Deadly Embrace Jackie Collins (the reader ebook .TXT) 📖

could spend the evening showing Max the town, and nobody would be any the wiser.

After checking in, he got the usual message to meet Manny outside the entrance to the Starburst Lounge at eight.

Crap! Now they’d get stuck with the jerk. And what was he supposed to do with the nylon bag? Lug it round with him all night?

‘We gotta go meet this guy,’ he explained to Max. ‘It won’t take long.’

‘What guy?’

‘Relax. You’ll have a few drinks, eat good, see a show…’

‘I wanna gamble,’ Max announced.

‘How much you got to lose?’

‘Who said anythin’ about losin’?’ Max joked.

‘Shit!’ Michael said. ‘Amateur gamblers are what this town was built on.’

‘Lead me to the tables,’ Max said confidently. ‘I’m gonna bust the bank!’

By the time they met up with Manny Spiven, Max had lost every dime he’d had with him and was in a miserable mood. ‘Told you,’ Michael couldn’t help saying. ‘Gambling’s a mug’s game.’

‘You gotta lend me fifty bucks,’ Max begged. ‘You gotta do this for me.’

‘Uh-uh.’

‘Then what chance I got of gettin’ even?’

‘No chance,’ Michael said grimly.

‘Aw, give the poor bastard fifty bucks,’ Manny said as Max went off to the men’s room.

Michael shot him a look. He didn’t need Manny Spiven’s advice: he knew what was good for Max, and there was no way the idiot could afford to lose one more dollar.

‘He’s through,’ Michael said. ‘This’ll teach him a lesson.’

‘Who is he anyway?’ Manny asked.

‘A friend.’

‘Mr G know he’s with you?’

‘Sure,’ Michael lied.

‘That’s funny. Mr G usually likes t’keep things tight.’ Manny slurped his drink. ‘I heard that when his old lady was makin’ the Vegas run she wasn’t allowed no company.’

‘Mrs Giovanni used to do this?’ Michael asked, surprised.

‘Sometimes. Only she didn’t meet with me. She dealt with Mr Estradido.’ Manny lowered his voice. ‘Rumour is she was into Dyke City.’

‘What?’ Michael said blankly.

‘Dyke City. Suckin’ pussy.’ Manny pulled a face as if to say, How stupid can you get? ‘Gettin’ it on with snatch, for crissakes.’

Shocked as he was, Michael didn’t let on. He kept his expression blank while wondering if Manny Spiven was lying. Mamie Giovanni a lesbo? If Mr G ever found out he’d go ape-shit.

As soon as Max came back from the men’s room they headed into the lounge, in time for the start of the show. Manny knew the maître d’, so they always got a front table, and Michael never had to show his fake ID, which he carried on him at all times just in case.

He ordered a beer. So did Max, who was still busy bemoaning his losses.

‘Snap outta it,’ Michael said in a low voice. ‘You gonna enjoy yourself or what?’

‘Lend me the fifty an’ I’ll enjoy myself,’ Max muttered. ‘I gotta get even.’

‘No freakin’ chance,’ Michael answered, figuring he was doing him a favour.

Then the music started, and on came the girls clad in their scanty, gold-fringed toy-soldier outfits, boobs and legs out front.

Michael immediately spotted the one he liked. Dani, that was her name. Dani with the long blonde hair, blue eyes and dazzling smile. Not to mention a body to die for.

Manny leaned over. ‘Y’ see the cooze with the big tits?’ he said, leering and pointing at Dani. ‘I had her, an’ she ain’t so hot.’

‘What?’ Michael said, frowning.

‘You heard,’ Manny responded. ‘She fucks like a dead fish an’ smells like one too.’ He guffawed, rubbing his hands together.

‘No shit,’ Michael said, his expression impassive.

‘I’ve had ’em all,’ Manny boasted. ‘An’ this one was a real dud.’

Michael stared straight ahead, refusing to give Manny the pleasure of questioning him about the girl. She’d fucked Manny Spiven. End of story. He wouldn’t go near her with somebody else’s cock.

‘Fifty,’ Max pleaded in his ear. ‘Fifty lousy bucks. You gotta do this for me, Mike. I gotta get even or Tina’ll kill me!’

Angrily Michael reached into his pocket. ‘Take the lousy money,’ he said, thrusting some bills at Max. ‘An’ when you blow this, don’t come runnin’ back for more.’

Max grabbed it and took off.

Michael shook his head in disgust. This wasn’t turning out to be the evening he’d planned.

Chapter Fifteen

Dani: 1964

‘Guess uess who’s sitting at one of the front tables,’ Angela said, as they changed costumes.

Dani already knew. She’d spotted Manny Spiven the moment she’d hit the stage for their first routine, and it had taken all her willpower to block out his offensive presence.

‘Manny,’ Angela continued. ‘And he’s with that cute guy I told you about, the one from New York.’

Who cares? Dani wanted to say. Manny Spiven is a rude, horrible disgusting pig.

‘Want me to set you up?’ Angela asked, adjusting her feathered headdress.

‘No thanks,’ she answered coolly. I wouldn’t go out with one of Manny Spiven’s friends if he was the last man standing.

‘Then I’ll bag him,’ Angela said, quite happy at the thought. ‘I’m not letting this one slip away.’

As far as Dani was concerned, Angela could do what she liked.

Unfazed by her complaints about Manny, Angela had tried to fix her up on several more blind dates, all of which she’d declined. It seemed that Angela had an endless supply of men and, unfortunately, most nights she brought one back to the apartment. Lying in bed at night, Dani could hear the vigorous sounds of Angela’s lovemaking coming from the next room. Had she made a mistake moving in with Angela? Sam might have been right–maybe she wasn’t ready to be out on her own.

One morning she’d noticed money on the kitchen table. When Angela emerged from her bedroom, wrapping a satin robe round her, she’d asked her where it had come from.

‘That’s from Petey,’ Angela had answered casually. ‘He told me to buy myself a present. What a guy!’

Dani was naïve, but not that naïve. Was her roommate getting paid for sex? Everything seemed to indicate that she was.

‘I still don’t understand what Manny did that was so terrible,’ Angela said, leaning into