Page 50 of Frozen Heart
“Fucking great.” I grab a bottle of mineral water from the compartment in the car door and unscrew the lid. Even the faint hiss of escaping gas ratchets up the throbbing in my temple.
“The offshore rig fire has been attributed to human error. A new hire pressed the wrong button, it seems. I’ve been told the man might have suffered a psychotic episode. He’s been in therapy for years, but somehow HR missed that detail during the hiring process.”
Sweet. I have incompetent employees, and now we’re hiring lunatics as well. “Doesn’t explain the text rhyme, so keep digging,” I say. “What about the squad that hit DeVille’s car, believing it to be mine?”
“That’s a more delicate matter. It appears they were Kiril’s. He took exception to our handling of Petrov’s shipments before his, and wanted to send a message. Somehow things got out of hand. Should I set up a face-to-face to smooth things over?”
I sigh. The leader of the Bulgarian syndicate is known to overreact from time to time. His stint in the slammer had only exacerbated his maniacal tendencies.
“I’ll handle Kiril. Now, give me the update on the woman.”
“She spent the night at Mass General with her mother, as you know,” Brahms says. “Left this morning around eleven thirty. Miss Fabbri appeared to be dead on her feet, so as soon as she got home, she had a very brief rest.”
“And how is her mother? Were you able to obtain a copy of the woman’s medical records?”
“Yes. But the nurse we used before demanded twice as much this time.”
“Of course she did. And? Did you forward the file to my family physician?”
“I did. Dr. Nolan reported that Mrs. Fabbri’s condition has deteriorated since her previous hospitalization. She needs a transplant for any chance of survival, but she isn’t even on the list yet.”
“Why not?”
“Her financial situation will not allow it.”
“Not surprising.” I remove my glasses and squeeze my temples, wishing I could simply crush the pain. “Anything else?”
“Not really. One of my men will make sure Miss Fabbri gets back home from the Annex safely, as usual, but other than—”
My head snaps up. “What?”
“Um… The car picked her up an hour ago, and I thought—”
I pound on the privacy divider separating me from the driver. “Turn the car around! Now!” I snarl.
Club Annex, Location Unknown
“You’re sure about this, Iris?”
I stare at my reflection. At the long, silky, red dress. The same style I’ve worn almost every Saturday night for months, but the color makes my insides twist with dread and, maybe, abit of anticipation. No, I’m definitely notsure. But I don’t have another option.
My eyes find Roxanne’s in the mirror. She’s filling in for Maggie as the head hostess tonight. Rina’s cousin was called away due to a family emergency just before I arrived.
“You said Maggie contacted…my regular guest?” I choke out.
“I know she was trying to reach him all afternoon, ever since you let her know your plans had changed. And after she left, I was informed that all arrangements had been made. It came directly from the guy who oversees security around here, so I’m sure he’s well aware of who is expected at the Annex tonight.”
Some of my anxiety dissipates. I’m glad Maggie came through for me. Knowing I’ll be with my silent guest, and that he’s willing to change the terms of our arrangement, makes the whole idea the tiniest fraction less paralyzing. That tells me everything I need to know about my mental state right now.
“But maybe you should call tonight off. You shouldn’t be doing this when you’re so obviously worried about your mom. And with Maggie not being here—”
“No,” I insist and grab her hand. “Please, Roxanne. I need the money.”
“Yeah. Okay. Try to enjoy your evening. You want him satisfied, so he comes back for more.” She leans closer to whisper in my ear. “Do you want me to see if he could be persuaded to forgo the blindfold?”
“No,” I croak. If I’m selling my body, I’d rather not have the visual of how that unfolds.
“Alright then. Let’s go.”
