Chapter 36 – Elie
“Scott. I see you’ve found her.”
Scott didn’t look very happy to see me. I’d heard from Travis’s men about what had happened in Dubai, so I can’t say that I was too surprised. I was more surprised that Scott had had the balls to start something, but I knew that it wasn’t going to end there. Travis was going to be back in a couple of days, and I already knew which side I was going to be on.
“She’s here for her money from the auction. Her cut, Elie, and then she’s not coming back here.”
“I think we should let the girl talk for herself. I didn’t know that she was going to be picking up a manager.”
“I’m not her manager. I love Mariah, and I’m not going to let her work here anymore.”
“Is that what she wants?”
“I didn’t want to go to Dubai with Travis, and you know it. You drugged me and forced me to go.”
I put my hands up like I was innocent. I wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but it was clear that she saw it that way. I would never admit to it. I didn’t have to. She knew that, and even though Scott was by her side now, that didn’t mean anything. He would get sick of her. She was only a whore, after all.
“I gave you an opportunity to make money. I don’t remember any kind of force being involved.”
Mariah was red in the face, and I could tell she was about to lose her cool. I didn’t blame Scott for wanting her. She was magnificent when she was mad, and the only regret I had was not buying her at the auction myself when I had a chance. Things could have been different if I’d ponied up the money. Maybe I could have made her want me like she did Scott. I was just as much of a man as he was.
“You’re lying!”
Scott calmed her down. He was less emotional. After what he’d done to Travis, there was nothing that I wanted to start with him. I could end him like I’d done Greg, but there were too many witnesses who’d seen him come in, and he was too big of a name in this town to just disappear. Lisa and Greg were different because there hadn’t been any loved ones to really press a search. They were just written off as missing tourists. Scott was too visible for that.
“Now, Mariah, I can tell that you’re not ready to have a conversation about this yet.”
“Just give her the money that you owe her, and the money that you owe her roommate Sasha, and they’ll be out of your hair for good.”
I was losing both of my best girls in one swoop. My body was tense, and I wanted to do something about it. Who the hell did this man think he was?
“It will take me some time to get the money together.”
“The check cleared my bank, Elie, so I know that you’ve got the money.”
“I don’t keep that kind of money lying around. You know what kind of girls work here.”
Mariah made a face and I smiled back at her. “Are you sure you want to give this up, Mariah? Here you’re a star. In the streets you’re just another woman who’s getting older.”
“Yes, I’m sure. I hope you get closed down. No one deserves what you put us through.”
“I seem to remember you liked it. In fact, I’ve got tapes that prove that you’re a sick little girl with daddy issues.”
Scott was the one that came at me this time, and my hand went to the gun taped to the bottom of my desk. “Don’t come here acting like you’re going to take me out like you did Travis. I’m not as easy to catch unawares.”
His teeth were clenched and his jaw moved. “I promise you, Elie, that if you don’t give this girl the money I paid you for her, then I’ll make sure what I do you’ll never see coming.”
I sat back and smiled. The man didn’t know me very well, and his money didn’t mean shit to me. He might have more than I did, but the rich boy wasn’t going to talk to me like that. I didn’t take kindly to threats. I wasn’t going to give her any of her money anyway. Half of it was already spent in my mind. I just hadn’t gotten around to making the purchases. I certainly wasn’t going to let go of Sasha and her money, either. She’d been the one who brought the men in. Without her, I would lose too much business. This was not going to go down the way they thought it would.
“You do what you have to do. I’ll get you her money. It’s just going to take some time. Sasha, on the other hand, is not going to get hers. She has expenses that she owes me for. I think you need to talk to your friend before you come at me with all of this.”
Mariah wanted to give up, while Scott was looking at me as if he were considering breaking my face right here and now. I wouldn’t have stopped him, because then I could have sued him for everything he was worth, and that was a lot.
“Let’s get out of here, Scott. I told you that it was a waste of time.”
“I thought I would give you the option before I take care of this another way. You’ll regret not coming to a deal and forking over the money, Elie, that I promise you.”
“Promises, promises. I promise you that I won’t be as easy to take care of as Travis.”
Scott smiled in a way that made me a little nervous. He was so sure of himself that I had to wonder why. What did he know that I didn’t know?
“If that’s all… I’ve got a business to run. Tell Sasha that she needs to be in early Friday. Travis is back in town, and he was a little unsatisfied with his last order. I have to make sure that his appetite is fulfilled.”
“You and him are pieces of shit, and I’ll make sure that you get what’s coming to you, Elie.”
I smiled at Mariah. She’d had so much promise. I should have kept her far away from Scott. How was I to know that the man was going to fall in love with her and ruin everything?
“I look forward to it, Mariah. Of course, I’ve heard that all before from better women than you.”
They stormed out, and I almost burst out laughing because I knew there was nothing they could do. But something stopped me. The confidence on the man’s face had me questioning everything. What made him so damn sure of himself?
There was a bad feeling that came over me, but I decided I was just going to ignore it. That’s what Scott wanted. He was trying to get underneath my skin, and I wasn’t going to let him. I just had to let it all go. I was going to keep the money, but the rest of it I would have to walk away from. Travis would be smart to do so as well, although I doubt he would listen. It was far better for me to have the two of them battle it out. I would stay on the sidelines and out of the way. That was the best way I could think of for it all to work itself out. Better to let someone else get his hands dirty so I could keep mine as clean as possible.
But that look on Scott’s face… That damn look had me wondering what he had on me. What did he know that made him so smug?