The Taste of Sorrow Read online

  The Taste of Sorrow

  The Resurrection of Shep Carson Book 3

  By: Joshua Erik Rossi

  A Rossi Book

  “Read a Rossi!”

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission in writing from the author. Published in the United States of America by Joshua Erik Rossi. First Edition,© Joshua Erik Rossi 10-12-2017

  ONE

  “I don’t want to tell you this.”

  “Just tell me,” Cody said. He helped the pups into the cab and closed the truck door.

  “The gun Carl had last night is missing. Someone broke into the evidence room and it’s gone,” Shep said.

  “So now there are two guns missing? That’s convenient. Do you think these guns are ending up in the same place?”

  “I don’t know,” Shep said, pulling away from the curb, “They could be or maybe Carl and his buddies are doing a copycat crime of what happened with your father.”

  “You...you think they killed my dad?”

  “Did they have a reason to?” Shep asked.

  “No, I don’t think so.” Cody pet one of the pups while the other one laid down and put it’s head on his thigh. “My dad and Mr. Buchanan got along okay. He never mentioned anything about Carl.”

  “Was he prejudiced?”

  “Who?”

  “Your dad.”

  Cody shrugged. He looked out the window. “When he was drunk, he cracked jokes about everybody. He and his friends thought they were pretty funny.” Cody sighed. “Can we talk about something else or are you still working, Officer Carson?”

  “I got off shift about five minutes ago.”

  “Good.”

  “I’m trying to keep you safe, Cody,” Shep said, “but you have to be honest with me.”

  “I am being honest. Look Shep, most of the people here are the same and they’ve been in this town all their lives. They don’t know anyone who’s any different than they are.”

  “Until you came out, right?” Shep said, “And they know I’m gay.”

  Cody looked at Shep. “Why did you tell them?”

  “Why not tell them? It’s who I am and I don’t need anyone trying to hook me up with Shelby or Marcie.”

  “True,” Cody agreed.

  “Listen, you’ve been helping me on the ranch and we’re going to those rehearsals but I’ve been thinking we should go out.”

  “Out where?”

  Shep grinned. “Out. On a date.”

  “A date?”

  “Yeah. You’re the one who said we should just live. If we’re going to give this a chance, maybe we should get started. Nothing too serious, maybe dinner and a movie somewhere. What do you think?”

  “I’m not allowed in any of these restaurants,” Cody said, motioning to the shops along the main street.

  Shep chuckled. “You must have had some real fun before I got here.”

  “Yeah I did.”

  “Well, are there any places your allowed to go or did your reign of terror creep into other towns?”

  “There are a few places in Huxley County that I’ve never been to.”

  “Do you want to go out with me?” Shep turned onto Cody’s driveway and stopped beside the house waiting for an answer. He didn’t think the wait would be this long. “If you don’t want to, it’s okay.”

  “I want to,” Cody replied, in a soft voice.

  “You don’t seem too excited...”

  “What if people stare?” Cody asked. “Huxley County isn’t much different than this town.”

  Shep rested back against the seat. “If they stare, they stare, Cody. There isn’t much we can do about it.”

  Cody released a nervous sigh and put his hand on the truck door handle.

  “We’ll go somewhere quiet and talk. Maybe we can get to know each other better,” Shep said.

  “That sounds like a relationship thing to me, Shep.”

  “Maybe it is.”

  Cody glanced at him and grinned. “Are we moving up from random blow jobs?”

  “Maybe we are.”

  Cody smiled. “All right, I’ll go. What should I wear?”

  “Whatever you want.”

  “Anything? Seriously?” Cody asked.

  “Anything.”

  Cody leaned over closer to Shep and waited. Shep turned his head and their lips touched. A spark of heat ignited between them and Shep gave him a deeper, longer kiss. Cody closed his eyes and drifted away, caught up in the moment. “Okay, now I’m excited,” Cody said, grinning.

