“Remember everything we told you. Keep your eyes open and your zipper closed. Drink nothing but the water, and then pass out on cue.”
Griff was wiping sweat from his forehead when Cap began pouring gin all over him. He jumped up. “What in hell are you doing?”
“You’ve been drinking,” Cap said, slapping the alcohol on his face like aftershave. “If you don’t smell like a brewery, she’ll know something’s not right.”
Fighting Cap’s slapping hands, Griff asked, “What if something goes wrong?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll be right outside monitoring everything from a flower truck.”
“A flower truck?” Griff looked at him curiously. “What the hell is a flower truck?” He got a whiff of himself. “My god, don’t you think you overdid it? I’m drinking it, not bathing in it.”
Cap looked at him irritated. “You don’t know what a friggin’ flower truck is? It’s a goddamned truck that delivers flowers. You know, from a florist?”
“Oh, I was thinking... never mind,” Griff replied, feeling stupid.
Cap slid his eyes over at the senator. “And he’s our president. Scary, ain’t it?”
“He’s nervous, Cap. Give him a break.”
“All right, all right,” Cap spat out, then shifted his gaze back toward Griff. “The truck has been hollowed out and is full of high-tech equipment. Just remember that we’ll be able to see and hear everything that goes on. You’ll be tempted to look, but try to stay away from the window, because if she sees you lookin’ out, she may get suspicious.”
“What about the cops?” he asked, looking from Cap to the senator. “Where’ll they be?”
“Hidden.”
He turned his eyes to Cap. “Where... how?”
Cap rolled his eyes. “They hide where cops hide. You know, fade into the scenery, that type of thing.”
“How can a police officer with a gun and a uniform just fade into the scenery?”
Cap turned to the senator and frowned. “Is he for real?”
The senator pushed Cap aside. “For god’s sake, Cap, would you quit picking on him? Just get out of the way and let me explain it.” He turned and looked at Griff intently. “There’s nothing to worry about, son. We’ve got several plainclothesmen stationed in strategic places, and the chief and his deputy are watching from an unmarked car. Since we don’t know how big this thing’s gonna be, everyone else is on standby and they’re keeping in touch by walkie-talkie.”
“Will they be armed?” The minute it left his lips, he closed his eyes and waited for Cap’s cutting remarks. When they didn’t come, he looked at him.
“I didn’t say a word,” Cap said, raising his hands. “Although god knows I could have.”
“Griff, do you honestly think we would pull a sting without loaded weapons?”
“He’s gonna blow it, I just know it!”
“Settle down, Cap. He’s got reason to be nervous.”
“Would you two stop talking about me as if I’m not even in the room?”
“You know what I think?” Cap said as he shoved past the senator. “I don’t think you are here. Tell me, pretty boy, just where the hell are you?”
Griff lunged toward Cap. “Pretty boy?”
The senator jumped between them. “Would you two simmer down, for god’s sake? We’ve got a job to do here.”
“Did you hear what he called me?” Griff shouted, turning to the senator.
The senator turned to Cap and indicated toward Griff with one hand. “Apologize so we can get this show on the road.”
“For what?” Cap frowned at the senator. “I was bein’ nice. I should’ve called him...”
“Don’t say it, Cap.”
“What? Fancy Dan? Is that would you wanted to call me? Well, I’ve got a few names for you too, mister, and not one of them is fancy or pretty.”
Suddenly the two bickering men were scrambling toward each other until the senator pushed himself between them and shouted, “Stop!” Looking at each one, he said, “What in hell is wrong with you two? Go to neutral corners, and after this night is over with, you can beat each other’s brains out with my blessing.”
Cap glared into Griff’s eyes, and his finger punched the air in front of his face. “Macy’s parking lot at six in the morning, pretty boy. And by the time I get through with that face of yours, we’ll have to find another name for you.”
Griff clenched a fist and lifted it as if itching to use it. “I’ll be there, you ugly son—”
“Griff, please. Save it until tomorrow.”
