The Bounty Hunters: The Marino Bros.: Box Set (97 page)

And oh boy, did she. Connie was not blue blood by any means, but her father was a doctor, her mother a lawyer, and they had given her the best education money could buy, but she had not been interested in following in their footsteps. She had enjoyed her freedoms, and had been introduced to pleasure early, while still in high school. Her first relationship at sixteen had been with a married man, who was a swinger. He’d not only taken her virginity, he had been a fantastic lover, and she had been a willing partner. She had enjoyed their relationship, and he had introduced her to other people, and a lifestyle she enjoyed.

In college, she ventured out on her own, and when her parents found out, they cut her off after repeated warnings. That was when she got her first ‘job’ as a role player. Eventually, her talents, youthfulness, and exuberance landed her at
The Scene
. To her it was more than a job, it was a lifestyle choice. She was smart enough to understand that she was a sex addict, but she enjoyed it too much and was able to make a living at it too.

This man, Roger, was scrumptious, and rich. Yes, she had Albert, and a few others she saw on occasion, although Albert assumed they were exclusive. And she knew Albert would be out of the picture. Once his wife was locked up, he’d move on. The man was seriously into S&M, which she enjoyed, but not all the time. And he wasn’t this exceptional to look at either. Now Roger, he was a possibility.

Albert, she knew, would soon pursue other interests. They all did. The ten grand a month he gave her would cease. The big payment wouldn’t last forever. She was looking for a new sugar daddy, but Roger, he was yummy, and tempting. A sugar baby might be a nice change. And San Francisco, well, she just might like it there too.

“You know,” she teased. “I do enjoy games myself. I used to work at
The Scene
.” She saw his eyebrows lift, and lick his lips. He must recognize the name of the place. “I can give you a little taste, if you are interested.”

“Really?” He smiled at her. “I think I might be. But, you would need to tell me little more.”

“Well, normally I see just one person at a time. They pay my bills. But, I’m getting out of my current situation. And if what you say is true, I could be lured away very easily. Say, um, be your toy. Today, can be free. But, I do need to eat.” She lifted her plastic cup with what was left of her iced coffee.

“I think I am very interested,” Nikko replied.

“Well, have you ever been collared, Roger?” she asked leaning forward to give him a look down her blouse at her ample bosom.

“No, but keep going.” He was staring down her shirt.

“I don’t live too far. I have other toys, and such. But after today, Roger, two thousand is the going rate, per session. If you want exclusivity, you can get a discount.”

“Let’s get out of here.” Nikko stood up and offered her his hand.

She took it, and felt a shock of excitement run through her. This man was going to be her sub, and she was going to reel him in. Fuck Albert! Fuck the Master! She always wanted to take charge.

*     *     *

Back outside on
Jackson, the van was where Nikko expected it to be. The door flew open as they passed, and Andreas was inside at the helm.

“Got her.” Nikko spoke the words abruptly as he pushed her inside.

It was so quick; Connie didn’t even have time to react. “What the hell?” she cursed.

“You are under arrest for solicitation?” Nikko espoused, reciting the Miranda rights he knew so well from his training.

“Like fuck, I am.” Connie tried to push her way back towards the door, but it was too late. Nikko had shut the door, and Andreas was already pulling away.

“Jason was right. She is a high priced hooker.” Jason was one of her others on the side.

“You know Jason?” she began to panic. She’d seen him last week, and she doubted he’d give her name to the cops.

“Yup, picked him up last week in a sting op, and he was more than willing to give us names to get himself off the hook.”

“That fucker. He has a wife.”

“That’s why he gave you up, and a few others too.”

“Shit.” This would be her third arrest. It would be no simple slap on the wrist, she’d do a few months. Damn it all to hell, she thought. What could she do? How could she get out of this? Think! Not Albert. He had heat on him and could implicate her. She wouldn’t give other names.

“Let me see some ID,” she stalled. This undercover dick hadn’t showed her anything yet.

The bigger man, also hot as hell, she noticed, handed back two badges, and she glanced at them.

“Come on guys,” she pleaded. “I can’t do time. It’ll be my third.” She focused in on Roger.

“You did the crime, and we have a quota in vice. We gotta eat,” he teased using her own line against him.

She turned her head away. She needed to think. If Albert got wind of this, he’d go ballistic. So would the Master. They needed to keep their noses clean. The master was scary as hell. He’d scar her permanently or worse. The man was as vile as they came. He ran
The Scene
, owned it under an assumed name. But he was also well connected. If she gave names of clients there, she might be able to weasel her way out of this, but who?

Shit, if she did that, the master would find out. He’d still be pissed because it would bring the cops to his door eventually. What the hell?

Andreas gave Nikko a little nod in the rearview mirror. He could see Connie was stewing, and he saw a bead of perspiration roll down the side of her face. They needed to push her now.

“Connie,” Nikko said softly, and she swung back to look at him. “You seem like a nice girl. Maybe we can work something out.”

“Anything,” she stated quickly. “I can’t get arrested again.”

“Who else is doing this sort of thing? Give us a few names.”

“Joseph Murphy. He is for hire.” She rattled off the name of another role player. He had not worked at the club in a year, and she thought he was safe enough to give them.

Nikko typed the name into his computer screen. “Already got that name,” he lied.

