Page 16 of Magic and Medicine

I barely remember the drive, but I made sure to park my car two streets from the Anchor. The anonymity should provide me with enough protection if things went south, and the last thing I needed was a street camera to record my number plate. It took only a couple of minutes to arrive at the club entrance. I didn’t expect it to be so crowded, but those gathered seemed annoyed, partying on the street rather than inside the club. Watching the muscular men posing in front of women in revealing clothes was entertaining, and I congratulated myself on my outfit choice. With a bit of luck, the dim lighting and a confident swing of my hips, I think I could pass for someone in their late twenties.

I looked at my watch, worrying when I saw it was already eight, with Leszek nowhere to be seen. His absence crushed my hopes that he saw my message and couldn’t reply, but I decided I didn’t need a knight in shining armour. Still, this was the infamous Anchor, so I gave him another few minutes in case he’d been stuck in traffic before sighing heavily and walking to the club entrance. The bouncer gave me a measuring look and crossed his arms.

‘Private party, sweetheart. Come back tomorrow.’ He was shamelessly ogling me, but his statement sounded final. Still, if he was so interested in my cleavage, there was a chance his brain might be suffering from a lack of blood, so I boldly used my charms to encourage his interest, letting my cardigan slip off my shoulder and taking a deep, dramatic breath, practically forcing the girls out of their supportive covering.

‘But Ilona asked me to come. Zbyszek… I mean, the boss told her to bring more girls tonight, so here I am. She told me it would be a special night and I should meet her inside so she can disclose the details.’ I improvised, pretending to be a performer, lying smoothly to get my way while batting my eyelashes at the frowning bouncer.

Zbigniew Nadolny, known by the working girls as Zbyszek, owned the Anchor, and the man had a reputation. I hadn’t met him personally, but my colleagues in the police cursed his name with frustration and professional respect. Prostitution, extortion, handling stolen goods, he did it all without a hint of shame, but they never had successfully prosecuted him for anything.

Officially, he was a philanthropist who owned a nightclub on the edge of the latest area to see urban renewal, thanks to an influx of lawyers and architects determined to rescue the beautiful pre-war buildings, but despite these upright citizens, crime was still relatively high, and it all seemed centred around Zbyszek’s club, without ever happening inside. That was the official version, but those working in the emergency services knew he was merciless to his enemies, and the latest rumour was the drug dealers that sold their produce to a school in Sopot disappeared, courtesy of his influence. Even I was surprised by that information. To think there was such a thing as a Crime Lord with honour.

Knowing all this, I still stood there using his name whilst thrusting my breasts in a man’s face to gain entry into this infamous club. I must be mad putting my neck in the noose for a stranger, I thought, but I wanted to talk to Ilona and maybe, if lucky, find out what was happening in my city.

I knew Zbyszek didn’t beat his prostitutes, or at least none of them came to my emergency room. I even heard he only took a small cut of their earnings and even set them up with official employment as hostesses so they could have health insurance, but someone had hurt Ilona, and not just once, and it appeared her boss was sweeping it under the carpet. Was he the man who ordered the siren to stab Adam, or was he someone else’s lackey and was ordered to cover up the problem? I felt the need to find out and help this poor woman before it was too late, but I admitted to myself this was frightening and, standing before the bouncer, I second-guessed my plan and intentions.

Leszek said magic was his domain. This story had plenty of magic, so I hoped seeing the damaged siren would force his hand, but my plan had backfired. My grumpy hero was nowhere to be seen, the club was closed to the public, and I was now standing here sincerely hoping I would be refused entry. When I turned to walk away, the cogs in the bouncer’s brain finally skipped a notch, and he grabbed my arm.

‘Fine, let’s go. Ilona isn’t working today, but I’ll take you to the boss and see what he says.’

Bloody hell, I thought, mind racing as I bit my lip, trying to think of an excuse. Using Nadolny’s pet name made everything so much worse, and now I was stuck. The bouncer held my arm with a firm but surprisingly respectful grip as he escorted me inside. Fuck, what now? I didn’t plan this. I ran through as many scenarios as possible whilst stumbling slightly to slow our progress. The place was almost empty. I could see Nadolny’s goons scattered about and pay-per-hour girls dancing lazily around the metal poles. With blaring music and skittish waitresses serving drinks, it was a sad attempt at a party, the atmosphere heavy with tension. As we moved to the VIP area, the number of heavyset men grew, and my nervousness worsened. When one of them brushed his hand over my exposed skin, my forearm prickled with goosebumps, and the realisation that I was in deep trouble settled into my soul.

I could play stupid, which was most likely my best choice and be a bimbo for the night, hoping no one noticed the real me under all this heavy makeup and distracting clothing. The plan was good until the bouncer pulled aside the heavy curtains to the room set aside for Mr. Nadolny’s special guests.

FUUCK!

The voice screaming in my mind knew how much trouble I was in, but with the bouncer behind me, my escape route was blocked. I had never thought I’d be grateful to be confronted by two naked women kissing passionately, their display partially shielding me from the eyes of the stranger hiding in the shadow.

