Page 13 of Baiting Kong

“Some fuckhead in a busted-up Neon decided to lead the cops on a little thrill ride that ended when his vehicle gave up the ghost and he got himself hit by a car trying to flee on foot,” Duggan said. “I saw the whole thing go down when I was stuck in traffic while the cops had the highway blocked off.”

“How the hell did he get hit, then?”

“Another asshole in a hurry, trying to race to the front of the line of cars to wedge himself in instead of waiting.”

“Oh, that’s karma right there,” Danger said. “You don’t come in our town and fuck with the Martinezes or anyone else living here.”

“Did something happen to Mr. and Mrs. Martinez?” Kong asked.

Having rolled in from the opposite side of town after being at a job site all morning, he hadn’t driven past the gas station or stopped anywhere before holing up in his cabin with his work.

“Someone tried to rob the gas station,” Danger said. “A couple of someone’s, apparently. All dead now, according to the news report. The first two died at the scene.”

“The fuck, how the hell does that happen?”

“No clue, man, they didn’t give any details on that,” Danger said. “Just that two of the perpetrators died on the scene. I’m guessing the cops shot them. A lady was hit too, but they haven’t released her name. As soon as they do, we can start looking at what can be done to help the family. I hope she makes it.”

“I heard Scout was there and saw it all go down,” Duggan remarked.

“Hope he hit the deck when the shots started flying,” Kong remarked. “He don’t even carry a piece, just a knife that’s almost too big to legally be carried concealed.”

“Well, now you know as much as we know,” Duggan said. “So why don’t you dig up the real dirt the next time you’ve got him pinned somewhere?”

“When I get him pinned somewhere, the last thing on my mind will be picking his brain for information on something I can read about in the paper while I sip my coffee.”

“I can appreciate your priorities, but I still wanna know what went down.”

“Because outside of Teddy, who is a non-factor these days, you’re the biggest gossip in this whole damned club,” Danger pointed out. “Don’t ever have to worry about anyone making an announcement about anything around this place. I swear you know when someone is pregnant before they pee on the fuckin’ stick, ya nosy bastard.”

Duggan didn’t even try to defend himself; he just laughed and drained his glass, then bellowed for a shot.

“I’ll get it before you get your head kicked in,” Kong announced, standing, since he needed another beer. “Can’t you see she’s getting slammed up there?”

Whether Duggan noticed and just didn’t care or was completely oblivious to how packed the room was tonight, who the fuck knew? Other people were rarely his concern unless it was to talk shit about them. He was always clutch in a pinch, though, never flinching even when shit went so far south they were forced to solve it through less diplomatic means, and there wasn’t a damn thing he’d say behind someone’s back that Duggan was afraid to say to their faces. He just liked to run his mouth and draw people’s attention until he had them hanging on his every word. All that attention seeking was likely to get him killed one day, though so far he’d just lost a tooth when Creature knocked it down his throat one rainy afternoon.

Now that had been a sight to see and warranted. So damned warranted, Duggan had practically signed up for the tooth extraction and the split lip and sore jaw that had gone along with it. He’d no sooner set the glasses down and stood waiting for Kat to notice him when a slinky, purple-haired minx sashayed up to him and hooked an arm around his hip.

“Care for something that doesn’t come in a glass?” the man asked as Kong peered down at yet another newcomer, wondering who the hell had brought this one in and why.

“I’m good for now,” Kong started to say, only a sudden burst of music drowned out his words, as the opening guitar chords to Buckcherry’sCrazy Bitchblared forth from the speakers.

Stunned, he could only stand speechless and rapidly growing hard as the purple-haired man hooked one leg over his hip and leaned back, rocking to the beat of the music.

Oh, what the fuck?

Who the hell did he have to thank for this? While he was struggling to decide if this was a real come-on or a practical joke, the man awkwardly unhooked his leg, spun and swiveled his hips, prancing in a clumsy circle that was all gyration and overexaggerated shoulder movements.

Was he high? Drunk? Whatever the fuck he was doing, he couldn’t dance worth a damn, despite the song being a favorite among the strippers at the club. Had to give him an A for effort, though, and an A plus for his exuberance and determination to finish the song. A shower of laughter, whistles, catcalls, and shouted suggestions for someone to get up there and show him how it was supposed to be done slowly began to compete with the music.

Aw, shit. There was no polite stepping away, either. Not when the man either had a hand on his arm, one of his shoulders, his body rubbing against Kong’s ass as he moved around behind him, or a leg kicked over his hip as he attempted to swing around him and use him as a stripper pole, something he was absolutely incapable of managing without near disaster.

Kong locked an arm around his back to keep him from falling before tugging him close to his body and slipping a thigh between his legs, in part to give him something stationary to grind on, but mostly to keep him from tripping over his own two feet and landing on the floor. At least the guy took the hint and rode his thigh while he wrapped his arms around Kong’s neck and clung. Unfortunately, he was tall enough to lock them together, which also meant he was tall enough to get bold.

They’d have landed in a heap if Kong wasn’t built like an oak tree, as the crazy little wannabe dancer leapt into Kong’s arms, wrapped his legs around Kong’s hips, and started bouncing like a demented kangaroo.

And then he tried to flip himself.

He’d have managed it too if Kong hadn’t tightened his hold when he tried to tip backwards and dangle.

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