Chandler and Monica were shown into a huge dining room. A huge oblong table went the length of the room and the view out of the two windows was amazing. One spanned the coastline and the star filled sky, while the other was of the other buildings and the many lights that showed a rainbow of neon colors. An elderly man was sitting at the table in a wheelchair.
"I am sorry I can not rise to meet you both, as you can see, I cannot." He then sighed seeing that neither wanted to move. He then motioned to the guards. "Please leave. And you two, have a seat." Once the guards were gone, Monica and Chandler sat besides each other at the end of the table and held tightly onto each other's hands. Monica for fear and Chandler for support. Seeing that Chandler did not want to talk, he decided to get Monica to say something. "Monica, isn't it? What a lovely name! Matches it's owner in every way." He then smiled, and seeing that she was not responding, he decided to try and get her sympathy. He started hacking.
"Are you alright?" Monica asked concerned about the man.
A bit later, he stopped. "The cough comes and goes, but it is a part of my life. I try to take one day at a time." Looking at the two, he saw that Monica was concerned and Chandler did not buy his act for a bit. So it appeared that Chandler knew that he was faking.
"What do you really want?" Chandler asked.
"Chandler!" Monica hissed.
"No, Monica, it is alright. I have mislead and lied to him enough in the past where he does not trust me anymore, not that I would blame him. But, I really am sick and I do want to at least make up with him before I die." he looked hopefully at Chandler, but could tell by his expression that he was going to have to use Monica to manipulate Chandler into getting what he wanted.
He was an old pro at that. He would get Monica so entrenched in this world that she would never want to leave and Chandler would have no choice but to stay here. If the reports that he got were right about how much his great nephew cared about this woman.
Now all he had to do was to find her weak spots and exploit them. And if that would not work, then he could use money and material possessions to get what he wanted. He would not even stop short of getting her hooked on drugs to where she would spend so much on drugs that they would have no choice but to stay.
She happened to be Chandler's weakness and if he could get Monica hooked. He would have no trouble with Chandler. He happened to be an excellent fisherman.
After they were finished with supper, they went and sat down in the living room and had some wine. After a bit of talking a nurse entered and informed Mr. Collins it was time for his medication and massage. They then left. And Chandler and Monica were shown back to their room by somebody guards, whose job was to guard their door and make sure that they were safe, but in reality that they did not leave.
The first room had an entertainment center, a sofa, a loveseat, a huge overstuffed chair, a barca lounger, a stereo, a stocked mini-bar which had a huge refriderator and a microwave, toaster oven and a half stove. And the sitting room had a telephone and a computer.
The bedroom had a huge, king sized bed in it with two whole bookshelves that held numerous classics. Some chairs, end tables with a tiffany lamp, a loveseat and table and a bench at the end of the bed. And it had French doors that opened up on a private balcony that over looked the beach. The balcony was big enough to have a huge hot tub. And it had a tree that was growing in a huge pot and numerous plants lined the rails.
The next room was a changing room. The room had an armoire, two chests of draws, a vanity table with a padded seat, and two walk in closets.
The next room was done totally in red and black marble with silver and gold faucets. Which happened to be the bathroom, with a huge sunken whirlpool bath and a huge shower and a private toilet closet, right across form the linen closet.
One they were alone, Monica turned toward Chandler. "Chandler what is going on? First I come home to find those people in our apartment and when I demand they get out, one backhands me across my face. And tells me to keep my mouth shut all the while showing me his gun. What have we gotten ourselves into?"
"I wish I could tell you. But know this I will do what ever I can to get you out of here." Chandler went over and hugged Monica, not knowing that the room was bugged and that his uncle was listening in on the conversation.
"Gotcha." With that he smiled and turned off the listening device and went to bed.
He was not going to let Chandler and Monica go. She was too valuable. And besides she could have children and keep Chandler busy and occupied while he and his lawyers and his people were able to tighten the noose around them both more. He could keep Chandler in line with her and he planned to do just that.
The next morning, Chandler was shown into an office. His uncle sat behind his desk. Another man that Chandler recognized as his lawyer stood beside him. "Since I am going to die soon, I am going to go over my will with you." Chandler sighed, he had no choice.
