wandering-jax

[wandering-jax]

Voo Doo Part 3

“This shit hole?” I asked while both Nik and I stared at the battered Victorian. The house would have been beautiful with the right care. A coat of paint. A nice sanding and stain of all the treasured wood that held up the wrap around porch. Yet … it was left to nature’s wrath. The same brutal Louisiana sun that beat down on my skin without remorse. Nik shrugged a nod. He had little to say from the Quarter to this stretch of nothing where he had dropped Madden off all those years ago. We discussed the terms for the exchange once more. I would turn over the house on Royal to Louis Parker in name and title and he would bring me way out toward the bayou. It was cut and dry. Nik was someone who minded his business. Normally I’d find that an admirable quality but now it annoyed me to no end. 

“Have at it, Boss.” Nik leaned back against the hood of his car with a smile that held secrets. Festering secrets that were also currency. 

He wanted me to react. Instead I ground my teeth and headed inside. It was unlocked. The floorboards below my feet cracked as if to announce me. A mouse scurried back to it’s hole. The air was stagnant and held the scent of smoke. A reminder of what happened here. The kitchen was empty. The fridge held things that should be in a science lab to cure cancer. 

The cabinets held only four glasses, three plates and mismatched bowls. Plastic cups from local restaurants. The sink was bone dry. When I pushed the faucet handle the water skipped a beat before spurting out. Unused. 

I passed a dining room and found myself at a crossroads. Up the stairs to what the second level held or the basement door which was flecked with soot all around the casing. My chest grew tight and I knew that upstairs held more for me than touring a burned out shell. 

There was a single window at the top of the stairs. Stained glass with an angel and a demon etched out. The wicked chasing the virtuous. The colors seemed to shift with each move I made past it, colliding on the aging wallpaper until they spilled into the first room. His room. I knew the moment I stepped inside. The bed was made. The closet with little to nothing inside. A faded KISS t-shirt barely clinging to a hanger. One tattered shoe. A few trinkets on the desk. Nothing of importance. Nothing to remind him of me.

“Where did you go, hmm?” I asked while I traced my fingers along the edge of the footboard. “And why …” The silence that echoed back sat heavy in my throat. Or perhaps that was the tears that would never be shed. “But we know why, don’t we.” A smile of sorts lifted my lips. “You weren’t meant for always. Accidentally mine. Purposefully yours.” I took in a deep breath in hopes of finding his scent. Just a speck of dust that was once part of him. Anything would have kept the canyon carved out in the very center of my chest from forming but there was nothing. Even the shirt haphazardly left behind only smelled of stale smoke. 

He burned it all away. 

The realization hit like a summer storm. 

All of my focus was downstairs now. Imagining all the dark things hidden behind the basement door. I passed the two celestial friends who were still playing cat and mouse on the colorful glass and stopped just short of the staircase. Another room. Another chance to find a speck of him. But this one held nothing but femininity. Lace and light purple colors everywhere. 

“And what is this?” I mused. 

Another closet standing open with empty hangers and it seemed obscene to leave it gaping like that. Closets were meant for hiding. To keep skeletons where they belong before they turned into armies hell bent on destroying the world. 

I used my foot to shut the old wooden door and took a step back to enjoy the slam that I knew was coming. But instead the latch clicked with a softness that only a heavy, solid door could allow. My brow shot up when a red lace dress made itself known. A surprise to both I and the delicate fabric that had been forgotten somehow.  It begged to be touched. It was much too perfect to be left alone in this dungeon of hurt feelings and mixed up souls. 

Familiarity struck when I was brought back to a chilly morning over a year ago. I was to meet Cain for the first time, my prized fighter, when his lovely partner showed up wearing this very dress. “How did you find your way here, hmm? A dress for a wedding, perhaps?”  I asked no one and everyone. I filed the alarming discovery somewhere I could find it at another time. A time when this version of me no longer existed and I could make sense of the twist fate had thrown me. 

By the time I left the house, without the tour below the creaky wooden floors, there was a finality settled in my bones. 

Nik was still there as if the thick summer sun hadn’t fucked him up the way it had me. Gracefully inhaling a sweet roll of tobacco. For a second I wondered how it would taste on his lips. On mine. 

No, Jax. 

“What did he do to the basement?” I asked. 

“Hmm?” Nik drawled. “Burned it is my guess.” 

A cruel smile met my gaze when I looked over at him. He knew. He knew exactly what went down here. 

“There is a dress upstairs. Fetch it and then burn the rest to the ground.” I nodded. “The signed paperwork is on its way via email.” 

By the time Nik was done staring at me over the dark pair of Ray-Bans his phone chirped. A notification of the email, I assumed. I scheduled one to be sent exactly three minutes ago. Goddamn swamp. It was an even exchange. To me at least. 

“Jax.” 

“Yes, Nik.” I smiled when a black SUV pulled up behind his own car. 

“Why is there an amendment for an infinite lease between you and Louis at the end of this? Did you put that little shit up to this? Goddamn it.” 

He was mad. 

Perfect. 