  Shep smiled. “I’ll pick you up at seven. Be careful and lock your doors. Don’t forget, Carl and his friends are out there walking around.” The pups whined as Cody got out of the truck and Shep gathered them up, pulling them back to his side.

  “I know. I’ll be careful,” Cody promised. “I’m used to it, Shep. They’ve been giving me a hard time since I was a kid. I never fit in anywhere except the theater. That’s why I go there.”

  “How’s the set look?” Shep smiled and dabbed at the smear of yellow paint on Cody’s cheek.

  “It looks good. After this week, we’ll be ready for opening night. It’s actually good to go out and relax now.”

  “Why?”

  “Tech week, with Dottie?” Cody laughed. He patted Shep’s shoulder. “You’re in for a treat. Don’t forget to cover up that tattoo on your chest, Master Carson.”

  “I’ll try to remember that,” Shep said, smiling at him. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  TWO

  Shep stood naked in the shower bobbing his head to the beat of the music he had blasting in the bathroom. He sang along with the song as he washed. Yes. This was going to be a great night! He could feel it. He rinsed his body off, shut off the water and grabbed a towel, stepping out of the shower.

  Shep stood in front of the mirror admiring himself as he dried the water off of his skin. The demon’s face appeared in the mirror. Shep gasped and turned around. The music faded away.

  “My slave...”

  “What the fuck?” Shep grumbled. He swung but the demon grabbed him, turning him to face the mirror.

  “I need you. Now!”

  “Let go!”

  “You want this.”

  “No...” Shep protested but he quickly weakened as the long tongue slid down between his shoulder blades. It traveled over his spine and through his crack to his hole. It flickered there, like a hot candle flame, pulsating. “Jesus..!”

  “Beg. Beg for it,” the demon commanded.

  “Fuck me,” Shep moaned, “Fuck me with your tongue, Master.” He bent over, grasping the sink with his hands. He surrendered.

  The long tongue sank into his ass deep and it wiggled until Shep’s hard cock spurted cum onto the tile floor. He roared as the demon’s dick slammed into him relentlessly pounding his hole. He slipped, went to his knees and bent forward, leaving his ass in the air. It was a position of complete submission, total surrender. Hot gooey thick cum oozed from his hole and covered his ass…

  The tile floor was cold. Shep opened his eyes, finding himself in the submissive position. “The fuck..?” he asked aloud, in a hoarse whisper. He felt his hole with his finger tips. It was thrumming from being used but there was no cum.

  He stood up and rushed out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut, quick! “Jesus! Jesus H Christ!” he growled. “The fuck is going on?” The skin around his tattoo on his chest grew hot. It burned. Shep looked down. His skin was red and it was inflamed. There couldn’t be an infection! He’d gotten the tattoo years ago.

  Was he losing his mind?

>   He saw the demon again. He fucking felt it!

  It was there.

  His phone began vibrating. It was in the bathroom. Shep took a deep breath and swung the door open. No demon. The bathroom was empty. The phone continued to vibrate. Shep grabbed it without looking to see who was calling and he answered it.

  It was Daniel.

  “Master, please, you have to come back to me. I’m lost without you. I need you, Shep.”

  Shep closed his eyes in frustration and anger. Daniel was drunk. Shep recognized the telling change in his voice instantly. They’d been together a long time, too long. “Where are you?”

  “I’m at home, our home, and I’m all by myself. I’m sorry Shep. He didn’t mean anything to me. I swear...”

  “I told you it’s over.”

  “I’m going to lose everything! This apartment! Everything! I can’t pay for this! Don’t you care? You were going to marry me and now, you don’t care about me at all?”

  “That’s right. I don’t.”

  “Shep...”

  “You killed every feeling I had for you. You betrayed me,” Shep stated. “You’re the one who broke the contract, Daniel, not me. We agreed. No one else in the bed. Isn’t that what we agreed on?”

  “Yes, but...”

