Page 5 of Anthem of Love and Loathing

The main floor is as busy as usual. Bartenders are running trays of drinks to tables. The girls are flirting with clients they hope will be big spenders in the back rooms. Sapphire and the other girls working the poles in the middle of the room are encouraging the men watching to tuck tips into their bikinis.

Everyone is carrying on as usual. Unaware that Heaven and Loverboi or whatever his real name is, are lying dead in the VIP room.

I take another breath and continuing scanning the room. My eyes lock on the back of the familiar man sitting at the bar. Shit. He’s still here. And worse? So is Gary. They are talking.

I need to move.

Wobbly legs, stomach full of nerves, I rush across the main floor as quickly as I can while trying not to appear out of sorts. Do not draw attention. Get into the back room, grab your bag, and get the hell out. Pretend you were never here.

Gary claps the man on the back. He grins as they talk. They seem almost friendly. They walk toward the room with the dead bodies. Did Gary know he was going to kill that guy? Did he send me in there aware that there was a good chance I’d be murdered too? Is that why there was no one watching out for me?

It is, isn’t it? But at least that means Walt is safe.

The sultry music changes to the dirty, gritty crooning of L.A. Riot.

Kill me now. Why can’t I escape him today? It’s like he’s doing it on purpose, like he knows what damn day this is. The beginning of the end.

The girls on the poles switch up. Sapphire leaves the stage for the floor a few feet in front of me. She catches sight of me and her expression turns catty.

I try to sidestep her by changing my route, but she alters hers to get in my way. Whatever her problem is, she’s been nasty to me since I started at Scarlet. Making snide comments or being an outright bitch.

“You’re in my section.” She steps into my path.

Any second Gary will realize I’m not in the room like I’m meant to be. I jostle past her. It’s not like I’ll ever see her face again. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Skank.” Sapphire snaps, shoving me.

My balance compromised, I fall to the floor with a yelp. My ankle is throbbing.

Sapphire swaggers toward the bar with a giggle as I try to gain my composure. My ankle twinges painfully as I stand back up and survey the room.

Our eyes meet. Recognition flares.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

He says something to Gary before stalking toward me. Gary walks around the outskirts, closing in from the other direction.

I have to get out of here. Fast.

Ignoring my ankle, I sprint.

2

Kelsey

“Jailbait,” his taunting voice follows me down the hallway where the storerooms and dressing rooms are. “It’s been a long time.”

It has been a long time. It's been six years. Six years since I've heard his voice. Six years since I last saw his sneering face. Six years which was not nearly long enough for me to forget the fear he instills in me. My body starts to tremble as I run. I have never forgotten what living with him and his father was like. There was a reason I had gotten away from him. Away from Marco. I had hoped to never see my foster brother again.

“And you are still so fine.”

My skin crawls. I move faster.

Click.

“Jailbait,” his tone is menacing. His footsteps sure. “You saw something you weren’t supposed to see.”

The exit is up ahead.