Thirsty Thursday (The Billionaires Temptations Book 4)

by Annalise Wells

  I lead Dillon over to the bar. Conor is watching the final rehearsals of the dancers before the big opening.

  “Conor, I have a gift for you.”

  I give him the bag. “You got me a fucken uniform, how did you manage that?” he asks.

  “It was donated by Dillon, he was in the process of telling the pizza boss to shove his job up his ass,” I reply.

  “I hope it doesn’t stink,” Conor says laughing. “What did you bring him up here for? He looks like a dancer,” Conor asks, looking at Dillon.

  “He just happens to be a barman, and Tina has hired him. He will be working for you and then with your friend once he is here,” I say.

  “Hey kid, you any good?” Conor asks.

  “Do you want me to show you?” Dillon asks, beaming a smile.

  Conor looks at me and smiles. “You want to see what the kid can do?”

  “Why not, at least we know what we will be dealing with,” I say.

  Conor starts spinning his bottles behind his head and pouring into the cocktail shaker. Two bottles spin, and he catches them and pours into the shaker. He shakes and rattles the shaker, spins it and taps it on the bar. He pours the perfect cocktail.

  Dillon looks to Conor and claps. “Very good,” Dillon says.

  Dillon grabs the bottles for his drink. Five sit on the bar. He spins three in the air and grabs the remaining two, he tosses them and catches one of the three and hits the other two with his elbow. Those fly back in the air, and he puts one bottle on the bar. He repeats the trick and each time it looks effortless.

  The final bottle is poured and the cap goes on the shaker, he tosses it over his head and spins it on his finger. Next, he throws it into the air as he turns and catches it behind his back. He taps the cap and pours another perfect cocktail.

  Conor claps. He points at Dillon. “I have seen you before, I think it was the Zambezi bar?” Conor says.

  “I am impressed, that was a few years ago,” Dillon says.

  “It was where I got some of my inspiration,” Conor replies, smiling a wide smile.

  “So, am I in?” Dillon asks.

  Conor laughs. “You were already in, I just wanted to watch you spin some bottles.”

  “Dillon, just have a look around and get familiar, I have to speak to Conor in private,” I say.

  Conor follows me into the office. We sit on the couch, and I start to explain about tomorrow.

  “We have a radio, so as soon as Bob tells us what building it is, you have to get to the room where The Kingmaker is,” I explain.

  “That sounds simple enough,” Conor replies.

  “It is, the hard part is keeping him standing in the doorway for ten or fifteen seconds. Ty has to adjust and calm himself.” I look at him seriously. “What I am worried about is how close you will be to him,” I say.

  “How long does the bullet take to go that distance?’ Conor asks.

  “About four seconds.”

  “Will I hear the shot over the radio?” Conor asks.

  “I can leave it open, so yes, you will hear it,” I say.

  “I will count to three and drop something, I should be out of the way, and The Kingmaker will not be able to close the door,” he explains.

  “That works for me. There is a book in the bag, drop that,” I say.

  “Money, it is better if I drop money,” Conor says, smiling.

  “After that, all you have to do is dump the uniform and torch it somewhere,” I say.

  “I will sort that, and then I will be back here and on the camera to clock in for my shift,” he says.

  “Exactly,” I reply.

  I hold my hand out to Conor. “What you doing?” he asks.

  “I just want to shake your hand, it is a hell of a thing you are doing.” I have respect for him.

  Conor laughs. “I’m from fucken Ireland, you know how many bullets used to be flying around. I had to duck on my way to school,” he replies. He lets out a roar of laughter.

  “So, one bullet is nothing then?”

  “One bullet is for pussies,” he replies, still laughing.

  “I always told Tina never to fuck with the Irish, they are as tough as they come,” I say.

  “I better wash this uniform,” Conor says as he walks to the office door.

  I walk to Dillon who is sitting at one of the tables watching the last rehearsals on the stage.

  “Are you ready?” I ask.

