Chicago Leo (Femme Fatale Book 1)

by Laikyn Meng

  “Can you be coached?”

  He looks over to me, and with sheer vulnerability, he answers. Shocking me, he still has some innocence. “Yes, I can be. But I am what they say about me. I know how to start a fire out of a flinch.”

  “Well, when you see the devil so many times, you stop flinching.” I give him my business card.

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Empress or Roulette will do.” I give him a wink and leave the underground sweatshop.

  Back in the day, I would be fearless of these streets. Any hour of the night, I felt invincible, until the night I was attacked.

  Sometimes, no matter how much you prepare or train your body to react, some situations take even a black widow by surprise.

  They say your fortress is weakest where you assume you’ve made it the strongest.

  Being attacked, by my own men, in my torture cauldron. Well, I almost snickered that God was trying to teach me a lesson.

  But joke’s on him, I wasn’t signing deals with false pretenses. My path was resurrected by the sacrifice of not a man but a woman. So I bowed my head to my heart; it was not worship of self. But of the inner spirit.

  How does the saying go? God is part of us, inside us. We are made in his image. And to my appearance, will the Goddess continue to reign.

  Chapter 3

  Roulette

  I am dirty and sweaty when I make it back home on the 13th floor of the Chicago Leo.

  I peek through my son’s door and see he is cuddled with his stuffed alligator. In the corner, his father stirs awake. But I close the door before our eyes can meet.

  I shower and shave, lotion my body and braid my hair, just like Mutti taught me on one of her layovers from a prison transfer. When I get to my side of the bed, minutes are spent staring at the wall until I beg for sleep. But the bed dips, and I shift.

  “This bed is too big.” It’s not a king, by any standards.

  “Better than the twin we shared after we first met before you deployed.”

  “Damn mattress messed up my back.” Jordan huffs as he pulls his legs up to the bed.

  “I always had to lie on top of you; there wasn’t any room for two bodies.”

  “Yeah, I remember that. When I went to Afghanistan for the first time, I had to sleep with my duffle on my chest to fall asleep. The damn thing was packed like a heavy dictionary.”

  “Awe, we always said if you left me, it would be with someone with brains.”

  “Shut up, Rou. You are clever and sexy as hell.”

  I laugh once.

  “I’m sorry about earlier today. I didn’t mean to ignore you. I just feel inadequate most days. How could you want this if I can’t satisfy you?”

  “Have my actions made you doubt my position in our relationship?” Both our backs are flat against the sheets. Now the ceiling becomes our therapist.

  “No, I just get ideas in my head.”

  “I have ideas too. Ones where you would let me ride you raw, after months of not giving a damn.”

  He reaches for my fingers, and I pull away.

  “Come here, please.”

  I scoot an inch.

  Jordan pinches my butt.

  “Lay on top of me, like old times. I want to feel your weight. It calms me.”

  I climb aboard. “I bet you can really feel the extra three pounds from our son. I can’t seem to get rid of it.”

  “You’re perfect.”

  “Imperfect for you.”

  “Just for me.” He sighs as his arms wrap around me. The only comfort I can give him. “Hey, I know this sounds crazy, but I think I feel my dick getting hard.”

  “You think?”

  “Touch me.”

  So I do. Pulling Jordan’s pants away, bending at the abdomen to lift off his shirt. All ripped and rage. I lean and lick the tip.

  “Can you feel that, baby?”

  He blinks, trying to stay conscious.

  “What about this?”

  I suck down his length, yanking on his shaft.

  “Rou, my toes are twitching, they are bending, fuck I think I saw them move!” There have been little scares or successes, depending who you talk to about his condition.

  “Good, keep going, try the other foot.” I grip his balls, and he groans through his teeth.

  “Am I dreaming? It’s finally happening; my nerves are restored. We should call the doctor!”

  “No, let’s finish.”

  “But, this is a huge deal! Roulette, I can move my fucking legs.”

  “This is a massive event; let’s not waste it.”

  “I am beyond excited.” He is shaking, but when he sees the lust in my eyes, his voice slows its pace. “But you don’t seem surprised.”

  “I’m not.” I shift my hips as I climb on him and plunge my core to victory.

  “Holy fuck, the Empress taketh away.” His hands on my hips as he adjusts his mind to the situation.

  “Now she gives it back.”

  “What was I being punished for?”

  “My mistake.”

  “The truth?” Because we all want that.

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Tonight, I find ways to beg for your forgiveness.”

  “And if I refuse you?” Jordan’s hands take mine and hold them behind my back.

  “Guess my harlots and I will have more time together.”

  “Don’t tease.”

  “I always follow through.”

  “I watched you today, with your brother’s wife, not your type.”

  “No.” I rise and fall over him like a galloping show pony.

  “Tell your brother if he puts his hands on you again, there will be a crevasse where his stripes lay.”

  “Is that an order?”

  “Dear Empress, the Emperor has returned to his castle. Thanks for keeping my seat warm.”

  “Your seat? It has always been my throne.” I shove my hands down on his chest. I put all my weight in fucking my comment into his brain if not his body.

