Page 86 of Gamble
Traffic was heavy on the drive through West Hollywood, but inside the car it was quiet, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Elijah’s mind raced with possibilities and fears in equal measure. This was it—the moment of truth. Either Reagan would embrace what she saw tonight, or she’d run screaming back to her vanilla life. And if she ran, he would follow. He’d already made his peace with walking away from Black Light forever.
The thought should have devastated him. Instead, he found himself oddly calm about the possibility. Reagan was worth more than any job, any lifestyle, any club. If she couldn’t handle his world, then he’d build a new one around her.
But God, he hoped she could handle it. Because the alternative—having to hide part of himself forever—might slowly kill him. It was a risk he’d been willing take though if needed.
As they started down the familiar driveway to Runway, Elijah made a sharp left turn Reagan must not have noticed during her previous visit. Her head snapped toward him in surprise.
“Where are we going?”
“Through the secret entrance,” he said simply, pulling up to a security gate hidden by mature landscaping. A small guard shack sat to one side, and Elijah rolled down his window as the uniformed security guard emerged.
“Well, well, well. Look who’s back,” Gary said with a wide grin. “How are you feeling, boss? We’ve all been worried about you.”
“Much better, thanks,” Elijah replied, punching his employee code into the keypad. “Gary, I’d like you to meet Reagan. Reagan, this is Gary. He keeps all the riffraff out.”
“Nice to finally meet you, ma’am,” Gary said, tipping his cap. “We’ve heard a lot about you. Everyone’s been wondering when the boss was going to bring his lady around.”
Reagan smiled warmly at the older man. “It’s nice to meet you too, Gary.”
“Everyone’s missed you,” Gary continued as the gate began to swing open. “Place just ain’t the same without you running things. Tyler’s doing his best, but...”
“But he’s not me,” Elijah finished with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back Wednesday night.” Even as he said it, he hoped that was true. His already-written resignation letter was still saved on the hard drive of his personal computer. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to use it after all.
As they drove through the gate into a secluded parking area surrounded by tall trees, Reagan looked around with obvious curiosity. The main mansion was visible in the distance, its windows glowing with warm light, and the sound of music drifted on the night air.
“This is all very secretive,” she observed as Elijah parked and came around to open her door.
“Privacy is paramount in our business,” he said, offering her his arm. As they walked, he marveled at how good his hip felt, how natural his gait had become. The surgery had been worth every moment of pain and recovery.
The winding pathway was lined with bushes and landscaping designed to provide complete privacy from prying eyes. They were halfway to the entrance when he had an important thought. Elijah stopped and pulled Reagan aside, his expression growing serious.
“Remember back in Vegas that first night when I asked you about a safeword?” he said, his hands resting gently on her shoulders.
“Yeah,” she replied, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
“It’s more important than ever tonight. If anything upsets you or you decide you just want to leave, all you need to do is say ‘red’ and we’re out of here, okay?”
Reagan tilted her head, studying his face. “What exactly do you think I’m going to run from?”
“There are a lot of hardcore things going on inside,” he admitted.
“Are any of them nonconsensual?”
“What?! Of course not,” Elijah said, offended by the suggestion.
“And do you plan on doing any of those hardcore things to me tonight?”
“I’m not a novice, Reagan. Give me a bit of credit.”
Her expression softened, and she reached up to touch his cheek. “Oh, I trust you implicitly and know you would never truly hurt me. It seems like you’re the one who isn’t giving me any credit.”
Despite his nerves, Elijah felt a grin tug at his lips. “Fine. Just remember... red.”
As they approached the employee entrance, the door swung open before Elijah could use his badge.
“Bossman is back!” Michael, their doorman, greeted him with obvious pleasure, slapping him on the back as he got closer. “We didn’t expect you until next week, man.”
“I’m not the bossman tonight,” Elijah replied with a grin. “I’m just here to have a little fun on my last weekend off.”
