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  “We’re here,” the woman said in a cheery voice. She pulled around the circular bend and parked her car in front of the tall double doors.

  “Whoa,” Rhonnie said when she saw it. It was the most elegant building she’d ever seen in her life. It looked like something out of a movie and it reminded her of a place that should have been in Paris, or Italy. Not in the middle of nowhere in a place like Iowa. The brick on the building was painted a rose gold and in the middle of the top of it were glass windows shaped in a dome.

  “Such a beautiful place, huh? I thought so too my first time here,” the woman said, her voice distant.

  Rhonnie took her eyes away from the building just in time to see the sadness in the woman’s eyes. But it was only there for a brief second and Rhonnie questioned if she even saw it there. The woman popped the trunk and unlocked all of their doors so that they could get out.

  “Thank you so much,” Ahli said from outside of the car. “I feel so rude; you picked us up and helped us and we didn’t even get your name.”

  The woman looked at each one of them standing outside of the tall doors, letting her eyes linger on Brayland before putting her eyes back on Ahli. “My name is Anna,” she told her before putting her car back into drive and pulling away. “Welcome to the Opulent Inn.”

  Chapter 13

  She watched through one of the security cameras in her room as they walked into the inn, wet and tired. Very much like their father had done all those years ago. She tapped her long, freshly painted red nails together and squinted her eyes at the screen.

  “It’s crazy how fate has a way of playing out, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, Madame,” one of her oldest girls, Tamia, said from where she sat on a stool.

  She was sitting on a stool while Madame sat on her oversized bed. Tamia was trying her best to paint Madame’s toe nails to perfection, like she had done with her fingernails. Knowing that if she messed up in the tiniest way Madame would strike her for the mistake, she finished the final toe in excellence.

  “This is truly such a beautiful color on you, Madame,” Tamia said, setting Madame’s foot down softly. She smiled down at the great job she had just done and hoped that Madame would be pleased as well. She should have known better, though. Madame was never pleased.

  “Shut up, Tamia,” Madame said absentmindedly, still staring at one of the flat TV screens on her wall. “A five-year-old could paint my toes, with still hands at that.”

  “I . . . I am sorry I have displeased you, Madame.” Tamia swallowed, thinking of how to get back in Madame’s good graces. “Would you like to take a warm bath?”

  “Do you see those women?” she asked, completely ignoring Tamia’s statement. When Tamia nodded, she continued, “After you put the top coat on I want you to go down and welcome them as our new guests. I will have one of the other girls get their accommodations ready.”

  “What girls will you be assigning to them, Madame?”

  “Oh, they won’t be needing our special services.” Madame chuckled to herself. “Well, actually, maybe he does. But the other two? They are here to repay an old debt to me.”

  “What kind of debt, Madame?”

  Madame eyed the top of Tamia’s head and wondered when she had become so nosey. Ever since she’d become Madame’s closest pet all those years ago she seemed to have forgotten who and what Madame was.

  Once Tamia was done applying the top coat she looked up at Madame, wondering why she had stopped talking. When she did she was met with a backhand to the face that was so powerful she was knocked off of the stool. Her shaking hand flew to her stinging face, and she tried to crawl backward when Madame stood. Tamia’s eyes looked around the room for a weapon that Madame might use to punish her with so that she could prepare herself for the type of pain to come.

  “Don’t ever ask me questions,” Madame said sinisterly, standing over her. “Or the other girls will be asking each other how you died.”

  Tamia held her breath and blinked repeatedly, trying to hold Madame’s cold gaze. She knew there was no way to win in that situation; the only thing she could do was lie there like a sitting duck. She tensed herself, but Madame didn’t strike her again. Instead, she sat back down on her bed and watched as one of the girls repeatedly pressed on the bell in hopes of getting a worker’s attention.

