Thank you for all the new reviews and follows. It still amazes me people are still following this story but it's really nice to know and helps me finish it. I will admit I had a bit of a mind block with this chapter. I knew what I wanted to happen but putting that into words was hard and I struggled with it so rather than giving up and quitting all together I decided to leave it for while and return to later. So I apologise for the long update.
(I always found Lisbon could get herself out of bad situations and so I will go with that for this part of the story. I promised to get Jane back into this story later thou with what he does best... catching the bad guy (De Santis included!)
All mistakes are mine ;)
I don't own the Mentalist or any TV shows.
Max sat at the office bar calmly watching the small brunette pacing across the room. The door of the office reopened and in stepped Tiny looking worried and sheepish as he spotted his uncle sat to the side of him.
"Tony wants her taken to one of the back rooms. Don't let her out of your sight boy otherwise if you mess up it will be your body we will be getting rid off, understand me." Max stated coldly, downing the rest of the whiskey eyeing his nephew with annoyance. "Take this gun and make sure you use it if need be."
"Yes Sir" Tiny replied accepting the handgun awkwardly from his uncle hands. "Let's go" Tiny shouted avoiding the lady eye contact. Lisbon made her way over to the office doors giving Max a look of disgust, making a evil grin appear on the older man's face. "And no bloody musical instruments this time" Max shouted out as they left the room.
Tiny and Lisbon walked silently along the corridor, down the flight of stairs that led to a large door. The sound of thumping music got louder as they descended the stairs eventually becoming clearer as they entered the strip club. Lisbon was amazed at how busy the club was for a Wednesday afternoon, several half naked women were dancing on stages whilst half dressed cocktails waitresses served groups of drunken foreign business men. She noticed De Santis stood by the main bar alone, he was watching her closely, as Tiny pulled her by the upper arm towards the back of the club to a set of black velvet curtains where two large heavy set men guarded the entrance.
One of the men pulled back the curtain allowing Tiny and Lisbon to enter. She was greeted with a posher more classier bar and lounge area, softer lighting and no thumping music. At the back of the lounge there was another corridor with four or five different doors leading off. Tiny led her up to bar to where an attractive blonde dressed in an tight little red dress was stacking and drying glasses.
"Hey Tiny? Don't see you back here much. You wanna private room?" The blonde said smirking taking in Lisbon stood beside him.
"Yeah, are they free?"
"yep, knock yourself out Hun." The blonde smiled towards Lisbon "Go easy with him Hun, Tiny's not use this side of the curtain." Lisbon frowned at the bargirl words in confusion. Before she had a chance to think more about what the blonde had said the curtains parted again to reveal several nasty looking men dressed in expensive suits entering the lounge.
"Who are they?" Tiny asked, looking cautiously over to group of loud men.
"Some Russian guy and his mob have hired out the Elite lounge for a private party. Best get out of here before things start up Hun,"
"Come on let's go" Tiny said taking Lisbon quickly by the arm. "What gets started?" Lisbon asked turning her back towards the group of men who were all sitting down at the different tables shouting and laughing, bellowing out drinks orders to the blonde behind the bar.
"Trust me, you don't want to know" Tiny marched Lisbon away from the lounge down the corridor to one of the door. Opening the room door he gently pushed Lisbon inside. Lisbon stood looking at the room in front of her, there was a large double bed, a large black armchair in the corner and a small dressing table against the wall and what looked like a two way mirror on the other.
"Oh my god it's brothel" she said turning to Tiny who was nervously looking down the corridor listening to the noise growing louder from the lounge. "I don't know why I am surprised, I mean he is a drug dealer, strip club opener, a sexual pervert... of course he owns a brothel. Is there no limits that lowlife will sink too."
Tiny shut the door behind them pointing the gun at her to sit down on the bed. "Just... Sit... And don't move" Tiny demanded, attempting to sound authoritive but sadly failing. Lisbon hid her grin as she sat down in disgust on the edge of the bed, folding her arms across her chest afraid to touch anything of fear of what she may catch.
Tiny sat down heavily in the leather chair still pointing the gun at Lisbon. She could tell he didn't handle guns very often and he clearly didn't like the position he had been put in but out fear of his uncle and his boss had gone along with it once again.
After 10 minutes of listening to the sound of men shouting and roaring the sound of footsteps was heard walking past the room door. A few moments later the sound of muffled groaning could be heard through the wall and Tiny diverted his eyes downwards away from Lisbon annoyed look.
"Oh great. So this my torture is it? having to listen to Russian perverts having sex with prostitues. I prefer water torture." Lisbon said standing up off the bed walking over to the wall mirror peering up against the glass to see if she could work out what or who was on the other side trying to ignore the new noise neighbours on the other wall.
"I could play some music on my phone if you want" Tiny said proudly of thinking of a solution to both their noise problems. Pulling his cell out of his jacket he swiped the screen and the sound of Frank Sinatra started playing out blocking the sound of the Russians and his female companion next door. Lisbon smiled back at Tiny "Well...it's a little cliché but it's better than the alternative."
"I have some spice girls or Taylor swift if you prefer that." Tiny focused on his phone looking for his menu list. "No Frank is just fine" Lisbon said sitting back down on the edge of the bed. She had two options, she could either kick Tiny's ass and fight for the gun and try to escape but she really didn't want to hurt to young man despite the fact he was holding her prisoner in a brothel or she could try and appeal to the better side of his nature and get him on side with helping trying to escape. Opting for option B she smiled kindly over to Tiny who was humming along to some Rat pack tune.
