* * *
Glancing at her watch, Kennedy was surprised to see it was past eight. She'd been expecting a call from Michael to confirm dinner arrangements. He hadn't called and she was disappointed.
For the last few hours she'd been busy at her word processor, putting together her story for Style Wars on the murders. She needed more information on Zane Marion Ricca, his past was very sketchy. She already had researchers in New York working on it for her.
She thought she might call Michael - find out what was happening. As far as she could remember they'd arranged a definite date.
You're being stood up, a little voice informed her.
I am not.
Oh, yes you are.
She refused to be juvenile about this. She was hardly an insecure teenager waiting anxiously for a date. Picking up the phone she dialled Michael's number and connected with his answering machine. She hesitated for a moment before leaving a message. 'Uh... hi... this is Kennedy Chase. It's eight fifteen and I haven't heard from you, so... uh... I guess tonight is off.'
What else was there to say? Nothing. The next move was his, and if he didn't make it - so what? She was glad she hadn't gone to any trouble, although she had washed her hair and taken a long scented bath before sitting down at her computer, but that was merely to relax before working.
Her phone rang and she pounced.
'This is Kennedy.'
'This is Nix.'
Who?'
'Short memory.'
'Oh... Nix.' She remembered him all right. Tail, talented and twenty-four. Too young by far, but appealing all the same.
'I'm here for one night, so I thought if you were free...'
'I'm not,' she said shortly, cutting him off.
'I would've called you earlier, but LA turned out to be an unexpected stop.'
'Really,' she said, sounding uninterested as it occurred to her that several months earlier they'd shared a memorable night of passion and he hadn't called once. At the time it hadn't bothered her, but now that he thought he could walk right back in it did bother her. She got rid of him quickly.
Men.
Who needed them? Most of them couldn't chew gum and talk on the phone at the same time, Her father used to say that to her when she was a teenager and a boy had let her down. Dear old Dad. She missed him.
Suddenly the evening loomed ahead and there was nothing she felt like doing.
Michael Scorsini.
Damn him, he was evoking feelings she'd thought were long buried.
There was no way she planned on sitting around thinking about him, so on impulse she called Charlie.
He sounded delighted to hear from her.
'Thanks for last night,' she said, 'I enjoyed it.'
'Shoulda come by my club,' he drawled. 'It was happenin'.'
'Can I buy you dinner tonight?'
He chuckled, not fooled by her offer. 'OK, green eyes, gimme the happy news - who stood you up?'
'No one.'
'My ass.'
'Am I buying or not?'
'Yeah. An' since you're buyin', you get to pick me up. How about nine?'
'I'll be there.'
'An' don't bring the blues with you.'
'I have no clue what you're talking about.'
He chuckled knowingly. 'Sure, baby. Never bullshit a bull-shitter who's been there an' back more times than you'll ever know. See ya.'
Maybe Charlie Dollar was just what she needed.
Maybe not.
* * *
'I've been thinking,' Luca said.
So've I, Cheryl wanted to say. I've been thinking that this is not such a good idea after all.
The feeling of power, of total control, only lasted until after the sex. And the sex with Luca was not exactly scintillating. His particular kick was watching her parade around the room until he was aroused enough to require a blow job. Twice was definitely enough.
Why had Grant let her go through with this? She was furious with him because he didn't give a damn about her, and it was about time she woke up and realized how selfish and self-destructive he was.
'You listening to me?' Luca said gruffly.
'Yes, I'm listening,' she answered.
'OK, this is it, babe. I'm settin' you up.'
'Excuse me?'
'I own a big fancy house here, an' you're gonna live in it. No more hookin' for you, Bambi. You don't havta do it no more, 'cause I'm plannin' on takin' care of you on a permanent basis.'
This jolted her back to reality. 'Are you serious?'
'Sure am. You'll move into my house, in fact, I'll even let you fix it up, hire an interior designer, that kinda shit. I'll pay you an allowance, an' you'll be mine exclusively. Howdja like that?'
'I'm not for permanent sale,' she said sharply.
'Didn't say you were.'
