Chapter 22

Lexie stood in the bathroom stall listening to the girl’s voices from the adjoining dressing room. She recognized their voices as two of the waitresses, Dannie and Shelly.

Dannie’s nasal voice grated with irritation. “You know Bella is jealous. That’s why she doesn’t invite us to come along. Why should she be the only who gets to entertain them when they come in? Do you have any idea how much money she makes in one night?” She huffed. “What the rest of us make in six months!”

Shelly’s voice was tinged with worry. “But, Dannie, you know what they’re like. They’re insatiable. Just that couple of hours we spent with them when they came last month, I was sore for a week.”

“Hah. So what’s new about that? Yeah, they’re hungry bastards. What men aren’t? So? They have different ideas about women in their country. Damn, if I could make the kind of money Bella makes, I’d walk with a cane for two months. And, sister, they’re not exactly hard on the eyes!”

A soft giggle confirmed Shelly agreed. “Mmm, if you like tall, dark and handsome…and rough.”

“I’ll tell you one thing, if Bella invites that skaggy blond to meet them, I’m gonna go to Sergio. I know he’s not involved with those guys, but we all know how he feels about Bella. Maybe he can rein her in. You’d think she’s running the show. And I’m telling you, Shelly. I don’t like the looks of that blond. Something doesn’t check out. Nobody, even someone who looks like her, would let a piece of ass like the colonel slip away. I think she might play both sides. Have you seen the way she and Bella are holed up, chatting and laughing like they share some special secret?”

Shelly laughed. “I think you’re barking up the wrong tree on that one. Shit, since she arrived, I practically have to strip naked just to get a guy to notice me. They’re all panting after her, their tongues hanging out. But you’re right about one thing. If our ‘visitors’ get a glimpse of her, we don’t stand a chance.”

Lexie strained to hear the rest of their conversation. She opened the stall door a crack to see them leaving the dressing room. She heard Dannie.

“From what Bella said, the shipment tonight is like none other. Not only in quantity, but she said if last month’s was pure, this month’s is supposed to be the epitome of the world’s market.”

Shelly giggled. “Maybe if we can’t get the men away from Bella and the blond, at least we can snag some great blow.”

~~~

Walt’s voice cracked. He tried to contain his horror.

“I…can’t. I can’t do that.”

The boss’s voice was cool, detached.

“You can, Walt. And you will.”

In the pause that followed, Walt tried to choke back his tears.

“But, you don’t understand. She…she loves me. And…I love her.”

The boss’s laughter and derisive snort cut to the quick.

“You pitiful piece of shit. Walt, you are more pathetic than I thought. You actually believe that beautiful young woman loves you? That she doesn’t find you as repulsive as I do?”

Walt shuddered at the disgust in the other man’s voice. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true. She danced for him. She…she was excited to see him. Always sat by him at the parties. Brought him presents. His special whiskey. No! He couldn’t do this.

He tried to keep from whining, snuffling. He couldn’t let the boss knew he was crying.

“Let me, let me do the other one. She is the danger. She...”

“Shut up, Walt. Do you think I don’t know who she is? What she is up to? No, Walt. I have special plans for her, very special plans. But your ‘friend’ needs to go. She knows too much. She is too damned smart. And she’s greedy, Walt. She doesn’t know when to stop.”

“And Walt. Remember, I want it to look like it was the same person who killed Beloi.” He chortled, “Because it will be.”

Walt couldn’t contain his agonized groan. He gagged on the bile flooding his throat.

He could only whisper, beg. “Please…don’t make me do this.”

The boss’s voice softened. It was low, almost consoling.

“Walt, it’s nearly over. Almost done. This is the last thing I will ask of you. Your last job, Walt. And then you can move on. Take off for that Caribbean nest you’ve been building.”

Fear coursed through his body. Walt could barely breathe. “How…how did you know…?”

Again, the derisive laughter.

“Walt, I know everything. I know what you are doing from your first shit in the morning to the last drink you have before you puke up your guts and stumble into bed. And Walt? So do my enforcers. Don’t even think about disobeying me. As I told you before, what you did to Beloi and what you will do to the woman will be child’s play compared to what they will do to you.”

Walt didn’t try to muffle his sob. He let the cell phone slide from his ear. It landed on the table with a smack. His head felt too heavy to hold up. He laid his head down on the table next to the phone.

From a distance, he heard the boss’s wicked chuckle.

“And Walt, just so you know, I’m not a total monster. Setting her on fire isn’t necessary. Dismemberment will be adequate.”

~~~

Bella sidled up to Lexie with a sexy grin.

“How are you doing, girlfriend? Did you survive our little floor show?”

Lexie smiled at her and tossed her head. Matching Bella’s careless tone, she said with a wink, “Except for that disgusting man, I thought it was fun.”

She nudged Bella in the ribs. “Maybe we could put together our own little show for one of those parties you were telling me about.”

Heads across the room turned at Bella’s peals of seductive laughter. Grabbing Lexie’s arm, she nodded to the office and whispered, “Meet me in five minutes.”

Lexie waited until she thought no one was watching her, then slipped inside the office and closed the door behind her. Bella was leaning against the desk, a look of pure mischief on her face. Her eyes with dancing with excitement. She grinned at Lexie.

“C’mon in, you sexy thing, you. Girlfriend, you don’t know the half of what I have planned for us. Watching you last night? Damn, girl, you even turned me on. That body of yours is a billboard that screams, ‘Wanna fuck?’”

Lexie felt her cheeks flush.

Bella shook her head.

“And then you get that little innocent look and there isn’t a guy in the room who won’t be creaming his jeans. I tell you, honey, I haven’t seen anyone dance like that in the most expensive joints in Vegas. How would you like to make more money in the next couple of days than you’ve made in your whole life?”

Lexie saw her excitement and hoped that hers matched. This was her chance to get inside the ring. She couldn’t blow it.

“Bella, I’m up for any damn thing you have in mind. And then some! Lay it on me, sister!” Before Bella could answer, Lexie screwed up her face in distaste. “Tell me, please, that we’re done with James. He is the most pathetic man I’ve been around and that is saying something!”

Bella laughed, then sobered. “He really is, isn’t he? I can’t figure it out. This is the biggest fucking operation that I’ve been involved in and they have some over the hill drunk as gatekeeper. It doesn’t make sense.”

She added with a frown, “I get the weirdest sense that he is a cop or something.”

Lexie startled. “You’re kidding? Undercover?”

“No, no. He isn’t smart enough. No, it’s more likely he’s rogue if he is at all. He just knows crap, details about the drugs that even I don’t know. He talks about titration rates, weight adjustments, weird stuff like that. Maybe

Вы читаете Big Girls Don't Cry
Добавить отзыв
ВСЕ ОТЗЫВЫ О КНИГЕ В ИЗБРАННОЕ

0

Вы можете отметить интересные вам фрагменты текста, которые будут доступны по уникальной ссылке в адресной строке браузера.

Отметить Добавить цитату