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)
“We thought he’d been beaten to death. You’ve got to tell us what you know, Remi,” Ryder ordered.
Jeremy intervened. “No, Remi needs to rest. Once he’s rested, have him give you every detail and then forward it to me. You’re suspended, Livingston. Gary’s case now belongs to me and Detective Brown. You don’t need to get involved and piss the Captain off any more than he already is.”
“I feel fine,” Remi interjected, but followed the words with a huge yawn. Dark circles stained the spots beneath his eyes.
Jeremy smiled. “I think what you’ve been exhibiting, Remi, is referred to as Astral Projection, and it takes a lot out of the soul. Your body may be willing to go another round, but, trust me, your mind needs the break.” Turning to Ryder, he said, “You really need to let me get him in front of my family. They can help him understand what’s happening and maybe help him learn to control it better.”
“Do you know what triggers it now?” Ryder asked Remi. “Any warning signs?”
“I start feeling really sluggish and tired. Like last night when everybody wanted to party before leaving for the cruise, I just couldn’t do it.” He laughed and added, “Of course, I’ve been doing everything humanly possible to stay awake for the past week. I was terrified of falling asleep…afraid of another dream.”
The door to the interrogation room was jerked open and the captain stuck his head inside. “Are you idiots going to leave the building or do I need to come up with a reason to arrest you? I doubt it would be too damn hard. Get out of here, for fuck’s sake, Livingston.” The captain pointed a finger at him. “Oh, and don’t leave town. I have a feeling we’ll need to be in touch.” He said to Ryder for the second time.
Ryder looked at Remi and then back to his captain. “We’re planning a quick trip to New Orleans. Talk to our lawyer if you have a problem with it.”
He was so going to get fired before this was over!
Jeremy shook his head, but Ryder could see his partner was biting back a smile. Figuring he’d done enough damage to his career for one day, Ryder opened the door and motioned for Remi to go ahead of him. Once they were outside the precinct, the car service Remi hired was waiting, just like he’d said. They both climbed in and the ride back to Cassie’s house was quiet. Ryder, for reasons he couldn’t explain, held Remi’s hand the entire trip, but no words were exchanged. When his fingertips would graze Remi’s wrists, he could feel the other man’s pulse fluttering wildly and, even in the darkness of the vehicle, Ryder focused on the dark smudges beneath both Remi’s eyes. The lack of sleep and abundance of worry had taken its toll on him, but he was still the most beautiful man Ryder ever laid eyes on.
Finally, Ryder asked, “Are you okay?”
“No. You?”
“No, I guess not,” Ryder answered truthfully. He hadn’t been through a quarter of Remi’s torment, but his body was still exhausted. His mind was in total overload, mostly with horrible images of what Jason Waylon looked like when they’d finally brushed away the last bit of dirt covering his glass coffin. The look of sheer terror that marred his features was a look Ryder would never be able to forget. Dirt had managed to fall through the tube that had been provided for his air and that dirt had mixed with the young man’s tears, causing streaks to paint his face. His eyes had been wild as he struggled to breathe. It had been…horrific.
Ryder heard Remi take a deep breath and then he asked, “Do you think I’m…crazy? Or weird? Does it creep you out to be around me now?” He laughed harshly and added, “Well, creep you out more than usual.”
Ryder’s head whipped around. “No! Of course not, Remi. You’re a hero. Jason Waylon wouldn’t have been alive if he’d been down there another ten minutes. You saved his life. How exactly could that make you creepy?”
Before Remi could answer, the car pulled up to Cassie’s security gate. “You got a code or something?” The man asked.
“No, we’re good,” Ryder answered quickly as he reached for his wallet. After paying the driver, he and Remi climbed out of the car and waited for it to drive away before Ryder punched in the security code that would open the gates. They stepped through the opening, Ryder’s hand on Remi’s arm the entire time, and then secured the gates back in place, waiting for them to lock.
As they started walking the quarter of a mile-long driveway, Remi teased, “Are you being extra cautious or just in the mood for a quick workout?”
Ryder laughed. “Well, it sure the hell isn’t my desire for a workout.” At least not the type of workout Remi referred to; Ryder could think of other, more enjoyable ways, to work off some of the stress rushing through every nerve of his body. Was it possible to want to protect Remi with his very own life…but still want to fuck him hard enough to make Remi’s entire body ache for days?