Edwin Masters has spent his entire life lusting after one car -- a 1962 Alfa Romeo Spider 2600. When he finally buys one, it changes the entire shape and meaning of his world. The car comes with a guest, and the restless spirit is awakened by Edwin.<br><br>Cooper James, the young man who died behind the wheel forty-seven years earlier, haunts the Spider and he wants a life. He wants Edwin. So he reaches out, sucking Edwin into a deepening abyss by exploiting demons from a past Edwin can't break from.<br><br>Edwin resists, struggling against the phantom in favor of an attractive, exciting young man who wants to be with him, Carson Heston. Carson holds the key to Edwin's salvation, but every time he gets close, Cooper terrorizes him. Edwin knows he'll be lost forever if he submits to Cooper's dark promise of release and relief, but that might be the only way to save Carson's life.

On a Bruised Road

Edwin didn’t jump. Hadn’t a part of him known this would happen? Why else would he have left the relative safety of his home for the garage? Touching the car put him in connection with Cooper in a way that merely thinking about him did not.


“I heard what Carson said. You’re really going to listen to him?”


The question came from behind him, but that wasn’t an accurate way to gauge Cooper’s location. Edwin kept studying the car, noticing for the first time that there wasn’t a speck of dust on the hood, despite the fact that he hadn’t washed it in days.


“I’m going to listen to him because he’s right. It’s not healthy. What we’re doing? It’s not healthy.”


“What does Carson know about it? He doesn’t know what we have together. He doesn’t know how good we are together.” Fingers rested on his arm, light but unmistakable. “You’re going to tell me that we weren’t amazing?”


Chapter 62