David didn't say anything, and I wondered what Frank was going to do.
"You should know me better than that, Frank. I don't like to get my hands dirty."
I had my answer as I remembered Saffron's words. I should have known already because a man like Frank Russo didn't let you leave knowing anything about his dealings. David knew about the women at the warehouse and penthouse since he was with us when Saffron made her picks, and clearly, he had been sleeping with one of them. It was mid-afternoon; was Frank going to kill him in the light of day? Maybe not at the docks. At the warehouse, maybe? I didn't want to be involved in killing another person. I didn't want to be involved, period.
"Sir," I called out. Frank looked at me as he took a drag of his cigar. "If I'm Saffron's head of security, shouldn't I be at the penthouse?"
Frank smiled. "Her head of security should do her dirty work, no?"
I stared at him. Was he going to make me kill David? Frank knew I'd killed before, but that was a mission. That was Somalia, under the orders of my commander or the President. Was Frank that stupid, though? I didn't think so, and therefore, didn't think he'd trust me with a gun just yet.
Given the chance, it wouldn't be David I would kill.
"Yes, sir," I finally replied.
"Mr. Russo, I—"
Frank silenced David with the raise of his hand, and no one talked the rest of the drive. David knew his fate just like the shooter the night before. I got the feeling that Frank wasn't only dealing with the people who wronged him, but giving me a warning that if I crossed him, he wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet between my eyesandmy mother's.
The limo stopped at the warehouse. "Are you going to make Ric drag you out?" Frank asked David.
"No, sir."
We got out of the limo and walked into the warehouse. The same three guards were watching over the thirty-eight women that were still in cages. Instead of walking up to Frank's headquarters, he led us to a room that was under his upstairs office. A woman was secured with zip ties to a steel chair that was sitting on a clear tarp.
"David!" she shrieked as she struggled against the restraints.
"Lana," he responded with sorrow in his voice. He knew their destinies.
She continued to try to pull away from the restraints to no avail.
"It's no use," Frank snickered. "You can try to break free all you want. You won't get far even if you do."
"Why are you doing this?" she screamed. "For three years, I've done everything you and Madam asked of me."
Frank pulled another steel chair next to her and nudged his head at David. He took his cue and sat next to her, immediately placing his hand on her leg, comforting her.
"I've been doing this business my entire life. Before I ran the warehouse, it was my twin brother. Since his passing nine years ago, there's only been one other who betrayed me."
"How did we betray you?" Lana questioned.
Frank pulled another chair over and placed it in front of them. He sat and leaned forward. "Do you know how much people pay to sleep with the girls at the penthouse?" She shook her head. "Five hundred for every half hour." I could see her swallow hard from where I stood a few feet back near the closed door. "Not once did David pay me for fucking you, sweetheart. You two stole from me."
"I've slept with every client that has chosen me," she argued.
"Yes, but you're my property, and I didn't give you permission to fuck around outside of my clientele, did I?"
Lana closed her eyes and whispered, "No, sir."
"Good. Now, I'm a busy man. Any final words?"
David and Lana looked at each other, a tear running down her face. "For what it's worth," David said, "I love you."
Lana started to cry more. "I love you too."
David leaned over to kiss Lana one final time, but just before their lips met, Frank fired his gun. The bullet went into the side of David's head, and Lana screamed as his dead body fell to the floor.
Frank stood, putting his gun back into the holster under his suit jacket before heading to the door. "I'll call Marcus to come and help you dump David into the harbor tonight. I'm making him your right-hand man. You can trust him. As for Lana, throw her in a cage. I'd rather get more money out of her than kill her."
