Page 4 of Into the Blue
I don’t say it aloud, but Chanel must pick up on my facial expression and taps away at the screen. “Room five, boss.”
I am their boss now.
Don’t really know if I want or need everyone spouting off about that though. “Look, be chill. Don’t call me boss.” She raises an eyebrow, but I add, “Iwilltake another.”
Walking back to the booth with a drink in my hand, I take my seat. It’s gotten even busier in here since I’ve been at the bar. Benito is in the crowd and it looks like Lonny came in to help him divvy up the green. I nod my head, feeling even more affirmed in my decision to snatchthis place up. This revenue only adds to the empire. Two birds with one stone—it’s good business.
“I know you’re not boppin’ to this.” Redd gives me shit, but I stop for a second to actually listen to what song is playing. It’s a raunchy rap song by that artist from Memphis. I don’t really care for it one way or another.
I wasn’t dancing.
I was scheming.
“Shut up,” I tell him, taking another sip of my drink.
Pretty soon the club is full and only standing room is available. I take out my cigar, gutting it and filling it from the stash in my back pocket. The musty smell of weed wafts into the air but my guys are so used to it none of them stop what they’re doing to check on me. I’m quick to roll and lick the blunt to wrap it tight and tuck it behind my ear. The second one is faster and now I have one behind both.
“Imma take a step outside. You comin’?”
He nods and we leave out of the back door after shouldering through the busy crowd. Marcell and Benito are close behind, but they remain silent. They’re working, not here in a social capacity. Vert hangs back in the club, probably being the broody shit he always is. Fucking vamp.
I light the end of my blunt when we get to the side of the building the lights don’t illuminate. After a deep drag in, I say, “Got a room.”
“No shit,” Redd says, taking the blunt from me. He inhales and holds the smoke for a time before exhaling O’s up toward the night sky. “I knew it.”
“You didn’t know shit,” I say, snatching the blunt back from him.
He leans against the wall with a look I can’t discern on his face. In a lower tone, so the other men can’t hear, he says, “I ain’t ever seen you look at a chick like that.”
“So what?” I blow out smoke and watch it dance in the thick, humid night air.
“Nothin’.”
“Nah. Say it.”
He takes his time to finish the blunt without passing it back to me. I roll my eyes and light the next one without passing to him. Hestomps the butt of the blunt in the concrete and kicks the roach over to the grass. “We were gonna just sign this shit and go. Now, we’re stayin’?”
My voice is collected and calm as I answer him. “You don’t have to do shit. Leave after this blunt. I don’t give a fuck.”
“Right.” He looks agitated as he takes the last blunt from my fingers. His voice is distorted as he talks through the smoke in his lungs. “And leave the King by himself? Nah.”
I tilt my head over to the two men keeping watch. “I have Marcell and Benito here. You should go.”
Redd thinks over my words for a bit before handing me the blunt back. “Fine. I’ll be sooo miserable meeting Steph in your stead.” I narrow my eyes at him because I know for a fact I didn’t tell him where we were meeting my real estate agent. He just bumps my fist before walking over to his car. Lonny rode with him, but I guess he’s going back with me. From out the car window, Redd yells, “Enjoy that. You need a nut,” with a big smile on his face. The clown.
I flip him the bird and he pulls out of the lot with a screech of his tires.
The hall to the private rooms is darkened and empty by the time I make my way back inside. It’s hard to tell just how big any of the rooms are or where the door actually is if it weren’t for the oversized chrome numbers on them.
I enter my code onto the keypad on the door and walk inside. Marcell and Benito wait outside the door and let it close behind me.
I huff a laugh at how the room is all black velvet and the lighting casts everything in a cool blue tone. Just for me.
The back wall is upholstered in tufted black velvet that several chains hang down over. I didn’t request any type of bondage, but it’s clear if I wanted to tie her up, I could.
Black linens stretch taught over the bed with small mahogany tables on either side. Opening one of the drawers, I see it’s filled with lube andtoys. There are some othertools, but I don’t know what purpose they serve. I decide not to open the next drawer because I don’t plan on using any of it tonight.
I grab a piece of gum from my back pocket and start chewing it to get the taste and the dryness from the smoke earlier out of my mouth.
