Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 62923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Like Remi hadn’t just witnessed the last few moments of Gary’s life.
Gary’s screams had been ignored and Remi’s had been unheard.
It was while the man loaded the boulders back onto the truck that Gary explained to Remi how long he’d been trapped out in that field, buzzards flying overhead while his life slowly slipped away. He told Remi of the agony he’d endured. Gary hadn’t known the man—at least he didn’t think he did. A black ski mask had always covered his face and he never uttered a word. It was strange that the not knowing seemed to bother Gary the most.
The girl with them never spoke a word, just watched and stroked a black and white rat with the tips of her fingers. The rodent, incredibly large for a rat, rested peacefully in her arms, its pink nose twitching every few seconds. Tears streamed down her face, but no words of comfort or words of anger ever left her lips. When the deed was done, and the man’s taillights disappeared into the darkness, Remi watched as Gary and the girl stood up and walked away, holding hands. Gary had eventually turned back and said, “You have to stop him, Remington. She says you’re the only one who can.”
Remi opened his mouth to tell them there was nothing he could do, but then he’d simply nodded. After that, Gary and the girl disappeared…and he’d floated back into his body. He’d woken up, terrified, drenched in sweat but freezing his ass off, in a hospital. He’d been confused as hell, thinking he’d just dreamed the entire thing…hoping it had been a dream.
Two days later, he’d seen the spot on the evening news telling about the young man, beaten to death and left in a field, finally been identified. A picture of Gary’s face flashed across the screen, and Remi had frozen in fear.
It hadn’t been a dream.
It had taken them two days to identify the body. Gary Landon Lacasse. He was twenty-four years old and a Sophomore at the University of Texas. His family lived in Texas, but Gary had chosen to live on campus, so he could enjoy the college experience. He’d been the only son of Landon and Barbara Lacasse. His hobbies were soccer and tennis and he wanted to attend law school sometime soon. He’d been a member of KaChi fraternity, just like his father.
It was strange; Gary hadn’t mentioned any of those things. He’d simply said he hoped someone would remember to feed the stray cat that lived in the woods behind his fraternity house. Not a word about his father or mother. No mentioning of soccer or tennis. His fraternity and future forgotten. He’d just been worried about that damn cat.
Remi closed his laptop computer, noting the ugly red scratches on his hands and wrists, and looked at the ugliest cat he’d ever laid eyes on in his life. It was currently sitting on the middle of his bed, watching him with wide eyes. It looked so sweet and innocent…a lot like Gary. Unlike Gary, though, the cat had some mean, motherfucking claws. Remi’s arms had the scratches to prove it.
He wasn’t sure why he’d gone after the damn cat; he hated cats and, clearly, they hated him. He guessed it was because Gary had been worried about it and while he’d misled Gary about him being able to do something to stop the man that murdered him, he would, at least, save that damn cat. It was the least he could do. He didn’t have the ability to find the man that tortured and murdered Gary, so unless the police found a way to stop the madman, Gary’s murder would go unavenged.
But he had the cat.
Goodie. No worries here. Nothing to see. Keep walking, folks.
Remi was so fucking terrified. Should he have allowed the doctor to send him out for the psychiatric evaluation? Was he losing his mind? He had to be losing his mind; the only other answer was that he was talking to dead people. That shit might have been cool for a movie, but not in real life.
One of the most embarrassing things about his made-for-tv-movie life was that instead of his main concern being the whole dead people talking, it was that Ryder witnessed his explosion of sanity. Remi had been crushing on Ryder since the first day he’d met him. The other man, Remi’s check-every-damn-box hero, looked at him like his was a kid. Now, he would look at him like he was a kid that either used drugs or was losing his mind. Nice.
There’d been one night when Ryder hadn’t looked at him like a kid, though. One night. One fucking night. It had only taken that one night for Remi to lose his heart. He supposed he must be like one of those weird animals that mated for life because once he’d had Ryder inside him, he hadn’t wanted another. Ryder, on the other hand, had politely handed his heart back to him the next day and explained that the previous night had been a mistake—one that would never be repeated. Remi would like to think he’d acted like a man and taken the brush-off like it was no big deal, but that lie would be so epic, he wouldn’t even be able to convince himself of its merit. No, he’d begged Ryder to see him again…to give him one more chance. He’d said he would move out and never see Cassie again. Fuck, he’d all but fallen on his knees and pleaded with the man to keep him, whether he wanted him or not.