[JMM] Business
[Set in the Gorgeous!verse. Mike = feel_theburn, Victor is an NPC. Set somewhere in the middle of the last episode.]
Bela had been minding her own business with regards to Michael’s apparent death wish. She had warned him that she would have nothing to do with it, or anything related, and he seemed to accept that. She meant when she said that she wasn’t going to just watch him kill himself and that certainly meant that she wasn’t going to help either. That wasn’t, however, why she was currently lunching alone. That was because of the woman from Michael’s past that had randomly dropped herself on his front door. While Bela was a bit startled that Michael had been engaged before, she wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t mentioned anything to her. Michael had always been a private person, so him having secrets didn’t really surprise her all that much.
He wasn’t the only one, after all.
She leaned back in the chair at the restaurant, reading the magazine in front of her when she heard the scratch of metal against concrete, indication that someone was pulling out the chair across from her. She didn’t bother looking up, just flipped the page as she spoke. “Someone’s sitting there.”
“Please, Jamie-we both know that no one is sitting here,” a voice replied from across from her. “Or should I call you Bela? Is that what you’re going by now?”
Her eyes came up from the magazine instantly, and she arched an eyebrow at him. “Victor. Or should I stick with Luke? It seemed to suit you so well.”
Victor just looked up at her with a wide smile. “You know, the last time I saw you, you were telling me my rabbit’s foot had been destroyed by a pair of idiots. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t shoot you right now.”
“Because I returned your money and did as you requested by staying out of your way,” Bela replied, rolling her eyes as though she was slightly bored, before turning her attention back to her magazine. She was doing her best to seem dismissive, but she knew better than that. Victor was a very dangerous man, and she wasn’t going to push her luck. She also knew, however, that since there wasn’t a gun in her face, he wanted something from her, and she was willing to hear him out. It was just business, after all. “What do you want?”
“I need your help,” he said, crossing his arms across his chest. “It’s your boyfriend-Michael. I need him to do something for me, and I want you to make sure that he follows through.”
Bela watched him for a moment, tilting her head to the side slightly. “I’m not going to betray Michael for you of all people, Victor. Give me some credit-I do have some loyalty.”
“But not much. And you and I both know that there’s usually a price tag on it.” He paused for a moment, looking her over slowly. “So tell me, Bela? How high does that price go for Michael Westen.”
“Not high enough that you can afford it,” she replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I’ve heard all about what your government did to you, Victor. You barely could scrounge together the one-point-five million for the rabbit’s foot-what makes you think you can afford to pay me to betray Michael?”
“Because I know you, Bela,” Victor replied, leaning forward on the table. “Whatever Westen’s doing for you-I can do better.”
She licked her lips slightly, before responding. “Oh, I doubt that.”
“C’mon, Bela-I’m offering you the world here.”
“What exactly did he do to you that makes you want to screw him over so badly?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
“He’s in my way.”
“That’s not my problem.”
“Well, maybe I don’t want you in harms way, Bela. The only way this is going to end is bloody. Hate to see a pretty girl like you get caught in the crossfire.”
She looked up at him for a moment, taking his words and internalizing them, before shaking her head. “I can handle myself.”
“Always better to be sure,” he replied. “Ten grand to disappear, never see Michael Westen again.”
“I don’t get out of bed for ten grand,” she replied evenly, going back to her magazine.
“Oh, trust me. If I had you in bed I wouldn’t want you to get out at all. Still doesn’t change the fact that you need to leave Miami. I’m not above collateral damage.”
She arched an eyebrow, eyes looking over the top of the magazine. “Is that a threat, Victor?”
“Only if you make it one, Bela,” he replied, before pushing himself to his feet. He crossed over to the side of the table, before leaning in closer to her, his voice right next to her ear. “Get out of town. Or I may not be responsible for what I do.”
He pushed back and walked away a few minutes later, and she waited for a moment, before turning around and watching him walk away, disappearing into the crowded Miami streets. This was very much not good. This was not good at all.