  Madame watched too in silence. After leaving Lance’s house she was pleased with herself, but that feeling was short-lived. She’d taken Lance’s phone to communicate to Quinton like she was Lance to make sure he traveled the path that she needed him to. Imagine her surprise when she received the message from him saying that he was no longer interested in doing the job and that maybe he should give someone else a chance to get all that money. The anger she felt right then was unmatched, and she knew there was only one thing left to do. She was too far away to handle it, but she knew one person who wasn’t.

  She found Quinton’s address through files in Lance’s home and sent Anna on the two-hour drive to do her bidding. She was to torture them all until she was given the location of what Madame needed. The night Rhebecca ran away she stole $50,000 from her safe, but that wasn’t what Madame was worried about. She didn’t care about what was taken from her safe; she was more concerned about what Rhebecca failed to leave there.

  For years Madame searched for it and a part of her regretted having her kill the man who had come up with the perfect drug. A drug that would allow her to spread her influence to everyone she came into contact with. The drug that would ultimately put her in control of all men. Every dirty, filthy, sex-driven man in the world would be hers. They would fear her, but most importantly they would respect her without paying attention to what she had between her legs.

  “Call up to the girls’ quarters. I want someone to greet them. It’s going to get . . . loud tonight. And not in the usual way, so have Anna get rid of the few guests we have.”

  “But, Madame, there is a storm outside. Where will they go?”

  “I never said make them leave.” Madame gave Tamia a menacing look, letting her know exactly what she meant. She glanced down at the diamond-studded watch on her wrist. She watched Tamia as she stood back up. The pink lace lingerie she wore fit a little snug as Tamia had grown thicker over the years. Still it looked good on her, good enough to eat. “Tell Anna to make sure she gets the money first before she disposes of them. I’ll have about thirty minutes to spare while all of this is going on. Once the calls are made, come back to me.”

  It didn’t take long to distribute Madame’s orders. Anna had just returned to her room when Tamia called upon her saying that her services were needed once again.

  “All done, Madame.” Tamia turned to face Madame.

  She saw that Madame too was now dressed in nothing but her underwear and bra. Although in her early forties, Madame’s body put all of her girls’ bodies to shame. Her breasts were full and sat up perfectly, her stomach was flat, and she was shaped like a Coca-Cola bottle, making any man whose eyes graced her body thirsty. There was only one blemish on her whole body: a healed-up cut on her neck. A wound she obtained a long time ago, one that reminded her every day that no man could be forgiven.

  “I want your face,” Madame told her. “Show me how you please the men who come to see you.”

  She waved Tamia to her with her pointer finger and Tamia happily obliged. Madame only let her favorite girls please her and Tamia was just happy to once again be in her good graces. “Anything for you, Madame.”

  When the two women were standing directly in front of each other, Madame placed the same finger under Tamia’s chin and gently lifted her head up. “You know I hate hurting you girls, right?” Madame asked her, letting her hands travel down Tamia’s voluptuous body. “I just hate when you are disobedient to me. I am the only one who has ever cared about you. I am the only one who has ever loved you. Everything I do is to give you girls power. As long as you have power you will have respect. Understand? After tonight we will have that.” />
  “Yes, Madame.” Tamia closed her eyes and relished the feeling of Madame’s soft hands fondling her body. “I understand.”

  “I know you do,” Madame whispered and unhooked Tamia’s bra.

  When her breasts were released Madame could feel herself growing moist between her legs, something no man had been able to do since the incident. She let her hands massage and pinch away at Tamia’s nipples as she watched her face twist up in a satisfied grimace. Tamia’s eyes were shut and her breath quickened when she felt Madame’s lips wrap around her erect nipple.

  “Oh, Madame,” she moaned, feeling Madame’s tongue going in circular motions on each one of her breasts. “Please don’t stop.”

