24K Magic for a Perfect Illusion

Ch 6: Hustlas & Gangstas

Ves woke up with an excruciating pain at the back of his head, something hard hit him last night and he’s absolutely sure it’s not alcohol, definitely not the bourbon that he drank last night.

He slowly sat up and the quilt covering his torso fell down as another realization hits him … he’s naked, not just half-naked but he’s naked just like when he was born.

“Mmm … stop moving, you’re disturbing my sleep.” a white hand from his left side tried to put him down on the bed.

Ves looked at his left side and there’s a white woman with slim body lying on her stomach, b*tt naked as if asking for a s***k.

‘Did I just have s*x with this woman?’ Ves gulped hard as he resisted from touching the stranger’s b*tt. ‘No, Ves, you’re better than this. You can’t touch anybody aside from the woman you love and she’s obviously not HER!’

Ves wanted to cover the woman’s body with the quilt, but then he noticed that there’s another one in the bed, and what’s worse it’s a man … those curly dark brown hair and brown skin … he’s the man he saw last night in the club, only without his shades and his designer clothes as he too is also naked on Ves right side.

“I’ll be damned!” Ves muttered. ‘Did I really have s*x with these two, last night??’ he analyzed his situation thoroughly before he made a conclusion that he can’t even accept.

Though the three of them are naked and lying on the same bed, it doesn’t mean that there’s something indescribable happened to them last night.

Ves believed in his self-control, no matter how drunk he is, he doesn’t even have the courage to touch the woman he likes how much more a stranger that he’s not attracted at all, and the man on his other side … he’s straight for goodness sake!

Nothing happened, he’s still a virgin, and everything is just a show.

‘These two clearly knows each other but they pretended to be strangers last night.’ Ves thought. ‘I wasn’t drunk but I lost my consciousness.’ he perused the back of his head for any injuries but there’s none. ‘Then I was struck to the nape … with this woman.’ he glared at the white woman on his left side.

“What do you guys want from me?” Ves asked the two who are pretending to be asleep on his both sides.

“I’m actually waiting for you to touch me but you didn’t.” Joanne turned around without a care of her nakedness. “Seriously, you really don’t want to?” she’s surprised that Ves looked away immediately and gave his pillow to cover her body without looking.

“I’m not that kind of man. I respect women just like how I respect my mother. I hope you respect yourself too.” Ves replied flatly.

Joanna got up from bed and put her clothes on while speaking, “I’m impress, men like you are considered as endangered species. I’m lucky to meet one in my life.”

“Hey, what about me?” the man on Ves right side dropped the act of sleeping soundly as he sat right up immediately. “Ain’t I a gentleman, just like this fella?”

“Nah, you can’t compare yourself to him. He’s clearly a virgin and you’re a certified man wh*re.” Joanne rolled her eyes at the man.

“Oh, come on! Is it my fault, that women are throwing themselves at me? I’m just being hospitable.” the man retorted as he got up on the bed too and put on his clothes.

Ves just stared on the ceiling until the two aren’t that sinful in his eyes, he’s not a bit interested to see a man naked.

“I’m done, you can look at me now.” Joanne said as she sits on the couch with her legs crossed.

“Why are you doing this to me?” Ves asked her with serious face.

“Nothing personal, we’re just following orders here. We don’t want to ruin your peaceful life, but if it’s not us two …” Joanne glanced at her partner. “Another team will take you by force, and you’re not gonna like what they’ll do to you.”

“I don’t remember offending anyone, as much as provoking your boss who gives the order.” Ves frowned as he keeps his composure.

“You’re not but …” the man paused as he handed Ves’ clothes to him. “Your mother did.” he walked towards the minibar of the room and started to make coffee.

“What do you mean, my mother did? How did she …” Ves put on his shirt first and covered his lower body with the quilt as he put on his underwear and pants. “How did she provoke y’all?”

“I hate to burst your bubble, as you’ve said earlier you respect your mother so much, but …” Joanne trailed off. “She kinda, made a mistake, she thought that our boss is running a charity.”

“So, it’s about money then.” Ves figured some things out about his mother’s behavior earlier in the restaurant and what Joanne said.

“Your mother’s a gambler.” the man interjected. “She owes our boss US$10 million at first though it got paid after hitting the jackpot in the casino, your mother keeps on coming to our boss for her startup money for the night.”

“But of course, not every day is a lucky a day, there are nights that your mother loss more than what she gained.” Joanne continued. “Our boss being a family man himself sympathized with your mother. She said that she’s sending the money to her son who’s studying and living abroad. Her husband … your stepfather can’t afford to provide for both his biological son and stepson, that is you.” she pointed at Ves. “Thus, she had to earn her own money for you. Though personally, I doubt her reason.”

