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

“Perhaps,” she began again, “it’s partly because I knew him so well—being his big sister. I washed him as a baby, for instance.” She chuckled, and then frowned. “As well as anyone did, except for your mother. Like I said, they just fiteach other. It was really quite beautiful.” Aunt Jenny blinked several times and had to pause. “It—reminded me of Donald and me.”


“Yes. Yes, it was.” She turned to him. “And that’s why they wanted to be alone, just for a few days.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “Though you were a very good little boy.”


Garner cringed slightly, but said nothing.


“I think,” his aunt continued, “that Janet fascinated me. She was so—unusual, so much herself. I admired that, I think.”


Chapter 81