~ GENIE ~
I swirled the Bentley into the lot of the Grand Prix Hotel, grinding my wheels on the asphalt, hip-pop music hammering on the speakers. I drove through the aisle of car until I found a spot near a blue beetle. I lay my baby to rest right there and hopped out, a cigar in-between my pop red lips.
I let the smoke escape into the cold night air while I typed away on my phone. Soon after my text was received, I got a call.
"Annabelle, where are you?"
"On the first floor, the table by the left window. There are two ice cream cups in front of me. I'm with Dan, he is playing with his phone." I nodded my head as I listened and walked. I took the elevator and I went straight for the main restaurant.
As I walked in, my eyes fixed on the window. I spotted her, she was slurping her ice cream and looking past me. I tapped my ear a little, turning on the tiny ear plugs at the same time. My gaze shifted from her, gliding through the faces in the room until they stopped on a fine fair fellow in Texas attire and sneakers. He saw me, he had seen me for a while actually and he had been staring. He made sure I knew he was.
I stroked my hair back, sauntering with my silver heels which seemed to add an exceptional touch to the green dress and the white coat. Nothing about my elegance would have told you that I had just made a fool of my ex's goons and got away from getting killed.
The fellow stood up and pulled a seat back for me. I thanked him with my eyes and sat down. He asked if I wanted to order something and I requested for cold ice cream. He told the waiter to bring two. While we waited and I played with the napkin on the table, he picked my dress apart with his eyes. In his fantasies, I was probably stripping one piece of cloth at a time and he couldn't even hide his lust.
His expression made my skin crawl. Unconsciously, I pushed my legs further under the table and pulled my coat closer to my chest. "I'm a bit cold." I said.
"Yet you asked for ice cream." He remarked at the same time taking our order from the waitresses and pushing the vanilla flavor to me.
"I have a sweet tooth. It's a bad habit, I know but I don't want to quit it. I am just incapable of letting go of anything I crave." I raised my shoulders a little then put the stray between my lips.
He grinned. "Oh you really are something else VonGenie and you are very beautiful. Damn how I wish you came here tonight because you were craving for more than just the information I have to offer."
I smiled a little, stroking my hair over my ears. I placed my cherry colored fingers back on the glass table and pointed at the bag dropping off his shoulders. "Is that what I asked for?"
"Yes, everything is here. It cost me quite a fortune to look into Leo Roberts associates although I am certain you will find a lot of interesting things here. All the people he deals with are clean business men, a little too clean in fact. Their accounts have an entirely different story to tell though."
He leaned in a little, I watched him without moving an inch. He whispered. "They all make four times as much as they should every month. It's insane. Their offshore accounts are more in number then all my ex wives."
I leaned back. "Fascinating."
"Indeed. I've looked through their businesses and everyone they work with, I couldn't find anything. Whatever it is they are doing; its more secret than the president's terrorist fund networks."
I asked for the bag. He opened it up and handed a pair of lipstick to me. "It's the perfect shade, I know you will like it."
I uncovered the things he gave me. There were USB's where lipstick should be. A small smile played on my lips. With this, I can finally get started on the first phase of my plan. As for the issue with who exactly feeds Leo his money and power, I guess I will have to squeeze the information out of his associates. I pursed the lipstick and took out a packet of Italian cigars.
Immediately I slid open the box, two people walked into the restaurant, slipping into the view I covered with the corner of my eyes.
I froze.
The fellow I was with noticed. He glanced behind him and then immediately he reverted to me with a cheerful look on his face. "VonGenie tonight must be your lucky day. San Snider is here. He is one of the biggest shareholders in Leo Roberts' textile company."
I looked up slowly. He was right, San Snider was really here, he was in the company of the man I had seen first; Don Triax. He dressed up in a long grey coat, a black double-breasted vest with gold buttons and tight fit tailor-perfect trousers. He had his Victorian hat on one hand and a glass of wine on the other. The white light over the stairway bathed him till he glowed, with his ruffian look and a new scar he was flaunting; he might have actually fallen out of an AI Mafia design.
From here I could feel my skin tremble from the danger in his aura. He didn't see me but for a second, I wished he would look at me. I shook my head brushing off that thought. Evil boys have the prettiest face.
"VonGenie, are you contemplating on talking to San Snider? Now would be a good idea. I heard he has a soft spot for fancy restaurants and pretty women. You have to be careful though, he is aggressive."
I glanced at him with dull eyes. To think he would actually give me advice was quite funny. I rose slowly, picking up my gem purse. "Don't worry Darling," I whispered. "If I could survive your lustful eyes, I think I would be fine with him."
I wandered off, like I wasn't sure where I was going, just striding through the restaurant floor.
"Genie, what are you doing?" The ear plugs buzzed. "You are not going to San Snider are you?" I kept walking, ignoring the voice in my ears.
"Genie. Jesus Christ you got to be kidding me. Don Triax is with him. You can't be anywhere around that man, he is bad freaking news. Quit moving Genie, turn around! We can figure out how to get to San Snider later but not like this, it's too risky. Genie, Genie, Genie!"
I pulled out the earplugs and crushed it, taking a deep breath. I picked up a glass of bubbling vodka and took a sip. Sometimes Annabelle just doesn't understand that I have to be quick, the sooner I do this, the sooner I get out of this nightmare. It's been six years, I can't be patient anymore.