  “There is no ‘but’. I’m moving on without you, Daniel.”

  “No, no,” Daniel begged, “please don’t say that, Shep. Please. I’ll make it up to you. Just this once, forgive me.”

  Damn it, Daniel was so weak and soft. He was fragile. “I can’t,” Shep said. “I don’t have it in me to forgive you. You let him take you in my bed, my bed!” Shep roared into the phone. He was furious.

  His good mood was gone. It went away as fast as a light being turned off.

  Daniel was crying, sobbing softly into the phone. “I can’t make it without you, Shep.”

  “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  “I won’t. Please come back home to me, please?”

  Shep’s eyes moistened. “I can’t trust you anymore. You left me with nothing Danny, nothing. Find someone else. I’m done.” He tapped the phone and disconnected the call.

  A cool Autumn breeze blew through the hole in the roof and Shep shivered. He was standing in the bedroom where Trudy Sterling died. The window was open. He walked over to shut it and paused, thinking about how far she’d been leaning out of it. Was she bent over the window frame by the demon? “No. No way! What am I, nuts?” Shep asked aloud. What if the demon was fucking her?

  She was trying to get rid of him. Had she pissed the demon off? Did he make the tree fall and kill her?

  “That is crazy. That is cra-zy,” Shep stated, continuing to talk to himself, aloud, “You’re losing your mind. It’s finally happened.” He drew in a deep breath and shuddered as he exhaled. It was six-thirty pm.

  He had to get dressed and go get Cody.

  THREE

  Cody checked his look in the mirror again. Could he do this? Should he? Shep said he wanted to get to know him, the real him. Well, here he was with his hair slicked back on one side leaving the other side to fall loose and sexy down over his eyes, his cool blue eyes. They were lined with black and touched up with just the right shade of a lavender shadow. A hint of blush showed off the hollows of his sculpted cheeks. He loved that he had high cheekbones. It made him feel debonair, like a hot runway model. He chose his tight, black skinny jeans to show off his ass but he still hadn’t decided on a shirt.

  He had so many to choose from!

  Frantically, he flipped the hangers in the closet aside. “No, no, no...Yes!” He found it! It was perfect for a casual night out and yet, it was stylish. It was a lavender V-neck, a crop top, with a cute hoodie, and lace strings. Best of all, it showed off his tan, bare flat stomach.

  He heard the engine of Shep’s truck as it pulled into the driveway and Cody dove into the top, pulling it on. He swished his hair to one side and winked at himself in the mirror. He started to run down the steps but caught himself. Don’t seem too anxious. It’s a first date! Yes. We know this. But let’s calm down, shall we? He opened the door to present himself and gave a nervous smile. Shep was staring at him. Too much? Oh God, it’s too much. Way to go Over The Top With Everything Cody! Shep smiled at him. It was a genuine, warm smile and Cody began to breathe again.

  “I think you were right,” Shep said as Cody got into the truck.

  “About?”

  “I’m going to have to take you.”

  Cody gulped. “Tonight?”

  “Relax,” Shep said, grinning. “You look great.”

  “Really? You like the way I look?”

  “You’re gorgeous.”

  “Thank you,” Cody said, trying to remain calm and debonair but inside 4th of July fireworks were having a grand finale. “You look nice, too.”

  “Thanks. I don’t have a lot of options at the moment,” Shep said. “Most of my clothes are back home.”

  “You didn’t bring anything with you?”

  “Just a backpack,” Shep admitted.

  “You walked out on him?”

  “Yeah,” Shep said. “Listen, let’s not talk about Daniel. This is our night.”

  “You’re right, of course,” Cody agreed quickly. He didn’t want to talk about Daniel either. “Where are the pups?”

  “They’re okay. I fixed up a stall in the barn for them. They have everything they need,” Shep said. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.” He noticed the Halloween decorations on the houses along the street. “I can’t believe it’s almost Halloween...”

  “It’s always Halloween here,” Cody said.