'You're talking as if you can buy me.'
'That's what I'm doin' now, ain't it?'
'You can buy me for an hour or two, but you can't buy my life.'
'You wanna stay a hooker? That's not for a girl like you. I can give you plenty more.'
'I've never considered the possibility of being somebody's... I guess you'd call it mistress.'
'You got a boyfriend?'
'No.'
'If you was smart you'd be jumpin' up and down creamin' your panties.'
His offer was so bizarre that she was tempted to laugh aloud, but she didn't, because she knew it would insult him.
Ha! Wait until she told Grant that this old guy was so crazy about her that he wanted to set her up in a house and pay her money to be his exclusive property. Wow! She'd really scored.
'I'll let you know, Mr Nanni,' she said, picking up her coat, deciding it was time to get out of the hooker business once and for all.
He was an eager one. 'Do it fast,' he said.
She left the hotel promising to call the next morning with her decision. Like she would even consider it!
The moment she was out of there, Luca summoned Bosco and instructed him to trail her.
'I'm in the middle of something...' Bosco started to complain.
'Forget it,' Luca said sharply. 'You an' Reno get your asses downstairs an' have the limo follow her.'
He'd decided it was time to find out everything about Bambi. After all, whether she knew it or not, she was going to be his, and he didn't appreciate surprises.
When Luca Carlotti wanted something, few people said no.
Chapter Forty-Three
Michael had forgotten what a nightmare New York cab-drivers could be. The ride into the city totally took his mind off everything other than survival.
'Jesus, you wanna slow down,' he suggested at one point, tapping the glass partition.
'Yeah, pay my bills, man, an' we'll take it two miles an hour,' the driver shot back belligerently.
Dumb jerk, Michael thought.
It was just before six o'clock New York time when the cab screeched to a halt outside Sal's house. Parked outside like a badge of merit was the flashy gold Cadillac Michael had heard so much about.
He tensed up, thinking about his no-good brother.
Sal, the racketeer.
Sal, the scum-faced low life who'd stolen Bella.
Sal, the lying bastard.
It was time to deal with the slimy sonofabitch. Beat the shit out of him. Do whatever would give him peace of mind.
'How about waiting?' he suggested to the cab-driver. 'I'll need a ride back to the airport.'
'No can do,' the driver said, snapping his fingers impatiently.
'I'll take care of you.'
'I'm on my way home, man.'
'Thought you needed to pay your bills?'
'Don't hassle me, man. I toldja, I can't wait.'
'OK, OK,' Michael said, paying him off.
The cab zoomed away and he stood on the curb for a moment, staring up at the house. Inside this house was Bella. Would she remember him? Would she remember him as Daddy? Or had they already taught her to forg
et?
He rang the bell. After a few moments the door was flung open by Pandi, dressed in a lime-green jumpsuit, scuffed white boots and dangling rhinestone earrings. Her dyed blonde hair was pinned on top of her head and she was fully made up. She resembled an ageing Barbie doll with a nasty attitude.
'Mikey?' she exclaimed, turning pale under her heavy make-up.
'Yeah, it's me.'
'Oh, my God, Mikey! Does Sal know you're here?'
'No, but I'm sure he'll be glad to see me. Right, Pandi?'
She immediately panicked. 'Uh... well, we wasn't expecting you.'
'I know that. But we're family, surprises are nice once in a while, huh?'
Her expression told him that no, surprises were not nice, surprises were a pain in the ass. 'Does... does your mom know you're in town?' she stammered.
'No, figured I'd surprise everybody while I was at it. Came by to see your new house and your new car and, hey, what's all this I hear about you got a daughter?'
'Who told you that?' she said uncomfortably, holding firm at the door.
'Yeah, somebody mentioned you've got a kid here now, a little girl. What'd you do - adopt?'
She wasn't a fool. She knew he was on to something. 'You'd better talk to Sal,' she said, blinking rapidly.
'Where is he?'
'Out,' she lied. 'Come back another day.'
'I'm only in town for a few hours, Pandi. I have to see him now.'
