Half A Heartbeat Away

32

•Beckham Blackford•

I was walking through the crowded, hot, and dense space of Lix, the new nightclub downtown owned by no one but Fernando Ferrera, the son of Carlos Ferrera, the leader of one of the biggest mafias that ruled the area alongside us. Otherwise known as my work associate.

I got a call from him earlier today when I was in office reviewing papers, trying to figure out where the money could have potentially but miraculously disappeared to. We were keeping tabs on every rival of ours, in this line of work, everyone was a suspect of the theft until proven else.

He suggested that I shall come and pay a visit to check out his new place, I understood his intentions immediately as to him having private info he wanted to share with me, and so I came.

Dano accompanied me as well, since he hated them, the Ferreras, to the bone, he never trusted them enough to leave me with them alone. He insisted on coming as backup and I didn't have the mental capacity to tell him no. Besides, his hatred towards them made him aware and vigilant even in the distracting nature of the place, which was exactly what I needed, someone whom wouldn't get easily thrown off by scandalous women and expensive liquor.

We made our way through the sweaty bodies that gyrated relentlessly in the heat of the place, dancing inconspicuously to the cheap electric music the dj provided from an elevated platform. Bar-men and women were parading around pleasantly serving people with an endless supply of alcohol of all kinds you could come up with. We cracked our way, walking straight ahead after Fernando's assistant to the VIP rooms, where the music wasn't as loud and it was strictly forbidden to mere anyone to enter if wasn't authorized by Fernando himself. I liked it better here, where the noise couldn't reach us.

We reached a closed door. The guy signaled us to stay outside waiting as he notified his boss of our arrival. Dano exchanges a look with me, after being stared into by a blonde girl whom looked way too dolled up to be considered a bartender. I place my hands in my pockets ignoring her suggestive stares, noting Dano doing the same. It gives off this whole 'Don't mess with us' vibe. We kept our faces stoic, although I could bet I knew what exactly went on in his head. He was repelled by the place and couldn't wait to get out of here. I honestly felt the same.

A moment later the door opens again, and the guy whom I hadn't had the time to learn his name yet smiles at us yellowish-ly while gesturing for us to step inside. We enter the dim lit room. It exuded of foreign cigars and Hennessy, definitely more expensive than cheap cigarettes and beer that was out there in the other section.

We find Fernando seated on a couch with two of his other men, Rahul and Josè. They were passing around a fancy looking cigar, each taking a whiff. The smoke wafted through the room creating shadows in the air. Upon noticing our presence, Fernando smiles wide "Beckham, my friend, I see that you have come. Take a seat, get yourself comfortable" He gestures to the empty seats on the L-shaped leather couch. We walk silently there, and get down.

Immediately, a server pops up beside us from nowhere and offers us different kinds of cigars and drugs and liquor. I shake my head, refusing politely.

Upon seeing both of our refusals to take anything, Fernando frowns and stops to look us in the eye "You aren't about to sit here completely sober, are you? Come on, a little smoke or drink wouldn't harm anyone" He said it in a friendly type of way while taking a prolonged drag of smoke, but I knew better than to believe him. Behind his words hid malice and distaste.

Dano seems to notice this as well and so he grabbed a glass of Henny to himself, while I snatched the other one, leaving the drugs untouched on the plate, believing I made the right choice. There's no way in bloody hell I was touching that shit.

Him and his men were obviously on the brink of being high and so I regretted coming here. If he hadn't had beneficial insight, then I would have wasted my time and came for nothing.

"So how's running this place been?" I ask casually to kick off the conversation. I hoped he still was in his right mind to give me answers on the questions that really mattered.

"Oh, it's been a blast, isn't it gentlemen?" He looks up to the guys on his sides snd they nod approvingly, way out of their minds to disapprove.

We continue off with the usual conversation, him telling us about the work it took to get this place running and functioning, while Dano and I faked our interest in his over-salted stories. He was eating our ears off again about how he had convinced the owner of the land the club was built on to get him to sell it to him, since he claims the owner was a ninety years old man whom is stubborn as a bull apparently.

I was on my third shot when he finally decided to spit the words out "You know, in my series of chatting up people about financing this place, I talked to the Nordos, they seemed to be in a financial dilemma back then. Then suddenly out of no where, they're all good, I heard they'd paid that loan they took out two tears ago. It almost seems like the money appeared magically out of nowhere for them" He finishes with a sinister laugh and a malevolent gleam in his eyes. Finally, he decided to cut through the bullshit and give me something.

This is what I've endured the past hour and a half for. I know for sure the engines in Dano's head started turning when he caught what Fernando had said. We haven't thought of considering the Nordos as suspects because we hadn't thought they'd be capable enough to pull this off. Great mistake we've done. It could be that they got the help of others, while staying at the top as the orchestrators.

Looking back at Dano we're both giving the other the look meaning 'let's get the heck out of here'. But I knew better than to up and leave like that. We'd have to stay at least an extra half hour faking smiles and interest to get through. Dano was done with his fourth drink when in a sudden the blonde server girl appeared next to us with a smile on her face. I look up and notice a redheaded girl standing suggestively next to me, dressed revealingly equal as the latter. I quirk an eyebrow up at Fernando in question.

He just smiles goofily "These fine ladies know how to pleasure. You can have them here, or if you want there are rooms in the back for the extra special service" He adds so casually. I'm certain he hadn't missed the ring on my finger signaling that I was clearly off the market. I raise my finger to the redhead, whom eyed it with distaste "I'm not interested". Dano was also expressing his gratitude for the girl while refusing her service as well.

They both retreated back and they seemed disappointed whatsoever. Not that I cared. I wasn't about to entertain anyone besides my wife and I wasn't sorry for it in the slightest. We chat up for another half an hour before we wish them well, bidding them goodbye with the promise to visit another time.