Chapter 16

Vince was sweating violently even before he heard the click at the other end, which told him Brett had hung up. Sweats, as cold as ice was running down his handsome face. He took the phone off his ear and placed it on the table. Then he took off his shirt and tossed it to the sofa. His head was hot, his mind paralyzed with alarm, and he felt exhausted and sick. Brett had tricked him! That was all he could think about. Brett had had his plan all this while. He had been waiting for the right moment to strike, and now, when the moment had presented itself, he had not hesitated to strike.

He drew in a long, slow breath and grimaced. Fear was nibbling at him as he thought of everything he had just heard. Was he true that Eva was aware of his plan to kill her, or Brett had deliberately led him to believe such a lie? If Eva truly knew of his plan to kill her, then his ambition to lay his hand on her fortune had been destroyed. She would be more careful than ever, and with the one month which she had given him was only remaining few days to elapse, then there can't be any chance to stop the divorce process. It was too late now. But what if Brett was lying? What if Eva did not know anything, and all this was just Brett's ploy to kick start his one plan? Vince cursed angrily as he tried to solve that puzzle.

Whether Eva knows the truth or not, whether Brett had been telling a lie, the whole plan had been destroyed. He could not deceive himself any longer. If Brett had played his part, everything would have worked out well

but the hitman had backed away at the most crucial moment.

How could I have been so stupid, he thought angrily. I should have seen this coming. I should have known something was wrong, but how was I to know. He remembered Brett had told him he got nothing to lose when asked him how much his fee was for fixing Eva. At that time, he never truly understood what Brett had meant, but now, he knew better.

He sat in the chair with suppressed excitement and disappointment fury, and his mind was busy with thoughts. Well, there was no need to think about Eva's fortune now, he thought. He had had his chance, and now that chance had gone. All that remained was for him to think of a way to clear out. But first, a plan. He needed to make a new plan.

He brooded for a few minutes, and he got to his feet and went into the bedroom. Lolly was lying in bed, sleeping contently. His eyes ran over her slim, hard body. She looked so beautiful, with her ash-blond hair spread out on the pillow and the soft rise and fall of her breasts sent a sexual feeling through him.

Vince remembered the day Canyon had barged into the office.

He had been so happy when he saw the look of disgust and shame on Canyon's face as he ( Vince ) was thrusting hard into Lolly. He would forever savor that moment. It was his way of getting back at Canyon for trying to set him up. Lolly, who had been carried away by the sexual ecstasy, did not even know that Canyon had seen them. It was only the loud bang of the door that had brought her back to reality.

Much later, when they were done, he had told her Canyon had seen them while they were making love. He could never forget the look on her face that day. Her face had been set, pale, mask-like, and she looked as if she was going to kill him.

"I can't go back to Canyon," She had screamed out. "He will fix me. You don't know him, but I know him, alright. He will kill me. You caused this! You forced me to sleep with you! Now you must fix this!"

That was when Vince knew he had gotten himself entangled with a cold-hearted bitch. He knew Canyon was not a man to mess with but the way Lolly's blue eyes had locked into his and as she kept on screaming what Canyon would do to her, all this had sent a feeling of apprehension and fear through him. Canyon will never forgive them for what they had done, and he knew he and Lolly's lives were in grave danger. So, that day, he had calmed her down using his hard, biting voice, beat hard on his brains on some possible solutions, and then told her of the most reasonable one to their plight.

The solution was to fix Lolly up in a three-bedroom apartment on Franklin Boulevard, in one of the quiet districts of Miami

The apartment was tastefully furnished and contained all the necessary amenities that she would need. Because Vince was a well-known man in Miami, it was easy for him to get his desired apartment.

They had both been living together in the apartment for some days now, and Vince had made sure to take some precautions. He did not allow Lolly to leave the apartment; he had made sure to inform all the guards working in the Casino that if Canyon so much nears the casino, he should be thrown out; he drastically reduced the number of times he visited the casino. He only sees the casino at night. For the sake of both their lives, they took these precautions seriously.

This night then, as Vince stood inside the bedroom, watching Lolly sleep, he discovered he was in love with her, and yet he loathed himself for feeling this way. After living with her for some days now, he found out Lolly was a good girl to look at outside but a complete mess on the inside.

She was arrogant, cold, and indifferent. The only thing that worried her was what Canyon would do to her if he finds her. She did not even care what happens to him. She was only after her skin. It was during these times that he began to notice other faults in her. Lolly was lazy when it comes to housekeeping. The three rooms were always unswept, the bed unmade, and the kitchen sink littered with dirty plates. She was still lazing around on the bed for hours, reading fashion magazines or fixing her nails. She would stand in front of the big mirror in the bedroom for long a time, putting only God knows what on her face.