"Tiny... Please. You need to let me go, I have to get out of here." Tiny diverted his eyes downward trying to avoid her pleading looks. "I have a very sick husband in hospital and baby son I need to get back too." At the word Baby Tiny lifted his head up to face Lisbon.
"You have a... A baby? You're a mommy?"
"Yes he is only 9 weeks old, he is so young he needs me Tiny, he needs his mother please. You need to let me go. I am begging you." Seeing Tiny was torn between the right thing and getting into trouble with De Santis Lisbon, she decided to use her last trick. "Matthew please, imagine if this was Clara or your baby..."
Suddenly Tiny stood up purposely from the armchair placing his phone back in his jacket. "you're right. My girl she is 3 months pregnant with my child and I want to be a good dad and start doing the right thing."
"Thank you Matthew," Lisbon sighed in relief touching Tiny gently on the arm in thanks, "for what it is worth I think you will be a great dad...well... As soon as you get away from De Santis and his gang that is. Okay, Give me the gun?"
"uh.. Okay but it's not loaded" Tiny said embarrassed as he handed Lisbon the glock.
Lisbon rolled her eyes before raising an eyebrow towards Tiny wanting an explanation. "My uncle Max said I am not allowed a loaded gun anymore. Not after I accidentally shot Kenny in the foot whilst doing my john Wayne impression." Lisbon couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head in amusement at the poor young hapless wannabe gangster stood in front of her. "Okay well it may come in handy for throwing it at someone. I suppose. How do I get out of here without going back into the strip club?"
"There is a store room that backs on to this lounge, the door to the store room is besides the bar, we stock all our best booze, bar snacks there. There is an old fire exit door in the back that leads to the side of the building into the alley.
"Okay let's go then" Lisbon said placing the gun in her jeans and heading out the room. As Tiny and Lisbon crept out of the door they were greeted with a Russian guy draped over a topless woman heading to one of the other rooms. Too drunk to ask any questions they let the couple pass them before heading back towards the lounge.
Reaching the open lounge area Lisbon spotted the door to the store room. The lounge was now jammed packed with men and half naked women giving lap dances. The blonde bargirl was busily serving drunken men and hadn't yet spotted them. Lisbon glanced around the room to see if she could see or recognise any of De Santis men but had to turn her head downwards when she faced with a vulgar fat drunk Russian man fondling on one of the naked woman's breasts, not caring who saw or who was around to watch.
"Can you see any of De Santis men in here?" she whispered to Tiny who was looking just as uncomfortable at the sight that was in front of them. "Uh no. John and Mark are on the other ride of the curtain guarding the regular punters from coming in."
"Come on let's go." They began walking though the lounge avoiding eye contact with any drunken Russians..
"Hey You! A deep voice shouted across the room in a Russian accent. "Come here." Lisbon turned to see a man in a expensive Italian suit sitting on the leather couches sat between two half naked women. "I want her. bring her to me." The Russian man commanded nodding to one of his men and pointing in Lisbon direction. As one of the man got up from the seats Tiny stepped forward grabbing Lisbon around the waist pulling her flush against him.
"No. She's mine I paid for her and I am not giving her up. Do Get me?" Tiny said loudly with real venom laced in his voice showing the Russians he ment business. On the surface Tiny looked pretty intimidating and that element of him seemed to work in this case. The Russian man stopped and backed away at Tiny's deadly stare he was giving him. Grabbing Lisbon by the hand Tiny tugged her through the crowd of drunken men heading straight for the store room. Once in the storage room Tiny shut the door leaning up against the wood heavily panting.
"Wow I am impressed Matthew that was really convincing out there..." Lisbon said proudly as she walked through the large storage room to find the fire exit door.
"Really? you think? I thought I was going to faint... or wet myself." Tiny managed to get his breath back following Lisbon through the shelving units. Seeing the fire door Lisbon quickly ran over pushing down hard on the exit lever but the door didn't budge. "It's lock" she said turning back to Tiny.
"It might just be stuck, doesn't get used much. let me try." Tiny rammed his large shoulder against the fire door creating a loud bang each time but the door still didn't budge.
"Going somewhere?"
Lisbon and Tiny spun round at the sound of De Santis voice to see the man himself standing with three of his guys all pointing a gun in their direction. Tiny froze with fear whilst Lisbon stepped forward showing no fear. "We were looking for the toilet actually..." Lisbon said glaring at De Santis.
"oh Really?... Take her up back to the office. De Santis said angrily to the goon on his left. Glancing over Lisbon's shoulder De Santis narrowed his eyes at Tiny "I will deal with you later Tiny..." With that De Santis stepped out the way of the doorway to allow Lisbon pass but she remained stood on the spot. "Fine... I could just leave you here with the Russians if you like?"
Lisbon huffed knowing she had no choice in the matter. She angrily stormed past De Santis knowing she had no choice unless she want to spend time with the perverts in the lounge and stormed out of the storage room.
De Santis turned to the other two goons and looked back at Tiny who was nervously standing near the fire exit door. "Why don't you teach Tiny a lesson in loyalty, seems he forgot where his lies..." With that De Santis closed the storage room door behind him leaving his goons to deal with Tiny and followed the small brunette out into the lounge.