Page 34 of Nun’s Prayer

“You were saying?” I asked mildly as I sent for Belladonna. Calmly, I pulled my small baton from my waistband and flicked it open. I smashed his knees, and he hit the ground, sobbing.

Cyber picked up a piece of wood left abandoned in the alley. She shoved a dirty rag into his mouth and slapped her palm with her makeshift weapon. “This is Royal Harlot territory. We really have a thing against drugs. Dealers aren’t allowed to sell here, and yet here you are pushing product. What? We’ve pussies and can’t protect our land?”

The dealer babbled something, and I cupped my ear. “What was that? We’re stupid and bimbos, and we’re no threat?” I smashed the baton across his back.

“Let’s send his boss a message,” I murmured and got to work.

Blue

I knew what they were doing down that alley; the dealer wouldn’t be walking out either. Those of us in the stable picked up stuff not meant for our ears, such as how the Harlots stopped drugs from being sold in the town centre. Once a fortnight, they did a purge and made sure kids could walk the streets without being harassed to buy drugs.

They weren’t naïve and believed that they could keep drugs out of the town for good. They allowed them on the outskirts but nowhere else. If a dealer ventured into town, they were dicing with a beating. And the Harlots were more than happy to dish it out. They took no prisoners, and they didn’t forget. They didn’t even care if people used drugs; they just didn’t like usage around them.

I’d heard whispers that one of the sisters had been drugged and nearly raped, and that was behind their aversion to them. It wasn’t confirmed, but I believed it. As I sat sipping my milkshake, watching over the bikes, I saw Belladonna and several others pull up. They waved at me and disappeared. Like other victims, this dealer would have a sudden lapse of memory. I chuckled and ordered more milkshakes. I knew they’d join me soon.

Nun

Blue seemed pretty pleased with himself, although he’d not said anything. His humour faded when we got back to the clubhouse, and he spotted Priest.

“What is it?” I murmured.

“I don’t like him. Something is off,” Blue replied.

“Sure it’s not jealousy?” I teased, and Blue shook his head.

“Nope. I know where I stand with you; I’m pretty confident in that. Plus, you don’t play mind games. That’s not you. There’s a secret he’s hiding, Nun, and it’s bad. He’s got shifty eyes,” Blue stated.

I stared at Priest. Blue wasn’t wrong. Priest was too cocky, too sure of himself, almost as if he was playing a role. His eyes were cold and constantly alert, and he sized everything up.

“We never asked what he did,” I replied, remembering the suit I’d seen him in. That had been expensive. Since he’d been here, he’d worn jeans and tees with his cut. Blue wasn’t wrong; Priest was more than he proclaimed to be.

“We’re at the club tonight,” I informed Blue, who nodded. I yanked his head down and kissed him hard and walked across to Belladonna.

“You broke his shield?”

“No. It’s tight. You can tell he’s worked at it.”

“We need Cyber to look into his background.”

“Sapphire did that; Cyber’s still searching,” Belladonna replied.

“Really?” I exclaimed quietly. If Cyber had to dig, Priest was definitely hiding something.

“Yup. I’ve got an art thief in the pot.”

I laughed. Trust us to have opened a bet. “Assassin.”

Belladonna made wide eyes at me. “I didn’t think of that.”

“Wait a minute, hey Dagger!” I called as she entered the clubhouse.

“What’s up, bitches?” Dagger asked as she came over.

“Who’s that hitman you bid against?”

“Priest? Asshole. He doesn’t seem to realise he’s second to us,” Dagger complained.

I tilted my head. “You ever seen him?”