“It’s true that she’s sending money to you, but your dear mother seems to be used in living lavishly.” the man added. “I think you know what I’m talking about.”

Ves knows exactly what the man means, his mother used to splurge his father’s money unrestrictedly, that’s how his father make up for the time that he keeps on missing to his family.

His stepfather might be clueless to his mother private life even though they’re husband and wife, and the probability that he was also used as a reason to get sympathy from others is very likely.

His stepfather is the head chef of one of the most luxurious hotels in Vegas, though he isn’t that wealthy just like his biological father, he isn’t short of money.

It must be his mother, using the money that his stepfather provides for him to gamble in the casino, then replace the money with what she won, the reason his stepbrother received money on a fixed basis while he sometimes received nothing for a month.

His mother won’t dare to touch the money for his stepson but because she’s her biological son, what’s his is hers too, that’s how greedy he knows his mother is.

“How much does my mother owes your boss now?” Ves asked with a heavy sigh.

“Are you going to ask young lady of the Nevaeh to pay for it? Because as far as we know you’re not capable of paying it lumpsum even if you ask your stepfather, he might even divorce your mother when he finds out.” Joanne snickered.

“Ya, that’s the only way you’ll get out from this. A hundred million is nothing to their family, you’re a lucky bastard having that lady on your side.” the man broke the hope Ves got in mind as the amount he just said is really impossible for him to make even if he works 24 hours in 7 days a week.

“H-Hundred million??” Ves legs gave up and he slumped on the floor. “I don’t understand, why would your boss lend my mother such huge amount of money when there’s a certainty that he won’t get his money back??”

“You must think that he’s stupid but you’re wrong, he’s the most cunning man I’ve ever known and you’ll soon know it too when you start working for him.” the man handed a cup of coffee to Joanne.

“Working for him? Me??” Ves pointed to himself.

“Uh-huh. We’ve been watching you since you started college. Boss said you have a potential and he got keen eyes for talent.” Joanne nodded after taking a sip of her coffee. “He’s not wrong, we can use your skills to make our job easier and less dangerous.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m just a psychologist …”

“That’s exactly why we want you in our team, Stefani and me, needs someone like you, we need another one in the frontline with us. Your hypnosis will give us a lot of advantages in a mission.” the man said enthusiastically, convinced that he’ll get Ves on board.

“No, I’m not joining your gang.” Ves shook his head firmly. “I-I’ll pay your boss but not in lumpsum. I’ll figure a way to pay him in installment probably in ten years he’ll get his money back.”

“Oh, about that …” Joanne glanced at the man beside her. “We were told to give you only two options. First option, you pay the whole hundred million in lumpsum within a week. Second option, you’ll work for him for three years and he’ll write off your mother’s debt as soon as you fulfilled the end of the deal.”

“A week isn’t enough. I can’t get a hundred million in just a week and don’t tell me to get it from Hestia, even if you kill me, I won’t take advantage of my friendship with her.” Ves snapped.

“Nah, we won’t kill you. We’re not that unreasonable, it’s not you who owes us money but your mother. So, most likely she’ll be the one who get killed after selling all her organs, I don’t think she’ll survive by then so, ya she’ll die.” the man said nonchalantly.

“No!” Ves roared at the man as he strode towards him and grabbed his shirt’s collar. “You’re not going to touch my mother!”

“You’re taller than me but you don’t intimidate me.” the man pulled Ves hands away from his collar without leaving his gaze on the latter’s raging eyes. “It’s not up to us to decide, we’re just following orders here. Either you pay the hundred million in a week or you work with us for three years, your choice to make. But I advise you not to do anything stupid, your mother’s life is at risk.”

“Remember, we only give you two options. I won’t advise telling our conversation to the cops, you’ll be digging your own grave as well as your mother’s. If you’re thinking of a great escape, it won’t work, we have you under surveillance 24/7, so it’ll be futile also you’ll be beaten when we catch you.” Joanne injected a drug on the side of Ves neck that knocked him unconscious again.

“If I were him, I’ll just get the money from the girl.” the man said as he carries Ves towards the bed.

“But you’re not him.” Joanne replied lazily as she let the cleaners in to their hotel room to wipe out all the evidence for her and the man. “He won’t ask for her money because of his pride as a man.”

The man followed Joanne from behind as they walk towards the elevator. “Tch. If he wants the easiest way out that’s the only option he got. It’s not like he’ll be rejected if he asks, that lady is quite loyal to him. She’ll definitely give him the money.”