  “Yeah, it will make a change to get home at a reasonable time,” Dillon says.

  “That will change, but you start a lot later, so you gain all the way,” I say. He shares a smile and looks impressed with the dancers.

  I take Dillon back to the main reception. He hails a cab and heads off through Chinatown. I look at my watch and notice I should be grabbing my bag. It is nearly time for Scott to be finishing work for the evening. I make my way back up to the apartment and grab hold of my bag.

  Scott meets me at the bar and we walk toward the elevator. The door opens and Tina is inside. She steps toward me and throws her arms around my neck. My bag drops to the floor as I wrap her in my embrace.

  “I just had to get back and see you before you vanish for the evening,” Tina says.

  “I am all grown up you know, I can look after myself,” I say.

  “I know, it is everyone else I am worried about,” Tina says laughing.

  My lips lock firmly onto hers, and I feel her quivering under my touch.

  “I will see you tomorrow, I will be back before you even wake up,” I say.

  “I know that, but I have no one to cuddle,” Tina says, doing a mock pout.

  “Just hug my pillow, I am sure that smells like me.”

  “I’ll just have a cocktail and watch a girly movie. You can work on your clown act.”

  “What clown act?” asks Scott.

  “Never mind.” I look at Tina who is laughing. “Goodbye Thirsty Thursday.”

  She looks at me with a cheeky grin. “Goodbye, Lando the Clown.” Sometimes, I just want to spank her… hard.

  “Cocktails mean so much more than cherries and umbrellas.”

  Tina

  “It is amazing what you can find in a laundry basket.”

  I wake up and look at the bed. I know that Orlando is not downstairs, he is with Scott and will be at the club in a couple of hours.

  It was not an easy night to get sleep without Orlando by my side. It really was one of the most stressful nights for two very different reasons. Opening day and the shot to end The Kingmaker.

  I swing my legs from the bed and walk to the bedroom door, the horror movie squeak from the door hinges helps to wake me, then the door slowly opens.

  I make my way to the kitchen and make a large cup of coffee. I want everything clear in my mind for later in the day. I run through it all, over and over again.

  The cameras downstairs will be rolling. Everything will be recorded. Scott will arrive with Orlando, and the other dancers just before lunch. The laundry van will come to deliver the trolley at around two o’clock, and inside the trolley will be Ty, hiding. The trolley will be pushed into the elevator where Ty will exit and make his way to the apartment to meet Orlando.

  At around six o’clock, Conor will make his way over to Brooklyn Heights and find a place to hide his bar uniform and a can of lighter fluid. He will be dressed in his pizza delivery uniform and wait for the signal from Orlando. Once he has this, he will grab a couple of pizzas and make his way to the destination where Bob locates The Kingmaker.

  Ty and Orlando will make the shot at eight o’clock, then Conor will run down and change and burn his pizza boy outfit. Ty will leave the rifle in the apartment and leave via the laundry trolley. He will get changed and return with Cally to meet Shona and Beau, Stacey and Joseph and me, in full view of the camera on the ground floor. To anyone watching, it will be like a grand opening where a family is attending the event.

  I have it all clear in my mind, I just hope everyone else has i
t clear in theirs. Now, I block thoughts of anything that can go wrong from my mind, because we have planned everything and the future for all of us begins… tonight.

  I look at the clock on the wall. I watch the second hand ticking by as I sip on my coffee. Time, when you look at it, is slow, but if you don’t look at the clock, it can go so fast. Unless you are waiting. Like today. I want Orlando back with me, and time seems to know this.

  I sip on my coffee and think about after The Kingmaker is gone. How quick will it be before my bosses haul me in and question me? For most of it, I can play ignorant. They don’t know I live in this apartment, so they will not even consider that as anything relevant. I can just say I was at the grand opening, and I have the film to prove it.

  My relationship with Orlando is also unknown to them, why would they consider him if he is nothing but a mere dancer in the club? Then they will want to know exactly where the damn shot was made from; that will be the most confusing part. They could check all they wanted from across the river, and see nothing that would give them a hint that the club has a viable roof.