“The house in Louis Parker’s name. Which in turn gives it back to your family, Nik. Isn’t that what you wanted?” I waved a hand when the driver of the SUV stepped out to open the back door for me. “I kept up my end of the bargain. But you see, this city of yours? It’s calling to me. And I will see you again.”

“Bastard.” Nik snarled with a smile that let me know it was also meant as an endearment. “I’ll keep my word on my family name.” He one-finger-saluted. “Don’t come back soon.” 

It seemed neat. Tidy. I watched as Nik ran inside and with the speed that I’d never witnessed returned with the red dress. He handed it off to the driver and I climbed into the comfort of the AC filled SUV. Part of me wanted to watch. Part of me wanted to stop him and leave the memories and the ghost to linger. 

Burn it all. Madden had. It was my turn. Fire cleanses the soul or so those with one would say. 

Louis was waiting for me as he was told to be. There was another reason for me hiring the boy. Among his various talents, taking one hell of a lashing being my favorite so far, he could also wield a pair of shears and a trimmer that would put Vidal to shame.

He was set up in the back garden of his home. The one I now leased from him. What an odd feeling. The smug grin on his lips told me he knew that feeling well. 

“I’ll beat it out of you.” I teased. It only made his smile grow as well as the front of his loose linen shorts. Such filth. 

I made myself comfortable in the iron chair that would have to do. My return to Vegas would not include the inches of hair that had grown over the years. Louis ran his long finger into the golden strands for a few lingering minutes. Or maybe more. Cajun time seemed to do that. Go on for much longer than the standard sixty seconds. And I allowed it. 

“Are you sure Mr. Kingston?” Louis asked but didn’t really ask. And I didn’t answer. A sigh came from his pouty lips and he began. Snip. Cut. Snip. Cut. Over and over again until I let my mind wander to the impossible. The sun filtered over my closed lids and for a moment, albeit a brief one, I was on the balcony overlooking the Ionian sea. The deep blues and light turquoise that blended seamlessly. The pebbled coastline. The olive trees that stood guard just outside the front gate. 

Places, things, heartbreaks, lovers, enemies. They all come and go and not one is meant to hold onto for the rest of our days. 

“Sir.” I heard his voice. I smiled and a brighter smile reflected back at me. “Sir …” The sea dripped off his skin and trickled from his hair that had grown too long. “Sir, sir, sir …” It was me whispering the words back. The sea was gone and the smell of saltwater was replaced by that of lavender and mint. The air grew thick and hot, stuffing itself up my nose. 

“Sir.” 

“Yes, Louis?” I answered with a sigh. 

“I’m sorry, I, um, we’re done.”

I shook my head and then placed a hand over the one Louis had put on my shoulder. He had roused me from whatever daydream I had succumbed to. I squeezed his long fingers and then let go. “Thank you, Louis.” 

 When I looked at the ground I saw the last of the blonde strands Louis had cut, a few almost silver, dance away in a rare New Orleans breeze and felt the heavy weight that had saddled my shoulders for the last three years go along with it. There were questions still to be answered. Answers I would find back home in Vegas. In my beloved dry desert. In the blinding lights. In the sin and debauchery that seemed to feed the very life that flowed through my veins. 

It was time. 

#VooDoo

[wandering-jax]

Voo Doo - Part Two

“You could’ve just messaged, ya know.” Louis round the doorway not bothering to look up from his phone. Those same white headphones around his neck in a nice chokehold. Mmm. 

“I could have. But I didn’t.” I said flatly. “I could have walked right back downstairs and ripped you off that couch by your throat. But I didn’t, did I?” It wasn’t really a question and by the way Louis is gaping like a fish, he didn’t have an answer anyway. 

“I, uh, I … what?” Louis wrestled with his words. 

“You don’t think I hired you because of your Linkedin profile made you stand out. Surely not.” I didn’t wait for a reply. “Early twenties. Male. Pain slut for the right man. Bottom with a top attitude.” One brow lifted when Louis turned a lovely shade of bright red. “Although, the latter is a lie. Isn’t it?” I asked when I took the phone out of Louis’s hands. I tossed on the red velour settee that was directly across from a nice sized leather couch. All black. Smooth and supple. 

Louis shook his head as if he were about to challenge me. He didn’t. 

“That’s right, Louis,” I said while beginning to unbutton the fitted black shirt. First the two at my neck and then next. For each step I took there was another button freed. “There isn’t anything I do not know. You are in your third year at Tulane. General studies for now because you can’t make up your mind.” I smiled at that. “Yet you are certain as to what you want in other ways. Aren’t you?” 

Louis was still gobsmacked much to my amusement but I was already behind him with one hand curled around his throat in a loose grip. 

“You know the basics. Green means more please.” I murmured behind his ear. “Yellow means this is good but no more,” my fingers tightened when his pulse kicked up a notch, “and red is to stop completely. What color?” 

“Shit. I -- green.” Louis purred. 

My free hand worked the offensive headphones from his neck and they joined his phone on the settee before he finished speaking. 

