Page 5 of Roulette: The Madam

Click.

Clack.

I pierced the concrete with each step I made. Fresh off the plane, I widened my nostrils. The earthy aroma made the hairs inside of my nose pull backward as I sniffed the open air. The rain had left its mark.

Clarke’s soil was healthy, again. The two-day shower had left it with the nutrients it needed to produce and sustain life beneath and above its crevice. Evidence of precipitation wasn’t visible, but I inhaled it with each breath.

With a tilt of my head, I allowed the distinctive feeling that only my city could offer to control my movements. My eyelids joined each other on each eye, darkening everything. The remaining senses heightened as my vision was eliminated from the equation.

Trees swayed in the distance. Gas from the awaiting vehicle polluted the air. The plane’s engine whistled lowly just feet away from me. A gentle breeze grazed my skin, reminding me I was no longer on the island. I was home.

Welcome.The wind greeted me.Welcome home, Madam.

Very happy to be here, I responded as a smile curled my lips upward.

I opened my eyes and pushed the gentler version of Roulette to the back of the room. There was no space for her where I was headed. There was no place for her in Clarke. There was no need for her because the people who had birthed her existence were both gone.

Teddy to his new home. Richie beneath the dirt.

Click.

“Now, show me to the money.”

Clack.

My pussy throbbed at the potential of my presence in the city. I’d lost so much during my absence. I was very close to starting from ground zero and the excitement of it all was arousing.

Well, after this one stop.

I slid into the GLE 53 AMG waiting for me. The driver seat was adjusted to my liking. The tank was full. And, the paper was still on the floor mats. Zero miles were on the dash.

Teddy.

He was waiting to get me out of the BMW I’d been cruising through the city in and this was the perfect opportunity. He spared no expense, and he made sure it was up to my standards upon entry. I melted into the seats, loving the height and the massiveness of the vehicle.

Well done, handsome.

I peeled out of the parking spot as I watched the mileage go up a single digit. In a full circle, I spun the truck, prepared to walk away from the beauty if it couldn’t match my need for speed. The burning rubber clouded the air around me, obstructing my view. But, I didn’t need to see. I needed tofeel.

I closed my eyes and kept turning the wheel until it locked. Around and around, I went. My heart galloped, increasing its beats per minute. Adrenaline pulled my lips back to show almost every tooth in my mouth.

Freedom found me. Weariness evaded me. And, a smidget of happiness seeped in through my pores. The burden that had been weighing on us all over the last three years was finally lifted. Absolutely nothing could hold us back now. The feeling was enlivening.

I smashed the brake as I pulled my eyelids apart. The SUV halted at once. My chest rose and fell with each breath. A chuckle seeped from my lips. As the seconds passed, it grew louder and more consuming.

Fucking imbeciles.

I was silenced at once as thoughts of those who’d attempted to dismantle what we’d spent our lives building flooded my mind. We were Childers. We were unbreakable. We were unbeatable. We were unfazed as their lives ended and ours began again.

Fresh starts. See you bitches in hell.

I cut out of the parking lot as my phone vibrated in the console. The bear icon prompted me to answer.

“Yes, Chem?”

I pressed the speaker button as I made a quick note to connect the Bluetooth to my cell.

“Makai has a new set of tires waiting at a shop on Ponce. Stop by there tomorrow.”

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