Blood Money (21 page)

With the arrangements made, Alexis continues his lascivious lecture. “Of course there is more than just their physical attributes…it's also the way they move their bodies, their flirtatious glances and the way they talk, these factors must not be underestimated in the role they play in a woman's levels of attraction.

Also, it's the way they dress. They need to have a certain style, you know, appropriate to the occasion. I need to feel good about the way a woman looks by my side. After all, it's undoubtedly a reflection on me.”

In the world of Vasilakos, everything is about ‘me'. He is a man who values money and possessions above all else. And that is all women are to him, transitory possessions, something to be discarded once they are of no longer use or of interest. Things most important to normal people, such as families and friendships he considers to be burdensome and don't figure in his life at all.

Taking another draw on his cigar, Alexis concludes his point. “And very importantly…I want a woman who is eager in bed, full of energy and preferably someone who enjoys a degree of deviancy.” Never doing anything by halves, Alexis always has to take things to the extreme. Not content to be a regular chauvinist, he has to be a super-chauvinist, no…an ultra-chauvinist…a person with an unquestionable belief in his own superiority over everyone else. He hates to be challenged and is intolerable of other people's opinions. His employees know only too well the dangerous consequences of questioning his judgments or decisions.

Alexis continues: “Latvians are mind-blowing girls; ‘pretty' in most countries is just average in Riga. In Latvia expect 1 in 20 of them to be ridiculously gorgeous. They all smoke, they're all thin and they all insist on wearing high heels. Nature has certainly blessed a high percentage of them with great beauty; the country just seems to have an amazing gene pool. Never confuse them with Lithuanians though, and never say anything good about Russia in front of them. These girls are so ridiculously stunning that if you're not used to them it's hard to think straight when you're in their presence.

Estonian women are naturally svelte and effortlessly attractive, with most of them having bright blue eyes and ample Baltic bosoms. They seem to have distinctively softer facial features, with lovely smiles and platinum blonde hair. They're fun to be with because they love to drink and they talk good English but with an obscenely sexy accent.

Now I am also very keen on Russian girls. They have the bodies of lingerie models and I like their apple shaped faces and perfect teeth. Russian girls can be very, very seductive, but they can also be icy and aloof, to the point of rudeness actually –which is an obvious drawback. I've heard it said that they can also be incredibly manipulative, and that as soon as you stop dominating them things get out of control and they lose interest. But the thing that keeps me coming back for more is the sex. Sex with Russian girls is like nothing you've ever experienced.”

Reinhart is genuinely amazed at the Greek's candour, the longer he speaks the more sure he is that he has never met anyone with such an ‘extreme' character as Alexis. A long puff on his cigar allows sufficient pause for the Luxembourg to get-in a pertinent question, “So…-do you consider yourself to be a womaniser then Alexis?”

“Am I a womaniser? No…I don't think so, I don't pester young women. I don't aggressively pursue other people's wives. No…I just know what I like and I ensure that I get it. And I'm under no illusion. Physically, I may not be the most handsome of men any more, and I am certainly no longer the Adonis I was in my youth. But I've always found that women can't help but find me attractive. Charm, power and money will always attract women. It's like honey, you see? They are drawn irresistibly to it and so it has been since man existed.

But please understand something. For me…time is too valuable to waste. Why should I hang around wine-bars, having gold-diggers question me about how much money I earn or having to listen to silly women who can't stop talking about their vacuous, pathetic little lives. I leave all those silly bitches for the Investment Bankers! Arseholes like them deserve such women. No, I'm different…I don't have to play by everyone else's rules. In fact I simply refuse to. Instead I have what I want, when I want it.”

“My dear Alexis, I couldn't agree more. Why settle for one woman for the rest of your life when you can take your pick whenever you want. The quickest way to upset me is to say I can't do something or I can't have something or that I'll have to wait for it.” Reinhart is in fact married with two children and everything he has just said is a bare-faced lie, a statement of fantasy to emulate and impress the fund manager sat next to him. If the initial £30m shows good returns he will certainly be investing at least twice this amount again. And despite Alexis being a full-on sociopath, superficial, cold and callous, despite him being a loathsome monster, a highly promiscuous glutton with a grandiose sense of self. Despite all these things…Reinhart knows he needs this man, and he'll do whatever it takes to play along with him.

