Hooked

Built-in reputation, you bet. Good enough to make one of Eileen’s best clients switch to the younger Tawny, even though she didn’t have Eileen’s prime assets. She’d seen her once on the arm of the well-known lothario and had to admit, Tawny Dell was one gorgeous woman. No triple Ds, but because Tawny was slimmer and less curvaceous, she gave the impression of being stacked. Even though Eileen was making a tidy living, it was at that enlightened moment she knew her days were numbered. She made a major play for Benny, pulling every trick in the sex manual to snag him. Well, she did, and she wasn’t going to let some boney-assed whore play hard to get and hook him when he wasn’t paying attention. No siree. Not on her watch. She’d protect her assets with her dying breath. Or Benny’s.
    * * * * *
    I n spite of his tranquil exterior in front of Eileen, Benny’s insides were churning like the ocean in a hurricane. In fact, that ’s what he saw in his nightmare―a raging, stormy sea. When he sprang up from his pillow, he felt seasick. His head pounded as if he’d just spent a night listening to heavy metal rock.
    What had he become? He was worse than a pimp―the word triggered a sharp pain in his chest and a male hot flash―he’d covered up the murder of an innocent young woman, and guilt was taking its toll. Legally, that was as bad as committing the murder himself. Accessory after the fact came to mind. Had too many yanks on his pecker caused him to lose his fucking mind?
    As if the thought of prison wasn’t enough of a nightmare, that threatening sleazeball, Dirk Hansen, hovered in the wings to cash in on his girlfriend’s disappearance. Threatening him . Benjamin Cooper. A man who could buy and sell the slimy little prick for less than he paid his maid. What will happen when Cindi turns up dead? Would she? Jesus. He raced into his bathroom and tossed the brisket.
    Then Russo himself called. Russo: the head of one of New York ’s Five Families. He wanted to talk, or maybe he wanted to put a bullet in him to protect his accountant. A man like Martell could unleash the wrath of the government on the crime boss. The thought made Benny run to the toilet again. He loved brisket, but tonight it wasn’t sitting well.
    He didn’t want Eileen to see how upset he was. She always reacted with a cool head, but he’d never experienced problems like these. Even when the cops fished Serena out of the harbor, Eileen handled it like a champ. Never gave a thought that her death might come back to haunt him. It happens, Eileen said. Some women can’t stay away from the bad element.
    Then there was Melody. Sweet, delicious Melody. His cock gave a little jerk thinking about her lovely mouth. Poor thing. He’d called her to make sure she was all right, but she still sounded upset. Of course. Why wouldn’t she be? She’d seen her friend compacted like a discarded auto. Well, not exactly, since Melody was in la-la land when Martell sat on Cindi. But she knew what happened. She was about to leave town, get herself together. If she needed anything, he told her, all she had to do was ask. She’d be on easy street for the rest of her life.
    He was cursed. Some malignant alignment of the stars had put him on Nature’s shit list. He’d go to temple Friday night, beg forgiveness of God for all his wrong-doings. He’d make a list. It worked for Catholics. The priest told them to say a few Hail Marys and God forgave them. He’d go to church too. Take Eileen. She used to be Catholic. She’d show him what to do. You couldn’t get enough help in situations like these. Did it matter who showered you with absolution? God was God, right?
    A wave of calm washed over him. Things would work out. After all, Tawny Extra-Fucking-Ordinary Dell was coming to work for him.

Chapter Fourteen
    B eware of Cops Bearing Gifts

    L inc mulled over what to do when Tawny set the parameters of her cooperation. Had she been serious? Would she go to jail to protect a few women she didn’t even know, or was she taking what could be the biggest risk of her life?
    “That’s the deal,” Linc said to Harry while eating lunch at their favorite Chinese restaurant. “Captain Bondell’s running her demands through Treasury. She doesn’t want any of the women charged unless they’re involved, and she wants everything in writing. If we don’t do it her way, she said we can haul her off to jail.”
    Harry Winokaur wove a cigarette through his