“Green …. what?” There was a warning in my tone. We didn’t need to play these games. Louis knew who I was. I caught him the first day in the house Googling my name, asking on the message boards if anyone knew me. And of course he got the answer he needed. There were plenty of sideways glances and fuckable smiles thrown my way over the years. “If you make me ask again, boy, I will throw you out right now.” 

“Green, Sir. Please.” Louis leaned into my hand and I knew I had him. With one more good squeeze to his throat I let him go. 

Louis stood looking at me with bright blue eyes, his messy blonde hair half in his eyes and it threw me in a way that I didn’t expect. I didn’t know I had missed. We were back within inches of each other with two steps. With one hand pulling his hair back from his face and the other diving into the loose fitting pants he wore, I let out a curse. He was thicker than I imagined. His cock jerked when I found my fingers wrapped it and I let the manicured edges of my nails dig in. It earned me a whimper. 

“This will hurt.” I murmured. “But you like that, don’t you?” I watched as his pretty mouth parted and a noise was made in the back of his throat. Yeah he did. My fingers stretched downward to grab at his balls, pushing them up with his cock so that I trapped them all together for one hard squeeze. His body swayed. “How green are you, boy?” My teeth went to his plump bottom lip to make it swell even more. 

“Like the grass in spring.” Louis uttered. 

That was all I needed. Time stood still while I tugged and pulled at his clothing until he was bare and turned against a wall. I wrenched both his arms behind his back and took a quick look around. “Don’t you move.” I said between gritted teeth. The lack of ease I had around the new space made my skin crawl but it was dwarfed by the need to hurt him. To watch his skin glow red and welt. To let out what was brewing inside and had been for far too long. There was a roll of electrical tape under the sink just off the parlor. I had spotted it from when I had the place inspected. It would do. 

I had Louis bound at the wrists within seconds of returning. The tape would burn like hell when it came off but that was part of the fun. As soon as he shifted his ass outward there was a growl that left my lips. 

“Needy little slut.” I grinned while bringing one hand down on his backside. Louis was tall with a few inches on me, lean yet toned in exactly the right places. His ass bounced in a lovely way with each smack I gave. There was a hint of pink that surfaced on his pale skin. A blank canvas.

Louis just nodded. His forehead hit the wall and he moaned when I slid my belt free from the loops that held it in place. It was one of my favorites. Black Italian leather with tiny matte black grommets that were nearly invisible. It left tiny bruises wherever it struck. 

And did it ever strike. My hand was heavier than usual and before long there were a series of welts up Louis’s backside and down each of his thighs. The sound of leather hitting skin along with the pleads from Louis all built up like a symphony reaching a climax and then he whispered, “yellow, Sir. Yellow … yellow.” Louis’s voice cracked. He was sobbing. His legs trembled and he nearly went down on his knees before I could catch him. 

“Louis?” Shit. “Louis?” As if saying his name would help anything right now. The young man crumpled in my arms and it took every ounce of my strength to get him across the room to the bed. I gently laid him out over the side while I fetched a knife from the kitchenette across the hall. How could I be this unprepared? How? He had turned his face so it was the first thing I saw when I came into the room. His cheeks bright red and streaked with tears. His yellow was really a red. Had I been in the right frame of mind, I would have seen the signs. I should have. 

There wouldn’t be enough apologies. I cut the tape away from Louis’s hands and helped him up to the bed, making sure to keep him on his belly. 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Kingston. Shit. I thought --” Louis began. “I didn’t think it would hurt this bad?” 

“Shhh. None of that, sweet boy.” I murmured. “I’m going to take care of your skin and it will sting but then we will lie here until you sleep. Understood?” I swallowed hard when he just nodded and pushed his face into the pillows with a groan. I didn’t ask his pain level. I didn’t even ask if he’d ever been hit before. There was fresh aloe in the garden and a few ointments that I always had with me that would work for now. 

After I treated the vicious marks on Louis’s skin, I allowed him to curl up at my side, clinging a little too hard for my own comfort but fuck my comfort. In the few minutes before he fell asleep, I learned that he had only been to a few play parties. He was familiar with a crop but mostly just fucked hard by old men who just wanted to throw their weight around. There were be more talks about that profile of his. He was listed as an amateur when he was little more than a novice. That was the thing about the internet, anyone can be anything, until you find you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. I didn’t want to be his cautionary tale but here I was. 

I shifted the snoring Louis off of me so that I could get myself up from the bed. I loosened the laces of my boots to get them free and then my jeans. I wasn’t tired though. I was pissed. At myself, at Madden, at the world. It was then that I heard my phone from inside the discarded pair of jeans. 

Of course. 

“Hello?” I answered sharply.

“Jax. It’s Nik. I thought you might be interested in this.” 

I waited but the line was dead. Interested in what? I pulled the phone away and there was an email notification. One flagged for my personal email which only a handful knew of. I tapped the icon and then tapped the message. 

From: [email protected]

I know this is a personal matter for you. And it is for me too. You have something I want and I have something you want. I think we can work together. As a show of good faith there is a document attached. I’ll see you soon. 

-Nik. 