Vince would not have minded all these if she had not added the issue of money to her woes bag. She was always worried about money, and she continuously asks him when they would leave the apartment and go to Vegas, where they would nail it hard on money spending. Vince was frightened of her. At the rate she was going, he knew if he ever made her his partner when they get to Vegas, she would surely bleed him dry. She might even jinx him.

He was so irritated that he cursed himself for having anything to do with her. And yet, there was this part of him that would never let her go. He knew he was gambling with danger. He knew he was gambling with his life to even think like this. Girls like Lolly were not built for a long-lasting relationship. He told himself that If Lolly could eventually cheat on Canyon irrespective of the consequence, then what's stopping her from cheating on him too when the opportunity presents itself. Yet, that didn't stop the love or affection he had had for her.

As the days went by, he discovered Lolly did not even feel the same way towards him. When one night after they had made wild love, he had confessed about his feelings for her. She had laughed at him, jeering contempt looks in her eyes. He was so inflamed with rage he could not sleep that night. The next day while they were eating, he had said the same thing to her, to see her reactions. Her response nearly made him storm out of the house.

"This is foolish thinking," Lolly had said in a harsh voice. "You're a spineless fool. We've got Canyon to worry about, and you are here, talking about love. No wonder your wife wanted a divorce. I can see what she's been nursing for months; a dumb, yellow rat."

That words had stung him like the bite of a thousand bees. He wanted to slap some sense into her, but he restricted the urge. There was something about her that told him she wasn't the slap around type. This girl was dynamite! Though he wouldn't have minded teaching her a lesson or two for talking trash, he was so much in love with her that he would not even lift a hand at her. He knew he was weak and stupid. But there was nothing he could do about it, and as the days went by, he coped with her overbearing behaviors and biting remarks.

Vince moved towards the bed and sat on the edge, his eyes still on Lolly. He watched her for a moment; then he tapped her lightly on the arm. She stirred, peered one look at him, flashed him a sleepy smile, then she sat upright.

"What's got you worried?" She said, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand.

Despite her sleepy eyes and ruffled hair, she looked so pretty, and Vince wanted to lay on top of her and make sweet wild love to her, but he knew this was not the time for such things. He had many axes to grind.

"I'm not worried," he said to her.

"Yes, you are. Please don't lie to me, Vince. I know you. So tell me, what's up."

Lolly had the uncanny mind of reading his mind, and he always wondered how she did it. He felt an overwhelming love for her suddenly well up inside him. If only she wouldn't be so goddamn spiteful, he thought. If only! He drew in a long, slow breath. Since she was already aware of his plans to fix Eva, there was no need for him not to open up.

"It's Brett. The hitman I sent to fix Eva. He's not going ahead with the plan any longer."

Lolly lifted a well-shaped eyebrow at him.

"Why?"

Vince shrugged indifferently.

"I don't know. He told me Eva knew about our plans to fix her, and he later told me he never planned to fix her and that he had just been fooling me. I don't even know what to believe anymore. So I guessed I've just been fooling myself all this while."

Lolly studied his face and grimaced. She could see a tremendous effort he was making to sound natural.

"You must be dumb for that hitman to play a fast one on you. No need for us to waste time. What do you intend to do?"

He felt terrible that she had called him dumb, but he could do nothing about it. He thought over her question for a moment and answered her.

"Why don't you let me sleep over it? By tomorrow, I should have the right answer for you."

She regarded him with a haughty, infuriating eye.

"Yes! Sleepover it," she said coldly.

*****************

The following day, after a healthy meal of spaghetti, pork chops smothered in onions and green pies, Vince and Lolly lay on the big double bed with a California Cabernet bottle. Vince was a little drunk. They had just made fierce love, and now, Vince wanted to sleep, but Lolly wanted to talk. So, they spoke.

"I've got a solution to our problem." Vince said, "I think the best thing is to sell the prima casino. Then you and I will lose ourselves in Las Vegas. Canyon won't be able to find us there. My casino over there is completed. So I'll continue with my casino business. Eva and her fortune can go to hell. Now that I have you, I don't give a damn about anything concerning Eva. What I'm worried about is how fast we can leave Miami."

"What about the divorce process coming up? What about Eva?" Lolly snapped, stretching her beautiful naked body, the way a cat stretches.

