Blue Velvet Read Free

little pig eyes. The eyes reminded him vaguely of someone. George. That was it. Good old greedy gut, Uncle George. He felt his antagonism swell with a sudden intensity that had nothing to do with logic. The Uncle Georges of the world managed to snatch quite enough for themselves without having it handed to them on a plate. There was no way he was going to let pig eyes here get his hands onanything he wanted. And he was beginning to want Kate more every second.
    As the tense silence lengthened, Kate glanced furtively at the leather-banded watch on her wrist and then stared at Beau. “Please go,” she ordered. “Now!”
    “Not until you go with me.”
    The bearded man’s hand dropped away from Kate’s hip and he scowled menacingly. “I told you to—”
    The lights flickered and Kate’s face went tense with strain and exasperation. “Oh, damn!” She reached for the bourbon bottle in the middle of the table. “Triple damn!” She brought the bottle down forcefully on Ralph’s head. “I told you to leave,” she wailed at Beau as Ralph’s eyes glazed over and he slumped forward, knocked unconscious by Kate’s blow. “Why couldn’t you do it, blast it?”
    The lights went out and sudden darkness threw the patrons into an uproar. Their shouts muted the screech of hurriedly pushed back chairs and were followed by angry curses as they stumbled around.
    “I’ll remember next time how strongly youtend to reinforce your wishes,” Beau said dryly. “You didn’t have to get rid of him yourself, you know. I would have done it for you. Besides the fact that he was in our way, he reminded me very unpleasantly of Uncle George.”
    “Oh, be quiet,” Kate muttered. “You almost ruined everything. I was trying to keep his guard down and you had him practically bristling.”
    Beau’s eyes were becoming accustomed to the darkness now and he could see that Kate was moving around the table toward the gray-haired man who’d remained in blissful alcoholic unconsciousness during the entire episode. What the devil was she up to now?
    “Kate?”
    The voice was strong and masculine and came from the direction of the door.
    “Over here,” Kate called. She was tugging at the gray-haired man’s chair. “Straight forward and all the way to the back.”
    “May I help?” Beau asked politely.
    “Just stay out of the way,” Kate said crossly. “You’ve been enough bother. We don’t have much time left.” A huge hulking shadow appeared at her side.
    “Kate?” It was the voice from the doorway, a trifle subdued now.
    “I’m standing right beside him, Julio.” Kate’s tone was relieved. “I’ve taken care of Despard but someone is bound to find a flashlight soon. We’ve got to get Jeffrey out of here before Simmons comes barreling out of that back room.”
    “Don’t worry. I’ll have him out of here and safe in just a minute.” Julio’s soothing answer had a trace of a Spanish accent as he bent forward and lifted the smaller man onto his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. “You go ahead and make sure there’s no one in front of me.”
    “I’ll run interference,” Beau offered. He was becoming more intrigued every moment. “Providing you’re not plotting any dire fate for that inanimate object you’re carrying. You’re not planning on committing murder as well as assault, I hope?”
    The enormous shadow that was Julio froze. “Who’s that?”
    “No one important,” Kate answered impatiently. “He’s no threat, Julio. Let’s just get out of here.”
    “Yes, by all means,” Beau agreed. “Beforewhat’s-his-name comes barreling out of that back room.” He turned and started for the front entrance. “Follow me, Julio.”
    He didn’t turn to see if he was being obeyed but moved lithely through the cursing, milling throng, thrusting people out of the way with ruthless efficiency until he came to the door that Julio had left open. As he went through it, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the giant