Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 159050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 795(@200wpm)___ 636(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 795(@200wpm)___ 636(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
“What is there to love? This is your proof. He didn’t just commit crimes of passion. He liked it.”
In the glow of the flashlight Elliot’s eyes were wide and frantic as if he’d snorted some coke. “I love that we found this. There’s still so much to discover, and I just... I don’t know. I’ve always loved gruesome shit, and horror, and this is… I’m on the in now. I’m not just a viewer anymore.”
Knight swallowed, suddenly feeling a connection so intense he couldn’t remember ever experiencing it with anyone. He and Elliot had common goals. Common dreams. They could team up and unearth the secrets still left in the cold gut of Fane’s mansion.
There was just so much to learn. “I know. It’s... beautiful,” he said, glancing at a painting of a man being torn apart by four horses.
Chapter 16
Knight wasn’t much of a family man. In fact, he had almost no contact with most of his family and was much closer with his biker brothers and hangarounds, but with Christmas fast approaching and screaming at him from every yard he passed on his way back to Brecon, he was starting to get a little bit nostalgic. There was no real significance in the holiday for him, but he did like the mulled wine, the smell of evergreens, and even the dumb ritual of exchanging gifts. He’d probably get some lousy T-shirt from his mom again, but that was fine, because it was also one of the few days in the year when she was likely not to be drunk from the moment he entered his home.
Most of all, he was happy to be almost home. Not at his parents’ but at the clubhouse where he’d lived since he turned fifteen. There was freedom in being on the road, even if to deal with club business, but at this time of the year, with snow piled up on both sides of the road and the cold freezing off his dick, he was glad to finish his weeklong trip south.
A stay at Mr. Magpie’s was a glamorous affair, and while Knight never felt the need to live in excessive luxury, he did enjoy the lick of it he always got when visiting New York on club business. The city was beautiful in December, with colorful decorations and huge Christmas trees everywhere, and he used the opportunity to relax and study a new biography of Fane’s. Tiffany’s tempted shoppers with precious rubies, and Knight couldn’t help but smile as he stood in front of the store window and thought of the box holding the engagement ring Laurent had commissioned for Beast.
Knowing that Christmas time could be an opportunity for Laurent to pop the question, Knight had volunteered to travel to New York in Beast’s place, simply because he was much better with people and would surely get along with Magpie. He’d regretted that decision a bit, because it was freezing cold up north of Toronto where he traveled first to pick up a delivery of jewels for Magpie. But on the other hand, he was happy to show Beast that he could be depended on, and was capable of handling their most important business partner.
He did not appreciate Magpie himself all that much, as the man’s presence was much too flamboyant for his taste, but Knight had no issues with making use of the Magpie’s exclusive sauna, drinking ridiculously expensive liquor, or enjoying the view of Central Park offered by his 25th story apartment. A stay at Mr. Magpie’s was almost like a vacation. Except for when it wasn’t and bloody work needed to be done, but this time around Knight had spent his time there in complete peace.
Still, it was good to be home. Elliot had enjoyed all the photos Knight sent him over the week, and at times Knight had even regretted that they couldn’t have seen the city together.
The vast woodland surrounding the clubhouse gave him a sense of space. The snow here was fresh, untouched, and the trees decorated with white garlands that weighed down their branches. But in the semi-darkness of the late afternoon, he could already see lights ahead.
Elliot claimed that he’d kept his promise and hadn’t visited Fane’s chamber of horrors downstairs. Judging by the number of text messages Elliot had been sending Knight, he was willing to believe that Elliot was being truthful, otherwise he’d be downstairs, photographing every corner, bone, and spider web instead of telling Knight how he couldn’t wait for Knight to come back so that they could go and explore more.
They’d had a few days for that before Knight left, and they’ve found even more disturbing shit, like rusted knives, torture devices, and a little box of teeth. It seemed that the book that the dead woman held in her lap was a diary, but written in a language none of them knew. Since they wouldn’t just send it off to someone, the translation would have to wait until they were done gently scanning every single page at night, when no one else even approached the offices.