About fifteen minutes later, the three of us roll up to a beautiful mortar-and-brick house nestled in the middle of the mountains in Rancho Palos Verdes. The entire perimeter is surrounded by a wrought-iron fence. A black gate separates the property from the road, with a security booth next to it. Right now, it’s wide open, and the moving van is parked in front of the house. The three guys assigned to move us have been vetted and screened by Duchess, our National Prez, but my senses are on high alert since they’re inside our clubhouse before we even get here.
I shut my bike off and turn to Divine. “Go to the security booth at the gates and see how these guys got in without us. If it’s a technical glitch, fix it.”
“On it.” Divine answers and strolls to the booth next to the gates.
Once Divine is safely inside and the door is shut, I turn toward Iris. “You stay with me and keep alert.”
Iris and I walk up to greet the three men. I have my .45 Cal on my hip, moving my cut just enough to expose my fingers gripping the cold, rigid steel. Iris follows my direction and does the same.
“Hey, boys,” I greet the three men, my voice low, the pain in my body beginning to take hold again. I need to assess this quickly before it gets worse.
The three men climb out of the moving truck, and one goes to the back while the other two stand in front of it. I motion with my head for Iris to follow the one who went toward the back.
“What are you doing here before us?” I question, keeping my voice calm despite the growing tension.
The tallest of the three, the driver, speaks up. “I called Duchess since no one was here, and she gave me the code to get in. You can call her to verify if you’d like.”
Iris comes from the back, nodding her head as she returns to my side. She still has her hand on her weapon, but it’s not drawn, signaling she didn’t need to act.
Pulling my phone from the inside of my cut, I keep an eye on the three men and dial Duchess. I put the phone on speaker and wait for her to answer.
“Calypso, what’s wrong?” Duchess asks, answering on the first ring.
“Is there a reason the moving truck is inside the compound without us being here to let them in?” I ask, frustration edging my voice. But I’m talking to the National Prez, so I keep the tone respectful.
“I gave them the code so they weren’t sitting on their asses outside with all your stuff. You didn’t shoot them, did you?”
“Not yet, but I will if they make the wrong move,” I counter, trying to keep my tone light
“Please don’t shoot the tall one. He’s my brother's best friend.” Duchess laughs.
“And the other two?” I raise an eyebrow, glancing at the men in question. The shorter one’s face goes pale.
“Only if you have to.” Duchess chuckles. “They’ve been a pain in my ass since I was a little girl.”
“Got it. Thanks, Prez.” I hang up and remove my hand from my weapon. “Looks like you’re clear. Go ahead and finish unloading our stuff. We’ll be changing the code before you leave.”
I grab my backpack from my saddlebag and walk away from the three men, carefully making my way up the steps to the porch and front door. I enter the code and step inside. This place is perfect.
The foyer leads into an open space with the living and dining rooms. An industrial-size kitchen sits off to the back, and a grand staircase leads to the second floor, where the bedrooms are. There are more rooms behind the kitchen, but right now, I need to find my room and get settled before I can’t move anymore.
I slowly ascend the grand staircase and stop at the third door on the right. This one looks good. I turn around and find Divine and Iris standing behind me.
“Go ahead and pick your rooms, but leave the very last few for Allura to choose from. Since she’s our Prez, we need to make sure she’s protected at all costs.”
“Ok. Take it easy, Calypso. We’ll handle the rest.” Iris says.
“Duchess said the tall one is to be left unharmed. The other two are fair game.” I add, a grin tugging at my lips.
Divine rubs her hands together. “This’ll be fun.”
I don’t know all there is to know about these girls yet, but Duchess and Allura trust them. That’s good enough for me.
I open my bedroom door, and it’s already furnished. A king-sized bed in the middle of the room against the back wall, topped with a black comforter. Two end tables with lamps sit on either side of the bed. To the left, a door leads to a walk-in closet; to the right, there’s a full-size bathroom and a dresser along one wall with a TV mounted against the same steel-gray wall.
I drop my backpack on the bed, open it, and grab a change of clothes and a towel. I make my way to the bathroom and open the door. Black-and-white marble greets me, with granite countertops and a black sink. Bright bulbs line each side of a huge wall mirror. A stand-up shower with mosaic tiles on the opposite wall has a waterfall showerhead. There’s a small bench at the far end of the shower with another waterfall showerhead that calls to me.
With my strength depleting, I hurry and wash the grime of the road off my body and change into the clothes I brought in. Next time, I’ll take my time with this luxurious shower.