At this point I had very little to lose so I brought up the attachment and stared at my phone for a good solid minute. Maybe two. It was a marriage certificate from 2014 with a familiar name on it. Was this a game? I read over the document twice and then shot off an email to someone that could verify it. What was Nik playing at and why in the fuck would he wait until now to show his cards? 

I was done for the day even though there were specks of daylight still left in the evening sky. I crawled back into the large four post bed where Louis was still sound asleep. The fact that his welted skin made my cock twitch only doubled the amount of guilt that crept it’s way in yet I reached out to trace one deep purple mark in particular with the tip of my index finger. Just the slightest touch caused a seductive sound to come from him and I smiled like the bastard I am. 

#TheRedDoorsWrite

[wandering-jax]

Voodoo - Part One

“Your usual?” A gruff voice in a creole accent asked. I cut my gaze toward the voice. A look I had given him for the past two years, every third week of the month, around this time in the evening. The old man poured me a whiskey neat and had number two ready. He knew my name even though I’d never given it. I had made my way through the city block by block but always ended up in the French Quarter. Lafitte’s to be exact. Just two blocks from the home I purchased not long after landing here.

It was January of 2017 when I touched down in New Orleans. The information on the flight log from three days prior showed the time the jet landed at the municipal airport just outside the city. It sat on the tarmac for exactly 48 hours before it took off for home, in Vegas, minus one passenger. The only passenger.

Money had been exchanged to keep it from my ears but that only lasted as long as the plane was in the air. The moment the doors opened and only the pilot and steward disembarked, I knew. How did I know? I was there, watching from inside the hanger, unprepared for the surprise news the pilot gave.

“Mr. Kingston, Madden isn’t on the manifest. He didn’t come back and didn’t give a reason. I was told when we landed that you were unaware.” The pilot said before shooting a menacing look at the steward who was already inside the glass doors and nearly running for the exit. “Do you want me to stop him?”

“No. When is the last time you physically saw Madden?” I asked.

“Not since we arrived in Louisiana two days ago. The crew changed as you know and the new guy who just tore ass out of here told me upon landing that you didn’t know the plane was empty.” The pilot held my gaze which spoke volumes to how honest he was. Besides, I paid him well to keep me informed at all times. No matter what.

“I see.” My eyes moved beyond the weary lines around the pilots eyes to the jet sitting on the runway still. “Give me a moment before you put her away, understood?”

I had searched that plane from top to bottom. It was if Madden had never been on it. Which led me to New Orleans to find out for myself. What I found was a littering of clues that led to various possibilities. None of which I liked.

The bar was relatively empty this evening but in the dead of summer, it wasn’t a rare event. The heat coupled with the humidity made the air feel as if you slid it on like a coat. I hated it. My skin itching for the dry climate of my desert. I tapped on the bar to signal it would be the same and a glass with three fingers of Bourbon was slid over to me.

“My grandson might be able to help you.”

I looked up to see the silver haired man staring at me, “I don’t remember asking.”

“Maybe not but you need the help, Mr. Kingston.”

I swallowed down a drink and the glass hit the bar with more force than necessary. He knew my name even though I’ve never offered it to him. In fact, the only ones to address me by any name were those who are in my employ while in town. That was the entire reason behind buying the home under the name of a smaller company I own. The realtor, my barber, and the assistant I hired to keep up the home were the only company I kept. I stayed silent.

“He drove the man you’re looking for from the airport to a home just outside of the city. But you don’t care,” he said flatly. The old man went back to rearranging the same bottles he had fiddled with not five minutes ago as if he hadn’t thrown out the bait for me to snap onto.

“Fine.” I shrugged him off. I had been in this bar too many times to count and he had never once addressed me outside of his ‘what’ll it be’ and now he has a grandson who happened to know where I can find Madden or at least a solid lead while I’ve been chasing my own tail this entire time. The rage settled in my gut nicely while I continued to nurse the drink in front of me.

“Don’t let him dangle that carrot for too long, he enjoys the chase,” a voice behind me uttered. I didn’t make a move to look, there was no need, whoever is looking for me had found me. “Seriously, Pops doesn’t mean any harm. I came to him when I saw you in here last month. Name’s Nik.” The man stuck out a hand and I turned my head to the side to see who was encroaching on my personal space. Tall, dark hair and eyes, yet unconventional in his handsomeness. I ignored the hand but nodded to the chair beside me.

“Let me guess, the grandson who happens to Uber for a living?” I cut my eyes over to the man who was now seated beside me. He didn’t look uncomfortable there either. The bartender sat a cold beer in front of him and left us alone.

“That’s me but not an Uber. A friend of a friend.” Nik swallowed a drink from his beer.

“I see. And who is the friend?” I asked.

Nik shook his head. “Not an important part of the story, Mr. Kingston. But I do know where he went and how long he stayed until going ghost.”

The way he said my formal title made my skin crawl. “My name is Jax, Nik. Please refrain from calling me anything else.” I finished my drink off and signaled to the bartender I was done for the night.

