"Karen Koehler - Slayer 03 - Immortal" - читать интересную книгу автора (Koehler Karen)

тАЬDamn, girl,тАЭ said Bess, staring at the clock, тАЬyou gonna be late for your own funeral.тАЭ

Late?

тАЬOh my God! When was my set?тАЭ Irena asked more to herself than to anyone in the room. She checked
the wall clock again and saw she was already ten minutes into her first set. Oh Jesus GodтАжJP was going
to have a fit and might even fire her! And then she really would need Mr. PimpтАЩs job!

Gulping down her coffee and smashing out her cigarette, Irena rushed for the door. The sight and odor
of the club hit her like a wall, making her feel like she was running through molasses. The booze, the
smoke, the spilt blood from upstairsтАжthere was some nights she actually felt her head spin from it all, like
she was drunk on nothing. And so she was not entirely certain if it was real or if she was just hazing out
when JP grabbed her arm from out of nowhere. He was just suddenly there with her backstage, hurting
her.

Irena stopped dead in her tracks.
тАЬMa cher,тАЭ Jean Paul said, his voice almost like a purr across her skin. Like a tongue. At least, that was
what it might feel like to others. For her it was like an electrical charge. She hated his voice. She hated
being anywhere near him.

тАЬIтАЩm sorry,тАЭ Irena stammered. тАЬI lost track of time.тАЭ

JP looked unconcerned. тАЬYou look unwell.тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩm fine,тАЭ Irena said. Her hand suddenly felt very hot.

JP seemed to notice too. He let her go, flicked a lock of hair out of her eyes, and put his left hand over
his right where it rested atop his antique walking stick. He was dapper as always in a pristine white suit
and a tie as red as a crimson tongue. As always, he reminded Irena more of a priest than a pimp. He
smiled, but it was a smile full of promise. Not like a priestтАЩs at all. тАЬWe need to talk. After.тАЭ

Irena nodded, too frightened suddenly to say or do anything but watch his storm-grey eyes watch her
back. He looked like a man until you looked more closely at him. Then he looked like a man-eating tiger
watching you from between the tall grass, waiting to strike.

тАЬI better go,тАЭ Irena said, her voice a mere whisper. She felt her heart running like a clock in her chest.

тАЬOui.тАЭ JPтАЩs hand lifted and he touched her face with the back of his hand. Fingernails like glass whisked
across her cheek. тАЬButтАжafter.тАЭ

тАЬAfter?тАЭ

тАЬI believe it is time you understood many things.тАЭ

Irena did not know what that meant, did not know what things there were to understand, but she also
had no interest suddenly in finding out. She stepped backwards, unwilling to take her eyes off of him.
Then, when she was a safe distance away, she turned and rushed headlong through the heavy purple
stage curtain and let the music and the dance have her and drive some of the eternal frustration out of her
soul.