“Michelle Sanchez.” She’d been fired three years ago.

Nikko typed. “That’s a good one,” he said after a moment. “Keep going.”

“What?” she exclaimed feigning shock. She knew they would want more than one name, but didn’t want to make it appear easy.

This time the big guy in front spoke. “Lady, we want big fish if we are going to let you off. We got a quota, and we are almost at the station. So you spill, or we handcuff you and throw away the key. What about John’s? Who you got there?” Crap, all her John’s were club members, and The Scene was high end, the rollers were big ones.

“I don’t get a lot of real names in my line of work,” she quickly retorted again trying to stall for time.

“We are vice. We don’t want small fish. Come on, Connie, we have a name in mind, and unless you want us to ask point blank, and we will know you are lying, you better give us someone big.”

Fuck, she was screwed royally. They couldn’t know about Albert could they? She’d go down for more than just prostitution. It had to be big. Albert had been a client, but he didn’t go there anymore. How big did they want?

“Who owns the joint? His real name?” Andreas asked. It had been a gamble to ask. Her eyes in the mirror told him he hit pay dirt. Menacingly, Andreas asked again. “That’s the only name we want.”

Fuck, they were after the Senator! She was fucking screwed. She really began to sweat. They knew, and just needed confirmation. What choice did she have? Better to give him up then them dig and find out about Albert. “McCarthy, you fuckers. Senator Wilson McCarthy.” It was go big or go home in a box. The master.

Nikko and Andreas
held back their excitement. This was big indeed. And it had to be the master. They didn’t let on, but they had to be sure.

“The master.”

Connie nodded, “I need protective custody.”

“Sorry, sweetheart. We don’t do that unless it’s a capital offense here. Running a sex op is not capital.”

Nikko pulled out a clipboard from the side door of the rented van. He was scribbling away furiously, and then handed it over to Connie to sign.

“What’s this?” she asked seeing the official looking document. Hearing they only knew about the sex sent relief sweeping through her, but saying his name and signing this was sealing her fate. Asking for protective custody had been a stupid move. She hoped they didn’t think more into it.

“Your statement, and our agreement not to prosecute you. But don’t leave town,” he added while handing her the pen.

Connie signed the document. It just stated that Senator Wilson McCarthy was a former client of hers, and owned and operated
The Scene
. The van stopped, and they were just down the block from the police station.

He offered Connie his hand to help her out.

She took it.

“Now don’t leave town,” he reminded her as she began to walk briskly away.

Fuck you!
That was the first thing she was doing, she thought, as she picked up her pace. Her parents had a condo in Puerto Rico. She would go there, convince them she had reformed, after emptying her accounts. Then she would get what she could from them, and start fresh somewhere with a new identity. She couldn’t stay here in New York. Things had become way too hot.

When the van
door closed, Nikko remained in the backseat, and Andreas pulled back out onto the street. There were a few lines blank on the document. He was going to add a bit more to Miss Connie’s statement. Tonight, Gio would be paying a little visit to Albert. They had no time to lose.

Everything was going so well. So far.

All or Nothing

T
his was it.
All or nothing.

Gio sat in his new rental and watched the minutes tick by. He was waiting for the green light from Andreas that everybody was in position. Blaze had flown in unexpectedly that afternoon. He wanted to be here for his brothers. It was nearly ten o’clock and his brothers headed into the Dakota off of Central Park West, while he waited on 72
^nd
street.

Andreas called in some big favors to get them in through the service entrance as elevator repairmen. They would call once they were inside and in position. Architectural plans of the famous building found on the internet revealed a storage room in the hallway, used by the custodial staff. They could hide out and lay in wait just yards from the entrance to Albert’s 2,800 square foot residence.

Gio wanted this to be over. His palms gripped the steering wheel remembering how they had practiced what would be said tonight.

These past few weeks he had run the gamut of emotions, and now he was ready to live, with his son, and Lisa. He wanted to start their lives together, and he could not do that without gaining a confession from Albert. He hoped what they had was enough.

Connie’s signed confession with their added sentences was a key ingredient. Albert just had to buy it. He hoped confronting him at night, late, would be enough to rattle him and get him to spill the beans. The confession wouldn’t be admissible, Albert’s attorneys were that good, but it would either scare him into turning himself in, or face the consequences of being exposed in his twisted lifestyle. Also the threat of exposing the mastermind, owner and operator of the club was up on the table. Senator McCarthy would be ruined and Albert would go down with him. Any jury would surely be tainted and one scandal with Rasmussen’s name attached would bring a whole heck of a lot of doubt into a jury’s mind if they were being asked to put Lisa away. All of this he planned to reveal tonight. It might make Albert realize it would be better to admit he faked the explosion and take his chances in court. He just hoped Albert hadn’t been tipped off.

Nikko had made sure Connie didn’t have her cell when she left the van, slipping it out of her purse as she got out, and Andreas had doubled back to her apartment ahead of her, jamming her land line. It didn’t mean she couldn’t call him, but it would make it more difficult. They were watching her, but they secretly hoped she tried to give the men on her the slip. They were told to just follow and report.

There were just so many loose ends and unknowns, but it all came to this and tonight. And it had to be done tonight. If they gave Albert any more time, he would worm his way out of this and slip out of their noose before they had a chance to tighten the rope.

*     *     *