"She's as good as dead to me." He said "l ain't granting her the divorce. The month comes to an end next week Tuesday, and I know she will be expecting me to come home to begin the divorce process. But before then, you and I will be singing Kumbaya in Vegas. When she finally got the whiff that she's not going to see me again, it would be too late because you and I will be far gone from here. Sounds good, huh?"

"Yeah! Anything to get away from Canyon. Anything to get far, far away from Miami. Anything to get my hands on that casino money in Vegas," Lolly replied.

Vince heard the word money, and he frowned. She was after his money, after all, he thought. There was no vein of love in her. So, why should he deceive himself? Everything about her boils down to money.

"That's what we are going to do." he continued, his voice cracking. "I have lots of people who would be interested in buying my casino. I'll rather sell it than let that brute, Canyon, to take it over. Tomorrow, I'll talk to some of the rich men who visit the casino. I'm sure one of them will be interested in buying the casino."

"Do something about Canyon," Lolly said curtly, "And do it fast. I have a feeling he's waiting somewhere like a rattlesnake, waiting to strike. He won't rest until he fixed us. I can't let anything to happen me. If he finds me, he will fix me. I'm too damn young to die. I'm sure you can handle him, can't you?"

Vince swallowed hard, and he felt his body trembling. She was such a selfish bastard! She did not even think about what Canyon would do to him. He looked down at her face and saw her staring at him quizzically.

"Are you alright?" she said, seeing the discomforts on his face. "I can even smell your fears. Haven't you any guts? I want a man in my bed, not a gutless rat."

Vince squirmed in the bed. This bitch is crazy, he thought. How could she read him so easily like this? She was still looking at him strangely, and he had the disconcerting feeling that she was looking inside his skull, even inside his mind. To prove to her, he was not scared; he changed his voice to a hard one.

"Forget, Canyon. I won't let him touch either you or me. Tomorrow night, I'm going to tell the police chief to declare Canyon a wanted man in Miami. He will be arrested and jailed for life. I'll make sure of that. A little stretch in jail will be fixed his crazy head. Then Brett would also be arrested. I'll make sure of that too. That way, I'll be able to get my villa and my cars back."

"Are you sure you can handle Canyon?" she asked, rather doubtfully.

"I'm damn sure!" he said, looking down at her. "Damn sure!" then he let his eyes run over her body, to her puckered hard breasts, to the triangle between her thighs, and he felt blood rushed to his manhood. He reached for her, but she had already recognized the sexual desire in his eyes, and to humiliate him, she slapped his hands away and snapped at him angrily.

"Hey! Casanova, knock it off! I'm so tired. No wonder you get scared easily. Everything you are, his right between your legs," and she turned over, drawing up her long legs.

Vince held his manhood tightly, and he cursed and cursed and cursed till he fell asleep.

*****************

The time was past seven. Canyon Fox lay in bed, listening to the busting tick of the clock on the mantelpiece. Time stood still for him, and at that moment, nothing seems not to matter to him. Nothing except how he was going to find Vince and Lolly and fixed them both. That was what had been bothering him since he had woken up that day.

For some days now, he had been keeping a close watch on the casino. He was watching the faces of the people who goes in and who goes out. Never for once did he see the face of Vince or Lolly. There was no sign of them both. It was as if they had vanished away from the surface of the earth. He had waited and waited outside the casino, day after day, night after night, perishing inside his car with stiffened nerves to even catch a glimpse of Vince's car, but he had been astonished by his futile result. Even Vince, who could not do without coming to the casino, seems to have abandoned the casino for good. And yet, his built-in instinct had told him Vince and Lolly were still in Miami Beach.

He could never forget the sight that had greeted him that day when he had entered Vince's office. The whole scene was still real and vivid in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more his hatred grew. He remembered that after leaving the Prima casino that day, he had come back to the house to wait for Lolly. But she did not come home that night. Nor the next one. As one day follow the next, he began to doubt if he would ever see her. After five days of endless waiting, it had dawned on him that Lolly was never coming back to him again, and she was gone for good.

Lolly his still in Miami Beach, his mind had told him. You're still going to find her here in Miami. If you see Vince, then you will see Lolly. These were the thoughts that had been whirling in his mind for days. Ironically, Canyon did not believe any of these thoughts. To him, Lolly was far gone away from Miami Beach. Why would Lolly wait around in Miami when she knows what I'm going to do to her? He would ask himself.

The fact that she had escaped his wrath angered him so much that when he could not find a place to release the anger, he would vent it on the items in the house.