“When you remember the friend that you so kindly helped out, let me know.” I set a matte black card with my name and cell number in red on the bar in front of Nik. “But not until then. Have a good evening.”

“1012 Royal St. You acquired the home from a well known family and hired Louis Parker as caretaker when you go home to Vegas.” Nik spoke with certainty. “Madden came home nearly three years ago and you’ve been looking for him ever since. I can help but only when you want it. Jax.” He said my name as if he’d said it before. As if we were friends.

“I assure you,” I began but when I turned around Nik was gone. His grandfather looked unaffected by the rush disappearance and was dealing with another wave of tourists visiting the historical bar. That was my cue. I was by far a local but I also wasn’t wearing a ‘The Bride’ sash or a horde of brightly colored beads either. I felt a familiarity in New Orleans that only grew with each weekend that I spent here. The rich history, the slow pace compared to the neon glow of Vegas, the warmth of her people. And the architecture. From the high, wrap around balconies to the moss covered stucco, the columns and nods to the victorian era, it wasn’t hard to fall in love with it.

The unknown was part of the charm of New Orleans or so I thought. It was easier to get lost in ghost stories and vampire lore than the dramatics beginning to unfold. Uncertainty and I were not good bedfellows.

Once at the house I left the ground floor parlor to the quiet of the second floor where Louis concentrated on the MacBook perched in his lap, stocking feet up on the century old coffee table, stark white headphones keeping my presence concealed for the time being. He was in his twenties, I think, I couldn’t recall the exact number but when I hired him …. I didn’t care. It was his shoulder length dirty blonde hair and sapphire eyes that held my attention at first and then his attention to detail, which came later. I could be quite shallow. Right now Louis was laser focused on whatever was on the screen, his eyes flickering back and forth as fast as his nimble fingers.

I left him there for now and went up one more flight to the second largest of the rooms. It wasn’t the Master but it was the one with the best view. Having lived above The Strip for long softened me to street noise and lights. It made anything less almost impossible to sleep next to. So as the street music crept through the open balcony doors I let my thoughts drift to Nik. A stranger who happened to find me at exactly the right time, in the right place and say the right things. I was unnerved. I should have brought a pet with me. Kloe. One of the house submissives. Anyone.

There was a breaking point for everyone, including me and I had reached it.

“Louis!” I shouted. “Upstairs. Now!”

#TheRedDoorsWrite

[wandering-jax]

Opposites Attract

Jax: ‘Mr. Kingston, you can hit harder than that. Come on, old man.’ And so I did. My fists balled up and I hit the heavy bag with a one-two punch and then again. Carson never lets up with the shit talk and it worked. It always did. He didn’t give a damn who I was or why I was there, he did what I paid him to do. All the shit talking accomplished was fueling the need to replace the bag with his face but he was too quick and had nearly twenty years on me.

“Old enough to know better,” I grunted before I hit the bag once more and stepped back to take a breather. Normally I had Lionel come to the gym at the club but lately, that place seemed haunted by memories that didn’t serve a purpose other than to distract me. So, last two months I came down from the glitz of the Strip to where tourists were scarce and only a handful inside knew my name.

‘One more round or do you need a nap?’ Lionel jested. His words earned him not only a narrowed glare but a middle finger to go along with it. Had it not been for a meeting in a few I would have gladly taken him up on the offer, instead, I shook his hand and wandered off to the locker room. A quick shower and a change of clothes were all that time afforded me and I chose to forgo the many pieces of a good suit for something casual to fit with the clientele of this afternoon.

The rooftop terrace of the gym turned what most people loathed into a welcoming space with lush greenery and a cuisine that could wet even the most particular of pallets. When my associate suggested a place outside of my office, I was reluctant, but this turned out to be just what was needed. The hostess indicated that my guest had arrived as she led the way to what had become my table and when a stunning young woman with eyes that seemed to light the room on fire smiled up at me, I was caught off guard.

“Interesting name. Cain is it?” I tilted my head as I offered my hand to the woman, knowing full well that this wasn’t the MMA fighter I was scheduled to meet but it was a lovely surprise nonetheless.

Robin: “Your waitress will be with you momentarily.” a way too bubbly hostess’ voice filled my personal space and assaulted my ears as I took a seat at the four top. I played with the lacey sleeves of my dress as I took in the scenery of the rooftop terrace restaurant. The view of Vegas and the mountains in the distance from this height was gorgeous and it distracted me momentarily from the nerves. Cain was running late, as per usual when he made plans, but he insisted I meet him here instead of waiting at his place. He had a business meeting and didn’t want this man waiting for some reason. He must have some clout here in Vegas because Cain said this could help his career in a big way. I had never heard of him, but I didn’t make my way to Vegas often until recently. I still had no idea what I got myself into by marrying that man. I wasn’t thinking. I was barely coherent. I haven’t had a drop of vodka since.

