Inside, Mick ordered Gagarin to his feet. Bella could tell Mick was upset, and Mick was. That man she was screwing was more than likely Duke’s kidnapper. Mick grabbed him and flung him against the wall. “Put your clothes on,” he ordered him.
Gagarin quickly did as he was told. Bella still did not bother to cover up. But Mick grabbed her clothes from the floor and tossed them onto the bed. “Get dressed,” he ordered her, a look of anger and disgust on his face.
Which angered Bella. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked him as she began putting on her bra. “I so much as look at a man hard and you have a problem with it.”
“That’s agotdamn lie,” Mick said without much energy behind it.
“Yeah, Mick, sure,” Bella responded, holding firm to her statement.
But it did bother Mick. “I thought you said he wanted to kill you.”
“He did. He said he would if I didn’t have his money he was gonna kill me. Then he called and said all was well. That he scored a big score. I had no idea he meant Duke. I had no idea he didn’t realize Duke had been kidnapped, but then was released.”
Gagarin seemed surprised by that news. “Released?” he blurted out in his Russian accent. But then he frowned. He never meant to reveal that much. “Who are you and what do you want with me?”
Mick knew that bastard knew who he was, but he didn’t answer his question. He was still watching Bella get dressed. “They said you came to my hotel to distract me and keep me from showing up at opening night.”
Bella frowned. “That’s so not true!” She looked at Gagarin. “What’s that about, Datvey?”
“Nothing,” Gagarin said as he continued to dress. “I told my hired hands that lie when they told me you had fled to The Carson. I knew who owned The Carson, but I didn’t want them to know what a sucker I was for your fresh ass. So I made it up. So what? It’s nothing.”
Mick was inwardly relieved. Bella was a mess, but he always believed he could trust her when it came down to it. “Hurry up,” he said to her as she was slowly dressing. “I don’t have all day.”
After they both were dressed, he spoke again. “We’re going for a walk,” he said to both of them.
Then he looked at Gagarin. “Any funny business and you’re dead. Do I make myself clear?”
Gagarin knew the legend of Mick the Tick. He knew that man had no limits if you crossed him. He knew he was in serious jeopardy if he didn’t figure something out. “You are clear,” he said.
Then Mick opened the door. “Teddy, you lock arms with Bella and walk her out. Frankie, you and I are going to lock arms with this asshole right here. Mr. Datvey Gagarin.”
Now they were getting somewhere, Monk thought. “Yes sir,” Monk said.
“Is there a back exit?” Mick asked him.
“No,” said Gagarin.
“Bullshit,” said Teddy.
“There’s a side exit,” said Bella, who, when the chips were down, was always going to be Team Mick.
“Which side?” Mick asked her.
“Left.”
Mick looked at Teddy. Teddy phoned Nikki and ordered her to drive the SUV around to the left side of the club. When he ended the call, Mick nodded. “Lead the way,” he ordered Bella, and she and Teddy led the way.
As they walked down the narrow hallway, Mick looked at Gagarin. “Why go through the trouble of pretending to be Kelly Cochran?”
“You never heard of subterfuge?” Gagarin said. “Surely a man of your reputation has.”
“I thought you didn’t know him,” said Bella.
“I know him alright. I know Mr. Paletti on the other side of me too. That is why it’s imperative that we straighten out whatever misguided notions you have about me and release me.”
“We need answers first,” said Monk as they made their way out of the club and into the waiting Escalade. Teddy and Monk sat on the back row, while Mick, Gagarin, and Bella sat on the middle row. Nikki drove away.
And Mick minced no words. “This is how it’s going to be done,” he said as he quietly pointed his Glock at Gagarin’s penis. “I’m going to ask you a series of questions. If you lie to me, or pretend you don’t have the answer, I will not hesitate to shoot off one of your balls. Or both. I’m not here because I just happened to find you here. I’m here because I know of your involvement in all of it. Fuck with me and I’ll kill you. Am I making myself clear?”