  The sound of Madame’s slurping filled the air and she placed her hand gently between Tamia’s legs, rubbing her there tenderly. It was moist and warm down there, just as she had expected. She blocked out Tamia’s moans of pleasure and focused on her own bliss. She pulled Tamia’s pink panties to the side and used her middle finger to tickle her wet clit while she still sucked her breasts. By pleasing Tamia she was turning herself on even more. She was in total control, and she was loving every minute of it. It was amazing how the sexual organs were equivalent to game controllers. By being in command of somebody sexually meant you could make them do whatever you wanted them to. By dominating their mind they would lie for you, steal for you, kill for you.

  Tamia’s moans snapped Madame back into the moment. She had just tossed her head back when suddenly Madame gripped her by the hips and tossed her on the bed behind her.

  “Put your face in the pillows and bend over,” Madame whispered.

  When Tamia did as she was instructed Madame went to her nightstand and grabbed what she needed from it. Once she removed her panties and the strap was securely around her waist, she climbed on the bed and approached the round brownness smiling at her. She gripped both of Tamia’s cheeks and spread them open before bending over herself and putting her face in it. She licked and slurped at Tamia’s beautiful kitten until she shook violently.

  “Ahhh! Madame!” Tamia squealed into the pillow and tried to writhe her body away, but Madame’s grip was too strong. “I’m coming! I’m comingggg!”

  Madame sucked at her clit one more time before sitting back up straight on her knees and inserting the strap in from behind. She long stroked Tamia better than any man ever had and made her claw at the headboard. Every thrust caused Tamia to arch her back even more until her chest was begging the bed for refuge. The suction of the strap-on was kissing Madame’s clit, bringing her closer and closer to her own climax until finally she couldn’t hold it anymore. She pulled out of Tamia and snatched the strap off. Tamia already knew what to do when she heard it hit the ground and saw Madame lie on the bed. Even with shaky legs she whipped around on all fours and put her mouth on Madame’s throbbing love button.

  Madame gripped the back of her head and squirted all of her sweet juices on Tamia’s face and in her mouth. She bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut to hold in her moans, but that only made her body quiver even harder.

  “Mmm, Madame,” Tamia whispered, planting kisses on Madame’s exposed pussy. “You taste like heaven.”

  Madame let her lick a few more times before pushing her away. She stood up from the bed almost as if nothing had just taken place and looked down at Tamia’s naked body blankly.

  “Get dressed and make sure everything is in place.”

  “Yes, Madame.” Tamia got up from the bed and gathered her articles of clothing.

  Madame walked on her soft carpet toward her large bathroom to take a shower and make herself presentable. Behind her she heard Tamia fixing to leave and she turned around before the door was all the way shut.

  “Tamia?”

  “Yes, Madame?”

  “I believe it is time for you to lose some weight.”

  With that she flicked her wrist, dismissing the woman, and shut her bathroom door.

  Chapter 14

  “Welcome to the Opulent Inn!”

  A voice caught them all off guard and they whipped around in the tasteful lobby. A woman’s heels clicked and clacked on the ground as she hurriedly made her way over to them.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to come through those doors in this storm so I snuck off for a break.”

  She was a very pretty young lady with yellow skin and blond hair. Her high ponytail was slicked down so well that Rhonnie didn’t know where her skin ended and where her hair started. She raised her eyebrows and felt Ahli nudge her, already knowing what she was thinking. Ahli gave her sister a side eye as if telling her not to say anything rude.

  “No, you’re okay . . . Reiah,” Ahli said, reading the girl’s nametag. “We were just looking for a place to rest our heads for the night.”

  “Okay, great,” Reiah said and pressed some buttons on her computer. “Give me one second.”

  While Rhonnie and Ahli stood at the counter, Brayland’s back was turned to them so that he could give the place a complete once-over. It was strange to him that a place like this was sitting in the middle of nowhere. Usually the nearer you got to a hotel this luxurious there would be signs everywhere, but he didn’t remember seeing any. Or maybe he just hadn’t been paying attention. What also seemed strange was the fact that suddenly when Reiah showed up so had more workers dressed in the exact same tight pants and low-cut shirts, and they were all women. Not just women, beautiful women. Women who seemed out of place working for somebody’s inn.