I took a sip of the ice water, the server brought over as I looked around. The restaurant wasn’t terribly busy, and I had a perfect view of almost the entire room from this table, tucked away in a corner. I had no clue why I was here, how me at Cain’s side was important, but he seemed to think it was so I agreed to come. Is this what a wife did? I had no clue. So here I sat alone, looking like a girl that was stood up on a date, when I heard the voice of the hostess before I saw her approaching the table with a gentleman, my eyes traveled up a very tall figure to meet with his dark, penetrating gaze with a beaming smile. His attempt at a joke eliciting a small laugh as my hand curled around his giving it a shake, clearing my throat, feeling my skin flush when his hand squeezed mine. “Mr. Kingston? Hello, I’m Robin. I sincerely hope I do not look like him.” I gave him a soft smile as he sat. “Cain will be here shortly. He was running a little late and asked me to meet you.”  I wasn’t sure what to make of him. He had a very dominant air about him, handsome no doubt, but how he was dressed was in contrast to the energy emanated. The nerves worked their way back into my throat as I tried to make small talk.  “How are you this evening?”

Jax: “I sincerely agree, you look nothing like him. Although, I have yet to meet Cain in person.” The waitress interrupted and I ordered a whiskey neat while Robin kept sipping on her water. There was no sign of the elusive Cain even though it was now twenty past our meeting time. Normally, this would be the end of any relationship, business or otherwise, since punctuality is necessary when trying to impress a potential investor and that is exactly what I was to Cain. Money. The means to continue his impressive career that was just beginning and if this is how he treated those who could help him, it might be a short one.

“Tell me, Miss Robin, does he always send his assistant ahead or is this a special treat for me?” I kept any irritation out of my voice since I did not want to project it onto her, it wasn’t her fault that Cain couldn’t keep his appointments straight. The waitress came back with my drink and I waved her off when she asked if we were ready to order food. It was becoming increasingly apparent that this Robin would be my company and if we were to eat it would not be this trendy rabbit food they served here. I raised my glass to take a swallow of whiskey before turning my attention fully to the brunette who seemed out of place in such a sterile environment.

MMA would be a brand new frontier for me, lending my brand to something other than the wicked vices of those with too much money and too little morality, as would the business be legal. For the most part. There was always an under the radar bet to be made and Mr. Able had padded my rainy day funds enough to give me a reason to even be here at the moment.

Robin: I nearly choked on my water when Mr. Kingston called me Cain’s assistant. I coughed, gulping down my drink as I set my glass down with a shake of my head. “No. No, Cain does not send his assistant. He doesn’t have an assistant actually.” Assuming he was making another joke, I didn’t offer any more information beyond that. I raised a brow slightly as he waved off the waitress when she tried to take our order. How did he know I didn’t want something to eat? Control Freak.

I pursed my lips as I glanced at my watch, then peeked over in the direction of the entrance to see if Cain would appear. Nothing. It was becoming apparent he wasn’t going to show, and If he didn’t, it wouldn’t be the first time, but it would most likely be the last time he saw me. He’s so damn inconsiderate. The nerves I had were quickly replaced with the annoyance that he hadn’t arrived and I tried to hide it, but I know it showed on my face. I managed another half-hearted smile and apology to the man across from me unsure what to say at this point. He may not be showing his frustration but surely he was irritated. He struck me as someone that didn’t wait for anyone. “And If he doesn’t show up soon he won’t have me around anymore either. I really am sorry. If you’d like to end this meeting and leave I wouldn’t blame you at all.”  

“Actually, “ Before he even began to answer I started to reach for my purse, peeking at my phone inside to see if I had any missed calls. Again, nothing. “… I think I will go.“ I began to stand, taking a deep breath as I did. “ I’m sorry to have wasted your time, but thank you for the company while we waited.” Frustrated I made my way out, sending Cain a “Fuck you very much.” text on my way and called for an uber to take me to one of the usual hotels I stay at when I’m in Vegas. I sure as fuck wasn’t staying with Cain tonight.

Jax: I lifted one hand to wave off the apologies that Robin kept providing in absence of her partner, lover, boss, whatever Cain was to this lovely woman. I didn’t answer the first statement about ending the meeting because I could tell it was out of pure frustration. This wasn’t the first time that she had been stood up by this man but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out as to why. Well spoken and drop dead gorgeous with a smattering of tasteful, well-crafted ink that peeked from the long sleeves of her dress only fueled my speculation. It took less than a minute for the gears to switch for Robin and she decided on her own to leave, much to my disappointment.

“My time is never wasted, Miss Robin. I do hope Mr. Able is alright.” I stood as the woman scrambled toward the exit and I couldn’t help but grin when I caught sight of what was sure to be a furious text to my no show. I tossed my napkin across the table and finished off the glass of whiskey I had started before checking my own messages. A few emails and one text from the club in New York. Nothing that couldn’t wait. I left the waitress more than a generous tip that would have covered a lunch for three before making my way back down to the gym to fetch my bag and head to the driver waiting outside. It was then that a red dress with lace sleeves that left just the perfect amount to the imagination was standing off to the side by the Uber pick up. One stilettoed foot tapped out an angry rhythm against the sun-drenched concrete. Did she see me?