  “Now there’s the ghetto girl we fell in love with; you want it in the ass? Maybe another night. I just found out my wife has been sabotaging me for months. Right now, you will pound yourself on top of my cock until I come twice or until you come out bleeding.”

  “We aren’t even married, not really. We didn’t make it to the ceremony.”

  “Because you wanted to shag!”

  “Coming from the man whose thick dick is hard deep inside me, speaking of coming, I’m going to.”

  He holds me still.

  “Jordan, what are you doing?”

  “Being in control.”

  “Don’t, I’m on edge.”

  “You are pulsing; I can feel it. Your tight pussy is even sweeter than I remembered. It wraps around me perfectly. Fit just for me, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” Because it is what he wants to hear and it is what I want to give him to jump off the cliff.

  I know what you are thinking; it was cruel and unnecessary. At the time, I thought it was the most fabulous trick I had dreamt of yet. Every night since his homecoming, he described pain in his back, so I paid a few doctors to tell him his body is becoming paralyzed.

  On a side note I did shoot him when he tried to leave once. I was pregnant; you can’t be held responsible for the things you do during pregnancy.

  We bought medicine that numbed his lower half. After a few months, I resumed the façade; I did it because I could. Because he was getting too equipped with my business. Jordan was not the love of anyone’s life except his own.

  He wasn’t going to make his father proud or country proud. The man was a bridge to victory. And though I didn’t need him alive, I wanted him to feel less of a person than I was.

  It wasn’t a permanent solution, and after a while, I stopped pretending that he was injured. His own self-pity was ruining his health.

  The mind is a beautiful and malleable thing. I taught Jordan how to suffer; he became so
good at it he forgot he didn’t have to, that there was a choice.

  Chapter 4

  Roulette

  “Where do we want to expand?” A map is laid, I see the line where my territory is to be extended.

  “Route 66.” Marley points to the Oregon coast.

  “This highway? Isn’t that far-fetched?” I don’t say it can’t be done. Because it can be, and I am the person for the job. I try and think about the MC’s we’ve got running through those roads.

  “Come on, the unsatisfied banker daddies take their families on road trips; they could be big clients there.” Dante speaks when I didn’t ask for answers. “Why don’t we ruin another American dream?”

  “There are no dreams; there are only goals that change into opportunities. Some more scrutinizing and vicious than others. Tell me how many casinos line the path.” I shift when Marley brings up the figures. I send an encrypted picture to Leonie to investigate the leases for the buildings.

  “Empress?” My assistant calls from the other end of the room.

  “Max, do you have a death wish?” Dante glares at him.

  “Dante, doesn’t scare him off. He is the fourth one this year.” I turn and look at him. “What is it?”

  “Governor Rollins pardoned two hundred inmates for charges from the early nineties. Some of these inmates are under your protection; others are influencers for the Leo’s cause.”

  “Are you serious? Does he not understand what the pay-to-play scheme means? I pay him, and he plays along—” I slam both fists down.

  “Ma’am, he also left a message saying he will not be ruled by any man.” Max doesn’t even stutter, and I give it to him; he handles himself well.

  “Man? He specifically said, man. Well, he got one thing right. He isn’t ruled by a man, but he is about to get a rude awakening from this woman.” I take out my phone and read over the message from Leonie. “Take the three closest to the city, find resorts, and buy two neighboring. Bring in the wealth.”

  “Roulette, where are you going? We still have to go over purchasing options.” Journee, our in-house lawyer, begs me to stay. She fears all the white men. She shouldn’t be scared; all the white men fear her confidence.

  She was born a tigress.

  “I have to go clear the air with a business partner. I guess he didn’t realize when you make a commitment to the devil, you actually have to sacrifice your soul.”

  Marley follows behind me, and I salute two others to come with. It’s cute looking over my shoulder. My bodyguard has bodyguards.

  "Well, hello there, darlin'.” I lean against the window as my men push in a very heavy government official.

  "Who are you?" Rollins isn’t thinking. Clearly, he can’t be serious right now. My voice is iconic. Even with the blindfold, he should feel the temperature change in my presence.

  "Why is that the first question people ask? Do you not have time to think up creative inquiries? Maybe you should spend some time on your quirk?" I pop my lollipop out of my mouth and wait for the car to move.

  "You won’t get away with this!” He shakes his head with such force I am worried we might capsize.

  “Um, excuse me, Governor Rollins if I could just take a minute and speak with you about something you promised.” I higher the pitch in my voice.

  “I don’t make promises with criminals.”

  “Well, now that isn’t entirely true. I know on several occasions, bank statements, wire transfers. You’ve taken my money and were about to run for the hills. These last few months of your term haven’t proven you honorable.”

  “Roulette?” Now his voice is quiet and timid. He doesn’t reach out and try to gain his freedom. He sits, knowing we are about to make beautiful horrid memories together.

  He remains in his silence until the warehouse walls echo nothing but captivity.

  “What do you think space is like?” I lay next to the governor, who seems to be squirming like a little worm.