  “Brayland!”

  “Huh?” he said, turning around to see everyone’s eyes on him.

  “I just called your name three times!”

  “My bad. I was in my own world.”

  “The women at the Opulent Inn seem to have that effect on people.” Reiah winked at him and received a deadly stare from Ahli.

  “Mmm,” Rhonnie said, handing him a key.

  “Me and NaNa are going to share a room, is that cool? You’ll be right down the hall from us.”

  “A’ight,” Brayland said, trying to hide his slight disappointment.

  “Just go that way, and around that corner. You won’t miss it.”

  “Room fifty-eight,” Rhonnie said, reading the number on her key. “Come on, LaLa, I need some rest. Especially after you destroyed my car, knowing I’m broke now. And then tried to kill us.”

  Despite the situation Ahli grinned at the back of her sister’s head and pretended to punch her.

  “I’m in room sixty-two,” Brayland said. “Hopefully it’s not too far from y’all just in case I need to—”

  “Need to what?” Rhonnie remarked over her shoulder. “Sneak in and save Ahli with your snake?”

  “Rhonnie!”

  “Hssss.”

  It was Brayland’s turn to laugh when Rhonnie made a hissing sound at Ahli. He shook his head and winked at Ahli, making her face turn red.

  “I can’t stand either one of you!” she exclaimed and pushed past them both so that she could lead the way.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Rhonnie said to Brayland when Ahli was out of earshot.

  “What’s good?”

  “It’s about the drugs Ahli and I stole a little while back.”

  “What about them?”

  “You said they belonged to the Last Kings. Do you think it was them who killed Daddy?”

  She’d been wanting to get him alone to ask him that question for a while now. However, with Ahli wanting to drop the whole “searching for his killer” thing, she knew she best not bring it up around her. She studied Brayland’s face for an answer as they walked side by side.

  “Honestly? Nah.” Bray shook his head.

  “Why not? You yourself said they were ruthless!”

  “I said ruthless? Try merciless, try savage. Try—”

  “Okay. I get your drift.” She put her hand up to stop him from ranting. “But, exactly! If they are all of that then why don’t you think they wo
uld do that to my father for what we did?”

  “Because they would have finished the job.” He nodded from her to Ahli. “They would have waited for you to get back to the house and killed you. I would bet money that they were the ones who killed Dot.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because that’s what I would have done.”

  They reached his room before Rhonnie could say anything else. He used his key to open his door and looked down the hall to see Ahli doing the same thing. Their eyes connected and the smile they shared was enough; no words needed to be spoken. She opened her door and disappeared in the room.

  “Do me a favor and make sure she’s straight, a’ight?”

  “That’s my sister, stupid.” Rhonnie rolled her eyes at him and walked away. “Just because you’re her nigga or whatever you want to call it doesn’t mean I’ll stop being that.”

  He had half a mind to snatch her up by the still-wet ponytail on her head, but he didn’t. He just chuckled to himself and let the door slam shut behind him.

  “Damn,” he said, looking around the room. It was fit for a king, with a circular king-sized bed in the middle of it. The carpet was cocaine white, so white it would make a person hesitant to walk on it. He took his shoes off at the door, not wanting to add carpet cleaning to their already high bill.

  He removed the poncho and set it on one of the golden dressers so that he could fall backward on the thick red comforter. The bed was the softest thing his body had ever graced in his life. It was almost like he was lying on a cloud in the form of a bed. The room smelled of fresh linen and the fan above him was encrusted with diamonds. He couldn’t help but wonder if they were real; and, if they were, that meant the inn saw some real money. The flat-screen TV practically covered the wall in front of the bed, and he couldn’t wait to watch a movie on it.

  “Damn,” he said, thinking about how much more amazing the room would have been if Ahli were there with him.