Page 35 of Wild Temple

“My car!” Rafi shouted. “My car is destroyed. Who is going to pay for that!?”

I looked the girls over and didn’t see any sign of injury. It was a miracle no one got hit.

“Relax,” I said. “The car is the least of your worries right now.”

“You got that right. Those guys are going to kill me next time they see me. This is all your fault.”

“How many times have you brought unsuspecting girls to the club? How many women have you supplied them with? How many men have you taken to that club to exploit those women?”

Rafi’s guilty face tightened.

“That’s what I thought. You’re lucky I don’t put a bullet in you right now.”

“Hey, I helped you. I’m on your side.”

I gave him a doubtful look. Rafi was on whoever’s side was advantageous at the moment.

"We need to get Kelsey to the hospital. There's no telling how long she’s been doped up.”

The sirens warbled as they headed toward the Black Opal.

We sped in the opposite direction.

"No hospitals," Rafi said. "They ask questions at hospitals. I know a guy. But trust me, you don’t want to take her to the hospital. The hospital will call the police, and she will end up right back where she came from."

“You’re saying the cops are in on this?”

“Nothing happens here without greasing a few palms. Do you think the Black Opal would stay in business if cops weren’t on the payroll? Let me tell you, my friend. Money talks.”

A disgusted look tightened my face. “I’m going to need Narcan as a precaution in case Kelsey’s condition deteriorates. I need IV fluids, Ativan, and something for nausea like Meclizine. That should be easy for you to get.”

“Cocaine and heroin are easier to come by.”

“You said you know a guy.”

“He works at the hospital. But we will have to be discreet. And the cost…” Rafi rubbed his fingers together.

“I don’t care what it costs,” I growled.

Rafi saw an opportunity to bargain. He had leverage at the moment. “I have gone above and beyond for you tonight.I’ve put my life in jeopardy. And there is the matter of the damage to my car. This is my source of employment.”

“Name your price to keep your mouth shut and get me what I need.”

Rafi considered it. He threw out an exorbitant number.

I gave him a flat look. “You need to come back down to earth.”

“May I remind you that you need Rafi. I make one phone call, and it’s no good for you.”

I stared him dead in the eye. “Rafi, who do you think you should be more afraid of? Me or them?”

He swallowed hard. “You are no doubt a dangerous man. But the man you stole from tonight will beat me senseless, pull out my fingernails with pliers, burn my eyes with his cigar, and dump me in the jungle to die a slow and painful death. Then he’ll send men to do the same to my family.”

I grinned. “And you think I won’t do worse?”

Rafi swallowed hard again. He forced a smile. “You’re bluffing. You would not do that to Rafi.”

“You’re a poor judge of character,” I said in a tone colder than ice.