Marginal Love (Book 4 LS Series)

Chapter 6

Skipper's POV

The first thing I smell is cheap perfume. How stereotypical.

I keep trying to reason with myself as I walk down the long, dark tunnel leading to the brothel. It's almost like stepping back three hundred years to when prostitution was such forbidden fruit, only with much better living standards for the girls. Hopefully.

At the end of the tunnel, there's a cracked door. Before I can even attempt to push it open, two beefy guys dressed in black stop me.

"State your name, and your business here." The taller of the two growls.

"Come on, what is it? 1750? I'm just here to see Jani. Trust me... my presense is definitely wanted."

"Fellas?" A rather sly voice from inside the door calls. My skin is already crawling. "Who's outside? Did one of the girls forget the password again? I fucking swear to god, a high school diploma should be a prerequisite in this place."

The tall beefy guy sighs and leads me into the room rather forcefully by the arm.

"Oh no Jani, you couldn't," I respond with faux enthusiasm. "You'd lose the prettiest ones."

The room is like something out of a 1970's porno, with dim, dusky light and incense burning on the small wooden tables about the room. The furniture is bright red, the carpet is too. Colorful curtains drape around the large bed in the center of the room, where Jani sits adorned by some of his... 'girls'.

Jani's crystal blue eyes shine with surprise and delight. "Yeah, but last time I checked the prettiest one I've ever seen had several medical degrees."

I fight the urge to roll my eyes with disgust and uncross my arms. "It's so good to see you Jani. I... hate to admit it, but I... really missed you."

I see the greed in him as he glides to the edge of the bed. "And I've missed you more. So... sorry to hear about your late husband." His eyes narrow, as observant as a hawk's. He's waiting for my reaction.

I swallow down my contempt and shrug. "We'd been growing apart. You know that."

Pleased, he stands and takes a two glasses of champagne from the nightstand. The scantily clad girls on the bed stir with discontent, glaring at me from behind his back.

"Who do I owe for your company? The label?"

I shake my head, forcing myself to stand my ground as he approaches and hands me one of the glasses. His tan chest shows through his open blazer, he towers over me in a waterfall of blonde hair and charm.

I force myself to look up at him. "No one. No one even knows that I came."

He sips his glass nonchalantly and eases closer. "Oh, really? Not Michael Jackson? Not your old pal Slash? Word on the street is that they're back and lookin' to get into the swing of things. Would you know anything about that?"

I swallow and shrug. "Well yeah... Slash doesn't know I'm here, but he did send me out on an impossible mission, it seems."

He peers at me over the rim of his glass. "Yes... how are you... and Slash?"

I scoff. "If you're asking if we're a couple, we're not. Slash doesn't really seem to be interested in that side of me anymore," I sigh, unable to control the feeling of sadness that comes with that statement.

"Oh come now," Jani says, tucking a finger under my chin to bring my gaze back to his crystal one. "He must be a fool, then."

I put a hand over his wrist. "Look Jani," I breathe, trying my hardest to seem vulnerable and smaller than he. As much as I hate to do it, being the leader of a whole damn underground organization, Jani likes to feel empowered. If that means I'll get his help, what the hell. "I need your help. I just... don't know who else to go to."