  “Is your house haunted?”

  “No. The ghosts don’t want to live there,” Cody told him. He paused. “Did you see your demon?”

  “He’s not my demon...”

  “You saw him again!”

  “He spends more time with you than I do.”

  Shep smirked. “Are you jealous?”

  “I know what that demon is capable of,” Cody said. “Why do you think Trudy wanted to get rid of it? She wasn’t into what it wanted all the time.”

  “Can we talk about something else?” Shep asked. Cody fell silent and Shep paused. “I’m sorry. I don’t believe in this paranormal stuff. There has to be a logical explanation.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there’s a logical explanation for everything.”

  “Is there?” Cody asked.

  “Well, sure,” Shep said. “With enough investigation, you can find out the answer to anything.”

  “Did...did you find out whose hand was in that jar in your basement?”

  “Not yet,” Shep said. “They’re still running tests on it.” He crossed the county line and drove along a busy street. “Where do you want to eat?”

  Cody shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “What do you like?”

  “No one ever asked me.”

  “I’m asking you,” Shep said. Cody was silent. “What about that place? It looks good.”

  “Okay,” Cody said, timidly.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing...I...”

  Shep looked at him. “You’re not too sure about this, are you? You’re worried about going into the restaurant with me.”

  “It’s not you. It’s me. I’m sorry.”

  “I have an idea,” Shep said. He drove the truck down the street until he found a fast-food chicken place. He ordered enough for the two of them and a couple of desserts. When the girl handed him the bag, he gave it to Cody. He drove until he saw the park with a bridge and a pond. There was no one around. “Do you think it’s too late in the year for a picnic?”

  Cody smiled, surprised. “No. This is great!”

  “You don’t like crowds, do you?”

  “No Sir,” Cody said, “but this will be fine.”

  FOUR

  Cody smiled as they walked over the bridge to the other side of the park. It was quiet and secluded. The walkway w
as lined with flowers and the grass was freshly trimmed. It looked like a storybook. He glanced at Shep. His date was tall, with wavy black hair, smoldering dark eyes and a lean, muscular body.

  “How’s that for a view?” Shep asked, motioning to the sunset beyond the pond.

  “It’s perfect,” Cody agreed.

  They sat down together and ate, watching the sun sink lower beyond the horizon.

  “I wish I could stay here,” Cody said, quietly.

  “In this town?”

  “No, it’s the same as our town. There isn’t much of a difference. I mean, I’d like to stay right here in this park, with you, forever.”

  Shep smiled and put his arm along the bench behind Cody. “Well, we don’t have to rush back. It’s nice to slow things down once in a while. I don’t do it often enough.”

  “I don’t either,” Cody said. “Ever since my dad was killed, I haven’t stopped. If I stop, I’ll start thinking again and I don’t want to.”

  “About what was in that letter he wrote?”

  “Yeah. It was pretty bad.”

  “You don’t have to tell me,” Shep said.

  “I know he didn’t kill himself, Shep. I know he didn’t. Whoever wrote the letter blamed everything on me. It said that he was ashamed of having a gay son and that he couldn’t face anyone in town. He wasn’t happy about it after I told him but...he...” Cody sighed and shifted uneasily. “I don’t think he cared that much about me to end his own life over it.”

  “I’m sure he cared...”

  “No, he liked my older brother Brock a lot better. They had more in common and they’d go off hunting or to work on a car. They never asked me to come along.”

  “Do you mind if I read the letter?” Shep asked.

  “Uncle Joe has it. You can read it if you want to but I don’t think it’ll do any good.”

  “It might. Sometimes people leave clues they didn’t intend to leave behind.”

  “It always comes back to this, doesn’t it?” Cody stood up, picked up a rock and skipped it across the pond.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No, I’m the one who mentioned my dad. It’s okay. I guess until it’s settled in my mind, it will keep coming back. Like with you and your ex, Daniel.”