Mafia Kings: Roberto: Chapter 71

It was a normal Friday night when Han showed up with a middle-aged Russian.

The guy wore Armani and a $200,000 watch, but he was also a complete asshole – loud, obnoxious, and rude. He treated the bar staff like shit.

I was just about to have him thrown out when Han came over and said, “I need a speedball.”

“For your Russian friend?”

Han smirked. “Who else?”

A speedball was a combination of an opioid and a stimulant. The classic version – heroin and cocaine – had been the result of many high-profile deaths over the decades. John Belushi and River Phoenix were two of the most famous.

Not only were speedballs dangerous, they created a high where the user became exceptionally reckless.

“If he’s going to do that, I don’t want him anywhere near my staff,” I said.

“That’s not up to you,” Han replied.

“The hell it isn’t.”

Han took a step forward and got right up in my face. “That man just invested $100 million with Mr. Lau. He wants to celebrate, so he gets whatever the fuck he wants. Understood?”

I gritted my teeth and went to the safe in my office for the drugs. I handed them over to Han, along with paraphernalia for the injection: a sterile needle still in its packaging, a lighter, a cord to tie off his arm, and a spoon.

While I was in my office, the Russian had apparently procured the services of one of my newest submissives, Kam. She was a tiny little thing, delicate and sweet-natured.

When I found out, I immediately told her, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“He offered me triple my normal rate,” Kam said happily.

I frowned. “For what, exactly?”

She looked uncomfortable. “If we… push the envelope a little.”

I didn’t like the sound of that at all.

“Kam – ”

“I’ll be careful. I promise.”

I hesitated. She had been a professional sub for three years in South Korea; she knew what she was doing.

…I hoped.

“I’ll be careful,” she repeated.

“Take a panic button with you,” I ordered.

We had tiny remotes that workers could keep concealed from clients. One press of the button would alert security to come rushing into the room in case things got out of hand –

Like if the customer became excessively violent.

I nervously watched Kam go into one of the rooms with the Russian, who carried the drug paraphernalia along with him.

Kam smiled and waved at me like Don’t worry.

“Does your Russian know what he’s doing?” I asked Han.

“Of course he does.”

I frowned, then went back to my normal duties of running the club.

I didn’t know anything was wrong until I heard the screaming.

Twenty minutes later, one of my dominatrixes shrieked for help.

I came running, along with one of my security guards.

My stomach dropped when I saw the room the dominatrix was standing outside: the same one Kam and the Russian had entered.

Kam hadn’t used the panic button, so I prayed it was a misunderstanding.

It wasn’t.

When we entered, we found the Russian naked and huddled in the corner, rocking back and forth in a catatonic state.

Kam’s lifeless body was splayed out on the floor.

Blood was everywhere, including all over the Russian.

Han came in behind me and muttered “Shit” under his breath.

Then he shoved my security guy out of the room. “OUT.”

“Call 999!” I yelled – the number in Hong Kong for emergency services.

“DO NOT CALL ANYONE,” Han yelled as he pulled out his cell phone. “I’m handling it.”

“She needs an ambulance!” I cried out.

“She’s dead,” Han said dismissively, then turned away from me as he spoke into the phone. “Boss? There’s a problem.”

After he made the call, Han forced me out of the room.

He also told me he’d kill anyone who entered without his permission.

Lau showed up 20 minutes later with several black-suited gangsters in tow.

“Where’s Mr. Han?” he asked.

Lau was no longer a kind grandfather, but a steely-eyed general.

When we opened the door to the room, the Russian was still completely out of it – but Han had wiped most of the blood off him and gotten him dressed. Crimson-stained towels were everywhere.

Kam still lay on the floor, untouched.

“Get him out of here,” Lau said to his rent-a-thugs.

They took the Russian by the arm and guided him out of the room.

“Where the fuck are they taking him?!” I cried out angrily.

Lau ignored me and turned to Han. “Take care of this.”

Han nodded, then walked out.

“Where’s he going?!” I demanded.

“I need you to have your staff escort all remaining customers out of the building,” Lau said calmly. “Comp them for everything, but I want them gone within five minutes. Then gather the staff so I can address them personally.”

“What about the police?!”

“We won’t be involving the police.”

“But that fucking Russian asshole murdered her!” I screamed.

Without warning, Lau lashed out and slapped me in the face –

Just like my father had several years before.

The only difference was my father had been enraged; Lau’s expression never changed.

I stumbled backwards in shock, my hand on my stinging cheek.

“Are you in control of your emotions now?” Lau asked coldly.

I just stared at him in shock. I couldn’t believe he had done it.

“Assemble your staff. I need to speak to them.”

“What about Kam?” I asked with a trembling voice.

“The girl is beyond our help. Mr. Han will take care of it.”

“But the Russian – ”

“Is a billionaire and a personal friend of Vladimir Putin. He wouldn’t face any consequences even if he were arrested by the police. He’s going back to Russia, and he won’t return.”

“But – ”

“Get rid of the customers and assemble your staff,” Lau snarled.

I stumbled out of the room and did exactly what he ordered.

Fifteen minutes later, Lau stood in front of my employees in the lounge and introduced himself as the co-owner of De Sade.

He said there had been a tragic accident.

However, no one was to go to the authorities.

In fact, no one was to ever tell anyone what had occurred at De Sade that night.

It was regrettable, but it had happened, and the only thing we could do was move past it.

As an inducement to ‘move past it,’ Lau handed out envelopes stuffed with 100,000 Hong Kong dollars – about $12,800 US – to each employee.

For most of my dominatrixes and subs, it was more than they made in a week.

For the support staff, it was more than they made in two months.

Everyone understood exactly what was happening:

They were being paid for their silence.

They also understood what would happen if they talked…

Because everyone knew Han was upstairs with a plastic tarp.

By the time Lau had finished his speech, Han and Kam’s body were gone.

After Lau departed, I sent the rest of the staff home early and cleaned up Kam’s blood myself as a sort of penance.

I wept the entire time I did it…

And cursed the powerful men of the world who did whatever the fuck they wanted without any repercussions.

Including the old man with the grandfatherly smile who held the invisible leash around my neck.

In time, the shock and pain of Kam’s death abated.

The police never came around, and no one asked any questions.

Things returned to normal.

Nearly everyone forgot about it – or at least no one talked about it.

Even I began to forget. Or tried to, anyway.

It was just too awful.

Like so many other things that had happened to me, I compartmentalized it…

And pushed it down…

Until I just stopped thinking about it.

But it never really went away.

…it never does.

The one upside was that there were no more incidents with rich customers. I made sure of it.

Even Han didn’t protest when I intervened to throw customers out, no matter how rich they were.

I had almost tricked myself into believing that we had turned a corner…

That things would be alright from here on out…

Until the night a handsome Italian walked into my club.