She recovered some of her composure. 'I told you,' she repeated. 'Sal's out, we'll havta get together some other time.' With that she attempted to slam the door in his face.
He blocked it with his foot. 'Cut the crap, Pandi,' he said, his voice hardening. 'I want to see Sal, and I want to see him now.'
'You got no right to force your way in here.'
'I gotta right to come in, and you know it.'
'Sal!' she yelled, realizing she was in a no-win situation. 'We got trouble here.'
Michael shoved his way inside the house, kicking the door shut behind him.
Pandi backed away. 'This ain't got nothing to do with me,' she said defensively. 'It all happened long before I came into it, don't go blaming me.'
'Blaming you for what?'
'Talk to your brother.'
Sal lumbered downstairs, tucking a crumpled blue shirt into a pair of baggy pants. 'What the fuck you doin' here?' he said, scratching his crotch.
'Paying a brotherly visit,' Michael said. 'You got any objections?'
Sal exchanged looks with Pandi. She shook her head as if to say she hadn't told him anything.
'Does Ma know you're here?' Sal asked, peering at him suspiciously.
'Why are you all so concerned about Ma?'
'Cause she's the first person you should visit.'
'Yeah, why's that?'
'She's your mother, for chrissakes. She cares about you.'
'Sure. She cares about me just like you do, you low-life asshole.'
'Now wait a minute-'
'How long did you think you'd get away with it before I found out?'
'Get away with what?' Sal bluffed, like he had nothing to hide.
'Don't give me that horseshit.'
Sal turned to his wife. Where's the kid?' he asked abruptly.
'Over at a friend's,' she replied, agitatedly biting on her lower lip.
'See she stays there.'
'Don't sweat it, Sal,' Michael said, hating his dumb brother, but managing to stay in control. 'I haven't come to take her away.'
'What have you come for?'
'Maybe to beat the shit out of you.'
Sal glared at him. He was fatter than ever, over two hundred pounds, and mean with it. 'You're gonna beat the shit outta me.' he sneered. 'I don't freakin' think so.'
'I don't want no fighting in this house,' Pandi said, asserting herself.
'Why'd you do it, Sal?' Michael asked, shaking his head. 'Why'd you have to put me through this?'
'It's all down to you now, huh? You got no thought for Rita - the poor bitch ended up with her brains blown out an' all you can think about is yourself.'
'This has nothing to do with Rita, she's long gone. This is you and me, Sal. You took my child.'
'She ain't yours.'
'She was. And even if she wasn't, you shoulda had the balls to tell me, not sneak her away like some thief in the night. You got no guts.'
'Get outta here, fuckhead.'
'Not until I see Bella.'
'She's not called Bella no more,' Pandi interrupted. 'She's got a new name an' a new life. You leave her alone. She's happy with us.'
'Shut your mouth,' Sal said, shooting her a filthy look.
'Don't tell me to shut up,' she snapped back, her painted eyebrows fiercely rising.
'I'll tell you what the fuck I like.'
'I didn't come here to listen to you two fight,' Michael said, still keeping a tight check on his temper. 'I want to see Bella one more time, then I'm gone.'
'You're pretty freakin' hot with your demands,' Sal snorted.
'You're lucky I'm not beating the crap out of you.'
'Yeah?' Sal sneered. 'You ain't got the stones to beat the crap outta nobody. Never did.'
'He's not seeing her,' Pandi interrupted, her voice turning into a hysterical whine. 'She'll get upset. It's not fair on the kid.'
Sal threw her another steely glare. 'How many times I gotta tell you? Shut the fuck up.'
'Who d'you think you're talking to?' she responded hotly. 'I ain't some piece of trash you're shacking up with. I'm your wife, so watch your mouth when you're talkin' to me.'
Michael was saddened that this was the atmosphere Bella was growing up in, but he realized there was nothing he could do.
Pandi stormed off to the kitchen, muttering under her breath.
'Whyd you do it, Sal?' Michael asked again.