“—of a bitch,” Griff spat out, his glaring eyes boring a hole in Cap. “Who the hell does he think he is?”
“Offhand, I’d say he’s the guy that’s saving your butt. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t know any of this.”
“Yeah? Well maybe we’d be a lot better off.”
“Ignorance is bliss, is that it?” the senator barked.
“No, damn it. I’m just not convinced that any of this is necessary.”
“I tell you what, Griff, just do us a favor and pretend it is.”
“Now you’re getting sarcastic? If I had a brain in my head, I’d walk out right now and leave you both hanging.”
“When you find it, let me know, I’ll be—”
“That does it,” Griff complained. “I’m not taking any more from that joker.” He turned and walked quickly toward the door then looked back. “If I do this...” He thumbed himself in the chest. “I do it my way, see?”
“Oh sure. You and old blue eyes, huh?” Cap said, needling him.
“All right, scarface, just watch my dust.” With that, he turned and stalked out the door, called for the limousine, and started toward the Oakwood and his evening with Gabrielle.
* * * *
“Scarface?” Cap said, a chuckle rising from his throat. He looked at the senator who was smiling back. “Not bad.”
“We did it,” the senator said. “Just like in the old days, right?”
“Right, partner.”
“He was mad enough to chew nails, and believe me, when Griff Nyle gets mad, all hell breaks loose.”
The two shrewd men lifted their hands and slapped them together in a high five, confident that Griff’s enraged determination would carry him through to a successful evening. Wasting no time, they left, jumped into the flower truck, and went careening through Washington’s streets behind the limousine.
* * * *
Griff stewed about his confrontation with Cap all the way to the Oakwood. He was looking forward to whipping the ass of that ugly seaman. As he neared the hotel, he tried to put it out of his mind, but he was so mad, he felt like he could bend steel. When he arrived, he brazenly walked up to Gabrielle’s room, not caring who saw him. After pounding on the door, he stood there for a moment, then the door opened and a pencil-thin shaft of light fell softly on his face.
“Hi, baby,” Gabrielle purred when she peeked through the small opening. She quickly slid her eyes around at someone in the room, then looked back up at him and asked, “Give me a minute, huh?”
Griff knew she was hiding something and he wanted to know what it was. “No way, slut,” he said with a menacing growl. Pushing his way in, he saw two men sitting on the couch and turned away quickly, pulling his lapel up over his face. “Who the hell are they?” he whispered.
“Nobody,” she said. Then turning to them, she nodded her head toward the door. “Get lost, okay?”
They didn’t say anything, just got up and left, glancing toward Griff on their way out.
As soon as they closed the door, Griff turned on her. “What in hell is going on here?”
“My god, are you drunk?”
“Just answer my question.”
“What do you expect when you show up a half hour early? I have friends, you know.”
“Friends? Those two saddle tramps? They don’t look like friends, they look like somebody’s enemies, and I have a sneaking suspicion they’re mine.”<
br />
“Forget ’em. They’re nobody.”
“Don’t take that tone with me, you little bitch. I want to know what’s going on here and I want to know now.”
“Nothing... nothing’s going on,” she said nervously, backing away from him.
He grabbed one arm. “Don’t lie to me. Whoever they were, they didn’t seem surprised to see me here.” He narrowed his eyes on hers. “Who have you told about us?”
“Nobody, I swear.”
Griff wrenched her arm again. “You’d better not be lyin’, you little bitch.” His teeth clenched painfully. “You know what I can do when I get mad.”
She struggled to get out of his grasp. “Griff, you’re hurting me.”
“Stop whinin’, you bitch,” he said pushing her away. “You’re beginnin’ to make me sick, you know that?”
She frowned at him as she rubbed her arm, and then asked, “Do you want me to fix you a drink?”
“I brought my own,” Griff said, showing her the bottle of water.