Much later, he would feel better. But when his mind swipes back to that scene inside Vince's office, the anger would return, and that was when he knew until he fixed Vince and Lolly, his mind would never be at rest. He had tried to enter the Prima casino to see if Lolly was still working there, but the tough-looking bunch of guards had bounced him off. The fact that he had been Vince's right-hand man did not even stop them from throwing him out as if he was a lousy bum.

Canyon did not let this bother him. He knew they were all following Vince's order. When the boss says jump, you will dogmatically say how high. It was just like the way he had gullibly track Vince's order to go to the Miami airport, to board a nonexistent chopper all because his boss had found out about his plans to blackmail him and to punish him for his offense, his boss had decided to screw the one woman that would have made the whole plan worked out.

He had done a lot of hard thinking before he had finally concluded that Vince had known about his plans, and that was why he had lured him away from the casino to get at him through Lolly. The plan had been brilliant. His mind had been so preoccupied with the casino while he was inside the office that day that he never for once suspected that Vince was up to something. Don't worry, he told himself. You'll fix him; then you'll fix Lolly.

He drew in a long, slow breath and checked his time.

It was 8:00 p.m.

He got out of bed, put on the coffee percolator, threw in a plate of beef sandwich inside the microwave, and took a shower. He shaved with a cutthroat razor, dressed then went into the vast kitchen, took out the beef sandwich, and then poured himself a cup of coffee. Carrying the coffee into the living room, he sat down and descended on the meal. He finished the beef sandwich and washed it down with the coffee. Then he washed up the cup and saucer.

He rechecked his time. It was 8:15 p.m. There was still time to watch the casino. I might even be lucky this night, he told himself without much hope.

He locked the door of his apartment and walked down the long flight of steps to his Ferrari, parked in front of the apartment building.

It was a cold and windy evening with a hint of rain in the air, and Canyon winced as a cold breeze swept over his body.

He slid under the wheels and started the car.

Thirty minutes later, he got to the Prima casino and parked his car ten yards away from the casino. He leaned out of the car window and stared hard at the entrance of the casino. As always, it was busy. The crowds moving in a steady stream in and out of the casino were clad in thick coats, sweaters, and windbreakers, making it harder for Canyon to make out their faces and body profiles.

He cursed and slammed his fist on the steering. He was just deceiving himself. With lots of people entering the casino, there was no way he would ever see Vince or Lolly. He brought out his pack of cigarettes, shook out one, and lit it.

Half an hour later, Canyon was still sitting inside his car, stiffed, cold, and very tired. His eyes were leery and bloodshot. A cigarette burned between his nicotine-stained finger. He flicked it out and checked his cigarette pack. It was empty now. The car ashtray was positively crammed with cigarette butts.

The chain-smoking he had done had kept him going through the thirty minutes he had spent inside the car. He knew If he spent more time inside the car without seeing anything interesting, he would blow his top. I can't stay any longer, he thought. I'll have to come back tomorrow. He fired the engine and was about to edge the car onto the road when something caught his attention through the rear mirrors.

It was a taxi cab.

It came churning up the road, swung to the curb, and pulled up right behind Canyon's Ferrari. After a few seconds, the passenger door opened, and a powerfully built man stepped out of the car. He wore a black raincoat with its collar turned up, a black turtle neck, and on his head was a hat which was pulled down over his face.

Canyon could not see the man's face, but his body features were like a knife stab to his mind. He had a feeling he had seen this man before. He continued to stare at the man as he crossed to the other side of the road, walked briskly as if he was in haste towards the casino entrance, and strode in. Canyon peered back to look at the taxi cab. It had not moved away. It was still rooted to where it was parked. Why? he thought. Why would the cab driver wait for the man? Who was the man?

With growing excitement, Canyon waited. He turned on the car radio to keep himself busy, and a popular hip hop music began to filter out through the powerful speakers. He hummed under his breath, snapping his finger and jerking his body to the music. Then suddenly the music changed to that of breaking news.

The announcer was saying, "…We are sorry to interrupt the music, folks. Reaching us now from the Miami city police department is the news that the gangster and leader of the famous Latin King's gang, Gino Rissi, had just been shot dead multiple times, along with two females in a hotel Miami beach. Rissi was said to have cheated a Russian billionaire in a roulette game and got away with five million dollars. In retaliation, the Russian billionaire sent some men believed to be Russian mafia's to kill Rissi. The mafias are still at large here in Miami city, and anybody who has vital information that could lead to their arrest should please call Miami city 555."

