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)
Remi looked back one last time, knowing it would be the last time he might ever see Veronica or Gary again. He gave Eric, covered in a mound of rats, only the slightest glance. His attention…his soul was focused on Veronica and Gary. They still stood there, holding hands and smiling. Petra, the rat that had morphed into hundreds of rats as Veronica had stroked its fur, suddenly disentangled herself from the feeding frenzy and jumped into Veronica’s arms. The rodent was covered in blood and guts for only the slightest of seconds, and then it was white and black again. Pink eyes. Pink nose.
Veronica kissed its nose and then they all disappeared.
Remi turned back to Ryder and said, “Carry me, babe. I’m exhausted. That nearly dying shit takes its toll on a body.”
Ryder scooped him into his arms and carried him out of the building. Eric no longer screamed, but the rats still squeaked. Ryder would never again look at a rat without a tremor of terror overtaking him. As soon as they were outside, they both took a deep breath of fresh air. Jeremy was over in the corner of the alley next to the building, heaving his guts up. Ryder chuckled at his partner.
“You gonna be okay, partner?”
Jeremy flipped him off and kept puking.
Ryder, with Remi safely tucked in his arms, leaned down to place another kiss on his lips, which were soft and not nearly as cold as before. “I love you, Remington Newsome. I was so afraid I might not ever get to tell you that again. Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” he ordered…as if either of them had control over it.
Remi smiled weakly. “I’ll definitely avoid it if I can, babe. Right now, though, I need to rest. Can you make Mr. McPukey get in the Jeep so we can leave? I need you and a bed, together, all snuggly and warm. I don’t ever want to be cold again.”
“Stay in my arms and we’ll both be warm forever.” He kissed the tip of Remi’s nose, making Remi groan in frustration.
“Stop treating me like a kid. No head pats or nose kisses.” He waggled his eyebrows and hinted, “I know of other parts of me that would really prefer to feel your lips.”
Ryder winked. “Got it. You’re not the only one that learned to watch for hints.”
Rolling his eyes, Remi answered, “That wasn’t exactly a hint, Ry. I’d like a nice rimming job when we get home. I’ve heard of rimming, but never had the pleasure of experiencing it.” He kissed the tip of Ryder’s nose as a joke, but then turned dead serious when he said, “I’ve saved so many firsts for you, Ryder Livingston. I always knew it would be you.”
“I’m sorry for making you wait. I was a coward—terrified of losing somebody else I cared for. That was not only selfish but made me a bit of a pussy. It won’t happen again.”
“Damn straight it won’t,” Remi agreed.
“How in the hell are you two discussing sex and love right now?” Jeremy demanded, suddenly standing next to them and still looking greenish grey in coloring. “That dude just got eaten by rats…in front of us…while he was still alive. Did he deserve it? Yes. Did I deserve to have to see it? Hell, no.” When Ryder and Remi laughed at him, he growled, “Get in the damn car. I’m finished for the night and need a toothbrush and toothpaste sometime in my very near future.”
“Well…there’s no arguing that fact,” Ryder agreed. “Let’s get back to Cassie’s place.” He looked back at the warehouse and asked, “Are we calling this in?”
Jeremy snorted. “Yeah…right. I can see us explaining how hundreds of rats magically appeared out of thin air and ate Eric Peterman while the bastard was in the middle of a heart attack. Yeah, let’s go ahead and call it in. It’ll be fun,” Jeremy retorted sarcastically. “Even better will be how Remi froze your computer screen and phone to send us a hint to where he was. That will go over like a fart in church.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Ryder conceded. “I guess somebody will find…something when the warehouse opens on Monday. It can be their problem.”
“While I’m driving, you send a text to the captain and tell him we found Remi back at Cassie’s house. He got scared and left before the police arrived.”
Remi pinched him…hard. “I did not get scared!”
“Yeah, but you scared the fuck out of me, so that’s pretty much the same thing,” Ryder argued. Turning to Jeremy, he said, “Send the text.”
Jeremy looked skeptical. Turning to Remi, he asked, “If I do, you won’t sic your rats on me, will you?”
“Nope; you’re good. They aren’t my rats to sic. They belong to Veronica.”
Epilogue
Remi woke up as he struggled to force air into his lungs. Ryder stood over him, a worried expression on his face and a tight hold on both of Remi’s upper arms. There was no pleasant reentry of his soul into his body or the usual drowsiness that accompanied a visit from the souls that needed his help. No, this had merely been a dream…or a hint, tucked inside a dream.