Being acquitted of Jamie's murder won't bring him back. Syed might be free, but he's lost his lover and his sub, along with his sense of control, his libido, his friends, and the stomach to inflict the kind of pain Jamie thrived on. Even his high-rise apartment doesn't suit him anymore. Dashiell is drawn to the handsome man he represented in court, but he's promised himself never to get involved with another confident playboy. His next boyfriend-if he can find such a thing-will see him as something more than a backup plan for a better offer. And how could he ever give a man like Syed what he wants anyway? Dashiell fears the day Syed will ask him to bear more pain than he can handle as Syed struggles to reconcile how he's coming to feel about Dashiell with how he still feels about Jamie. Can their fledgling relationship survive the discovery that Syed's new sub might be representing the man who murdered his last sub? Jamie deserves justice, Dashiell deserves love, and Syed wants to be the one to give both these men exactly what they need. Content warning: this book includes descriptions of homophobic hate crimes. There is very mild BDSM content. While Aftershock follows on the events of Aftercare, it can also be read as a standalone.