Sinners Never Sleep | Stikolson *COMPLETED*

Chapter Sixteen

2 WEEKS LATER

RYAN

"Tell me where Ghost is! I know you know him Gaskarth!"

I pushed the barrel of the gun in my hand against Alex's temple and flicked off the safety. I usually distanced myself from guns, they were too impersonal but I had a lot of people I needed to question about Ghost's whereabouts and putting a bullet in someone's head required far less of a cleanup.

Alex struggles and grunts against the restraints keeping him strapped to the chair. He'd put up much more of a fight than other people I'd questioned and subsequently killed. I respected him and his craft; Alex poisoned his victims and drew out their death because his lover Jack had been cruelly taken away from him by being poisoned.

"Ghost is fucking crazy Ryan; I'm not putting myself on his hit list. He has eyes and ears everywhere."

I sigh; this interrogation was getting me nowhere. At least I was taking one more killer off the street.

"Not what I want to hear Alex. Goodbye."

Alex struggles one last time before I pull the trigger, the gunshot rings out around the warehouse and he slumps lifeless in the chair.

"Ricky, I will find you. I know you're out there alive somewhere."

Leaning against the wall next to Alex's body I pull out my phone and stare at my lock screen, which was an image of Ricky I'd taken when he wasn't looking. Ghost put the fear of God into people; I didn't know he had this much of influence within the killer community.

Ghost had balls to take Ricky off of campus. I hadn't heard from Josh since Ricky's disappearance, I knew he hadn't switched sides because Chris and Angelo found Josh's car and the driver's seat was covered in Josh's blood. Josh was loyal and would try his hardest to keep Ricky safe until the very end. Did I have faith that we'd find him alive? Ghost never really liked Josh because he sided with me and Chris, so deep in mine and Chris's gut we knew we were going to find him dead.

I should have done more to keep Ricky from going back to his classes. He gave me these big puppy dog eyes and I let him talk me into letting him go outside my apartment. I should have also done more to teach Ricky about Ghost and just how off the rails my old friend had gone. As long as Ricky took my advice and pretended to believe Ghost then I had hope that we'd be reunited. But if Ricky pulled an Angelo, then I had no hope of finding him alive.

Chris's name flashes across my phone screen. He'd stuck by my side along with Angelo.

"Chris, Alex was another bust."

"Ryan, come over to mine and Angelo's I think Angelo might just have a lead for you."

I hung up on my best friend. I'd take any lead thrown my way. Angelo had stayed quiet since Ricky was kidnapped, it reminded him too much of when Ghost kidnapped him and then sliced his face up. What did Angelo know?

~Chris's Apartment~

The door was unlocked so I just walked in like I owned the place. I'd popped back to mine to clean up; Chris was out of the killing business and didn't appreciate me bringing my work and blood into his home.

I found the two lovebirds in the kitchen. Chris was stood over the cooker stirring something that smelt delicious, while Angelo perched on one of the stools watching Chris with such love and admiration written across his face. This scene is what I wanted to have with Ricky, I wanted the mundane.

Angelo turns around and nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees me leaning against the kitchen door. I smirk and walk into the kitchen before taking a stool opposite a rather scared and timid looking Angelo.

"Chris, Ryan's here."

Chris stops stirring and turns away from the cooker smiling at me.

"Good to see you Ryan, the not covered in blood look suits you really well."

I roll my eyes and fold my arms across my chest.

"Alex was a bust; according to him Ghost has a widespread influence within the community that has killers running scared with their tails between their legs."

"I can understand that." Chris snorts.

Angelo shuffles on his stool and Chris walks up behind his boyfriend and wraps his arms around his waist lovingly. He kisses the top of Angelo's head putting the younger male at ease.

"You called me over because you might have a lead on Ricky."

Chris nods and Angelo bows his head.

"Angelo, I know this is hard on you baby but if it helps us get Ricky back then we have to help Ryan out."

Angelo sighs and lifts his head back up. The scar across his face still hadn't healed fully.

"I remember Ghost talking about a secondary location when he took me. He was going to take me there once Chris was taken out of the frame. But he never did because I stayed loyal to Chris."

This was the best news I'd heard in a long time, this was a valid lead that could actually get us somewhere.

"Do you know any more details, Angelo?"

"It was off the beaten path and isolated, and surrounded by trees so possibly in a wooded area. Maybe in a cabin, also he mentioned a lake and something about a pretty big fire."

Angelo plays with the sleeves of his oversized jumper and goes back to staring at the kitchen counter like it was the most fascinating thing known to man. Chris rubs circles on his boyfriends back. I stand up and close the space before putting my hand on Angelo's shoulder.

"Thank you for this Angelo, you might just have saved Ricky's life."

Angelo glances up at me with a weak smile. Chris catches my eye and simply nods his head. I was now one step closer to getting my little racoon back.

RICKY

Two weeks I'd been at the cabin with Ghost. Two weeks without seeing Ryan or hearing his voice. I'd assumed I wouldn't be here this long, but Ghost had done a pretty good job of taking us off the radar. Though it wasn't all bad out here in the woods, the city was noisy and full of pollution and crime whereas out here in the great outdoors there was no pollution and no noise which was quite peaceful and relaxing.

Ghost was happy to take things slow with me. He'd yet to teach me how to kill, but that was down to me being able to persuade him to do something else that didn't involve killing innocents.

I was sat outside on the porch swing with a blanket over my legs reading a book which ironically was about serial killers through the ages. Ghost found it in some bookshop and thought it would be an amusing read, it was quite interesting and I'd read it front to back at least twice.

The woods Ghost had picked had been abandoned years ago when a fire raged through and destroyed cabins and campsites turning the once green and lush landscape quite barren. The locals stayed away so no one bothered us out here, hell I didn't think people even knew this cabin still existed.

"Kitten I bought you a hot chocolate, you've been out here a while."

Ghost walks out of the cabin holding two mugs of steaming hot chocolate. I put down my book and made grabby hands causing Ghost to chuckle at my childishness, for a killer he made the best hot chocolate I'd ever tasted.

He hands me a mug and I lift up the blanket allowing him to sit down next to me before I cover his legs as well.

"I like watching the stars; you don't get to see them in the city. They're beautiful."

"You're beautiful Ricky."

I can't help but blush at the compliment Ghost throws my way. For the last two weeks, he took every opportunity to flatter and compliment me, it made me feel good about myself and less worthless. But when Ghost flattered me I imagined it was Ryan saying those words instead.