Canyon smiled wickedly. He remembered that Gino Rissi had visited Vince and remembered the huge amount of money Vince had told him to send to the man's Swiss account. Well, he thought stupidly, what a happy man Gino would be, having died having all that money. He turned his mind to the music, which had continued to filter through the speakers, and because he had a trained mind, he soon forgot all about the death of Gino Rissi.

Time crawled by and yet no sign of the black-clad man.

Canyon grimaced and angrily snapped off the radio. This was getting too hot for him. He peered back again at the taxi cab. It was still behind his Ferrari. He could even see the color of the shirt the driver was putting on. How much was he paid to sit and wait like this? He asked himself, wondering why the cab driver would decide to wait that long. He forced his mind back to the black-clad man. There was something fishy about the man. It was as if the man did not want anybody to see his face. Why? He thought. Why would he cover his face up?

Canyon regarded the taxicab, then dragged his eyes back to the casino entrance, looks at the taxi cab again, then back at the entrance. Then he stiffened as a realization hit him. At that moment, he heard a sound like the starting of a car, and he turned to see the headlights of the taxi cab snapped on.

Finally, the cab driver was moving away.

A sudden tremendous surge of excitement ran through Canyon, so much that he had an erection. He slid his fingers inside his breast pockets to close around his brass knuckles. Then he watched the taxicab drove away, and he waited for a few seconds, and he whisked after it.

**************

The moment he came into the room, she knew something was wrong. His face was hard and white as clay, and he looked like a frightened lab rat. Sitting on the sofa, her face became alight with fear as she regarded him.

"We've got to move!" Vince snarled, moving towards her, and he pulled her up with a strength she had never believed he possesses. "We've got to go now!"

Lolly jerked away, her face tightening.

"Go where? What's got you all spooky?" she asked in a quavering voice.

"Don't ask questions!" he bawled. "Just move it! Go in there and pack a few things. We leave for Vegas this night. Now move."

But Lolly did not like to be ordered around, especially when Vince was doing the ordering.

"I'm not moving an inch until you tell me what is wrong," she said. "I mean, look at you, you don't even have the guts of a rabbit. Can't you be a man for once?"

Vince nearly hit her then, but he stilled himself. She must have seen the murdering look in his eyes because she backed away from him and folded her arms over her breasts.

"Just tell me what's wrong," she said in a mild tone.

Vince moistened his lips with his tongue and drew in a long, slow breath.

"I saw Canyon this night. His car was parked right across Prima."

At the mention of Canyon's name, a sudden fear jumped into her eyes, and he heard the inside of her stomach rumble loudly, a sign of hot fear. He suddenly realized she was terrified, but her pride and arrogance held her terror in check for the moment.

"You must be nuts!" she snarled. "You couldn't have seen Canyon. At least, not this night of all night."

"I know what I saw, woman. I saw Canyon this night. Inside his car. You see, the taxi cab that took me to Prima parked behind his Ferrari. I recognized it immediately as I stepped out of the cab. But he did not see me. That I can guarantee."

Lolly looked into his face, and she knew he was telling the truth. She felt a little sick as she wandered across the room, clenching her fists together. Then she turned on him sharply.

"If you saw him," she sneered. "Then he must have seen you too. Canyon is not dumb. When I say not dumb, I know what I'm saying."

"He did not see me!" Vince said, startled. "It was pretty dark out there. The clothes I'm wearing do blend with the dark. He couldn't have seen me. But I saw him sitting behind the wheels."

"What then did you do?" she asked impatiently.

"I told the driver to wait for me. I gave him twice the normal taxi fare. Then I went inside the casino. I talked with some of the loaded rich men in the casino, and luckily I met someone ready to buy the prima casino, and we struck a deal. I've sold the Prima, and the money had already been transferred to my Swiss account. I met with the Chief of police too. He' should be here at any moment from now. I want to finalize something with him concerning Canyon and Brett."

Lolly regarded him for a moment, lost in thought.

The expensive clock on the mantle ticked excitedly. The distant traffic rumbled up the high street.

"So you've sold the casino, huh? For how much?"

Vince shook his head vehemently.

"That's my business. I'm not telling you anything. At least not today."

Lolly giggled, but he felt the bitterness there.

"Fair enough. We'll talk about money later. So how did you get home?"

"Well, I asked my guards about Canyon, and they told me about throwing him out on a particular night when he had forced his way into the casino, yelling my name like a crazy man. So this night, I made sure I stayed longer than necessary. I knew he was waiting outside, and I couldn't risk coming out. So I waited long enough for him to get tired. It was a long wait because, by the time I came out, there was no sign of either Canyon's car or the taxi cab. I guessed the taxi cab driver got tired of waiting or something. So, I took another cab, which brought me here."

