HARD COUNT - Book One of The Piper Ashton Saga

Jul 31, 2026

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Hard Count - Book One of The Piper Ashton Saga is a work of fiction centered on performance, masks people build to survive, and the tension between wanting connection and fearing it. Set against worlds that include pro-football, private jets, high-status fashion, and emotionally charged relationships, the story blends satire and tragic excess with explicit adult themes. The author’s note frames the book as influenced by genre pioneers and provocative filmmaking that reveal what desire and fame conceal.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages228

Reading Time5 h 51 min

AccessFree to download

Table of Contents

A Warning Note

Chapter One: Los Angeles

Chapter Two: Los Angeles

Chapter Three: Los Angeles to Atherton

Chapter Four: Los Angeles Nine years earlier

Chapter Five: Seattle

Chapter Six: Los Angeles

Chapter Seven: Los Angeles

Chapter Eight: Los Angeles

Chapter Nine: Los Angeles

Chapter Ten: Los Angeles

Chapter Eleven: Los Angeles

Chapter Twelve: Atherton

Chapter Thirteen: Los Angeles

Chapter Fourteen: Los Angeles to Chicago

Chapter Fifteen: Los Angeles

Chapter Sixteen: Los Angeles

Chapter Seventeen: Los Angeles

Chapter Eighteen: Los Angeles

Chapter Nineteen: Los Angeles to Seattle

Chapter Twenty: Seattle

Chapter Twenty-One: Los Angeles

Chapter Twenty-Two: Los Angeles

Chapter Twenty-Three: San Francisco

Chapter Twenty-Four: Los Angeles

Chapter Twenty-Five: New York City

Chapter Twenty-Six: Denver

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Seattle to Los Angeles

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Los Angeles to Atherton

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Atherton

Chapter Thirty: Los Angeles

Chapter Thirty-One: Los Angeles

Chapter Thirty-Two: Los Angeles

Chapter Thirty-Three: Atlanta

Chapter Thirty-Four: New York City

Chapter Thirty-Five: Los Angeles

Chapter Thirty-Six: Seattle

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Seattle

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Seattle

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Los Angeles to New York City

Chapter Forty: Los Angeles

Chapter Forty-One: Los Angeles

Chapter Forty-Two: East Rutherford

Chapter Forty-Three: Los Angeles

Chapter Forty-Four: Los Angeles

Chapter Forty-Five: Los Angeles

Chapter Forty-Six: Reykjavík

Chapter Forty-Seven: Reykjavík

Soundtrack

Acknowledgments

Author Bio

HARD COUNT Book One of The Piper Ashton Saga Lucas Malone Copyright © 2026 by Lucas Malone All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, teams, leagues, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events or organizations is purely coincidental. This book contains explicit sexual content, depictions of coercive relationships, and adult themes. Intended for readers 18 and older. This work makes reference to real musical artists, actors, celebrities, films, TV series, song titles, and published works for illustrative and narrative purposes only. No affiliation with, endorsement by, or sponsorship by any named artist, rights holder, or record label is implied. All referenced works remain the property of their respective copyright holders. Product names, trademarks, brands, companies, hotels, restaurants, media outlets, social platforms, and publications mentioned in this work are the property of their respective owners and are referenced nominatively for descriptive purposes only. No affiliation, endorsement, or sponsorship is implied. This book is not authorized, endorsed, or licensed by any professional sports league or its member clubs. First edition. Published via Kindle Direct Publishing. [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) TABLE OF CONTENTS AWarning Note Chapter One: Los Angeles Chapter Two: Los Angeles Chapter Three: Los Angeles to Atherton Chapter Four: Los Angeles Nine years earlier Chapter Five: Seattle Chapter Six: Los Angeles Chapter Seven: Los Angeles Chapter Eight: Los Angeles Chapter Nine: Los Angeles Chapter Ten: Los Angeles Chapter Eleven: Los Angeles Chapter Twelve: Atherton Chapter Thirteen: Los Angeles Chapter Fourteen: Los Angeles to Chicago Chapter Fifteen: Los Angeles Chapter Sixteen: Los Angeles Chapter Seventeen: Los Angeles Chapter Eighteen: Los Angeles Chapter Nineteen: Los Angeles to Seattle Chapter Twenty: Seattle Chapter Twenty-One: Los Angeles Chapter Twenty-Two: Los Angeles Chapter Twenty-Three: San Francisco Chapter Twenty-Four: Los Angeles Chapter Twenty-Five: New York City Chapter Twenty-Six: Denver Chapter Twenty-Seven: Seattle to Los Angeles Chapter Twenty-Eight: Los Angeles to Atherton Chapter Twenty-Nine: Atherton Chapter Thirty: Los Angeles Chapter Thirty-One: Los Angeles Chapter Thirty-Two: Los Angeles Chapter Thirty-Three: Atlanta Chapter Thirty-Four: New York City Chapter Thirty-Five: Los Angeles Chapter Thirty-Six: Seattle Chapter Thirty-Seven: Seattle Chapter Thirty-Eight: Seattle Chapter Thirty-Nine: Los Angeles to New York City Chapter Forty: Los Angeles Chapter Forty-One: Los Angeles Chapter Forty-Two: East Rutherford Chapter Forty-Three: Los Angeles Chapter Forty-Four: Los Angeles Chapter Forty-Five: Los Angeles Chapter Forty-Six: Reykjavík Chapter Forty-Seven: Reykjavík SOUNDTRACK Acknowledgments Author Bio [OceanofPDF](OceanofPDF. com)[.](OceanofPDF. com)[ com](OceanofPDF. com) For, well…you know who you are. HARD COUNT Book One Of The Piper Ashton Saga LUCAS MALONE [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) A WARNING NOTE When I started writing Hard Count, I kept thinking about E. Lynn Harris. Harris was writing glamorous, gay men inside celebrity and professional sports worlds decades before the current MM romance boom existed in the form we know it now. He wrote the wanting and the shame that rode in on it. The ego, the money,

FAQs

What themes does Hard Count focus on?

Hard Count focuses on performance, the masks people build to survive, and the push-pull between wanting connection and being terrified of it. It also explores emotional stakes that drive characters into high-conflict behavior.

Where is Hard Count set according to the table of contents?

The table of contents shows locations including Los Angeles, Atherton, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, New York City, Denver, Atlanta, East Rutherford, and Reykjavík. Several chapters also reference time shifts such as “Nine years earlier.”

What content warnings are included for this book?

The front matter states the book contains explicit sexual content, depictions of coercive relationships, and adult themes. It is intended for readers 18 and older.

Jul 31, 2026

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