“Damn right Nicolas! I'm starting to like you. I can see we have a lot in common you and I. Now, time is getting on my friend. -Are you almost ready to eat?”

Alexis gets out his cell phone and speed dials his bodyguard, “Hey Eddie, be ready with the car, I'll be down in five minutes with a client, and we're all off to Le Canard D'Argent. I've made reservations and you're welcome to join us…have the girls arrived?” There's a short pause before Vasilakos concludes the call. “Good, good. See you shortly.”

He's not being charitable. By inviting along his bodyguard he's yet again thinking only of himself. The arrangement suits him very well as he'll get chauffeured home and he'll get the after-hours protection which he feels in need of more than ever right now. Despite knowing (first hand) that his recent attackers have been found, eliminated and disposed of without trace, he nevertheless doesn't want to take any risks in case there are any more lunatics out there wishing him harm. Additionally, it flatters his uncontrollable ego to be accompanied by a bodyguard in public, like some A-list celebrity.

Alexis and Reinhart descend in the lift to the ground floor and exit the rear of the building where Eddie is waiting with a rented BMW 7 series.

A new S600 Guard is on order and a temporary ‘loan' armour-plated vehicle is on its way (it will take at least a few days to arrive). Down in the yard, Alexis is so eager to see the car's contents that he rushes forward to open the nearside rear passenger door to take a look inside.

He sees legs. Lots and lots of long, long legs. Dressed impeccably, all three girls are wearing elegant, colourful, knee length evening dresses. Hugo knows better than to provide girls dressed in mini-skirts and low cut tops. In matters such as high class escorts, Hugo has long since learnt the value of understanding his customer's requirements and he knows full well that Alexis will want to be seen ‘out' with them, usually for some fine dining in places where their true profession can't be overtly advertised. Then after supper Alexis will wish to retire to his penthouse suite in Mayfair for full ‘uncensored' entertainments. Even so, the way the girls are dressed is enough to get any red-blooded male very excited indeed. Their figures are absolutely rocking. Each one is slim, elongated and elegantly curved and it's hard for ‘mere words' to describe just how pretty and seductive each of them looks.

When Reinhart catches a glimpse of them his eyes nearly come out on stalks. He feels his heart pumping faster and is suddenly aware that his mouth is wide open. He shuts it quickly; highly conscious that Alexis might have seen the foolish look on his face. But Alexis has not even thought to glance over at his new client since he himself set his eyes on these sexy fantasies in female form.

“Eddie, I appear to have made a small mistake. I do apologise. There are clearly six of us and there's only one car.” A broad smile sweeps across the Greek's face. “Nicolas, I tell you what. You ride up front with Eddie so you don't get crushed whilst I get in the back with the girls! It'll also afford you a better view of the London landmarks on the journey across town. Eddie, do make sure you give our friend the deluxe route won't you?”

“Of course, it goes without saying boss.” replies Eddie, without an ounce of emotion.

“Shuffle-up girls! Room for a small one?” The nearest of the three girls immediately understands what Alexis is about to do and squealing in alarm she leaps onto the others to avoid being crushed. Alexis throws his rotund bulk into the back of the limousine before grabbing the escapee, “And you (my beauty) can come back
here
”. His arms wrap around her like the coils of a python as he pulls the wriggling girl across onto his lap. Eddie leans over and discretely hands Alexis a little zip-lock bag containing a small amount of white powder. Vasilakos slips it into his pocket before demanding the necessary introductions “Names Eddie, let's have some names!”

Nicolas gawps backwards from the front passenger seat to study the beautiful delights in the rear of the car whilst Eddie attends to the preliminaries. “Tonight gentlemen, you will be exploring the delights of Latvia. Firstly we have the beautiful Annija, next we have exotic Kristina, and Alexis the girl you have on your lap is Loriana. Oh…and Hugo asked me to pass on his kindest regards.”