  I look at the clock again. I have to do something. Maybe an hour in the gym will help to take my mind off things. I walk to the bedroom and change into my sports gear. I suddenly hear my phone ringing.

  The first call of the day to clarify proceedings is Shona.

  “Morning Tina,” she says.

  “Hi, how are you?” I ask.

  “Nervous, how about you?”

  “The same, nervous for Ty and worried with the club opening,” I reply.

  “I just want to make sure, you want us there just before eight, right?”

  “Yeah, we will have a table in reception with champagne, we will all be hanging around there, so the camera gets a good shot of us,” I reply.

  “I guess Joseph and Stacey will be there around the same time?” Shona asks.

  “Yeah, they will arrive about ten minutes after you, and then once Ty has been taken by the laundry truck, he will walk from Mr. Yang’s through the market,” I say.

  “It all sounds like you have it planned to perfection,” Shona says.

  “We have tried our very hardest,” I reply. “This phone is untapped and I’ll use my other one to throw them off.”

  “I will call Cally and let her know.”

  “Good idea,” I reply.

  Shona cuts the call, and I look at the clock. Orlando will be arriving in just over an hour. I skip the gym and just walk around the club and make sure everything is in order, ready for later. The kitchen is already in full swing preparing the food.

  I hear laughing behind me. I turn around, and Scott and Orlando walk from the elevator.

  “You are early?” I ask.

  “First day on the job, I didn’t want to be late,” Orlando says laughing.

  He walks up to me and wraps his arms around me. “Did you miss me?” he asks.

  “Of course, and can you oil that damned bedroom door, it was freaking me out,” I say.

  “I will do it now, it will help to empty my mind,” he replies.

  I watch Scott as he walks off through the dark curtain. Angie appears from the elevator with a few of the girls. It is all starting to happen now. It’s crunch time.

  “Angie, how are all the dance routines?” I ask.

  “They are fine, the guys have really pulled themselves together over the last couple of days,” she says. “I better keep going.”

  “Of course. Great work, by the way.” I say. She walks off and vanishes through the heavy curtain to see Scott.

  Orlando grabs hold of my arm, and we make our way to the stairs. We walk to the apartment, and I hang onto his arm for dear life. Nerves will get the better of me, I am sure of it. I need to sit down for a while. I start to breathe heavy.

  We have some lunch and watch a funny movie from the eighties. Anything to help time pass. I still feel my breath making me nervous.

  Orlando sits beside me when we get upstairs and helps to calm me. “Breathe deep,” he says. “Just focus on something, anything.”

  I lay back on the couch and close my eyes. He waits for me to calm down. I drift off and feel at peace now that he is here.

  When I wake I hear Orlando messing with something upstairs and I guess he is looking at the door. I hear it close, and there is no noise from the hinges. Thank God, he has fixed it.

  I hear a knock at the door. I walk over and look through the security lens. Ty stands there holding his rifle case. I open the door and let him in. I notice the clock. I must have dozed for about one and a half hours.

  “Come in,” I say.

  Ty walks in and dumps his bags onto the living room floor. It is almost six o’clock, and Conor will be making his way to Brooklyn Heights.

  “I have to get ready, I am going for a shower,” I say to Orlando.

  “Okay, we will start setting up,” he replies.

  I stand in the shower and let the water wash away all the thoughts of what is about to happen. I exit the bathroom wrapped in my bathrobe. I am a black ops operative, but my friends could be hurt or killed. I want everything to go right.

  I look in the closet and grab my slinky black dress, a grand opening it is, and a grand opening they will have. I make sure that I will stand out on the camera, even the photographers will not be able to stop taking pictures. There is no way my bosses will be able will be able to pin anything on me.

  “I just need to find my sexy lingerie. Where are you, sexy blue satin? I bet it’s in the clean laundry basket. It’s my lucky set.”

  “Who are you talking to?” Orlando calls out.