Once hearing the will, he was seeing red. "No way, I want a normal life with a normal job. I do notate take over owning and running a casino."
His uncle shrugged. "Fine, then you can sell the casino and everything else. I do not care. But you will get it all. And you can then use the money to start your normal life with, how does that sound?"
"Fishy." Chandler muttered.
"I give you my word. That what you see is what you get." He then held out the pen to Chandler. "Do we have a deal?" Against his better judgment when all of his insides and instincts were screaming no, he signed the document.
After a bit, Monica was starting to get used to life at the casino.
The casino had a huge department and jewelry stores underground. And Monica was soon a frequent shopper because of Chandler's great uncle buying her everything or informing the stores to not to hassle Monica and to treat her as a VIP. It wasn't long that she would enter the suit with her arms loaded down with parcels and packages as well as the body guards, who were not too pleased with this turn of events.
It had a massage parlor, a spa and a gym. A huge swimming pool, but she and Chandler did not take advantage of it. They swam in the private one, either on top of the roof where the gardens were at or in the indoor one. And what ever she wanted she got. She even got to be the one that did the cooking.
And since the casino was in the middle of the action, and had huge parties, she often dressed up and wore beautiful dresses that Rachel would turn red with envy, and jewelry that none of her or her friends could afford. And was told that it belonged to the family and that she would get it as well as the fur coats and stoles. Chandler's uncle even went out and bought her a convertible and a rolls Royce.
While this was going on, Chandler was getting more and more nervous. He was afraid that Monica would not want to go back to New York and be separated from her new lifestyle that she had grown accustomed to. By now they had both lost their jobs. But still kept in contact with their friends and Monica's family.
They all bought it, but Joey was suspicious. Something did not seem right and he was going to find out what was going on. So he decided to make few contacts of his own to see what was really up.
Joey went to see a family member in Queens that afternoon, and as soon as he learned what was going on and what Chandler used to be or do, he went to the bank, pulled out all his money and bought a ticket to Atlantic City. He did not care about what Chandler used to do, he still happened to be his friend and he doesn't do that stuff anymore. Joey's distant cousin looked at him and told him it would be better if he stayed away.
"Stay away? He is my best friend and a brother to me!"
"Joseph, a chameleon changes it's color to elude prey, but it always changes back to it's original color. Trust me on this, have seen it before, once a man works as a hit man or is trained to run a family or crime ring, they never really stop. They just might lay low for awhile or retire, but they always comeback."
"But, he won't do anything! He has Monica out there with him."
"She will be brought into the world and grow dependant on everything from money, cars, jewelry, the high life and if not that then they will get her in with alcohol and drugs. And since she has no Idea how everything is, she will end up being lonely and depressed and will eventually turn to drugs and alcohol to find a way out. And maybe they will start to cheat on one another. And if your friend is a bit controlling and gets jealous, he will have the person she flirts with killed. Or will kill him himself."
"He is NOT a killer!"
"Once a killer, always a killer. After he kills again, and believe me, he will, he will start to become a part of the action more and more."
"I do not believe a word you say! I am going out there to be with my friends!" Joey then got up and left.
"Either they will drag you in, or they will kill you. Either way, cousin Joey is already dead." The man then made a call on his cell phone.
Jacob Collins got off the phone with a man from a powerful New York crime family. So, another of Chandler's friends are coming here. This one has connections though. So it will be in the best interest of everyone to also keep this one alive. Maybe they can also train him in the family business. And he can be to Chandler like Leo Erickson is to him.
Once Joey arrived, he was shown into a room right next door to Monica and Chandler's. And told it was going to be a surprise for his friends to see him here. A twenty minutes later, while he was talking to Jacob Collins, Monica and Chandler both walked in. Joey got up and hugged each one of them tightly.
"I am so glad to see you both!"
"I wished that you didn't come, Joey." Chandler whispered. Anymore, he was almost resigned to his fate. He had guessed that his uncle was just faking it, or was not as close to dying as what he had been to believe.