“The more reason he can’t ask for her help.” Joanne pressed the button to the underground parking lot as soon as they entered the elevator. “You’re a man, you should understand him better than I do. Unless, you already lost all the feelings that humans should have. If that’s the case, you really let me down, Peter.”

“Is being practical means being heartless now?” Peter hugged Joanne from behind and tried to slip his hands inside her skirt.

Joanne stopped his hands and turned around to push Peter away at the elevator’s wall. “I’m not one of your wh*res, Peter.” she pressed her soft body on him and kissed his lips possessively.

“Of course, you’re not, you’re my Stefani.” Peter lifted Stefani up as he caressed her behind while the latter wrapped her legs on his waist as they continue to eat each other’s faces.

An hour later, Ves woke up alone in the hotel room, as much as he wanted that everything happened earlier is just a dream it’s a reality that he has to face.

But first he needed to get out of the hotel and meet Hestia in the research facility, he’ll deal with his mother later, Hestia is Ves first priority above everything else.

It was late afternoon when Ves arrived at the research facility in LA, if not for one of the senior researchers who arrived after having a lunch outside, he won’t be able to get in through the gate.

“Thank you, Dr. McCoy, I’ll treat you for a meal next time.” Ves bid farewell to his savior who showed his way around the building.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. If you need anything else, I’m in the testing room 20 on the 3rd floor.” Dr. McCoy said over his shoulder as he walked towards the stairs.

Ves entered the observation room with his fingerprints that has been taken earlier for his biometrics to confirm his identification.

As soon as he stepped inside the room, he met Hestia’s gaze and obviously she got a lot of questions for him since he’s been missing last night on his own birthday party.

“You’ve got a lot of explanations to do, Ves.” Hestia said with gritted teeth as she held back his anger to her best friend.

“I know, I’ll explain it to you later. For now, let’s focus with work.”

Honestly, Ves doesn’t know where to start, he has to give her an explanation and he knows he’ll just lie to her.

Lying is the last thing he wants to do with Hestia but what else can he do; he won’t risk her safety knowing the fact that he’s under surveillance of a gang and probably one of the dangerous in America since the boss can lend people with millions of dollars.

That same evening, after telling a lie of meeting up his Russian classmates in middle school and ended up getting drunk with them in a hotel room as he thought that Hestia forgot about his birthday and chose to spend time with his childhood friend instead, Ves got guiltier when Hestia apologized to him.

It wasn’t her fault and he knew about her surprise party all along, he missed everything she prepared for him, all because of those two gang members after him.

The next four days went smoothly like everything happened in the hotel Monday morning wasn’t real at all, but Ves didn’t let his guard down even for a moment.

What Ves saved in his bank account isn’t even a million dollar, how on earth he can make a hundred?!

Thus, on Friday night, Ves drove from LA to Vegas to finally confront his mother, he prepared himself to hear her side though he already knows who’s clearly on the wrong side.

“You’re not going missing again, right?” Hestia narrowed her eyes at Ves anxious figure.

“I’m not. We’ll go back to LA together tomorrow morning, so don’t stay up too late.” Ves patted Hestia’s head gently. “Go inside, lock the doors and windows, don’t open the door to anyone except for me. Remember you’re in Vegas.”

“Geez, I’m in the Goddesseth Hotel. Who would dare to bully me here? Specially I know who’s the president of this hotel.”

“Even so, you’re alone. Better be safe than sorry.” Ves staring at Hestia dotingly. “I’ll go ahead, see you tomorrow morning.”

“If you’re not here before lunch. I’ll leave and throw your clothes out from your room in the mansion.” Hestia threatened with her cheeks bulging that makes her adorable instead of scary.

“Haha …. I might be beside you when you wake up.” Ves waved his hand goodbye as he walked towards the elevator.

“Hey, that’s creepy, don’t do that.” Hestia closed her door and locked it just like what Ves told her to do.

The presidential suite isn’t available thus Hestia got the single room for a night, it’s Friday night and a lot of people came to Vegas to play and have fun.

When Ves arrived at the house of his stepfather, it was his mother who opened the door for him, the person he needed to set things straight.

Ves stepfather was left in the kitchen, preparing for a meal he wants to serve in the restaurant tomorrow, so his mother and him has time alone to talk in the guestroom prepared for him.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know that they’ll be coming after you. I-I’ll talk to Mr. Ronson, he’ll listen to me.” Lesley stammered as she cries. “It’s Mom’s fault, you shouldn’t be involved in my mess.”

“It’s too late Mom, they clearly want me in and they won’t take no for an answer. I’ll be one of those ‘Hustlas and Gangstas’ just like in the action movies, how cool is that, right?” Ves smiled bitterly.