are still inextricably entwined: they've been sold to the same cruel master, and are united in their desire to go home. But “home” means two different things to the brothers: for Mat, their little bungalow in Nevada, and for Douglas, a swift return to Nikolai and Roger, the only people he believes still love him.

But first they must survive their new master. Smythe Hall is a twisted island paradise where Americans affect British accents and slaveboys dress up as slave girls, all at the whims of the rich and megalomaniacal Allen Smythe-Kennedy.

Meanwhile, FBI Special Agent Nate Johnson can't let the case of the missing brothers lie. He knows it's a waste of resources to chase ghosts down a cold trail, but after admiring Mathias “Stonewall” Carmichael ringside and at countless afterparties where he was too shy to say hello, he's determined to solve the mystery and bring Mat and his little brother home.

Word count: 23,300; page count: 88