Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 147891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Blood splatters onto the wall, and the body falls onto the floor with a splat right next to me. I push up farther against the wall as it wiggles lifelessly.
“Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod.” The words tumble out of me as I stare at the creature’s body. “That’s a—that’s a fucking snake, Caz!”
“I know.”
“How did you…”
“Your fear. I felt it.” He collects the body from the ground and carries it along with the head of the snake out of the bathroom. I can’t bring myself to move as I hear him rustling about. When he returns, his hands are clear, and he reaches down to help me up. My legs are like Jell-O, even as I rise, but he keeps me steady, placing me on the toilet seat.
“Decius is here, Willow,” Caz says in a low voice. “He’s come to your world.”
I swing my eyes up to his, fear dripping into my veins. “Through a vessel,” I whisper.
His jaw ticks.
“Beatrix said this would happen. He knows where we are, Caz.”
“I fear he’s always known.”
A paralyzing fear wraps around me. He knows where we are. He knows how to get to us. I knew something felt off. It was like a static in the air, and I was waiting with bated breath for something awful to happen, for a shoe to drop.
“We can’t stay here. We need to move, find answers. As long as we’re moving, he can’t get to us,” Caz declares.
“But what if—what if he finds another vessel? Another snake? A damn anaconda this time!”
“No.” He works to swallow, his eyes bouncing around the bathroom. “Something tells me he’ll use something bigger and smarter than a snake next time.” He pushes to a stand and turns around to shut off the shower. “Are all your things packed?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” He grabs my hand. “It would be best if you call Faye now, let her know we’re leaving.”
Chapter 28
HUNTERSVILLE HOSPITAL – 3:45 A.M.
Garrett’s right eye flutters open as the EKG machine beeps a steady rhythm. A whooshing noise drowns out all the other sounds, and his good eye shifts to the white ceiling.
Through the coppery scent of old blood, he smells sterilizing cleansers in the air, hears the soft murmurs of people nearby. He looks around more, his eyeball swiveling to the navy-blue curtain on his right, then the EKG machine and bag of clear fluid.
I’m in a hospital.
He can’t remember the last time he’s been in a hospital, and as he sits for a moment, digesting his surroundings, he remembers why he’s there. That white man with the dark hair and wicked blue eyes. He took him, mutilated him, hurt him—nearly killed him.
Garrett’s body shakes violently on the bed, but he can’t bring himself to move the way he wants to. He’s too stiff.
“Hey, whoa!” a voice calls. “Take it easy.” A nurse appears, dressed in teal scrubs with a medical mask covering the lower half of her face.
“You’ve suffered a lot of head trauma. I’m surprised you’re even awake right now.” She gives him a pitiful onceover, and he attempts to speak, but his throat is thick and dry, so the word “Where” comes out in an awkward croak.
“Don’t worry,” the nurse says, scribbling something on the paper of her clipboard. “You’re being taken care of. I can’t believe you fell off a building. You poor thing.” She sucks her teeth. “Six broken bones, and you must’ve landed on something sharp, considering your wounds. That’s a miracle, you know.”
Fell off a building? He didn’t fall off a building. He was knocked out, then taken to his own apartment and tortured by some pale, British-sounding asshole he didn’t even know the name of. He was punched so many times he’d lost count. The man had taken a literal meat tenderizer and smashed one of his forearms and shins with it. And the stabbing. Fuck, all the stabbing and slicing. That was the worst of it, not because it hurt more, but because it seemed the man truly got a kick out of cutting him. Garrett grimaces and attempts to clench his fist, but his body doesn’t react.
“It’s a good thing someone found you and dropped you off.” She turns to face him. “You thirsty, hun? Probably are. I’ll get you some water.” She leaves the room, taking the clipboard with her.
As she goes, Garrett breathes unevenly and looks down. His left arm and right thigh are in a cast, and considering how stiff his neck is, he must have a neck brace on. There’s a slight pain in his abdomen, a sheer reminder of being stabbed, and another pain…near his groin. He shudders, remember how close that man was to slicing his dick off. He drops his head, sighing. He must be on heavy meds right now, he assumes, because he can hardly feel a thing.