guard dog. Remy dozed off here and there as well, but sleeping without chemicals in his system to knock him out cold didn’t work. There were too many nightmares. If he didn’t see his mom's body in a pool of blood or feel the piercing screams of ten men being burned alive, he heard Ben's scratchy voice asking for more cash.
In the distance, he could hear a vehicle coming closer, and Andy didn’t look surprised. Remy guessed it was a shift change and Minna was going to take over.
"That would be my replacement." Andreas stood up and grabbed the keys to Minna's truck. Did that mean Minna was driving Andy's Cadillac? Probably. "I almost wanna stick around to make sure he won't kill you, but Minna's vouching for him."
Remy sat up straighter in bed. "Who's coming?"
Aside from Minna, it was slim pickings. Of course, it could be Dan or Martinez, who worked at Andy's studio, but Remy had never been that close to them. They were friendly, sure, and they'd all gone out together in the past, but he doubted they'd be up for babysitting an alleged addict.
"I think you know him." The sadist's eyes glimmered. "Chase Gallardo?"
"Wh—?" Remy choked on his own saliva. In a heartbeat, his entire posture changed. Fear threatened to cripple him, and he broke out in a cold sweat. It reminded him of the days after Minna had kidnapped him and he'd ached, sweated, and shaken for alcohol. "You're k-kidding." There was no way Chase would come here, was there? No. It didn’t make any sense whatsoever. Unless…
Unless Chase had tracked Remy down—couldn’t have been that difficult—and had charmed his way into Minna's good graces, gotten directions to the cabin, and was now going to beat Remy within an inch of his life.
That made sense.
"No." Andy shouldered his messenger bag and stuffed his magazines into it. "Minna's under the impression you and Chase have unfinished business, and maybe she's right. Maybe you guys need to talk." He shrugged and reached for the door. "Chase has questions—that’s all I know."
Remy couldn’t answer because he was too busy fighting off a panic attack.
"I'll be back tomorrow." A flicker of concern flashed in Andreas's eyes before his mouth tightened in determination. Whatever he and Minna believed was about to happen, they were clearly on board. "We want the old Remy back, man. Do you understand that?"
No, Remy didn’t. He hardly remembered his old self. It was a whole other person—one who had a sharp wit, loved sarcasm, was carefree, worked hard, and helped his friends whenever he could.
The soft, muted click of the door being shut behind Andy echoed in Remy's head, the sound reverberating inside his skull. Left alone. For now. He could hear quiet voices outside, but no words were clear enough.
His heart was racing, and he swallowed convulsively.
Why did Andreas and Minna insist on this?
His money had funded a kidnapping.
By default, that made him guilty.
Chapter 8
Chase could barely believe he was here. A world away and mindfucked, it felt like.
He pulled off his helmet and pushed down the kickstand on his bike. Around him, he saw trees, a small cabin, hillsides, and more trees. The ground was dry and all but empty of leaves, the shimmering sunlight bouncing off the sandy ground. Laughter traveled with the slight breeze—or maybe it was within earshot—from a nearby campsite he'd passed earlier.
Removing one of the black bandanas he kept tied around his wrists, he wiped his forehead with it, then stuck it into the back pocket of his jeans.
With everything happening so quickly, Chase didn’t feel entirely present. It was only yesterday he'd spoken to Austin about seeking out Remy, and now Chase was here. In the middle of nowhere.
I have twenty-four hours when I'm not even sure I'd like twenty-four minutes.
The man who exited the cabin introduced himself as Andreas Eriksson. He seemed polite enough but threatened Chase much like Minna had, although their approaches were completely
In the distance, he could hear a vehicle coming closer, and Andy didn’t look surprised. Remy guessed it was a shift change and Minna was going to take over.
"That would be my replacement." Andreas stood up and grabbed the keys to Minna's truck. Did that mean Minna was driving Andy's Cadillac? Probably. "I almost wanna stick around to make sure he won't kill you, but Minna's vouching for him."
Remy sat up straighter in bed. "Who's coming?"
Aside from Minna, it was slim pickings. Of course, it could be Dan or Martinez, who worked at Andy's studio, but Remy had never been that close to them. They were friendly, sure, and they'd all gone out together in the past, but he doubted they'd be up for babysitting an alleged addict.
"I think you know him." The sadist's eyes glimmered. "Chase Gallardo?"
"Wh—?" Remy choked on his own saliva. In a heartbeat, his entire posture changed. Fear threatened to cripple him, and he broke out in a cold sweat. It reminded him of the days after Minna had kidnapped him and he'd ached, sweated, and shaken for alcohol. "You're k-kidding." There was no way Chase would come here, was there? No. It didn’t make any sense whatsoever. Unless…
Unless Chase had tracked Remy down—couldn’t have been that difficult—and had charmed his way into Minna's good graces, gotten directions to the cabin, and was now going to beat Remy within an inch of his life.
That made sense.
"No." Andy shouldered his messenger bag and stuffed his magazines into it. "Minna's under the impression you and Chase have unfinished business, and maybe she's right. Maybe you guys need to talk." He shrugged and reached for the door. "Chase has questions—that’s all I know."
Remy couldn’t answer because he was too busy fighting off a panic attack.
"I'll be back tomorrow." A flicker of concern flashed in Andreas's eyes before his mouth tightened in determination. Whatever he and Minna believed was about to happen, they were clearly on board. "We want the old Remy back, man. Do you understand that?"
No, Remy didn’t. He hardly remembered his old self. It was a whole other person—one who had a sharp wit, loved sarcasm, was carefree, worked hard, and helped his friends whenever he could.
The soft, muted click of the door being shut behind Andy echoed in Remy's head, the sound reverberating inside his skull. Left alone. For now. He could hear quiet voices outside, but no words were clear enough.
His heart was racing, and he swallowed convulsively.
Why did Andreas and Minna insist on this?
His money had funded a kidnapping.
By default, that made him guilty.
Chapter 8
Chase could barely believe he was here. A world away and mindfucked, it felt like.
He pulled off his helmet and pushed down the kickstand on his bike. Around him, he saw trees, a small cabin, hillsides, and more trees. The ground was dry and all but empty of leaves, the shimmering sunlight bouncing off the sandy ground. Laughter traveled with the slight breeze—or maybe it was within earshot—from a nearby campsite he'd passed earlier.
Removing one of the black bandanas he kept tied around his wrists, he wiped his forehead with it, then stuck it into the back pocket of his jeans.
With everything happening so quickly, Chase didn’t feel entirely present. It was only yesterday he'd spoken to Austin about seeking out Remy, and now Chase was here. In the middle of nowhere.
I have twenty-four hours when I'm not even sure I'd like twenty-four minutes.
The man who exited the cabin introduced himself as Andreas Eriksson. He seemed polite enough but threatened Chase much like Minna had, although their approaches were completely