With the leather messenger slung across my chest I held up one finger to the driver as he opened the door to my car and instead took two long strides until I was close enough to be heard. “Uber, Miss Robin?” I asked. “They are notorious for being late if they show at all. Care to join me?” I wasn’t sure if I startled her or the situation had her on edge but my questioned earned me a hard look from over her pitch black sunglasses. Cautious. Interesting.

Robin: The elevator ride down to the uber was blinded by my fury. I was angry and embarrassed. Cain has not only most likely ruined an opportunity to advance his career, but he used me to cover for his ass. Before I knew it I was at the uber pick up, squinting as soon as the bright sun hit my face, I slid on my sunglasses and glared at my phone trying to will for a text or call to appear. The Uber app showing the car was still almost 10 minutes away. In a city like this, you would think they’d be on every corner or waiting outside every venue. I refuse to take a cab cause they drive like assholes and overcharge.

I fired off a few more angry messages before the crisp February air began to cool my heated, flushed skin, my rage was becoming a slow simmer, a little, tight red dress wasn’t the best idea for February but I wanted to make a nice impression. I shivered as I became more aware of how cool it was outside, shifting on my feet as I cursed Steven, the Uber driver, for not being faster.  I jumped and squeaked when a familiar, deep, low voice startled me. He towered over me, and I leaned away as I looked him over with a raised brow over my shades and realized it was the gentleman I just left behind in the restaurant. I studied his features for a moment before I registered what he was asking, his eyes hidden by dark shades so I could not see the intent behind them, but the crease on his left cheek from where his lips curled up into a crooked smile told me seemed amused, my eyebrow quirked a bit more when I saw the ink peeking out above his collar. I don’t know how I didn’t notice the tattoos before. “Join you?  I just met you, Mr. Kingston. Where exactly would I be joining you?”

Just then my phone pinged with a new text that just contained one word. “Sorry,” I growled internally, or so I thought, but judging by the grin Mr. Kingston was now fighting off his face I was not so sure. I exhaled mumbling under my breath, “yeah you are.” before I returned my attention back to the man beside me with an exasperated sigh. “I.. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”  As much as I wanted to say yes, if nothing else, but purely to piss off Cain, I really didn’t know this man.

Jax: One brow lifted up from behind my sunglasses, clearly amused by the flustered girl and her stubbornness. She growled. Growled. It wasn’t only surprising but it added a layer of attractiveness to her already stunning features.

“Let me ask one more time, just so I will feel better about leaving you here alone,” I added before taking the keys from the valet, nodding toward the passenger side of a small, glossy black coupe, “join me? I’m sure I can drop you wherever it is you need to go.”

I sensed her apprehension although I knew that she would give in, not only by the way she angled herself toward my car and away from the Uber stand, simply because it was an adventure. One that she couldn’t resist. There wasn’t an answer from Miss Robin but my fingers skimmed the side of the door panel and it popped open. I left it that way before rounding the rear of the car and stood in the open cradle of the driver’s side door.

“It’ll be fun.”

Either she would get in or the nervous valet attendant who was now watching this game of cat and mouse would be tasked with shutting it. Normally I would say the odds were 99% in my favor but this woman … she had me narrowing that margin more than I liked.  I slid inside and turned the engine over, one hand giving the leather-wrapped wheel a hard squeeze while maintaining an easy smile.

One.

I shifted the Ray-Bans down the bridge of my nose and glanced at the woman and then raised my hand toward the spectator who was wringing his hands.

Two.

I leaned over so that Miss Stubborn could hear me over the engine and through the open door which the attendant had begun to shut, “I do hope that Uber shows up soon, Miss Robin. And do tell Mr. Able that he should find another investor, I do not deal well with those who cannot appreciate my time or that of a beautiful woman. Enjoy your day.” I was baiting her and she knew it, alas, curiosity got the best of me.

Three.

Robin: My gaze bounced from the sporty car that the valet just pulled up into the handsome man in front of me. My anger had cooled and was being laced with a tinge of excitement.  I didn’t know Mr. Kingston from Steven the Uber driver who was about to pick me up, so maybe it wouldn’t be a horrible idea. He was an arrogant bastard that was for sure, but somehow he wore it well, and he didn’t seem dangerous. Not in the murderer kind of way at least. He surely was trouble and I in no way doubted that it would be fun if I decided to leave with him.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of him and the confident way he strode around the car, the same confidence in his words as he spoke. I inched my way toward the car but hesitated as the internal struggle raged on. I knew he could have very easily left my quite literally in his exhaust but he continued to tease me. He was baiting me, I knew this, and I was about to take a bite. I waited until the last possible second, as the valet driver reached to shut the door before I slid into the passenger seat.

I tried and failed to hide the amused smirk on my lips as I side eyed him. “Thank you.” I fidgeted in the small bucket seat before crossing my legs to get as comfortable as I could, smoothing down my dress as I angled my body leaning toward him. I was nervous. I don’t know what I was thinking or doing, but I was excited and intrigued by this man for some reason. Or maybe it was still the adrenaline of the anger that I was feeling earlier. Whatever it was, I made my choice to leave with him. “How much fun can a ride back to my hotel possibly be?” My eyes widened a moment when I heard the innuendo in my question as soon as it left my lips. I purposely didn’t bring attention to it, quickly changing direction before it led anywhere. “I really need to get a room for the night, so if you can drop me off at the Bellagio or Caesars that’ll be great.”