  He hasn’t screamed yet, and I always applaud the men when they keep their composure. Though he cowered away as I laid on the dusty floor next to him; we were talking about constellations. The big dipper, Orion's belt. The basics of astronomy. We, of course, could not see the night sky out here in an abandoned building.

  “Do you think one day we will all see another generation of beings out there? Will we be afraid? Will we destroy or welcome them? Aren't you curious if they are waiting to discover something else?” I turned to my stomach, rising on my elbows, shaking my hair of any grime.

  Our slumber party gossip session was coming to an end. I tie another knot in the thin rope around Rollins's arms, cutting off the circulation to his limbs.

  “Can you keep a secret?” I whisper it, knowing he doesn’t mind our heart to heart.

  “I don’t like wide-open spaces. It freaks me out; maybe you think it’s because I could be a target. But I like the closed-in spaces; call me crazy, but when I was little, those closets and basements my brother and I were locked in were my favorite times. Because we were safe.”

  Marley starts slicing off his toes, and I scoot away from the blood.

  “What's more devastating: a building explosion hurting fourteen people or a shooting that kills only two?” I poke his shoulder, but the governor is busy swimming in denial.

  “Ma'am, the chief of police from Salt Lake is waiting for your call back,” Max calls over the radio. One disaster after another.

  “Fuck, where is Brother Bennett?” Dante is mad about the interruption of my playtime.

  “One moment.” I jump up and wipe off my clothes.

  “Empress, they brought SWAT members.” Max is excellent at the details.

  “Tennyson and Chrome?” I hover before we exit the building, betting we have our asses covered. My snipers come highly recommended by the military.

  “In position, waiting for the signal.”

  Dante follows us back to the car. I guess mind control will have to wait until next time.

  To my knowledge, our plan was simple. The man who hired us needed attention and wanted to be the savior.

  We instructed our crew to detonate a bomb within the media center's structure in their school on a Sunday. There wasn't supposed to be casualties, but there always is when tyranny is sought out. Also, I love a good burning of books. The words going up in flames, secrets and lies revealed by their warmth.

  “What does Journee say on our behalf?” Thinking about tomorrow, another day at work.

  “She denies all involvement of the Chicago Leo.”

  “Well, why are we rushing back? It makes us look like we are in trouble. Marley, stop at the steakhouse I like in Utah, and let’s grab an early dinner.”

  Too bad for Brother Bennett; we are going to take away his pride and joy. A son will do to hold him accountable, at least for now.

  Salt Lake is not my favorite place to visit. They say Las Vegas is crumby, but I assure you I have seen some nasty stuff go down in this city.

  When I walk into the private club, heads turn. I catch Brother Bennett pretending he isn’t surprised.

  “Brother Bennett, I am so glad I found you.”

  “Roulette, please refrain from calling me that title.” He looks around at the gentlemen who surround us at their own table. Adjusting his suit and tie before clearing his throat.

  “Benjamin, we seem to have a problem with your request. Were you not satisfied with the outcome?” I smooth out my dress, and I order a few shots of whiskey.

  “Roulette, they don’t sell alcohol here.” Brother Bennett is going to make this conversation very difficult then.

  “How is Benson doing in Reno? Does he love his weekends in Tahoe?” I take a sip of the lukewarm tea. This place is a shithole; prestigious, my ass.

  My strip club Curious has seen better days, and that is saying a lot. Last week we had to remove a rotting corpse hidden in the curtains.

  “I ask you not speak his name. The subject was very humiliating for his mother and me.
”

  “You may ask all you want, but I will do as I wish.” I lift my head to the others in the room. “Why the fuck are they looking at me?” I use a normal tone, and many can hear the curse word as it flutters out like a butterfly.

  Benjamin coughs and keeps his head down. “This used to be a male-only club until recently. The members are having a hard time adjusting to the new status quo.”

  I lean forward, not giving a damn who has a hard time with my presence. “Benjamin, we made a deal, and until I feel like you have held up your end, I will make it certain whose life I play God to.” Without much of a good day, I leave the cesspool of patriarchy in my wake.

  Chapter 5

  Dante

  They promised Roulette wouldn’t be involved. My sources said it would be discreet, and I was an idiot to believe them, all because I wanted the high.

  I don’t call anyone to collect her. In fact, I wait until Marley and Roman find her tracking device, and then we will all load up and go save the queen.

  It was not my intention to get my sister hurt; I didn’t want her title or position. I tried to find my own, but the more I searched, it was only when I thirsted for new drugs to discover my real freedom.

  Legally, I have my name on nothing, and I offered to trade services at the club to get what I wanted. But I didn’t have that right either. My wife’s domain was Curious. But acting as her husband, her legacy was mine.

  Cassian wasn’t even my type, but I like the way she smiled at me. She was eager to agree, had a daughter to protect, and for all she knew, we could have been cannibals.

  “Poe, what’s new?” My phone dangles in my hands as I calm down, the anxiety creeping up my back behind my eyes.

  Soon they will know; they have to know. Roulette will understand what I bargained and what I didn’t hand over.

  Poet was the scientist of seduction. It wasn’t her mind that had every person, male or female, running to her door. She corrupted plants and produced the most epic hallucinogenic.