Like a greedy kid sizing up slices of gooey chocolate cake Alexis quickly ranks the three stunners in order of scrumptious deliciousness and selects which girl to donate to his money-laundering client. “Kristina, I'd like to introduce you to Nicolas, he will be your dinner date for tonight. I'm sure you're going to get along very well.”

Reinhart had been wondering how this would work out. Surely as the guest he should have had first pick? In a matter of moments, his host had been decisive, generous and selfish all at the same time.

Nicolas looks into Kristina's heavenly face, barely in her twenties she stares back at him with big wide eyes from the middle of the back seat. Not knowing quite what to say he blurts out, “Hi…I'm Nicolas. I'm from Luxembourg, and where are you from ma chère?”

“I am from Reega…eey am veery pleezed to meet you Neekolass.” She is very sweet and pleasant, but she clearly can't speak particularly good English. He assumes therefore that she must be a new arrival in London, fresh ‘meat' to take the place of older stock.

Sensing Nicolas will need a few moments to acclimatise himself to the intense situation into which he has been thrust, Alexis offers him a chance to begin a fairly neutral topic of conversation. “Why don't you tell us all about Luxembourg whilst we get ourselves on the road Nicolas?”

“Well, okay…it would be my pleasure of course. Luxembourg lies at the very heart of Europe, it may be small, but it's very beautiful. Although we don't have the economic muscle of France, Germany or even the UK we take pride in being a very wealthy little country in our own right.”

Nicolas isn't wrong either, Luxembourg lays claim to having the highest per-capita-income of any country in the world. Pay it a visit and you'll notice the wealth in many ways; the low crime, the lack of litter on the cobbled streets and in the gleaming financial district of Kirchberg you'll see an abundance of super-flash cars.

By now Eddie is driving them westwards along the Embankment. Alexis loves one-upmanship and he's specifically asked the boring Luxembourgian to talk about his tedious little country so it will contrast with the far more impressive sights that London has to offer. Whilst Reinhart faces forward and admires Trafalgar Square, the Mall and finally Buckingham Palace, Alexis sits in the back of the car trying to ignore his client's boring monologue as he focuses his attentions on the three insanely sexy beauties that surround him.

Arriving in Knightsbridge, Eddie stops directly outside The Drake Hotel and allows everyone to disembark before he hands over the keys to a bowler hat wearing valet parking attendant.

The Drake is world famous for its style, luxury and exclusivity, so Nicolas fully expects the hookers to be awestruck by its elegant grandeur. But these £1000-a-night girls (they keep only 70% of their fee) have seen it all before. As the elite of their profession they get regularly taken to the most exclusive places in London. Unfortunately, they do so having to accompany a variety of loathsome men with highly repellent personalities, before having to perform a diverse selection of ‘acts' with them varying in distaste from basic degradation to revolting humiliation.

Of the hotel's two fine-dining establishments, they are booked-in for supper in the hotels most famous restaurant, known as ‘Le Canard D'Argent'. With two Michelin stars, it is arguably the best restaurant in London, offering gourmet fine dining based around technically brilliant contemporary French cuisine.

They begin by having cocktails in the Blue Bar. Nicolas is very self conscious and is trying not to get hammered too quickly. Desperate to appear more interesting than he actually is, he delivers them his very best joke, “Hey Alexis, I've got a good one for you…. I'm going to tell you the difference between Heaven and Hell. Are you ready?…Yes?…Well…heaven is where the police are British, the chefs are Italian, the mechanics are German, the lovers are French and everything is organised by the Swiss.

Oh dear, hang on a minute, yes, that's right, I've got it now…. And hell is where the police are German, the chefs are British, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss and it is all organised by the Italians.” The two money-men roar with laughter and even psychopathic Eddie and a couple of the girls find it funny. And although Kristina's puzzled expression and brief hesitation indicates that she hasn't quite understood it, she nevertheless decides to laugh along with the others.

After several champagne cocktails, Alexis nips off to the wash rooms to ‘powder his nose', then once he returns (pupils suitably dilated) from his extended trip, Philippe the maître d' approaches and shows them all to their table.