856 words
Bela had been minding her own business with regards to Michael’s apparent death wish. She had warned him that she would have nothing to do with it, or anything related, and he seemed to accept that. She meant when she said that she wasn’t going to just watch him kill himself and that certainly meant that she wasn’t going to help either. That wasn’t, however, why she was currently lunching alone. That was because of the woman from Michael’s past that had randomly dropped herself on his front door. While Bela was a bit startled that Michael had been engaged before, she wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t mentioned anything to her. Michael had always been a private person, so him having secrets didn’t really surprise her all that much.
He wasn’t the only one, after all.
She leaned back in the chair at the restaurant, reading the magazine in front of her when she heard the scratch of metal against concrete, indication that someone was pulling out the chair across from her. She didn’t bother looking up, just flipped the page as she spoke. “Someone’s sitting there.”
“Please, Jamie-we both know that no one is sitting here,” a voice replied from across from her. “Or should I call you Bela? Is that what you’re going by now?”
Her eyes came up from the magazine instantly, and she arched an eyebrow at him. “Victor. Or should I stick with Luke? It seemed to suit you so well.”
Victor just looked up at her with a wide smile. “You know, the last time I saw you, you were telling me my rabbit’s foot had been destroyed by a pair of idiots. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t shoot you right now.”
“Because I returned your money and did as you requested by staying out of your way,” Bela replied, rolling her eyes as though she was slightly bored, before turning her attention back to her magazine. She was doing her best to seem dismissive, but she knew better than that. Victor was a very dangerous man, and she wasn’t going to push her luck. She also knew, however, that since there wasn’t a gun in her face, he wanted something from her, and she was willing to hear him out. It was just business, after all. “What do you want?”
“I need your help,” he said, crossing his arms across his chest. “It’s your boyfriend-Michael. I need him to do something for me, and I want you to make sure that he follows through.”
Bela watched him for a moment, tilting her head to the side slightly. “I’m not going to betray Michael for you of all people, Victor. Give me some credit-I do have some loyalty.”
“But not much. And you and I both know that there’s usually a price tag on it.” He paused for a moment, looking her over slowly. “So tell me, Bela? How high does that price go for Michael Westen.”
“Not high enough that you can afford it,” she replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I’ve heard all about what your government did to you, Victor. You barely could scrounge together the one-point-five million for the rabbit’s foot-what makes you think you can afford to pay me to betray Michael?”
“Because I know you, Bela,” Victor replied, leaning forward on the table. “Whatever Westen’s doing for you-I can do better.”
She licked her lips slightly, before responding. “Oh, I doubt that.”
“C’mon, Bela-I’m offering you the world here.”
“What exactly did he do to you that makes you want to screw him over so badly?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
“He’s in my way.”
“That’s not my problem.”
“Well, maybe I don’t want you in harms way, Bela. The only way this is going to end is bloody. Hate to see a pretty girl like you get caught in the crossfire.”
She looked up at him for a moment, taking his words and internalizing them, before shaking her head. “I can handle myself.”
“Always better to be sure,” he replied. “Ten grand to disappear, never see Michael Westen again.”
“I don’t get out of bed for ten grand,” she replied evenly, going back to her magazine.
“Oh, trust me. If I had you in bed I wouldn’t want you to get out at all. Still doesn’t change the fact that you need to leave Miami. I’m not above collateral damage.”
She arched an eyebrow, eyes looking over the top of the magazine. “Is that a threat, Victor?”
“Only if you make it one, Bela,” he replied, before pushing himself to his feet. He crossed over to the side of the table, before leaning in closer to her, his voice right next to her ear. “Get out of town. Or I may not be responsible for what I do.”
He pushed back and walked away a few minutes later, and she waited for a moment, before turning around and watching him walk away, disappearing into the crowded Miami streets. This was very much not good. This was not good at all.
856 words