A cannibalistic serial killer targeting gay men is on the loose. Devin, who has become increasingly erratic in the last two months, just split up with Gary, his lover of three years. Vanni, a habitué of the gay clubs, makes extra spending money on his knees in the club johns. Is one of these men the killer? Or will one of them instead become the killer’s next target? Detective Hollis Robbins is in charge of the case. He intends to stop the killer, if he can. When the killer strikes again the four men’s lives intertwine as the search for the murderer intensifies. Will the attraction that two of them begin to feel for each other survive the hunt? Do they have the strength to continue on after tragedy strikes and teaches them that love can be bittersweet?

The Beast Within

When Vanni eventually returned to the bar, without his dancing companion, he picked up his beer as he glanced in Hollis’s direction. Hollis gave an almost imperceptible nod even though every instinct screamed that he should stop Vanni before he took a drink. Vanni winked and slugged down the rest of his beer as if dancing had made him very thirsty.


It took about fifteen minutes before the K started to hit him. While he waited Vanni ordered another beer and sipped it slowly as he wondered if they had been way off-base about how the suspect went about getting control over his victims. Then he started to feel euphoric and full of energy at the same time. He stood with the thought that he wanted to dance again, and staggered. His mind wanted his feet to move but he seemed unable to make them go in the right direction.


Someone grabbed his arm to steady him as they said, “Here, let me help you,” in a commanding voice.


Chapter 26