Lolly mulled over this for a moment.

"Why didn't you just pay the cab driver off and then get another one? Canyon is always suspicious. He must have sensed something was wrong with that taxi cab just waiting that long. I would have sensed a foul play if caught in such a situation."

Vince knew she was right, and he was irritated with her brilliant sense of reasoning. She always seems to have the answers to everything.

"Well, there's no reason we are waiting around here, or is there?" he asked her. "I think we should get moving."

She regarded him coldly.

"No wonder you came charging in here like Tarzan! You fumbled things up this night, and now you're running to Vegas to save your damn hide. You must be a joker."

Her jeering voice stung him. He moved towards her, took hold of her by her shoulders, and shook her, snapping her head back, startling her.

"Don't ever talk to me like that!" he said to her, his throat corded with lines of anger. "Never! You keep throwing words at me, but I'm sick of it. I'll fix you if you ever spew rubbish at me again."

"Don't do that!" she yelled, suddenly angry. Her eyes flashed, and she shifted away from him. "Go torture someone else. Go torture your wife, like you used to."

"Don't mention her damn you!" he seethed out.

She stared at him. "Why? Because you are so stupid enough to allow a killer to take her away from you?"

"Damn you!" he growled, and giving way to a blind instinct, he dealt her a violent slap. It was so hard that her head jerked back, and she was flung onto the divan.

She was on her feet instantly.

"How dare you!" She stormed at him. "You spineless baboon!"

He smacked her again on the face. This time he hit her harder, and not only was she knocked onto the divan, but her bottom lip spilled open, and blood began to trickle from the cut.

He stood over her. "I don't like doing this, Lolly. But you caused it." he said, breathing heavily. "You can frustrate even the devil himself."

She leaned back on her elbows. "You slapped me? I thought you loved me, and yet you hit me. Canyon had never raised his hand on me though I frustrate the hell out of his life."

Vince shrugged indifferently.

"Canyon dominates you! I don't! But now, I think I've got what it takes to dominate you. Go in there and pack! We go to Vegas this night."

Lolly muttered a curse and rose to her feet. As she moved to go, the front door swung open. They both turned quickly.

Canyon stood in the doorway; his thick lips parted in a grin.

"Well, well, well," he said. "I've been looking for you both. What have you been up to? Going somewhere?"

****************

Vince stood gaping at Canyon, and he looked as if someone had hit him with a hammer on the head.

Lolly, who had stood frozen, her face white like a fresh fall of snow, was the first to recover from the shock.

She spun around and dashed the bedroom door.

Snarling, Canyon jumped forward, his thick fingers reaching for her. He passed Vince, who was still staring at him stupidly. Lolly was about to enter the room when thick fingers gripped her neck suddenly, and her breath was abruptly cut off.

"You damn bitch! Where did you think you are running to" Canyon yelled into her fear-stricken face. "You are going to play an excellent, little role in the game I've for you both, or won't you play?"

Lolly was now whimpering like a dog who had lost its bone. She didn't attempt to struggle. She was only praying he wasn't going to murder her.

Canyon dragged her to the center of the room and suddenly pushed her away from him so that she flung violently towards Vince.

Vince caught her wrist, but she pulled away from him as she tried to get back breath into her tortured lungs.

"Hello, boss!" Canyon snarled at Vince. "Happy to see me? I bet you must be thrilled!"

Vince, still stupefied, backed away from Canyon's baleful eyes.

"What do you want here?" he finally mumbled. "Have you gone mad?" He looked around with despairing eagerness, and his eyes rested on the fireplace.

Swiftly, like a striking snake, he crossed the room and snatched up the heavy steel poker. Then he waved it menacingly across Canyon's face. He seemed to draw strength from it, and when he spoke, the quiver in his voice had gone.

"I'll fix you with this if you don't back off and leave. Go Canyon! You're not wanted here."

Canyon thrust his head forward and pointed a gnarled, thick finger at Lolly.

"I should go! After you screwed my wife for weeks! I should go?"

Vince recoiled. He looked at Lolly's face then back at Canyon's. He didn't believe he had heard what Canyon had said.

"Your wife?" he asked in a low voice. All the color had gone out of his face. "But she told me her name his Lolly Moore when she came into my office."

Canyon gave a mirthless smile.

