Chapter Nine
This wasn’t exactlyunheard of, however, Massimo had no choice but to arrange a meeting with King first.He would have liked to deal with the Vigo Bratva first, but they were proving to be less accommodating.King’s specifications had surprised him.
They were in the middle of the city, in a quaint little café that didn’t have high-end clientele, but was busy.He had lost count of the number of times the door opened and closed.
King had stepped inside, looking like any other nine-to-five employee.It was only when you looked closely, at the three men, in different parts of the café, and Massimo knew what he was looking at.
King ordered a coffee with a grilled cheese.
Massimo ordered a coffee, no food.
For several minutes, they just looked at one another.No words were spoken.He was bored.
“You’re the one who arranged this meeting,” King said.“I think you should use your time wisely.”He pressed the tips of his fingers together as he rested his hands on the table.
He saw the redness on the man’s knuckles.
“Luiz Gutterman, do you know him?”Massimo asked.
King smiled.“Know him?Yeah, I know him.Trust me, I know every twisted fucker in this city.Luiz was a certain type.”
“You ever do business with him?”
King sighed.“I started to do business with him.Nothing related to the Russo Mafia.Luiz wanted girls.In the beginning I thought he just liked a lot of different girls.Men like you tend to like girls that have had it rough.You have this savior complex that you want to get them out of a tough situation.That was not Luiz’s gig.”
“You didn’t know?”
“His penchant for torturing and then putting them into Bratva territory?Fuck, no.Look, I’m no saint, okay?I’ve done my share of bad shit, and I continue to do my share of bad shit, but those girls ...they trusted me.I told them it was going to be okay.That all they had to do was play their part and shit would be fine.”
“It wasn’t fine,” Massimo said.
“No, it wasn’t.Instead, I got a dead woman in Bratva territory.Luiz tried to fuck me, and tried to blame the Bratva.He thought I was fucking stupid.”
“It happened more than once?”
“Yeah, it did.”He ran a hand down his face.“It was a month’s worth of women.Ten women.”
Massimo looked at King, and if he wasn’t mistaken, the other man looked guilty.
“How was it able to get to ten?”
“Because after a gig, usually I have a guy take them home.It’s part of the deal.That way, I get to know the state of the girls once they are done with clients.I’m not a good guy, but I don’t want them hurt.”
He had no doubt it was more about damaging the merchandise than actually caring about the women, but he didn’t say anything.He just looked to King, and his face had gone red.His anger was starting to flare.
“Luiz had sent my guys away.Paid double so he could be the one to drop them off.Again, figured it was the hero complex.Then when it was brought to my attention, I had to make negotiations with the Bratva, for me to see with my own eyes.The shit that man did.That’s not normal.I get that you can have a hatred for women.Some of them are bitches and would smile at you and stab you in the back to get ahead.None of them deserved what he did to them.Not a single one.They died on my watch, and then he tried to get the Bratva to turn on me.”
“When did you stop doing business with him?”Massimo asked.
King blew out a breath.“Over a year ago.”
“A year?”
“Yeah.I didn’t give him any more girls, and trust me, I kept the money he fucking offered.”He ran a hand down his face.“I know you Russo bastards were some sick fucks, but that stuff is just plain fucking wrong.That was a new edge of cruelty.”
