Authors' Notes: A little humor in this chapter and we meet our bad guy. Hope you all are enjoying the story and our little monster of a series. :) Also we've added to our Twitter and LJs. BA now has one of each and so does a certain Scot-Irish Interpol Agent. And since the links aren't showing up on the chapters, goto my profile to find Charissa's, B.A.'s and Eddie's LJ addresses and on each respective profile you'll also find links to their Twitters. We should have one for Face, Murdock and Hannibal up within the next few days.
Two hours later she was having a small light lunch by the pool with the head new guy, a wannabe old fashioned gangster right down to the nickname, he called himself Mugsy of all things.
B.A. couldn't believe these fools; he stood silent like a sentinel as her muscle and bodyguard, keeping an eye out for trouble.
"So you saying you wants to be in my little operation here huh?" The slick man sat back, he wasn't bad looking he just used way too much gel in his hair.
Charissa nodded slowly, "Yes, my colleague and I are tired of the normal life. It doesn't pay very well as I'm sure you know."
"What do they call you big man?" One of Mugsy's guys looked B.A. up and down slowly as though he was trying to decide if he could take him or not.
"B.A. fools. Stands for Bad Attitude." He gave the punk kid a dark glare.
"Fitting." After that no one talked much to B.A. and the afternoon went on.
Twice Charissa had to prove she had a pair when Mugsy tried to get fresh, but other than that it went smoothly.
"Alright. You twos are in. You got balls for a chica and the big man here will be good muscle. I need some decent muscle." Mugsy stated, he even ended up telling them his real name Alonzo Goffredo, which would prove helpful later when she arrested his ass.
Face and Murdock found themselves in an altogether different experience. Face likened it to the Godfather movies, only less...violent. Murdock would later say that it was all "business and respect", and that they didn't need muscle, they just needed to be smooth talkers and be quiet when the boss was talking. In fact, Face thought, he was rather suited to this old-style mafia, in his expensive suit and being a yes-man - that actually did what he was told.
Charissa was pretty sure she got in for more reasons that having a pair of balls, she was sure it was mostly because she was pretty and the guy wanted a hot girl to hang on his arm. That fact came even more apparent when he insisted she dined with him later that evening, alone.
"You are out of your mind Girl. No way in hell am I gonna let you eat with that sucka alone!"
"You can be right outside B.A., but I have to do this." Charissa pleaded with the Big Man later.
B.A. shook his head, "I dunno what you think you're tryin to prove with this stunt of yours Girl, he knows you're just as good as he is. You don't have to prove nothin to Faceman."
She shoved her feet into a pair of heels and stalked over to B.A. jabbing a finger in his chest, "I'm not out to prove anything. I'm out to do my job. Now drop it Sergeant or you can stay here and I'll go alone."
"You and your job. You get too caught up in that shit."
Charissa said nothing as she turned and walked out the door, a second later she was back against the wall of the hallway.
"Now ya listen here, I may be lower rank than you Capt'n discharged or not, but I made a promise to a friend to keep you outta of danger an by damned woman I'm keepin that promise." B.A. let her go and waited for her to go ahead of him.
She opened her mouth to say something and then thought better of it and stalked into the elevator with him right behind her.
Face and Murdock enjoyed their dinner quietly, mainly taking in things and nodding at appropriate times. When Face made a casual suggestion about something he knew was wanted, he was nodded at again - it was like a giant chess match. A game for the civilized brutes. Of course there were thugs as bodyguards, but they mostly stood there looking like statues than actually doing anything. Everything was about image here, about presentation.
Dinner had gone on longer than she had liked and Mugsy had wanted her to go clubbing with him but she had refused, faking a terrible headache. She wasn't about to get any closer to that scumbag than she had to. Plus she really wanted to run his name and see what came up. She paused by the hotel room before going to Hannibal's and grabbed her laptop, "Hey B.A…. we're okay." She realized they hadn't spoken a word since their argument in the room and hallway earlier.
The black man shrugged, "I know. Jus' let me do my job, alright." He smiled at her.
"I'll try." She promised as they walked into Hannibal's room and she got her laptop out and waited for it to start up.
Face and Murdock strutted in like they owned the place and Hannibal was amused, "You two seem to really be getting in on the act." He observed.
"It's all about appearances," Face shook his head, "They don't want a war, they just want to keep the same level of contented power as they always have. I mean, obviously the decks are stacked in favor of the house - and the old boys - but they aren't looking forward to having to fight for it."
She glanced up briefly from her laptop as Face and Murdock walked or rather sauntered in. A brow slowly rose as she snuffed the sudden surge of desire that swept through her and went back to business.
B.A. was lounging on one of the beds, his ankles crossed and arms folded, "Haven't seen you strut like that since you started gettin some on a regular basis again Faceman, I take it you did good?"
Charissa had to snicker a little before she let out a loud sigh, "Woo boy. This kid is a nasty piece of work. He as a rap sheet as long as I am tall. Everything is on here from robbery, assault, murder, ra—" She stopped herself from mentioning the guy had rape charges, "embezzling, counterfeiting… it just keeps going. I'm going to enjoy locking him up and throwing away the key."
Face grinned, "When you nail this guy it's gonna be so sweet. Besides. All I've been asked to do is monitor a few tables and report anybody that seems to be counting cards. I even get to wear a swanky black suit and tie while I do it."
"Nice. All black?" She arched a brow, "Me, I get to be arm candy basically and B.A. is muscle. This guy is a wannabe watched one too many gangster movies as a kid and thinks he can play with the big boys type."
