Ante Up by Kim Fielding

Author:Kim Fielding [Fielding, Kim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay romance
ISBN: 978-1-63533-948-2
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2017-11-14T23:00:00+00:00

PETER returned about two hours later. This time, he explained as he sat next to Ante, he’d abandoned the Mercedes not far from downtown, then bought something considerably more down-market from a used car dealer.

“Bought?” Ante asked. He could move his arms now and lift his legs, but he couldn’t bend his knees.

“Bought. With money.” There was that devilish grin again, as if he were a small child who’d played a good trick on someone. “Okay, three hundred bucks may be a hell of a deal for a five-year-old Taurus. But he’s a used car salesman! How many customers do you think he’s cheated over the years?”

Ante sighed and decided a discussion of ethics was misplaced. “Thank you for taking care of these things.”

“Of course. But, um, it’s almost dark. And you don’t look like you’re ready to roll.”

“You should—”

“Stow it. Not leaving without you.” He smoothed Ante’s eyebrow, which had mostly grown back. “When do you think you’ll be mobile?”

Ante did some calculations and estimates. “Tonight, I think. But late.”

“So we won’t get far before sunrise. And there’s mostly a whole lot of nothing around here, no matter which way we go. The desert isn’t good vampire country.”

“Primm!” Ante exclaimed.

“Huh?”

“The town. At the California border, yes?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ve been through there. It’s just a few casinos and an outlet mall.”

“But it is not in Vegas, and it is less than forty-five minutes away. We will be safe there for a day, I think. And more comfortable.” He patted the hard floor.

“I’d love a hot shower and a decent bed. Preferably with you in it, intact. But what makes Primm so much safer than here?”

Since they had time to kill, Ante told him a story. When Vegas had been run by mobsters instead of vampires, sometimes the mobsters had bodies to dispose of. They didn’t necessarily want to off-road in their flashy cars. So they’d take the bodies as far as Primm, where convenient parking lots edged right up to open desert. When the Mafia’s influence dimmed and the Shadows took over, Lee and his cohorts were hesitant to go anywhere near Primm. Unpleasant atmosphere, they said. Unsettled spirits. So they left it alone.

Peter listened intently, munching on Goldfish crackers and M&M’s. After the story was over, he grinned. “So thanks to lazy mobsters and superstitious bloodsuckers, we get a hideout.”

“Not for long. If the Shadows learn we are there, they will overcome their fears. But we should be safe for a day.”

“And after that?”

“I do not know.”

Surprisingly, Peter seemed unconcerned. “Okay. At least we have the start of a plan. That’s way better than no plan at all.”

Ante was no optimist, but with Peter stroking his skin again, agreeing felt easy. He gave a small smile before allowing himself to glide into sleep.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.