“Why did you do that? I’ve got plenty—”
“I like gin,” he said still enraged. “And I’m tired of drinkin’ that slop of yours.”
“But you’re drinking it straight.” She reached for the bottle.
Griff lifted the bottle out of her reach. “A little anxious, aren’t you?”
“I just thought I’d mix it with something.”
“I’ll just bet you did.”
“But, baby, you’ll... you at least need a little...”
Griff looked at her with a hostile glare. “A little what? What have you got back there in that room?” He pushed her aside and went toward it.
“Griff, don’t!”
Griff smashed his way in and saw what looked like a pharmacy right in the middle of hell. “What the hell is all this stuff?” He picked up one vial after the other and looked at it. “My god, poisons... aphrodisiacs... hallucinates...” He turned, grabbed her arm, and jerked her to him. “Have you been feeding me this stuff? When were you going to get to the poison? When you were through with me? When you had wrung Griff Nyle dry with that hungry little pussy of yours? My god, I can’t believe I was so blind.” He reached out and swiped his arm across the tabletop, scattering the bottles.
“Oh, no! Look what you’ve done!”
“Upset your little playhouse, have I? Well, baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
“What do you mean?” She looked toward the door anxiously.
“I mean it ends tonight, baby.” He grabbed her jaw and turned her face up to him, squeezing it roughly. “Did you hear me? Are you paying attention? I said, tonight! I won’t dance to your tune anymore, Gabrielle, because for the first time, my eyes are open and I know what you are.”
Gabrielle looked at Griff strangely. “Griff, what’s the matter with you tonight? You’re different.”
“I’m just getting friggin’ tired of you and this goddamned hotel room. Look at this place,” he yelled, turning around to look at the room. “Do you ever clean it up?” He reached out and ran his arm along the top of the dresser, knocking her makeup, hairbrush, curlers, and the rest of the clutter to the floor. “It’s a goddamned pigsty!”
Gabrielle’s eyes began shining with unshed tears.
He whirled around and faced her. “I’m also tired of the goddamned phone calls, the letters, the packages.” His eyes held hers as he continued. “And I’ve put up with you as long as I’m going to. I don’t like to be strong-armed, baby, especially by a little bitch like you.”
Griff pointed his finger at her, and his face contorted with suppressed fury. “I’ve been nice to you up to now, but I’m a powerful man. I’ve got people that can wipe you out and never leave a trace. So one more call, bitch, or just one more goddamned package and that pretty little face of yours won’t be so pretty. Got that?” He kept swigging on the bottle and weaving around.
“You don’t know what you’re saying, Griff, you’re drunk.”
Griff’s anger rose. “I know goddamned good and well what I’m sayin’, and if you don’t believe me, just try it.”
“But... what about the publicity? You said...”
“Who the hell cares about the publicity? If it’ll get rid of you, it’ll be worth it.” He turned and looked at her, almost closing his eyes in pretended inebriation. To play it to the hilt, he then leaned down into her face and gave her a silly smile. “So... how do you like them apples?”
“Well...” she began, acting very nervous. “If this is our farewell date...”
“Date?” Griff snickered, almost choking on the drink he took from his bottle. “Date?” he said again, then let out a loud guffaw. “We haven’t been dating, you empty-headed little trollop. We’ve been fucking. Nothing else, just fucking the living daylights out of each other. I wouldn’t call that a date. Do you know what a date is?”
She looked at her watch worriedly, then back at him. “No, baby, what?”
“A date is dinner, dancing, picking your date up at her door, and bringing her flowers.” He looked down at her as if he had something distasteful in his mouth. “My relationship with you is about as far away from being a date as anything can get. Even if I could, I wouldn’t take you out in public. You’re trash, my dear. Nothing but nasty, ugly, dirty trash. I doubt if you’ve ever had a date your entire life that didn’t end up in a wrestling match. You don’t even know what it’s like to be with someone and stay on your feet, do you?”
“Griff...”
“Do you?” he yelled.
