Poison Rose

CH- 69 - We Are Here To Play Magic

Caspian lay sprawled on the thick wooden bed, his bare back exposed against the crisp white bedsheets and a blanket draped loosely across his waist. His breathing had slowed, signalling the deep sleep that Pearl had patiently waited for after three hours of their intimate encounter.

She glanced at him, a soft smile tugging at her lips, as she moved her hand in front of his face. He didn't stir.

Pearl quietly slipped from the bed, her bare feet brushing the cold floor as she gathered her discarded clothes. Moving on tiptoe, careful not to disturb the silence, she dressed in her original room before heading toward the entrance.

Outside, in the shadows of the night, Rihanna's car awaited her. Pearl climbed into the passenger seat, and the two women drove away.

"Be careful what you say in front of them," Pearl warned, her voice low and steady. "They don't care how rich or powerful you are. Their heads are always in the clouds, knowing the kind of power they hold in the drug trade. They're all hotheaded, and they don't see women as equals." Pearl glanced at Rihana, who gripped the steering wheel, eyes fixed ahead.

Rihana gave a quick sidelong glance at Pearl and then back to the road. "Got it. I'm just here for the pills," she said coolly, but there was an unmistakable trace of unease in her voice.

After nearly three hours of driving, they arrived at a desolate, dark area far from the nearest town. The atmosphere felt full of ominous feelings.

They abandoned the car a few yards away and walked toward a parked black SUV. Around a fire, a group of rough-looking men played cards and drank.

The moment Pearl and Rihana stepped out, all eyes turned toward them. Each man looked more intimidating than the last.

One had a patch over his eye, and another bore a long scar stitched tightly across his lips. A third man had his face tattooed in red ink to resemble a skull, it was difficult to read his expression. The fourth man smiled, revealing gold teeth that gleamed in the firelight. And the fifth wore large, golden, spiked rings on every finger—his hands looked like they were built to maim.

Rihana's grip tightened on Pearl's arm in anxiety. It wasn't just nervousness, it felt as if they had walked straight into the devil's den.

"Rihana, you're hurting me," Pearl said, wincing slightly. "I've got no energy left after... you know what I mean."

"Show off," Rihana muttered, rolling her eyes, trying to distract herself from the unsettling scene ahead.

"Show off?" Pearl shot back with a sly grin. "Don't think I haven't noticed that every guy working at your hotel is a total hunk, just the way you prefer."

Rihana ignored Pearl's comment. Her attention was laser-focused on the five men standing in front of them. As Rihana and Pearl got closer, the men playing cards kept their cards on the table and stood up. Among them, only the one with the golden teeth smiled, but it looked more menacing than friendly in the dim light.

"We're here to play cards," Pearl said confidently.

Rihana's head whipped toward her, eyes wide in disbelief. 'Cards? We're here to play cards?' This wasn't what she had expected at all. She'd thought they were here for a quick exchange, not to sit down and play a game with these terrifying men.

"Which game would you like to play?" asked the man with the skull tattoo.

"We'd like to play Magic: The Gathering," Pearl replied without missing a beat, her tone unnervingly casual.

The man with the stitched marks shifted slightly, nodding as if this was the answer he was expecting. "Let's go," he muttered, motioning them to follow.