Page 92 of The King of Halloween
He expected the parade route to be a little busy, maybe a few cars stopped at lights waiting for the chance to go. But there were thousands of people lining both sides of the street. It took him half an hour just to drive a block. Accepting his fate, he’d parked in the first spot he found and dashed for the parade nearly a mile away. Children were everywhere, shaking tiny buckets of orange and black popcorn while cheering for the floats. Balloons shaped like murderous clowns, bloody knives, and ravens floated on by. A brass version of Night on Bald Mountain rang out as a band marched past.
Raj tried to muscle his way through, saying it was on city business. Some of the kids and adults gave him the stink eye, but he had to get a sense of the route. He’d be at the end, proud as a damn peacock for all he’d done.
At least Raj hadn’t missed him.
A float turned a corner, and he caught a hint of orange. That had to be Adam. Without a thought, Raj took off in the opposite direction of the parade. Tiny cars with paper batwings whizzed around him, honking. A couple of ninety-year-old men told him to get off the damn road, but he had his target in sight.
I asked him. No, I told him to leave it to me. That I had to do this, to prove to them… To prove to myself that I could do it. I could create a hotel out of nothing, one so popular that people would have their Halloween weddings here. They’d talk about it fondly on their golden anniversaries. But no, he had to throw his weight around, like always, and get to be the hero riding in to save my ass.
There!
Just past the flatbed with a group of zombie girls dancing to Thriller was the pumpkin throne. Instead of sitting on it, Adam stood. He waved his hand and threw candy to the crowd. They cheered, loving him for it.
Of course they do, he’s so fucking lovable it’s infuriating.
Raj walked straight into the road. A long stick covered in denim slammed right in front of him. He jerked back in surprise, and a man on stilts weaved to the side. “Whoa!” the very tall scarecrow cried out. For a second, Stitches looked about to meet the pavement, but he got his footing under him.
As he skittered away, he shouted back to Raj, “Who the hell walks under a man on stilts?”
He hadn’t even seen him. Raj’s heart pounded as he did his best to look around and not trip any very tall monsters. The coast looked clear, and he took off after Adam’s float.
Down at ground level, Raj had to peer up at the pumpkin head. All he could see of Adam was a hint of his skin under the giant gourd. “Hey,” he shouted, briskly walking along the parade. “I need to talk to you!”
“Raj? What are you doing?” Adam asked, then he flung a bunch of tootsie rolls into the crowd.
“No, what are you doing?” Raj tried to keep up, but it was like walking in sand for him. Shaking his head, he jogged back to the float’s side. “I asked you to stay out of my business.”
“Can we talk later?” Adam said.So I was right. He used his damn influence.Raj’s depleted body got the kick it needed. With the last of his energy, he threw his foot up onto the flatbed, got a good grip on the fake throne, and hauled his ass onto the float.
“No. I asked you. I told you. This is mine.”
“I know. I’ve been trying to call you, to text you, but you said you were busy.”
“I am, because I’m trying to run a goddamn hotel for Halloween and…” Raj’s last nerve shattered. “Will someone kill that shitty music?” he shouted at the marching band.
A horn blurted, then faded like a dying balloon. The crowd went quiet, everyone staring at the man here to ruin their fun. Well, he could glare right back. All he’d tried to do was be nice, and they took his ballroom, then his ballroom again. His haunt wasn’t scary enough, or it was too scary.
Oh yeah, well…
“Raj, maybe you should sit down.” Adam started to reach for him. “You don’t look so—”
Raj slapped his hand away. “I’m fine. I have this. It’s my hotel. I can do it. I can…” Whoa. Bubbles floated in his head. He clung to his skull, trying to keep it from tipping over.
“You are, Raj. People love your hotel.”
“Because of you. They love you, not…” His chest tightened as he stared up the nose of the pumpkin to catch a single silver-blue eye. “Adam,” he gasped.
Like cutting the strings of a marionette, the last sinew gave out on Raj Choudhary. He plunged backward, unable to even try to catch himself. The shock hit him first, then the pain as he stared into the rolling blue sky.
It sure is beautiful today.
“Raj?” Darkness crept in, dragging him under. All he could hear was a tearful plea wrapped up in his name. “Raj!”
Adam…
?CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
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