Garner working as a waiter at an upscale restaurant with a growing attraction to a man named Alonzo, who always asks to be put in his section for dinner. One night after work, the man is assaulted while trailing Garner. Garner goes to his aid, but is shot for his trouble.<br><br>Taking time off from work to recover, Garner is resting on a park bench when Alonzo suddenly appears at the other end of the bench. Garner never saw him approach. He asks why Alonzo is trailing him.<br><br>After some hesitation, Alonzo explains he wants to recruit Garner to help fight against others who systematically hunt people like himself. Garner isn’t inclined to get involved in anything dangerous, but he does finds Alonzo more and more attractive, so he agrees to consider the idea. As he learns more about Alonzo’s bizarre and dangerous subculture, what Garner really wants to know is whether Alonzo is romantically interested in him at all.

Call to Love

“No,” he said at last. “Not tonight anyway. Not this one; he’s done too much damage. Maybe I was wrong about him, as Connor said.” He gave a bark of angry laughter and added in a quiet, menacing voice, “Right now, it’s all I can do to keep from pumping another bullet into him.”


Garner, to his own surprise, said, “Why not?” He wasn’t buying whatever story they were selling. “You killed the other guy for less—just because he had something you wanted.”


Cory stared coldly at Garner for almost a minute. Then he shrugged and shook his head. He turned to his companions. “Let’s clean this up.”


Garner and Vera watched the three begin to pick up bits of equipment.


“Look, I’m sorry about the equipment—” Garner began.


But they ignored him. They were about to turn away, when Cory turned his head and glared at Garner. “Not this,” he said. “You just screwed up a perfectly fine take down.” Then he added, “Vera.”


Chapter 21