Dirty Love
- its.brittanyb
- Nov 17, 2025
- 4 min read
“I didn’t punch him because he’s gay, you idiot,” I grit out, so close my lips are brushing his. “I punched him because you’re mine.”
REVIEW
Would I read this again? Yes No Maybe
Spicy Level Legend How spicy is this book?
Tropes | Trigger Warnings |
Forbidden romance, MM romance, Stepbrothers | Homophobia, Wife abuse, Death of a parent, Bullying, Violence, Murder, Child abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Rape |
SUMMARY
Want to just skip to the spice? I got you: 1, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 25, Epilogue
Nicky and Kade have been stepbrothers since they were 3 years old. Kade’s dad and Nicky’s mom got married and each adopted the other. Nicky and Kade have always been super close and shared a special bond. Kade’s dad, Eric, is a police officer who loves to beat his wife. He occasionally gets his hands on Kade but Kade protects Nicky from him.
When they were 14, Eric killed his wife and told the police that someone had broken in and smashed her head on the countertop. The boys never told anyone about the abuse because no one would believe them since Eric was a well loved police officer.
Fast forward to their senior year, Kade has been participating in underground fights and kicking all the ass and making all the money. He’s been storing it away for the day they graduate, then he and Nicky are leaving.
Kade is a few months older than Nicky, plus he’s more assertive, so he’s the protector of the two. Nicky is way more timid and has no issue when following Kade everywhere. In fact, if they aren’t in class, then they are always together. They even sleep in the same bed, most nights if Kade’s girlfriend isn’t staying over.
Last year, when they were 17, Nicky told Kade that he thinks he’s gay. Which in their very homophobic town is a big no no. Kade makes Nicky promise not to tell anyone but him. They only trust each other. Nicky is upset thinking that Kade will leave him or hate him. Kade lays down next to him and reassures him that he could never hate him, and he will never leave him. One thing leads to another, and they start kissing. It probably would have gone further but Kade’s girlfriend knocks on the door and ruins the moment. After that incident, Kade is finding it hard (pun intended) to not act on his desire for Nicky.
Kade gets super jealous over some new dude, Jasper, that has started school. He isn’t openly gay, but he’s more open about it than Nicky is. He flirts with Nicky and even kisses him and Kade loses his shit. He tells Nicky no one is allowed to touch him because Nicky is his. But then he kind of freaks out, because you know, they are brothers, and pushes Nicky away. But he doesn’t stay gone long.
The next day Nicky has Jasper drive him to school. Which makes Kade LIVID. That night, he goes into Nicky’s room, physically picks him up and carries him back to his bed so they can cuddle (like they usually do). It takes a few days but Nicky works up the nerve to tell Kade that he either needs to give in to him or let him go because he’s just playing with his emotions and it's not fair. Kade is like the fuck I’m letting you go, so they end up hooking up. Kade tells him it's just this one night, they can’t be doing this.
Of course, one night turns into two and then Kade gives up on fighting it.
They sneak around and no one, except Jasper, suspects anything. Kade and Nicky have always been freakishly close so they’ve gotten used to it.
One night, after fights, they weren't being so careful. Jasper either sees them or overhears him and decides to let out a little rumor.
The next day in school, Jasper assaults Nicky. Tries to get him to take a pill but Nicky is fighting him. Then Jasper accuses Nicky of kissing him just as a bunch of boys (who happen to be Kade’s friends) come around the corner. They, along with Jasper, take Nicky to the boys locker room and beat him to death. Literally. When Kade finally finds him, Nicky is barely breathing, and then loses a pulse. Kade does CPR on him until the medics get there.
When Eric arrives at the hospital, he sees Kade kissing Nicky, and loses his mind. He makes the ER doctor discharge Nicky (this is the only issue I have with this book - doctors and nurses would not have treated Nicky badly just because he’s gay but I may be biased). Nicky is scared to go home with him because he knows Eric will kill both of them.
When they get home, Kade lets Eric beat on him for a bit. Then he locks him in a room, takes his clothes, shoes, gun, and car and heads to the house of one of the boys who beat the fuck out of Nicky.
One of their moms believes Kade is their dad (he is wearing his police gear and has his face covered). Kade ties her up and then takes care of the bullies. But Kade doesn’t just beat them up… he does to that but he also kills them all. With his dad’s police gun.
Once they get back home, Kade lets Eric out, Nicky locks himself in a room and Kade continues to let their dad beat the fuck out him.
All of a sudden, police lights start flashing in the room. They’ve come for Eric. With that dude’s mom as a witness, plus his gun was the weapon, plus he was caught beating the fuck out of Kade - he FINALLY gets arrested.
Kade and Nicky get the fuck out of that shithole town and head for California with the money Kade has been saving up.
A few months go by, and we get their uncle, Preston’s, POV. Preston is their moms brother who Eric put away on cocaine charges. But now they’re in jail together. Preston and his buddies beat him up, then his buddies rape him, before Preston kills him.
Fast forward 5 years - Nicky and Kade are living in California. They have just purchased a run down bar that has some studio apartments overhead and they plan on fixing it up and opening it. They also have a cat….which Kade pretends to not like.