I can not stay away from you and Monica. I mean she is another sister to me and you are my best friend and brother."
"And I am more than happy to have Joey stay here! We get along just great, huh Joey?"
"We sure do Mr. Collins!"
"Please call me Uncle Jake, that is what family calls me. Huh Chandler?"
"Sure thing, Uncle Jake!" Mr. Collins grinned and Chandler grimaced. To him this was turning out worse and worse all the time!
It was little by little that Chandler got involved back with the family business again. When it seemed that Uncle Jake was too sick to work, Chandler had to take his place. And soon enough he was doing little crimes and soon enough they turned into bigger ones.
The little crimes started out as finding escorts or calling up an old and subtle escort business for the very important customers like visiting royalty, politicians and other such people. Obtaining or ordering drugs to be brought to the guests that were VIP. Bribing the politicians with money, free rooms and other such stipends. They even had a rolodex hidden and it was in code and it told what each person liked and so forth.
For example a politician came to town, he was given a suit, had three call girls waiting for him up there, plenty of alcohol and heroin. And while Chandler was doing that, he started to drink more as did Monica who was getting ever increasingly lonely as time went on.
The other women who lived there, all slighted her since she had married Chandler and he wanted nothing to do with them. In short no affair. And since she was not brought up in this world, she virtual on her own.
For Joey, he was there for his friends when they needed him. But he had a whole lot of dancers and other women to date. The security guards that were assigned to him, loved their job, for they also got their kicks as well. And besides getting drunk, that also included heroin and cocaine. HE even introduced Monica to cocaine as a recreational drug. For fun as he called it.
By the time Monica was hooked on heroin, Chandler was now entrenched deeply with the business and getting home later and later. So that he found Monica passed out on the bed from too much alcohol. It was time like this that he felt guilty. Or she was in a rage from the drugs and a fight ensued. And one time, Monica who had not taken anything nor drank anything, was waiting up for him.
"Where have you been?"
"Out."
"With who?"
"On business."
"What is her name?"
"I said it is on business."
"Bullshit. You've been out fucking somewhere haven't you? Is that how you hire now for your shows?"
Chandler who was pouring himself a drink, was in no mood for this. One of his so called security guards was leaking information to the police. "I have never cheated on you Monica. Ever!"
"Then what do you do all hours of the night?"
"I run a casino. It is my job." He knocked back the drink.
"You run a bordello."
Chandler threw his glass against the wall, shattering it. "It is my job. And do not call it that."
"If I would have known that I would marry a killer and a pimp I would never…." But her sentence was cut off. Chandler slapped her hard.
HE then grabbed hold of his wife and threw her hard down on the bed and ended that talk. When they used to make love, Chandler was always tender and loving, now he was rough and demanding. Finally, they lay there, Chandler asleep and Monica looking up at the ceiling with tears in her eyes wishing that he was still the man that she married, instead of this monster that she shared a bed with.
Finally, she put her facedown on her pillow and let out her repressed emotions. Everything about her life had fallen apart. She might all this material possessions, but she had no meaning in her life anymore. Nothing left to look forward to. Except that she was going to have a baby. Just the thought made her shiver. She did not want this child growing up around this place or Chandler to be the father figure. But she knew that Chandler would not let her leave the casino.
A bit later, Chandler woke up. Monica seeing this, decided to tell him. "You can not hit me anymore. I am pregnant."
Chandler closed his eyes and held Monica close and started crying, "I am so sorry Monica, I did not want this to happen to you."
"You don't want the baby?"
"I don't want you or the child here."
"You think I do?" Then another thought came to her mind. "Let me and the child move back to New York."
"Impossible."
"Chandler!"
"I said the answer is no."
"Please!"
"The child is staying."
"What?"
"If you leave, fine, but the child is staying." Then as an after thought. "Monica you will stop taking drugs and drinking, got it?"
"Why can't I move?"
"You are too well known, and I have too many enemies. They will try and kill you. And the baby, that is why. It is safer to be here then in New York."
Monica sighed deeply and let a few tears out. "Fine but know this, one day this world will tumble around you and I will not be there for you and I will make sure this kid or any other we have will not be there as well."
