Chapter 21
“I’ll talk to Dr. Artis. Maybe he can help.”
“I don’t think so. I’m all scarred up. I manage. Once I’m better, I’ll get out of your hair,” Donal promised.
“Don’t leave me, at least until you’re better. But, I’d like it if you stayed. Give it some thought. I won’t ask of you more than you can give.” Alexei sat on the bed.
“I’ll stay until you get sick of me,” Donal agreed.
“I won’t get sick of you,” Alexei said quietly tucking the covers under Donal’s chin.
“Yes, you will. I’m still a whore you picked up from a park bench. I haven’t forgotten and eventually you’ll remember, and I’ll embarrass you.” Donal shrugged, resigned.
“No, you don’t understand…”
“I do understand. I won’t be angry when it happens, but I know it will. You can’t come back from where I’ve been.”
“You can and you will. Now go to sleep. Maybe if your feet feel better tomorrow, I can show you the house. Most of the rooms are empty. I haven’t had the time to furnish them yet, and it took a while for my things to arrive from Russia. You can give me some ideas.” Alexei kissed Donal on the forehead. “Get some sleep.”
Although he longed to believe that Alexei would let him stay, Donal knew enough not to get too used to what Alexei could provide.
* * * *
Brooklyn, a warehouse near the dockyards
Late Monday night
Don Ferone looked at Apuso with disgust. “You’re squealing like a pig, and I haven’t done a quarter to you of what you did to that whore. I told you I wanted you to run a clean operation. Now I have to worry if my clients are going to get HIV infections, and the rent boys won’t want to come to work for my organization willingly.”
One of Ferone’s guards said, “I put the poker into the furnace like you asked, boss. I’ll get my gloves. I must admit, I’m going to enjoy this. We knew what he was doing to the kids and were horrified, but we didn’t know about the skimming. We thought you gave him those instructions, although it wasn’t like you to order abuse. Apuso said you gave the orders and he was higher up the food chain. It seems Mr. Apuso got a little too creative.”
Ferone spoke, “And because he did, I’m going to let you have some fun with him before you kill him. But he dies tonight. And the next time you assume I know something that I don’t, you’ll be paying the same price.”
“Yes, boss.” The man gazed down at his shoes.
Ferone spat at Apuso. “You caused me to be in debt to a man I need to owe me. Now I know why you made such a fuss about selling Donal. You knew that no buyer would let that deal stand after seeing the damage. Mr. Davidoff was angry, but not because Donal was damaged goods. He was angry at your outright torture of another human being left in your charge.”
“Don Ferone, that one was a troublemaker. He would have outed the operation to the cops.”
“You’re a fool. No one would have believed him. He was an addict, and the city would have eaten him up. Now I have a house full of damaged merchandise I can’t unload until all of them at least test clean for HIV. I may have to turn all of them loose. You stupid bastard. I gave you an opportunity, and you and your sadistic tendencies blew it up in my face.”
“Rocky, you can put those irons on the soles of his feet, on his calves and shins. Don’t miss between the toes. I want the skin burnt to a crisp. Revive him if he passes out then continue. After you’re finished with his legs, cut off his fingers for stealing and throw him in the river. By then he should be dead. If he’s not, stick the poker up his ass. I need to figure out how to recover my position with Armand La Marche.”
Apuso screamed, “My brother, Ernesto, won’t let this go.”
Ferone scowled at him. “Ernesto is no threat to me.”
* * * *
Alexei’s suite
Tuesday, 5 A.M.
Donal woke up early on Tuesday. After relieving himself, he crept back into bed, set the lamp up the way Katya had the night before, and read more of Colin’s book.