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 he was finally dressed to his satisfaction he took a long look at himself in the mirror. He didn’t look too bad he decided. Still thinner than he had been a year ago but no longer emaciated. “Smile,” he told himself, and did in a tentative way. “Yeah, good one,” he muttered but figured it was better than a scowl.


Then he picked up the picture that sat on one side of the dresser. “I’m scared, Hollis.” His voice was low and sad. “I don’t know if I can do this without you. But I have to, don’t I? For you, because well…It’s what you would want me to do.” He stared at Hollis’s face for a long moment, kissed the picture, and set it back on the dresser.


After one more look in the mirror, where he smiled a bit more than he had a few moments ago, he left the bedroom.


“Look out world, Vanni’s back,” Vanni said in a self-mocking way as he followed Devin and Gary into the Alibi.


Chapter 46