*********************
R/R folks. I am going to end this fic in one or two more chapters………
"I am sorry I can not rise to meet you both, as you can see, I cannot." He then sighed seeing that neither wanted to move. He then motioned to the guards. "Please leave. And you two, have a seat." Once the guards were gone, Monica and Chandler sat besides each other at the end of the table and held tightly onto each other's hands. Monica for fear and Chandler for support. Seeing that Chandler did not want to talk, he decided to get Monica to say something. "Monica, isn't it? What a lovely name! Matches it's owner in every way." He then smiled, and seeing that she was not responding, he decided to try and get her sympathy. He started hacking.
"Are you alright?" Monica asked concerned about the man.
A bit later, he stopped. "The cough comes and goes, but it is a part of my life. I try to take one day at a time." Looking at the two, he saw that Monica was concerned and Chandler did not buy his act for a bit. So it appeared that Chandler knew that he was faking.
"What do you really want?" Chandler asked.
"Chandler!" Monica hissed.
"No, Monica, it is alright. I have mislead and lied to him enough in the past where he does not trust me anymore, not that I would blame him. But, I really am sick and I do want to at least make up with him before I die." he looked hopefully at Chandler, but could tell by his expression that he was going to have to use Monica to manipulate Chandler into getting what he wanted.
He was an old pro at that. He would get Monica so entrenched in this world that she would never want to leave and Chandler would have no choice but to stay here. If the reports that he got were right about how much his great nephew cared about this woman.
Now all he had to do was to find her weak spots and exploit them. And if that would not work, then he could use money and material possessions to get what he wanted. He would not even stop short of getting her hooked on drugs to where she would spend so much on drugs that they would have no choice but to stay.
She happened to be Chandler's weakness and if he could get Monica hooked. He would have no trouble with Chandler. He happened to be an excellent fisherman.
After they were finished with supper, they went and sat down in the living room and had some wine. After a bit of talking a nurse entered and informed Mr. Collins it was time for his medication and massage. They then left. And Chandler and Monica were shown back to their room by somebody guards, whose job was to guard their door and make sure that they were safe, but in reality that they did not leave.
The first room had an entertainment center, a sofa, a loveseat, a huge overstuffed chair, a barca lounger, a stereo, a stocked mini-bar which had a huge refriderator and a microwave, toaster oven and a half stove. And the sitting room had a telephone and a computer.
The bedroom had a huge, king sized bed in it with two whole bookshelves that held numerous classics. Some chairs, end tables with a tiffany lamp, a loveseat and table and a bench at the end of the bed. And it had French doors that opened up on a private balcony that over looked the beach. The balcony was big enough to have a huge hot tub. And it had a tree that was growing in a huge pot and numerous plants lined the rails.
The next room was a changing room. The room had an armoire, two chests of draws, a vanity table with a padded seat, and two walk in closets.
The next room was done totally in red and black marble with silver and gold faucets. Which happened to be the bathroom, with a huge sunken whirlpool bath and a huge shower and a private toilet closet, right across form the linen closet.
One they were alone, Monica turned toward Chandler. "Chandler what is going on? First I come home to find those people in our apartment and when I demand they get out, one backhands me across my face. And tells me to keep my mouth shut all the while showing me his gun. What have we gotten ourselves into?"
"I wish I could tell you. But know this I will do what ever I can to get you out of here." Chandler went over and hugged Monica, not knowing that the room was bugged and that his uncle was listening in on the conversation.
"Gotcha." With that he smiled and turned off the listening device and went to bed.
He was not going to let Chandler and Monica go. She was too valuable. And besides she could have children and keep Chandler busy and occupied while he and his lawyers and his people were able to tighten the noose around them both more. He could keep Chandler in line with her and he planned to do just that.
The next morning, Chandler was shown into an office. His uncle sat behind his desk. Another man that Chandler recognized as his lawyer stood beside him. "Since I am going to die soon, I am going to go over my will with you." Chandler sighed, he had no choice.