  “My lingerie.”

  “It is amazing what you can find in a laundry basket.”

  Orlando

  “A nice, soft, gentle squeeze doesn’t always have to be on a woman.”

  Tina has gone downstairs and is ready to meet the guests. Ty is setting up the rifle and centering himself. I see my spotting scope ready at the side of him.

  I turn on the radio. “Conor, do you read?” I ask.

  “Loud and clear,” he replies.

  “Where are you now?” I ask.

  “I am just approaching the pizza place. I am looking for somewhere to hide my uniform,” he replies.

  “I will call you as soon as I hear from Bob.”

  “Roger, over and out,” he says. He sounds happy.

  I pick up the cell phone and call Bob.

  “Hi Bob, how is it looking?” I ask.

  “The Kingmaker is moving around on the street. He must be deciding which apartment to go to,” Bob replies, sounding impatient.

  “Just let me know when you know,” I say.

  “I will do, no worries,” Bob says. “Good luck.”

  I look at Ty who is in the zone. “Are we set here?” I ask.

  “Yes almost, I am just checking that the rifle is not going to jam or anything,” he replies.

  I look at the loud ticking clock. Seven thirty. Time is moving quicker than anything, within thirty minutes it will all be over.

  “I am just going to run downstairs and see how Tina is coping,” I say to Ty.

  “Okay, just don’t be too long, I think it may rain again,” Ty says.

  I run down the stairs to the club. Tina is by the bar busily sipping on a glass of whiskey.

  “Don’t have too many of them,” I whisper as I walk up behind her.

  “What are you doing down here?” she asks.

  “I have just come to see you are okay,” I say.

  “I am fine, nervous as hell, but fine, and I have to go down to the reception in a few minutes. Shona and Beau will be arriving,” she says. She looks like a movie star.

  “I better get back upstairs, we don’t want to miss the chance, and Ty reckons it might rain, so get the canopy out ready,” I say. I smile at her.

  “Okay, I will do, it will also add that little bit extra to the street and give the photographers something to look at,” Tina says.

  She makes h
er way to the elevator, and I move up the stairs. I run to the apartment and can see through the glass door that Ty is ready; resting against the wall with the rifle scope to his eye.

  I make my way outside and take a final reading of distance to the buildings.

  “Set your scope for the middle one. Eighteen hundred and seventy yards,” I say. “Then it is just one adjustment, up or down, depending on where he goes.”

  “Roger that,” Ty whispers.

  I look at the clock, seven fifty and counting. I turn on the radio.

  “Conor,” I say.

  “Yes,” he replies.

  “Time for you to grab your pizzas, we will hear anytime soon.”

  “Okay, I will go to the restaurant now,” he says.

  I dial Bob’s number on the cell phone.

  “Speak to me Bob,” I say.

  “He is moving, but I think he is in an elevator. So, when he stops, I can pinpoint him,” Bob says.

  “I will stay on the line,” I reply.

  I hear Bob muttering to himself and to Bart. He sounds just as nervous as us. I check my watch. Seven fifty-seven.

  Tina will already be talking to Shona and Beau. Joseph and Stacey should be arriving anytime soon.

  “I have the pizza,” Conor calls on the radio.

  “Any second now,” I say.

  “Building two, building two, room four twenty-five,” Bob yells down the phone.

  “Building two, room four twenty-five,” I say plainly into the radio.

  “On my way,” Conor says. He sounds happier than ever.

  I hear him breathing as he runs over to what we have called building two, it is not the middle one, it is luckily the closest one.

  “Seventeen hundred and twenty yards,” I say to Ty.

  I hear the clicks on his scope as he adjusts for the distance. He pulls the rifle into his shoulder and looks for the number on the doors.

  “Got it,” he says. “How is the wind?”

  I estimate the strength of the cross wind. “One click, I think it has dropped, maybe the chance of rain has helped us,” I reply.

  “I am on his floor,” Conor says as he breathes hard.