She jumped. “No,” she said quickly. “No, I guess not.”
“Tell me, bitch. Have you ever seen the world at any vantage point other than your back?” he asked cruelly. When she remained silent, he looked at her as if the sight of her made him sick. “No, I don’t think so.” He thumbed himself in the chest. “Well, I’m tired of it, see. I want to stop hidin’ in dark holes, afraid someone’s gonna see me.” He looked at her and blinked as if he were seeing two of her and trying to figure out which one was real. He lifted up a finger and wagged it back and forth. “You and I... we don’t walk in the moonlight all romantic like. No. What we’ve been doin’ has been more like dirty dancing. You know...” Griff began moving his hips back and forth seductively like a Chippendale dancer.
He became unbalanced, and she grabbed him and held him up as she led him to a large, overstuffed chair. She sat down on his lap, and he focused on her bold, red lips as she offered them to him. He could smell their faint perfumed fragrance and licked his lips in anticipation of their taste. He felt them slowly come down on his and covered their softness with his own. That familiar whirlpool of lust rose, causing a moan to escape his lips. He could feel himself falling beneath the spell of this witch. He heard a familiar voice going around in his head.
We can see and hear everything that’s going on.
Griff pushed her away.
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m not in the mood.”
Gabrielle laughed softly as she planted little kisses here and there. “Hey, that’s my line.”
Her soft lips kissed the corner of his mouth, weakening him. He couldn’t even imagine a woman with her passion saying no and scowled down at her questioningly. “Don’t you ever get a headache,” he mumbled as her lips pressed his. “Or maybe sometimes you’re just not in the mood?”
“Not when you’re around, baby,” she whispered, breathing heavily.
He lowered his lids, feeling his lust, hot and heavy trying to take control. Her hands searched for his belt, and he pulled away. “Hey,” he said, emotion breaking his voice. “Not tonight, okay?”
“Griff,” she said, leaning back and peering curiously at him. “What the hell is this? I can feel it, baby. You’re ready. Your body says yes, but your mouth says no. What gives?”
Griff slid his eyes up toward the ceiling, then over to the walls to see if he could find the cameras. “I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Isn’t it some kind of religious h
oliday?”
“It’s okay,” Gabrielle whispered against his lips. “I’ll get you in the mood.”
Don’t do anything to make her suspicious.
Cap’s words kept pounding in Griff’s head as the pain of unholy craving swirled in his groin. God, it was going to kill him if it wasn’t satisfied. He tried to get his mind on something else and allowed his eyes to roam the ceiling as Gabrielle kissed him. Every press, every movement of her body—every hot, fragrant breath that caressed his cheek made his cock ache a little more with the urge to impale her.
Keep your zipper closed!
“What are you looking at?” She followed his gaze and looked up at the ceiling to see what he was looking at.
“Nothing. Admiring the room,” he said, nervously.
“Hey, what’s going on here?” she said, getting up from his lap. “You’ve been acting strange since you’ve been here, and I smell a rat. You’d better not be trying to pull—”
Oh, God, she’s getting suspicious. How can I refuse her? I never have before. My God, what am I gonna do? As if right on cue, he heard the melodic strains of a familiar voice echo from somewhere far away...
I’ll do it myyy wayyy.
Then right behind it came his own angry voice.
I’ll do it my way, see—
“You and old blue eyes, huh?”
All right, scarface, just watch my dust!
He came alive and grabbed her. “You want to be fucked? Then you’re gonna be fucked.”
“It’s about time,” she purred. “Now you sound like the old Griff Nyle.”
* * * *
When Cap saw that, his eyes widened. “What the hell is he doin’?”
“He’s gonna fuck the bitch, that’s what,” one of the technicians said, laughing and looking around at the others.
“I told the bastard to keep his goddamned zipper closed. If he fucks this bitch, he’s gonna ruin everything.”
“You also told him not to do anything different than he’d done before,” the senator replied as he slid his eyes over to Cap.
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