Once hearing the will, he was seeing red. "No way, I want a normal life with a normal job. I do notate take over owning and running a casino."
His uncle shrugged. "Fine, then you can sell the casino and everything else. I do not care. But you will get it all. And you can then use the money to start your normal life with, how does that sound?"
"Fishy." Chandler muttered.
"I give you my word. That what you see is what you get." He then held out the pen to Chandler. "Do we have a deal?" Against his better judgment when all of his insides and instincts were screaming no, he signed the document.
After a bit, Monica was starting to get used to life at the casino.
The casino had a huge department and jewelry stores underground. And Monica was soon a frequent shopper because of Chandler's great uncle buying her everything or informing the stores to not to hassle Monica and to treat her as a VIP. It wasn't long that she would enter the suit with her arms loaded down with parcels and packages as well as the body guards, who were not too pleased with this turn of events.
It had a massage parlor, a spa and a gym. A huge swimming pool, but she and Chandler did not take advantage of it. They swam in the private one, either on top of the roof where the gardens were at or in the indoor one. And what ever she wanted she got. She even got to be the one that did the cooking.
And since the casino was in the middle of the action, and had huge parties, she often dressed up and wore beautiful dresses that Rachel would turn red with envy, and jewelry that none of her or her friends could afford. And was told that it belonged to the family and that she would get it as well as the fur coats and stoles. Chandler's uncle even went out and bought her a convertible and a rolls Royce.
While this was going on, Chandler was getting more and more nervous. He was afraid that Monica would not want to go back to New York and be separated from her new lifestyle that she had grown accustomed to. By now they had both lost their jobs. But still kept in contact with their friends and Monica's family.
They all bought it, but Joey was suspicious. Something did not seem right and he was going to find out what was going on. So he decided to make few contacts of his own to see what was really up.
Joey went to see a family member in Queens that afternoon, and as soon as he learned what was going on and what Chandler used to be or do, he went to the bank, pulled out all his money and bought a ticket to Atlantic City. He did not care about what Chandler used to do, he still happened to be his friend and he doesn't do that stuff anymore. Joey's distant cousin looked at him and told him it would be better if he stayed away.
"Stay away? He is my best friend and a brother to me!"
"Joseph, a chameleon changes it's color to elude prey, but it always changes back to it's original color. Trust me on this, have seen it before, once a man works as a hit man or is trained to run a family or crime ring, they never really stop. They just might lay low for awhile or retire, but they always comeback."
"But, he won't do anything! He has Monica out there with him."
"She will be brought into the world and grow dependant on everything from money, cars, jewelry, the high life and if not that then they will get her in with alcohol and drugs. And since she has no Idea how everything is, she will end up being lonely and depressed and will eventually turn to drugs and alcohol to find a way out. And maybe they will start to cheat on one another. And if your friend is a bit controlling and gets jealous, he will have the person she flirts with killed. Or will kill him himself."
"He is NOT a killer!"
"Once a killer, always a killer. After he kills again, and believe me, he will, he will start to become a part of the action more and more."
"I do not believe a word you say! I am going out there to be with my friends!" Joey then got up and left.
"Either they will drag you in, or they will kill you. Either way, cousin Joey is already dead." The man then made a call on his cell phone.
Jacob Collins got off the phone with a man from a powerful New York crime family. So, another of Chandler's friends are coming here. This one has connections though. So it will be in the best interest of everyone to also keep this one alive. Maybe they can also train him in the family business. And he can be to Chandler like Leo Erickson is to him.
Once Joey arrived, he was shown into a room right next door to Monica and Chandler's. And told it was going to be a surprise for his friends to see him here. A twenty minutes later, while he was talking to Jacob Collins, Monica and Chandler both walked in. Joey got up and hugged each one of them tightly.
"I am so glad to see you both!"
"I wished that you didn't come, Joey." Chandler whispered. Anymore, he was almost resigned to his fate. He had guessed that his uncle was just faking it, or was not as close to dying as what he had been to believe.
I can not stay away from you and Monica. I mean she is another sister to me and you are my best friend and brother."
"And I am more than happy to have Joey stay here! We get along just great, huh Joey?"
