Page 83 of Kings of Lust
‘I need a favor. Maybe an impossible task, but nonetheless, deadly important.’
‘Let’s hear it,’ she curved an eyebrow trying to figure out what I could have to say before I actually said it.
‘I need to get a contract with the governor. The kind hespecificallyasks for.’
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ She was playing dumb, but unfortunately, picked the wrong person to sympathize with her.
‘Brax seems to have an idea. And I don’t remember him to ever be wrong.’
‘He is this time.’ Still no recognition from her.
‘You don’t understand. This is important. It involves all of us. You included.’
‘Then start with the beginning. Tell me what’s happening first and let me decide.’
I couldn’t tell her, not as long as I couldn’t tell for sure if she was an enemy or a friend in our game.
‘I can’t. And believe me, it’s better that you don’t know. I just want that piece of paper that grants me access to his house. That’s all.’
‘You’ve worked here. You know the rules. I never sell out my customers or my employees. Not to the press, not to judges or cops and I certainly won’t do it for you.’
‘I know the rules. But do theyalsoapply to the governor? I thought it was an employee’s decision to stop or go further with the pleasure— if asked.’
‘It is. I just make sure to send the ones who sayyes. That’s our agreement.’
‘Then send me. I’ll say yes.’
‘Exactly the very fact that you’re considering saying yes makes me not want to send you. What’s really going on?’ Vanya was getting impatient.
‘Ferris. He needs some information and he’s willing to pay.’ I felt bad lying to her, but it wasn’t a total lie if you had to think about it.
‘Ferris knows better than to ask something like this of me.’
‘But I don’t.’ I raised from my seat, supporting my knuckles on the table. ‘Vanya, he’s willing to pay whatever it takes. I promise that no onewill hear a word from me if you’re worried this will blow up in any way.’
‘If this comes out, it will destroy everything I’ve built. Customer confidence is the most important part of this business.’
‘I promise, nothing will be heard. Besides, I’m a former employee. Just make me a new contract and send me in there the next time he asks. If I work with legal forms, I can take everything on me in case anything goes wrong.Which it wouldn’t.’
‘Shit...,’ she grumbled taking such a strong drag of her cigarette that I thought she finished it all in one second. ‘What’s Brax got to do with all of this?’
‘He and Ferris are friends, and he’s also directly interested in the subject.’ I was telling a fractured truth, throwing details here and there so that she could determine the severity of things.
‘I can’t believe I’m doing this. It’s only because I know Brax. And the consequences of not complying with his demands.’ I could hear a masked fear in her voice every time she mentioned Brax’s name. Vanya was working on a fine line between the Pit and the Elite, meeting supply and demand. And since Brax controlled everything that went down in the Pit, by default, he also controlled her.
‘If you fuck things up for me, I’m going to come find you and bury you. Got that?’ Vanya was threatening me, although direct threats weren’t exactly in her nature. That was unless if she was scared.
‘Got that.’ I nodded in acceptance. It was my ass on the line now.
‘Two nights from now. I will put the letter under the door at 7:25 pm. Your job, how you handle things from there. I want nothing to do with this deal besides what we spoke about here.’
‘Don’t worry. No one will suspect a thing. I’ll just come to work like you gave me my old job back. That’s all they’ll ever know.’ I’ll tell the others I was out of town for a while.
‘Ok. Better not disappoint me.’
‘I won’t.’ At least, I didn’t plan to. Because disappointing her meant disappointing everyone I know.
‘And tell Ferris I just ordered a new limo. He’s paying the bill!’ Vanya was playing in the big league, but Ferris was a big boy. He could take it.
