The Whisky Affair (Raymond Armstrong Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

have his pick of gorgeous women back in Las Vegas.
    He sat down, his thoughts racing back to his childhood and that led to thoughts about his life in Tulsa…
    His dad had been a cop in Boston who took his work and authority home, often beating the crap out of his mum, and occasionally him. They left after each beating, but his father would find them and convince them to come back to Boston, and so the cycle continued.
    After a particularly vicious episode, eighteen-year-old Mitch and his mom, moved to Tulsa. Mitch adored his mom and wanted to make sure she was safe before he made his way into the world.
    Two months passed and then his father found them, yet again. It was the usual, his father swearing he would never hurt them again until he broke into their home one night, after a bout of heavy drinking. His father was about to strike his mom when, without a second thought, Mitch threw a punch that landed on his father’s jaw. Filled with hate, Mitch fought hard, and finally subdued his father who had to struggle to regain his feet. The hate in Mitch’s eyes must have been intense because his father retreated to the other side of the room.
    “Next time I will have a gun and will fucking kill you, Dad. Your choice.” That was the last they ever saw of his father. It didn’t take them long to move back to Tulsa where they settled.
    Finally, Mom had picked a good spot and he would have fought tooth and nail to stay there. From Albuquerque to Lafayette in Louisiana to Portland Oregon, Tulsa was a great town with friendly people and a bit of a mistaken identity. The city was full of skyscrapers and there were some seedy areas on the perimeter that reminded him of those old black-and-white western movies.
    The inner core of the city had been revamped, creating several upscale artsy neighborhoods. Restaurants, cafés, trendy boutiques, and craft beer bistros had popped up almost overnight. This area of town was the cool place to be for those that had money. These were the areas where a young man, like Mitch could spend his days and nights having fun, making easy money.
    He started with drugs and the odd pimping, quickly establishing a network of clients. He landed in jail and that quickly put his life into perspective. He was never going there again.
    Once he was released, he realized his skills were being under-utilized and he needed a bigger city, where he could make a name for himself. So, he chose the perfect ‘gangster paradise’ – Las Vegas.
    When he arrived in LV in the late 90s it was still in a massive expansion mode. Two major conglomerates were competing with one another to control the massive sin city. Hotels and casinos sprung up everywhere – each one more lavish than the last. Mitch went to work for one of them and was quickly appreciated for being fearless, ruthless, and because he could handle the most dangerous situation.
    Mitch watched the growth of the city and the opportunities that existed for his skill set. He worked his way up the ranks quickly, finally, landing a top job with one of the largest casinos in the city. He was responsible for their special debt collection division.
    This particular corporation ran two sets of books. One was legitimate when it came to debt-collection, working inside Nevada state law. The second set of books was in place for new global acquisitions and other shady, underworld deals.
    Mitch was quite at home balancing the latter.

 
     
     
CHAPTER 7
     
     
    Mitch checked his watch. Five hours to arrival. He closed his eyes and continued to think back to earlier days in Las Vegas. It had taken awhile but he’d earned their trust, and so his job changed: He was chosen to suggest new clients to this division. These gullible clients would be sucked into the world of serious gambling. Not the type normally seen on casino floors.
    His role was to watch regular players’ gambling habits, then eventually persuade them into the ‘private room’ where, at least initially,