"That's bullshit! If she had told you her name was Lolly Fox, you would have suspected a foul play. That's why she used the name, Moore. She's my wife, alright. We got married right after I picked her up from the dirty streets of Chicago. She was a cheap-jacked up third rate prostitute who scrimped foods off the dirty streets. I took pity on her, brought her to Miami, fed her, clothed her, made her look sophisticated and worldly. You're a fool, Vince. You thought you'd found gold, whereas what you have is a refined clay."

Vince turned to Lolly. He felt he could cope with her.

"Why didn't you tell me you're a married woman?" he snarled. "Why? Why?"

Lolly opened and shut her mouth. But no sound came.

"My God!" Vince said, feeling suddenly sick and tired, and the steel poker fell from his trembling hand and clatter to the ground. "How did you find us?" he said to Canyon.

Canyon snarled, and his lips came up to show his evil white teeth.

"The cab driver ratted you out."

"Cab driver?" Vince asked, frightened more than ever. That was when he knew Canyon had seen him that night.

"Yeah! It took me a long moment to figure it out. But I later did. Immediately you stepped out of that cab, I had a feeling you were someone familiar, but I didn't know it was you. When you entered Prima, I waited and waited, thinking you will come out. But you've must have recognized my car. You wouldn't want to make the mistake of me seeing you again. Your cab driver got tired of waiting and drove away. I tailed him to his house. Then l slapped him around a bit, and he told me every information I needed; your descriptions, how you tipped him more than the normal fare, how you had instructed him to wait for you, and most importantly, the location where he had picked you up. That was when I knew it was you. Then I fixed him with my brass knuckles. If anything were to go wrong, he would be a witness. I couldn't let that happened. Finding you was even easier. All I had to do was to wait around the place where the driver had first picked you. I waited patiently for you, till you came in another cab. I tailed after you till you entered here. I've been waiting outside for the past thirty minutes now, deciding on how I'm going to fix you and Lolly, and now I'm done deciding."

Lolly, afraid of Canyon, swung around on Vince.

"You big, hulking pig. You forced yourself on me. I told you I don't want any of this, but you wouldn't listen. Now, I love his angry with me." she switched her eyes to Canyon's. "My love. I've been waiting for you for so long. To take me away from this shit hole. Now that you've come, I can't wait anymore. Let's get out of here."

Vince was so angry he sputtered out in anger.

"You double-crossing lying bitch. I still held you in my arms yesterday; now you're already yearning for another man?"

Lolly ignored him. She crossed the room slowly and stood before Canyon. Her eyes were dark with terror.

"Get me away from him. He's mad. He's crazy. Everything he's says is a lie. I'll do anything for you, my love. Anything! Just get me away from him." Then her voice suddenly rose to a scream. "Canyon! Get me away from him. I don't want him. It's you have always wanted." And she rushed forward, putting her arms around his neck, her face against his. "Forgive me, My Prince Charming. I'll never leave you, Canyon." And she went on wildly. "I'll never leave you. Please, don't harm me, My darling."

His feel of her body against his, the faint smell of her perfume, her face against his suddenly weakened Canyon. He wanted to push her away, but Lolly's feelings were too strong for him to struggle against. She was in his blood like a virus, and he had come to accept the fact that he had been kidding himself all along. He could never bring himself to kill her.

Canyon crushed her hard against his chest and cupped her breasts.

"Surely, you wouldn't believe everything she is saying?" Vince said, looking at him thoughtfully. "I still made love to her yesterday. This bitch was writhing wild in my arms yesterday night, and you believed everything she had said?"

A hell of rage surged through Canyon's body. He shoved her away from him and pointed a thick finger at her.

"Now! Back off! Don't use your wiles on me yet. Not until I'm sure where your heart lies," he said. "If you love me, then would you be so interested in playing my game?"

"Yes! Yes!" She said, relief flooding through her body. "I will play your game, my love."

"You half-witted chicken!" Vince growled. "Couldn't you have asked him what the game is all about before saying anything?"

She swung around on Vince, with a squeal of rage, but she broke off, aware that his wild, frightened eyes were staring intently at something. She followed his gaze to Canyon's hand. He was holding something black and glittering, and there was a stern look on his face. Lolly stepped back, her furious face paling. Vince also took a step back, catching his breath with a sharp, whistling sound.

Canyon was holding a gun in his hand. The hard white light of the overhead bulb made the gun glitter. The sight turned Vince's stomach.

"Lolly! Are you still interested in playing the game?" Canyon said, addressing her.