‘Boss, this woman claims Ilona told her there was work for her tonight. Is she a new one for the collection?’ His question gave me a new idea. Playing stupid could work, especially since Nadolny was famous and rich enough that I could pretend to be a gangster groupie who craved his attention and lied to get it.

I intended to put my heart and soul into the performance, but when I looked up to begin, my fears of being exposed vanished, replaced by shock and anger. The gangster’s guest had shifted slightly, and it was his face emerging from the shadow that triggered my outrage.

‘And what the hell are you doing here?!’ I asked, my eyes widening in shock as I wrecked my own plan.

Next to Zbyszek, lounging indolently and looking like the personification of lust itself, was Leszek. I couldn’t tear my eyes from his collar that was open too low to hide his delicious chest hair, the rumpled fabric a victim of the roaming hands of the barely clad woman perched on his lap, while his rolled-up sleeves exposed muscled forearms that held the female in place and I swear Leszek flexed them when he noticed me staring.

‘Do you know her?’ Nadolny looked at me with unbridled curiosity, pushing a lock of dark hair behind his ear. There was no malice in his grey eyes, more barely restrained amusement and interest, but in desperation, I wracked my brain for an explanation for my presence, nearly stumbling backwards when Leszek pushed his entertainment away and pulled me onto his lap.

The movement was so sudden I gasped, unable to protest, before he grabbed my neck from behind and pressed his lips to mine in a long, devouring kiss.

He tasted as good as I’d imagined, and I couldn’t prevent moaning in response, barely registering his whisper. ‘Play along if you want to live.’ He said, shifting his kiss to my earlobe before turning to the other man as if nothing had happened.

‘Forgive this intrusion. It appears I wasn’t explicit enough in my instructions when she was informed no other man could touch her. Yet she let your guard lead her here like a common whore. Her nosiness and jealousy will get her in trouble, but if you’re willing to forgive her intrusion, I warrant she will furnish me with the reason.’ He smirked when Nadolny burst out laughing.

Leszek instantly returned his attention to me. ‘Did you miss me, my Firefly? Or maybe you came to find some entertainment of your own despite my explicit warning? Judging by how you are dressed and the fact I like your hair loose, I would say it was the latter, so tell me, which is it?’ He pulled the pins from my bun, and my hair fell over my shoulders in a cascade of honey-coloured softness. Brushing it with his fingers, he gave me a warning squeeze when I tried to pull away.

A sudden wave of heat washed through my body. I knew it was role-play to protect me, but I enjoyed Leszek’s bossy attitude far too much despite knowing that I shouldn’t. I needed to talk to him and gain his help in finding Ilona and getting out of this place unscathed, so I had no choice but to play along, and part of me rejoiced at the idea making it easier to slip into a gangster girlfriend persona.

‘You know how I miss your presence. I wanted to stay home, but when your men joked about where you were going in front of me… Well, I hate when you are with other women,’ I said, swallowing hard and pausing before leaning against Leszek’s chest, my hand stroking over the impressive muscles, sliding into the open collar.

‘I decided to find you, even if you were rutting in the Anchor. I knew Mr Nadolny would help. He has an excellent reputation, and you once said he is an honourable man. So I took the risk because I needed a powerful man to help me find you. If I knew you were too busy sticking your dick in the local whores, I would have done things differently, but you should have at least plucked up the courage to break up with me.’

I knew I was rambling and that my story made little sense, my words and actions contradicting each other, but I put my heart into this performance. My chin shot up when I stood up, blinking several times, hoping to shed some tears. After all, this was the best break-up speech I’d made in my entire life. Passionate and full of desperate, broken-hearted love. It was time to leave the scene in a grand finale. I turned to the club owner, looking at him with doe eyes glistening with tears. ‘I’m sorry, Sir. I shouldn’t have lied, but your club was my best chance at finding him or asking for your help. I know both of you value discretion, and I didn’t want to involve anyone else. May I talk to Ilona, please? I didn’t realise she wasn’t working today, but I really need a friend now. ’

I was buttering him up so much that the gangster might slide off the leather sofa if he moved, but when Nadolny tilted his head, his eyes narrowed, it became clear he hadn’t fallen for my act. With a calculating look toward Leszek, Nadolny reached over and patted my thigh, his hand lingering a moment longer than was polite.

‘I understand, my darling. Your concerns were valid, and I would be more than happy to assist you, but seeing the evidence of his behaviour, perhaps you should change the focus of your affection. After all, as you said, I am an honourable man, and I refrain from tasting the merchandise more than it is absolutely necessary. I would be happy to have such a brave and loyal woman by my side. I could even promise not to stray… too much.’

Panic washed through me. I’d blown it, making the gangster suspicious enough to test Leszek’s attachment to me. I smiled, but my mind went blank, lost at how to extricate myself, only hoping Leszek would continue helping me. When the firm grip of my saviour’s hand dragged me beyond Nadolny’s reach, I collapsed into his embrace in relief, startling slightly as the air filled with the scent of the deep forest, the tension in the room squeezing my chest till it was difficult to breathe.

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