The Healer

CONTENTS Also by Courtney W. Dixon The Healer Playlist Message from the Author Triggers 1. Jonas 2. Jonas 3. José 4. José 5. José 6. Jonas 7. José 8. José 9. Jonas 10. Jonas 11. José 12. Jonas 13. José 14. Jonas 15. Jonas 16. Jonas 17. José 18. Jonas 19. Jonas 20. José 21. Jonas 22. José 23. José 24. Jonas 25. Jonas 26. José 27. Jonas 28. José 29. José 30. Jonas Epilogue Acknowledgments About the Author This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Copyright © 2023 by Courtney W. Dixon All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission of the writer, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Published by Courtney W. Dixon - www.courtneywdixon.com Cover Model Photographed by - Xram Ragde Xram Ragde (@xramragde) • Instagram photos and videos Alpha Readers: Nicole Arbuckle and Chanel Johson Beta Readers: Joelle Lynne, Kalie Gerwig, Mary Ellen Dejmek, Nikki Johnson, Rosa Donahue, Heather Brown Proofreader: Anna Potter Formatting: Aubree Valentine - Beyond the Bookshelf Publishing Services | Facebook ALSO BY COURTNEY W. DIXON Kings of Boston In Silence - Kings of Boston Book 1 In Retribution - Kings of Boston Book 2 In Strength - Kings of Boston Book 3 In Redemption - Kings of Boston Book 4 In Preservation - Kings of Boston Book 5 In Vindication - Kings of Boston Book 6 Ohana Surfing Club Impact Zone - Ohana Surfing Club Book 1 Pura Vida - Ohana Surfing Club Book 2 Double Up - Ohana Surfing Club Book 3 Knights of Boston Series The Healer - Knights of Boston Book 1 The District His Death Bringer Standalone Novels A Home in You Standalone Novellas Trapped for the Holidays The Candidate’s Obsession THE HEALER PLAYLIST https://sptlnk.com/TheHealer MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR Welcome to book one from the Knights of Boston. When I started writing my first series, Kings of Boston, I had always intended to do a sub-series for it. That’s where Knights of Boston comes in. José and Jonas have been around since my debut novel, In Silence. While José’s character was more developed in that book, Jonas wasn’t, but Jonas made frequent appearances throughout the novel. I just didn’t know how I wanted to write him at the time. As the series progressed, José’s character became more fleshed out, and he had several scenes in book five, In Preservation. One thing I was certain about was that José and Jonas were going to be together. That was planned since the beginning. While the two characters have been around, you don’t need to read Kings of Boston to know them. And while Kings of Boston is about the Irish mob, Knight of Boston is now. All the men in this sub-series are a part of the Irish mob, but in different ways that aren’t obvious. The setting is in Boston, and mainly at the Clinic. It has no name. This too has been around since book one. While it isn’t run by the mob, it is funded by them. It’s not exactly realistic, so I ask that you keep an open mind. Dr. Miller needed a clinic with the works to help those in need, and the mob needed a place when they couldn’t go to the hospital. It was a win-win for both parties and made it TRIGGERS Listed below are the trigger warnings for this book. Reading them may cause spoilers: CW: Graphic violence, teen drinking and smoking, arson, sibling abuse, attempted murder, murder, betrayal, homophobia, some mentions of racism, explicit language and sex. Due to the nature of these triggers, this book is not suitable for those under 18. FEBRUARY 11, 2003 - WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS The school cafeteria during lunch turned to loud white noise as the kids got out their need to talk after being quiet in their classes for so long. The noise rang in my ears, making it hard to think as I sipped from my juice box, sitting with students I rarely talked to, being one of the more shy kids at school, preferring the quiet. I bit into my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, trying not to stare too long at Hugo, the cutest boy I knew. Well, I didn’t know him, know him, but I really wanted to. Even more, I wanted him to be my boyfriend. As soon as I figured out I was gay, all I could think about was having a boyfriend while every other boy was thinking about a girlfriend. “Who are you staring at, Jo?” asked Jen, one of my friends. I wouldn’t call us best friends, but she was one of the few kids I hung out with. The magnetic pull toward Hugo was severed by my blond and brown-eyed friend. “No one.” She jutted her chin over at the table where Hugo sat. “You don’t really want to sit over there, do you? They