"We sure do Mr. Collins!"
"Please call me Uncle Jake, that is what family calls me. Huh Chandler?"
"Sure thing, Uncle Jake!" Mr. Collins grinned and Chandler grimaced. To him this was turning out worse and worse all the time!
It was little by little that Chandler got involved back with the family business again. When it seemed that Uncle Jake was too sick to work, Chandler had to take his place. And soon enough he was doing little crimes and soon enough they turned into bigger ones.
The little crimes started out as finding escorts or calling up an old and subtle escort business for the very important customers like visiting royalty, politicians and other such people. Obtaining or ordering drugs to be brought to the guests that were VIP. Bribing the politicians with money, free rooms and other such stipends. They even had a rolodex hidden and it was in code and it told what each person liked and so forth.
For example a politician came to town, he was given a suit, had three call girls waiting for him up there, plenty of alcohol and heroin. And while Chandler was doing that, he started to drink more as did Monica who was getting ever increasingly lonely as time went on.
The other women who lived there, all slighted her since she had married Chandler and he wanted nothing to do with them. In short no affair. And since she was not brought up in this world, she virtual on her own.
For Joey, he was there for his friends when they needed him. But he had a whole lot of dancers and other women to date. The security guards that were assigned to him, loved their job, for they also got their kicks as well. And besides getting drunk, that also included heroin and cocaine. HE even introduced Monica to cocaine as a recreational drug. For fun as he called it.
By the time Monica was hooked on heroin, Chandler was now entrenched deeply with the business and getting home later and later. So that he found Monica passed out on the bed from too much alcohol. It was time like this that he felt guilty. Or she was in a rage from the drugs and a fight ensued. And one time, Monica who had not taken anything nor drank anything, was waiting up for him.
"Where have you been?"
"Out."
"With who?"
"On business."
"What is her name?"
"I said it is on business."
"Bullshit. You've been out fucking somewhere haven't you? Is that how you hire now for your shows?"
Chandler who was pouring himself a drink, was in no mood for this. One of his so called security guards was leaking information to the police. "I have never cheated on you Monica. Ever!"
"Then what do you do all hours of the night?"
"I run a casino. It is my job." He knocked back the drink.
"You run a bordello."
Chandler threw his glass against the wall, shattering it. "It is my job. And do not call it that."
"If I would have known that I would marry a killer and a pimp I would never…." But her sentence was cut off. Chandler slapped her hard.
HE then grabbed hold of his wife and threw her hard down on the bed and ended that talk. When they used to make love, Chandler was always tender and loving, now he was rough and demanding. Finally, they lay there, Chandler asleep and Monica looking up at the ceiling with tears in her eyes wishing that he was still the man that she married, instead of this monster that she shared a bed with.
Finally, she put her facedown on her pillow and let out her repressed emotions. Everything about her life had fallen apart. She might all this material possessions, but she had no meaning in her life anymore. Nothing left to look forward to. Except that she was going to have a baby. Just the thought made her shiver. She did not want this child growing up around this place or Chandler to be the father figure. But she knew that Chandler would not let her leave the casino.
A bit later, Chandler woke up. Monica seeing this, decided to tell him. "You can not hit me anymore. I am pregnant."
Chandler closed his eyes and held Monica close and started crying, "I am so sorry Monica, I did not want this to happen to you."
"You don't want the baby?"
"I don't want you or the child here."
"You think I do?" Then another thought came to her mind. "Let me and the child move back to New York."
"Impossible."
"Chandler!"
"I said the answer is no."
"Please!"
"The child is staying."
"What?"
"If you leave, fine, but the child is staying." Then as an after thought. "Monica you will stop taking drugs and drinking, got it?"
"Why can't I move?"
"You are too well known, and I have too many enemies. They will try and kill you. And the baby, that is why. It is safer to be here then in New York."
Monica sighed deeply and let a few tears out. "Fine but know this, one day this world will tumble around you and I will not be there for you and I will make sure this kid or any other we have will not be there as well."
*********************
R/R folks. I am going to end this fic in one or two more chapters………