Kill Game by Francine Pascal

Author:Francine Pascal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Pulse

no reason newcomers

should put up

with this nonsense

YOU’RE BEING SCOPED

Slamming the back door of Catherine’s Altima, walking across the gravel parking area in front of Johnny Ray’s, Kim knew that the Quantico area wouldn’t exactly be a hotbed of activity for the gay community. There was no question that this was a “straight” bar. From the outside, it looked like a roadhouse. A buzzing neon sign advertised Coors Light in one window. A bored-looking young man wearing a sleeveless black T-shirt and a cowboy hat stood by the door. The circumference of his upper arms and his lack of neck suggested he was a bouncer, but God help the poor soul who actually got into a fight—the guy was practically asleep. It was fully dark now: looking up, Kim could barely make out the stars between the heavy electrical cables that stretched across the parking lot. Loud country-and-western music played from within the bar; through the bright yellow windows, Kim could see a blurred, shadowy view of a crowd moving around. In the background, behind the music, Kim could hear the wind rustling in the nearby trees and crickets conducting their nocturnal symphony.

As soon as Kim pushed open the heavy, leather-covered door, he was struck by a wall of sound. The smell of beer was overpowering. A jukebox was playing “Stand by Your Man”—with a smile, Kim recognized the Dixie Chicks cover. The western theme was continued in the clothes. Beyond the wide floor, dotted with round wooden tables, a dance floor with a glittering witch’s ball overhead was filled with a dozen or so pretty boys in cowboy hats dancing to the song, the capped sleeves of their sequined shirts showing off their thick upper arms. All the boys were smiling, clearly having a great time.

“Definitely gay night.” Kim leaned to tell Catherine. He had to speak loudly to be heard over the deafening music.

“All those boys are gay?” Catherine pouted comically. “What a tragedy.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, the first round’s on me,” Will said grandly, gesturing them toward the bar.

Two couples were just vacating their bar stools. Catherine and Will dashed over and claimed them. Will pulled out a bar stool for Gaia, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“That’s really not necessary,” Gaia told him, speaking loudly over the music.

“Then I’ll take it. Thank you, sir,” Catherine said, sliding between them and taking the stool Will had pulled out.

“Evening,” a young woman called out to them as a surge in the crowd pressed her against them. She was shorter than Catherine but slender, with rough, tanned skin, wearing a blue denim shirt and a waitress’s apron. Her honey brown hair was pulled back from her pretty face. “Sorry—I can’t move. You new in town?”

“Yes, ma’am—we just got two days ago,” Will said. Kim noticed that Will actually made a token gesture toward his forehead, as if tipping a cowboy hat. “Nice place you have here.”

“Well, thank you!” The waitress stuck out her hand. “Name’s Kelly—welcome to Johnny Ray’s.

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