Page 75 of Roulette: The Madam

Safety first, Princess.

Once I had her buckled in, I pressed the button that reclined her seat. I didn’t stop until she was able to rest her upper body comfortably against the cushion. The sirens grew louder and so did the urge to exit the parking lot. Raquim had already put her SUV in the nearest parking spot. He was inside of his whip waiting for my departure.

Good thing that delivery is coming next week.Until then, he’d need one of the two large SUVs in my garage. Roulette had turned his shit into swiss cheese and turned me on while doing so.

“Words aren’t a thing of the past, Israel,” the distressed beauty in the passenger seat yawned.

“I don’t like riddles.”

“Asking of what you want is the only way to obtain it from me. This isn’t it.”

Yet, you’re here.

“My exhaustion is to blame for my lapse o–”

“It’s worked for me all this time, Roulette. This situation isn’t much different.”

“I’m not in the business of convincing.”

“Then don’t.”

“I won’t, Israel.”

Silence penetrated the tension. Yet I didn’t have the desire to hear sounds outside of those that came from her. In the event she did decide to speak again, I didn’t want her fighting with the base of my custom sound system.

The most precious sigh escaped her. She was in the middle of an internal battle, struggling with her current condition and past situation. Because, now that I’d sampled her honey, I was prepared to put on the beekeeper’s gear to keep her hive safe from the harmful, hurtful male presence.

Settle down. I encouraged.

Aimlessly,I turned corner after corner, driving around in circles as I tried making sense of the choice I’d made after discovering Roulette from the bar’s window. I was waiting for that gut feeling that warned me against everything I was considering. I was waiting for the heaviness in my chest to increase at an alarming rate. I was waiting for the bitter taste in my mouth.

But, there was nothing. Nothing but her, those long brown legs, light snores, and a shrunken frame. She belonged in a bed,my bed, and not the passenger seat of my coupe.

Tossing caution to the subtle Clarke winds, I entered the freeway, increasing my speed to match the limit. Within seconds I’d gone over the city-appointed number with no intention of slowing down. I was afraid I’d come to my senses and exit prematurely to get Roulette home safely in her cozy, quiet mansion that was on the cusp of her community.

She was hidden deep in the hills, but my extensive research had revealed her location. It was no easy task and there wasn’t a device in my home that helped me in my search. She had. Raquim was given his most important assignment since signing on with me the night that I left Roulette at a dinner table with a questionable Colombian.

“Make sure she gets home. Safely. Should she decide to leave with that nigga, hit my line. I don’t give a fuck if they don’t leave this motherfucker until daybreak.”

“Bet,” he said, slapping the side of my car. “I’m on it, El.”

The darkness.

The silence.

The city’s beauty.

The blurred lights.

The ecstasy provided by the night’s events.

I was finding it quite difficult to place my joy. Guilt attempted to suppress the feeling, but every time I peered in mypassenger seat, I was reminded that it had no grounds. With all that was happening in my world as it related to my daughter and the woman I’d created her with, I deserved an ounce of happiness. Even if it wasonly for the night.

“Narju laha 'an tartah jydaan. narju 'an tahda makhawifaha. 'atamanaa 'an yakun dukhuluha 'iilaa ealami slsan waghayr mulim weatfyan. Amin.”

May she rest well. May her worries be put to rest. May her entry into my world be seamless, painless, and passionate. Amen.

I waitedfor the garage to open before pulling in. The bright lights made me regretful of their installation. I changed the gear as I watched Roulette’s face crease with irritation. The brightness caused her to stir in her sleep.

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