"But he's dangerous. Real scumbag too. Sosa had ta draw on him twice before he got the hint not to touch unless he asked first." B.A. shook his head, "If he had tried something a third time I was gonna break both his arms."
"He tried something?" Face's gaze snapped over to Sosa, "What did he do?" The hair on the back of his neck bristled.
Murdock let out a low whistle, "Easy there, Faceman, she's a big girl…"
"Thanks B.A." She shot the Sergeant a look, "He just tried to get a little handsy. I can handle him. I made it very clear if he touched me without my permission in any way I would blow his balls off and to send the point home I told him that while my gun was aimed between his legs."
B.A. just shook his head slowly, "I'm gonna watch him real close, make sure she's never alone with the punk for too long."
Face settled back down, unsure why he was so volatile over that. With a sigh he turned to Hannibal, "I don't get the feeling that the old boys are out for conflict. They like the way things are, but they won't hesitate to kill somebody to keep the status quo."
"So should we deliver Mugsy as the idiot likes to call himself over to them on a silver platter?" She shut her laptop down and stood, "A part of me really likes the idea of him mysteriously disappearing." She smirked a little darkly.
"I'm down for that." It was clear B.A. did not like the guy at all, which was saying something.
"I think it would go better overall for the old boys." Murdock said calmly, smoothing his collars. He liked the feeling of this new suit, it was like dressing up and he liked wearing elaborate costumes, "If they thought someone had taken him out."
She nodded slowly, "True, it would show they have respect for the order of things if I take him in." She was all wound up and needed to do something about it, "Sorry I ruined your guys' little vacation you were having."
B.A. shrugged, "Nothin' new Girl. We're used to it by now."
Murdock sighed, "Guess Faceman'll have to take me on another vacation. I'm tired of parties."
"Come on!" Face protested, "B.A. won't go with me and Hannibal refuses."
"If you insinuate that it's because I'm older than you..."
"I'll go." She stated, "I'm way too wired to quote relax right now." She stated matter-of-factly.
"Sorry Faceman, but you're a hard act to keep up with an you always horde the women." B.A. said with a shake of his head, "I don't get no love when I try partyin with you fool."
"On our last vacation you had two girls hanging off your arms!" Face protested, "Not that I'm jealous, of course..."
Murdock smiled a little, "He just doesn't want to party alone, and he needs someone to keep him off the ladies."
B.A. laughed, "That's cuz I met them without you around sucka!"
"Oh I'll keep him off the ladies." Charissa assured Murdock, "Believe me." Her eyes flashed with something dark.
Murdock grinned, "Then next time he should take you! I'd rather watch a good movie."
"You guys are no fun." Face protested.
She stood and walked over to him, "Which is why you have me." She ran her finger down his chest slowly, "I'm always fun."
"Hey! Other people in the room here!" B.A. protested.
"Cool it, B.A., we're keeping our clothes on." Face shook his head, "I'm wearing a three-piece suit and I like the feeling."
Murdock rolled his eyes and went to talk to Hannibal.
B.A. rolled his eyes as well and slouched down on the bed grumbling.
"Most women have to compete with the guys, sports, video games… me I have to compete with clothing." Charissa said half joking and tickled his side lightly.
"Mmm, but I think it's silk..." Face ran his hands up and down the lapels, "And I don't have to kill somebody in return, just look for cheaters."
"Do I need to give you two some alone time there Handsome?" She arched a brow and moved away from him to the mirror to check how she looked. She wasn't vain like he was, but she did care about her appearance, "Well whenever you want to go out, I'm game. If I remember correctly you used to have a hard time keeping up with me when we were first together." She commented with a smirk as she made a few adjustments to the simple red cocktail dress she that she had worn to dinner with the scumbag.
"So you're going to arrest him tomorrow? That's it? That was fast." Face shook his head, "Too bad, and I was starting to like this job." He fingered the suit a little more, then watched her adjust her dress.
She arched a brow, "No I'm not going to arrest him tomorrow…" She looked at him curiously, "Though I probably could, but I kind of need a little thing called a warrant first and that's going to take at least twenty four hours to get otherwise it's moot point."
"Ahhh. So I have a few more days to earn myself another nice suit to take home with me." Face grinned, "And maybe some time to spin a few more wheels."
"For some reason, he wins at roulette." Murdock scrunched up his nose in confusion, "He's got great luck."
"I promise to lose it all in card games, where I am very bad." Face protested.
"He cheats Crazy Man. Why do you think I refuse to play poker with the fool?" B.A. spoke up, having been quietly just watching them all.
"I'm going to hide all of your suits one of these days just to see what you'd do." Charissa teased, "Even if I do happen to very much enjoy how you look in them." Honestly it was like his body had been made with three piece designer suits in mind.
Face was horrified, and kept running his hands up and down the fabric of his black jacket, "Come on, Charissa, that's a cruel and unusual punishment!" He complained, shrinking back.
She smirked, "I thought you liked it when I was cruel, unusual and punishing." She eyed the time and groaned lightly, " I swear these nights seem to go on forever in this damned desert."
"Come on, Girl! Do ya hafta say shit like that in public? Geez." B.A. shook his head slowly and stood, "I'm outta here, gonna go to my own room. See you fools later." He looked at Charissa, "Call me when you're ready to go deal with the scumbag." He instructed before leaving the room.
"If I took a shot for every time Face complained about something," Hannibal rolled his eyes, "I'd be dead of alcohol poisoning before breakfast."
"Drinking game!" Murdock exclaimed.
Only Murdock would suggest something like that... stay tuned to see if they play a game or not in the next chapter! Which will go up tomorrow at some point. :D
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