Lolly, sensing something was wrong, nodded, but it lacked enthusiasm. There was a look of horror on her face. Vince was so terrified he looks as if he was going to have some kind of fit. His face had turned white, and his legs felt like rubber sticks.

"You cheated on me," Canyon said, facing Lolly. "I warned you not to have anything to do with him, but you wouldn't listen."

Lolly stared stupidly at him. She opened and closed her mouth like a dying fish, but no word came out from his mouth.

"Now! I want you to come here," he said, his voice sharpening. "Come! It's time to play the game."

Slowly, as if hypnotized, she moved towards him, and when she was within reach, he grabbed hold of her hand and turned her around so that her stiff back was brought hard against his chest. He put his head against her face and licked her cheek with his tongue. Then he said to her.

"Treat me like a king, and I'll treat you like a queen. Treat me like a game, and I'll teach you how it's played. You treated me like a game Lolly. It's time to teach you how it's played."

He took her right hand, forced her palm opened, and placed the gun there. Then he said to her.

"The game is simple. If you love me, I want you to shoot him."

Lolly left hand flew to her mouth. "No!" she screamed, and her eyes rolled up so that only the white showed.

Vince was so frightened he looks twenty years older. He was very aware of what was going on around him, and he knew he had to speak. It was time for him to fight for his life.

"Don't do it, Lolly," Vince said huskily. "Don't do it. Remember I told you the Chief of police is still coming here. This very night. You'll be an accessory to a murder case. If you're caught, they will slam a murder rap on you so fast you won't be able to beat it."

"Shoot him!" Canyon said impatiently. "Put a bullet in his guts. This is a game of life and death. If you don't fix him, I'll fix you; then I'll still fix him anyways. So fix him! All you've got to do is to pull the trigger. It won't bite."

Lolly gulped. "I can't, Canny. I can't shoot a man in cold blood." her lips were trembling, and she could feel cold sweats running off her.

"Why can't you, Lolly? Of course, you can," he kissed the side of her neck. "Think about it, baby. He does not deserve to live. He was ready to fix his wife because of her money. That means he will fix you too if you get in his way. Do you think if he were the one with the gun right now, he would spare you? Of course not. You are no different from all the hundreds of women he had dated. I bet he would have slapped you around during the time you both were together. That's the kind of man he is. He's a violent man. You mean nothing to him. Now shoot him!"

"I love you, Lolly," Vince rasped. "I love you, damn you! You can't fix me like this. You can't!"

But Lolly was not listening. The words of Canyon had sparked a flame of wickedness inside her. There was a scraped, bony look on her face that made her seem ten years older, and her lips were twisted in a humorless smile. She gripped the gun tightly like a pro and aimed it at the unprotected chest of Vince.

His face clammy with sweats, Vince saw the wicked glint in her eyes, and he knew he was, but a few heartbeats from death. He had never felt so frightened. He stood still, like a hypnotized rabbit.

"I can't help it, Vince," she said softly. "I'm sorry. So sorry."

"Don't kill me, Lolly," he panted. "Don't kill me. I can't die like this."

Suddenly, there came a violent, shattering crash of gunfire.

An excruciating pain shot through Vince's body, and he bent double. The hat he had worn that night had fallen off, revealing his sliver onyx hair; his hands were pressed to his chest. From between his fingers, blood began to lick; then there was a second bang of gunfire. Slowly, he tipped over, shaking the apartment as his great body of muscle and flesh finally hit the floor.

"Good girl!" Canyon breathed heavily, eyeing the lifeless body on the floor. "Now! Let's move." he snatched the gun from Lolly's hand and kissed her hard on the lips, and she shivered and clung to his body.

He pulled away from her, and her knees buckled, and she would have fallen if he hadn't supported her.

"It drained you, right?" he said to her. "Don't worry; it's the heady feeling you've got from shooting a man. It's always like that the first time. Don't sweat it; it would go away in a jiffy."

"You'll have to help me, Canny. I feel so tired to walk."

Canyon smiled brightly at her. Then he shoved the gun into his hip trousers.

"You don't have to walk. I'm going to carry you."

She put her arms around his neck.

"I've been so frightened, Canny. I missed you so much," she lied easily.

"It's going to be alright!" he said. "We'll travel to Vegas tomorrow. I'm going to take control of that damn casino. One way or the other, I'm going to make it mine. In a week, baby, you will be in the money. Big money."

Canyon went to the front door and opened it.

Chief of Police Wilson stood just outside. He held a .45 Police Special in his hand, and he shoved Canyon back into the room, his ferret eyes hard as chips.