Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 80249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“Yeah, man?”
“Drag this prick into the cellar. We’ll deal with him tonight after I do some recon. Did Gator find out where this son of a bitch has been staying?”
“You mean besides with your woman?” the man he called Red replies.
I blink and I can see the swing of the bat enough to watch “Red” take one to the gut.
“He…has… the…info,” Red moans out, one word at a time and gasps in between each.
“Drag him down there. Tie him up from the ceiling. I want to play with him before I send him back to Diesel in pieces.”
“Got it.”
Just when I think I might be getting less addled, and might try to break free, I feel a blinding pain along the side of my face again. I hear Wolf laughing. I vomit from the pain and claw at the ground, but the blackness is chasing me.
I can do nothing before it overtakes me.
Torrent
I pull up to the red light and while I wait for it to change to green I check my cellphone for the hundredth time. There’s no call, no voicemail and no text from Devil. I know he was mad. I thought he’d go silent for a while, but I didn’t think I’d never hear from him again.
I look in my rearview mirror, half expecting Wolf to be behind me. There’s no one there, though. When I told him I was driving myself into town, I expected him to argue. He didn’t. He didn’t even demand I take one of the men with me. I don’t understand the change in him, but I’m glad for it right now.
I’ve been thinking about the fight with Devil and he was right to be upset. I can’t be mad at him. I’m all messed up in my mind right now. I didn’t realize how much, until Devil forced me to take a hard look at the way I was acting. I’ve been trying to keep everyone around me calm and happy. The minute they start to show signs of anger… I panic. That’s when Devil became Devil and not Logan. Realistically I need therapy, not for Devil, not for anyone other than me. I need to put my past behind me… and live…
With Devil—if I can find him.
I dial Devil’s number. The light changes and I press the gas.
“You know what to do.”
I listen to Devil’s recorded message and I want to cry. I’ve listened to it way too many times. I called it over and over last night—not because I thought he would answer, because I’m beginning to give up hope he’ll ever talk to me again. I listened to it because I really had to hear his voice.
“Logan, it’s Torrent. I… I really miss you. I’m sorry. You were right. Please call me.”
It’s a different version of the same message. One I’ve left over and over. Devil is either not checking his messages, or ignoring me—maybe both of them.
I throw my phone into the passenger seat and try to pay attention to the traffic. Thankfully the roads aren’t crowded today. I take my exit and all too soon I’m sitting in the parking lot of the Golden Woodpecker.
I grip the steering wheel so tight my fingers go pale white. I hate that I’m scared of what comes next, but I am. Still, I make myself get out of the car and walk to the room where Devil is staying.
I knock on the door, but silence is all I get in return.
“Logan please, open up,” I call out, knocking again.
“There’s no one in there, lady.”
I jerk when a guy comes out of the room beside Devil’s.
“Oh. I’ll wait until he gets back then. Thank you,” I answer, feeling embarrassed.
“I don’t think he’s coming back. He had his bags and said he was headed home.”
“He did?” I ask. Before, I felt horrible. Now that feeling is a million times worse.
“Yeah.”
“Oh… Okay. Thank you,” I whisper, my voice almost silent. I couldn’t speak any louder if I wanted to right now.
I can’t believe that he’d leave without at least giving me the chance to say goodbye.
I refuse to believe it.
I’m like a robot and go through the motions of going to the front desk. It takes some convincing but I somehow get the manager to let me in Devil’s room. I know it’s too late, but I just have to see it for myself.
He lets me through the door and I look around at the empty room and I want to cry, but I don’t… not yet.
“Could I have a second, please?” I ask the guy. He looks at me strangely. He shrugs and walks out, closing the door behind him.
I go and lay on the bed, pulling the pillow into my face and breathe deep. There’s not a trace of Devil’s scent. I don’t smell him at all. Not on the pillow, not on the bed…Not in this room.