Mario Acevedo [Felix Gomez 02] X Rated Blood Suckers (v5.0) (pdf)

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to do. Everyone profits, except for the families who lost their
neighborhood and the taxpayers who footed the bill.
Interesting civics lesson. Nothing Rosario said contra-
dicted anything I d learned. Fact was, he shed light into a lot
of dark cracks. But he hadn t yet mentioned anything about
Roxy s death or the vampire human collusion.
Where was Cragnow Vissoom during all this?
Rosario wiped the sweat collecting on his eyebrows. Don t
know. About four years ago he showed up on my radar screen.
He was still a bit player in the skin trade but intended to move
up, real estate-wise. Then Cragnow hit it big, pulling in the cash
like he owned a casino. Thanks to Roxy.
And Reverend Journey? I asked.
What do you mean?
Journey gets the land and then what?
He built his church on the hill.
When does Mordecai Niphe show up?
Rosario rubbed the sweat from his face with the kerchief. He
smiled. Where do you think the money for Journey s church
came from?
There it was. Niphe, the moneybags behind Journey and
his ministry. I thought back to the photo of Rosario, Niphe,
and Journey standing together. Rosario and Niphe shoulder to
shoulder like army buddies, Journey off to one side, his hesitant
smile saying, I m only here because of the money.
X- RATED BLOODSUCKERS 303
You had mentioned that party last night at Cragnow s.
What did you talk about?
Journey s in financial trouble. Niphe wanted to discuss le-
veraging some of Cragnow s holdings to buy Journey s notes. I
need to emphasize, notes that Niphe has an interest in.
The reverend going broke reflected what Andrew Tonic
had shared. Journey goes down the tubes and he takes Niphe s
money with him.
Rosario said, Niphe insisted that we act fast before word of
Journey s trouble got around. We put together a nice package,
reconfigure the loans, and everyone makes out.
And if Journey s trouble was made public?
The attention would make the property value sink like a
rock. Add the scandal of anyone following the money trail and
making the connection from Cragnow to Journey.
What else did you discuss? I asked.
Cragnow talked about using the church as a base for his
plans.
What plans?
That weird crap about lifting humanity to a new partner-
ship with the undead realm. Cragnow might as well be speaking
in tongues.
Wow, vampire human collusion disguised as an evangelical
ministry. Could Cragnow and Venin have pulled that off ?
Now we get to the murder part, Rosario said. Those dogs
started barking and Cragnow s men went ape shit. They pulled
guns serious firepower, shotguns and M16s and hustled
outside.
What did you see?
Cragnow wouldn t let us look. He kept us inside and com-
menced with his ranting. He was already well sauced, so he
304 MARI O ACEVEDO
yelled like there was a fire in his asshole. He blamed us for the
trouble.
Us, who? I asked.
Everybody. Me. Niphe. The girls. His guards. Cragnow
said he d do anything to protect himself. That s when he ad-
mitted to killing Rebecca Dwelling and Fred Daniels. To shut
them up.
And Katz?
That s what bothered him the most, Rosario replied. Katz
was his property. Who had done her in? The same people who
knocked off Roxy Bronze?
Cragnow worried about who had killed Katz?
And you don t know?
I shook my head.
Before Niphe and I left, Cragnow let us in on some news,
Rosario said. He had another way to corner Journey into co-
operating with us.
Which was?
Rosario paused and gave a grin. You won t believe this.
Journey s girlfriend was coming to see Cragnow. Some broad
by the name of Lara Phillips.
That stunned me. Journey s girlfriend? Are you sure?
Rosario chuckled. I couldn t make up something like that.
Why would she see Cragnow?
Apparently she wants him to back off Journey.
How is she going to do that?
Probably by sucking Cragnow s dick, for starters.
Rosario laughed. The sweat dribbled over the rolls of his neck.
Of course Cragnow has no intention of easing up on Journey.
In fact, he ll use Lara to humiliate the preacher. Take his money
and his woman. What a na�ve bitch.
X- RATED BLOODSUCKERS 305
Na�ve didn t describe Lara. I saw her as guarded. Volatile,
even. Lara had cruel words for Roxy and her life in porn. Lara
had to have known Cragnow s part in Roxy s past.
Do you know Lara? I asked.
Never met her.
How could Lara hope to reason with Cragnow? He was a
vampire. She had no chance. Maybe she went with Journey s
blessing to work a deal. Cragnow couldn t resist the irony of
Roxy Bronze s sister kneeling before him.
But I couldn t see Lara doing that. Nothing about this made
sense. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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