Jax: “Everything you do should be fun, Miss Robin, even the mundane.”

I let my words hang in the air as I drove us through the light traffic and headed for the Strip. There were many questions that I could have asked but the one that had me most curious was why this lovely creature needed a roo for the night. Shouldn’t she already have one? That statement alone led me to believe that Mr. Able was more than her boss and perhaps his no-show prompted a lovers spat. His loss.

“Like taking a ride from a complete stranger.” I gave my passenger a wicked smile before I made the U-turn into the back entrance of Caesar’s and found my usual parking space along with the hotel’s cars and SUVs. The garage was dark except the few lights that were scattered across the concrete ceiling. It was nothing like the ornate gold carvings usually found in the sprawling hotel and casino so it wasn’t a surprise that Miss Robin sported a confused expression when I shut the engine off and proceeded around the backend of my car to open her door. “You really shouldn’t do that, by the way. There are all kinds of freaks out and about in this city.”

We went in through an unmarked door that was opened with the face of my watch, my keycard hooked through it and my phone, and ended up on the far side of the hotel. Normally I would take the service elevator to the floor where the Nobu Hotel was located but I didn’t want Robin to know the reason I brought her here. Not yet. The reluctance to follow me blindly was obvious as was the relief when she saw that we were, in fact, at one of the places she asked for.  

“Lindsay will take good care of you and if you should need anything else, he will make sure you get it,” I said within earshot of the security guard, his slight nod confirmation. “Please let Mr. Able know that I do appreciate his lack of manners. It was a pleasure, Miss Robin.” I took one of her hands in mine, noting the subtle ink that peeked from beneath the red lace of her sleeve, to kiss the back of it. And I left her in the care of my most trusted associate, knowing that it wouldn’t be last I would see of her.

Robin: I side-eyed Mr. Kingston as he drove, a smile playing on my lips in his response. The smile didn’t leave my lips the short drive, the anger I was feeling earlier was long gone, replaced by something else. There seemed to be a different type of tension in the car. I knew Mr. Kingston was joking, but for some reason, I felt there was underlying meaning behind all those words.

I brought my attention back on the road long enough to see where we were headed, my brows furrowed somewhat confused. He turned in the direction of Caesars Palace but bypassed the front entrance, so I’m not sure what his plan was. My confusion grew when we entered the parking garage. I didn’t need a personal escort to check into a hotel.  “Where are…” I started to protest as he pulled into a spot, shutting off the engine before I could finish my sentence. He was opening my door in a few strides, his comment eliciting a laugh from me. “Present company not excluded I’m sure. That’s one of the many reasons I love this city.”

I had no idea why I was following this man, who I’ve known all about an hour, without question, but something was attracting me to him.  There was a tinge of apprehension as I scanned the dark garage as he put his fancy watch to work and opened the unmarked door, but as soon as we stepped in I knew I was in Caesars, but I still had no idea why we had to come through this entrance, when a drop off at the front lobby would’ve been fine. My question was answered as soon as the security guard came to view and Mr. Kingston gave him instructions. I am very curious who this man is. Why he had so much power in this city, and I may just google him later to find out. For now, I don’t know if I feel comfortable him giving me a room.

“Thank you, Mr. Kingston, but you don’t have to do this. I can pay for my own room.” I said as he kissed the back of my hand, but it fell on deaf ears. Who is this man? And why do I love how my name sounds coming from his lips.  He knew my mine but had yet to tell me his.  My curiosity was further peaked as I pursed my lips as he disappeared and returned my attention to the security guard secretly hoping this wasn’t the last time I saw him.  Lindsay was very helpful and sweet.  He even walked me up to my room even though I insisted he didn’t have to.  He made sure I knew I could contact him for anything I needed or wanted as he handed me the room key and made his way back to his post.

I’d never been to this part of the hotel, but I was familiar enough with Vegas to know this part of the Caesars was not cheap. I walked in thru one of the double doors and was amazed. The room was spacious. Way more room that I would ever need, but it was gorgeous. The pool table in the large, open area caught my eye with the deep plum felt. It was gorgeous and couldn’t help but run my fingertips over it as I took in the rest of the area. There were plum accents along with grey all over the room, and I think I was in love. I was admiring the entire space when the tired suddenly hit me, and I felt chilly, so I kicked my heels off and went off the bedroom just as I heard my phone ping in my purse again. I fished it out and saw I had a few missed texts. “Where are you?? Call me.” was the last one I got. A snarl formed on my lips as I read thru all the other messages. I do not have time for that dick. I’ll deal with him later. I tossed my clutch and phone on the king bed before I turned to see the huge garden tub. I wasted no time turning on the water to get it just right and stripped out of my dress.  A low groan escaped me as I sank into the hot water and made a mental note that I needed to find Mr. Kingston and thank him.

[wandering-jax]