Sal shrugged nonchalantly, he really couldn't see that what he'd done was so bad. 'What the fuck. Rita was naggin' me t'get married - I wasn't into that shit, not then anyway. And there you were, always the pretty boy schmuck when it came to pussy. So I figured you'd marry her, that way the kid would stay in the family. After Rita hit LA she started getting itchy pants. You know Rita, she had eyes t'be a freakin' movie star, she didn't want to be lookin' after a kid. So we did you a fuckin' favour.'
'You're a piece of crap, you know that.'
'No, Mikey, you're crap. You're a lousy fuckin' drunk and a lousy fuckin' cop, an' that's all you'll ever be.'
'You're wrong, Sal. I'll always be an alcoholic, but at least I admit it. An' when I wake up in the morning I got a clean conscience. What've you got?'
'Everything' Sal boasted. 'You should be so freakin' lucky.'
'Everything, huh? Selling drugs to kids and old ladies? Running whores? How do you face yourself in the mirror every morning?'
'Get the fuck outta my house.'
'I told you, I'm not movin' 'til I see Bella.'
'How about I throw you out?'
'How about you try?'
They squared up, facing each other. They'd had many fights when they were kids, and Sal had usually won because he was bigger. Now, Michael was more than ready for him.
Sal went to throw a punch to his chin. Michael blocked the move, grabbed Sal's arm and twisted it back, at the same time kneeing his brother sharply in the balls.
'Holy shit!' Sal grunted, bending double. What you tryin' to fuckin' do?'
Pandi came running out from the kitchen. 'I phoned home, your mother's on her way over with Eddie.'
'You stupid cunt,' Sal groaned, slumping down on the bottom stair. Who needs them shovin' their noses in.'
Michael attempted to control his anger, determined to handle this without totally losing it.
'I could have you killed,' Sal muttered grimly. 'You know that, Mikey? I could have you fuckin' wiped out.'
Jesus, his brother was some piece of work. 'You think I'm scared of you and your gun-happy buddies?' he said coldly.
'You
fuckin' should be.'
'I could have you arrested.'
'For what?' Sal said belligerently. 'Takin' back my own kid?'
'Will you two stop,' Pandi screeched.
Michael looked at her with contempt. 'And as for you, don't you know how it's been for me these last few months, not knowing whether Bella was dead or alive? What kind of a cold-hearted bitch are you?'
'You gonna allow him't' talk to me like that?' she shrieked at Sal. 'You gonna let him insult me?'
'Shut the fuck up,' Sal mumbled, still clutching his aching balls.
A few minutes later Eddie arrived. Virginia trailed behind him, looking old and worn out. Michael couldn't help feeling sorry for her, but he had to learn self-survival. As far as he and his mother were concerned it was over.
'What're you doing here, Mikey?' she asked in a tremulous voice. 'Whyn't you call? You shoulda told us you was coming.'
He took a hard look at his family, his warm nurturing family. 'You all knew about this,' he said tightly. 'Why didn't anyone tell me?'
Eddie shrugged like it was no big deal. 'No need, it would've only caused trouble.'
'I'm no longer part of this family,' Michael said, feeling unbelievably calm. 'Once I've said goodbye to Bella I'm going back to California and none of you will hear from me again.' He turned to his mother. That goes for you, too.'
'Don't be like that, Mikey,' she whined. 'I was only doing what Sal said was right.'
'The story of my life. Sal first. Me second. But y'know what, Ma? I'm a big boy now, I don't have to take second place.'
'You was never in second place, Mikey,' she said unconvincingly.
He seized the opportunity to get a few things off his mind. 'Remember how you watched Eddie beat up on me when I was a kid? You never stopped him, you stood back an' let it happen. How come, Ma?'
'It wasn't my fault.'
'Yes, it was. Because you didn't even try.'
Virginia clutched on to his sleeve. 'I'm your mother, Mikey. I was always there for you.'
Sadly he shook his head. 'No. The truth is, you never were, an' you never will be. And I've finally realized it.'
-=O=---=O=-
The Man watched as Cheryl exited the hotel. He observed her as she stood waiting for her car.
Bitch! Rich spoiled bitch!
Hollywood Kids Page 41