Page 38 of Death in the New Year

“Excuse me, would you like to dance?” asked the man. Khloe looked up at him in the darkness. She could see that he was older but was reasonably handsome. He was wearing dark jeans and a sweater with dirty running shoes. She looked back at Jonas and then at the man again.

“Sure. I’d like that,” she said. She took his hand, and he squeezed it a little too hard, pulling her toward the dance floor. This was going to be a quick dance, for sure.

Jonas stared at the couple, then felt the others staring at him.

“What? She can dance with whoever she likes.”

“Brother, whatever is eating at you, figure it the fuck out. She’s a keeper all the way. You need to make sure of it,” said JT.

“It’s complicated.”

“It always is,” laughed Moose. Jonas felt someone tap his shoulder and turned to see U-Jin pointing at the dance floor.

“It looks as if she does not want to dance with him any longer. You might want to let him know that is not correct.”

Jonas turned to see the man tugging on Khloe’s hand, pulling her toward the steps to the docks. He immediately pushed his way through the crowd and instinctively knew that the others were moving to block the man as well.

“Let me go!” yelled Khloe above the music.

“You’re a sinner! A whore and a sinner!” said the man.

“God, let me go,” she cried again.

“God won’t help you now.”

“No, but I will,” said Jonas. He grabbed the man’s elbow, wrenching it upwards, forcing him to release his grip on Khloe. She fell backwards, and U-Jin and Moose immediately helped her up and pushed her toward the other medical team members.

“Are you alright, honey?” asked Ajei.

“My hand,” she sniffed. “I think he broke my hand.”

“Fucker, you better have a good reason for trying to take that girl,” said Jonas, staring at the man. He was hiding his face, downturned so no one could see him in the light. He continued to back up toward the steps when JT gripped the ball cap the man was wearing and tossed it.

“Reverend Sizemore, or should we say Morley Standard,” growled Luke.

Sizemore pulled his weapon, pointing it at the crowd. In his other hand, he had a grenade with the pin pulled, dangling from his finger. The crowd panicked, screaming and running toward the other side of the decks, giving Sizemore the advantage.

“Get everyone to safety,” said Luke. “Follow him!”

“Luke, we need a boat to get Khloe back to the hospital. I think her hand is broken,” said Ajei.

Luke stared at the man racing his small bateau out of the bayou and then back at their new doctor. Instead of risking lives in the dark, he called his father to notify him of what had happened.

Sizemore was in their neck of the woods and didn’t even know it. It wouldn’t matter. He’d be removed permanently, one way or another.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Those men! How could they know who he was? He had a ball cap on, and he’d disguised himself. They couldn’t be smarter than he was.

The woman he was after. She would have been perfect for his finale tonight. After all, she was already dressed for the holiday. Her skintight outfit made her look like the whore she was. That satin blouse was showing off her breasts, her nipples poking through the thin fabric.

He tried to be kind, woo her with his charm, but she kept pulling away from him on the dance floor. How dare she do that!

When he was certain he’d lost the men from the bar, he slowed the tiny boat down and shone the lights into the bayou. It was easy to get lost back here, but the bar had been kind enough to point the way for those wanting to visit. He just needed to get back to the dock where he’d stolen the boat and to his car. Then, he could head back into town and find what he needed.

It was now after midnight. The parties were in full swing, and everyone was probably too drunk to recognize what he was doing or capable of. As always, the Quarter would provide what he needed most. Blood.

It was really simple. Blood turned him on. It made him excited. It made him want more. It made him thirsty, hungry, and feeling adventurous. A little bit of blood, and he was a happy man. Blood from a sinner was even better, and thankfully, there was no shortage of those.

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