Page 17 of Pride
“Alice,” Raven said, her voice low and ominous. “We’ve all wanted out at some point. We just never say it.”
“No, you haven’t,” Alice replied. “Deep down inside, we all know this is all we’re good for. We’re going to Hell, may as well take some bastards with us.”
It was the truth written on their souls. Hell. Heathens. Sinners. Worthless. Nothing. One day, they all feared their value would end, and they’d be discarded. All they had was each other and their pledge to the Sisterhood. Sometimes they didn’t agree with their missions, sometimes they hated it, but always they had each other.
“I don’t want to leave you guys,” she whispered. Not for someone who didn’t love her back.
The Reverend Mother arrived down the stairs, her cane thwacking the floor with her uneven steps. She was aged somewhere in her seventies. The black robes of her habit swished behind her like death itself. Round eyes, a hook nose, and flat lips. She looked like a wrinkled old prune, and acted like she needed one, but she was beginning to grow on Alice. She was the fifth Reverend Mother the Sisterhood had been assigned in the past three years, but she’d stayed the longest.
Before the Vatican had discovered the Sisterhood’s secret society, their leader had risen internally from within their own ranks, as it always had been since Saint Hildegard’s time. Alice had always wondered what it was like back then. Did they do penance as these Sinners did? Were they given the same liberties and freedoms? The same shackles?
“Sister Alice,” the Rev greeted. “It is good to see you, my child.”
Alice forced a smile on her face and nodded. “It is good to see you too, Rev.”
“Reverend Mother,” she reminded sourly.
“Right. That.”
The Rev moved to stand before the whiteboard. Her sharp eyes tracked over the pinned paper, pictures, and handwritten notes before returning to the Sinners. She clasped her hands before her. A set of rosary beads was wrapped around one fist. Usually the Rev prayed when she was nervous about giving disturbing news.
“What is the progress on the mission, Sister?” the Rev asked Alice.
“She’s Parker’s mate,” Tawny blurted, then covered her mouth and widened her eyes apologetically before mumbling into her hand, “Sorry.”
The Rev didn’t look surprised, which meant Raven had already told her. It’s probably why Alice had been allowed to spend so long acting as Parker’s assistant. Maybe they knew that if one of the Sinners from today was part of that family, there would always be someone willing to complete the kill order if necessary. Heat flushed her cheeks, and she looked down at her fingers.
“And what about the rest of you?” The Rev scanned the group. “Are you wrapping up your individual missions?”
They all took turns updating the Rev. Alice tuned out because she was still processing the fact her news had been taken so easily.
When Mary Lazarus had defected, there’d been an uproar. For years they’d debated whether to track Mary down and eliminate her because of all the secrets she knew. But then Raven had arrived at the Abbey. She’d brought with her some mystical insight that had been sorely lacking since Mary’s departure. They’d waited. And waited. And then decades later, the Deadly Seven resurfaced. For all intents and purposes, it looked as though the Lazarus family was on the side of good. The side that wanted to thwart the apocalypse.
Stewing in her own thoughts, Alice chewed on her nails, her insides in knots.
“So, the directive remains the same,” the Reverend Mother continued. “We need to end this looming issue with the Syndicate as soon as we can. We simply cannot allow these replicates loose on the world. We’re already suffering the consequences of a small slip. And of course, I feel it’s prudent to remind you, the sooner we can get Sister Prudence back, the better.”
Prudence was one of them. Alice had infiltrated Lazarus Tech, and Prudence had infiltrated the Syndicate.
Heavy footsteps down the staircase drew their attention. Leila picked up her gun, now completely back together. Raven lifted a Katana she’d had sitting beside her on the floor. It made Alice think she’d seen this encounter.
Glossy dress shoes came into view on the steps, followed by pressed and tailored navy pants. Hands in pockets. Then a vest. Jacket. Tie. Trimmed beard. Shoulder-length auburn hair. A smug, handsome face. Parker Lazarus.
He stepped off the last step and surveyed the room, completely unaware, or most likely uncaring, that he’d stepped into a den of vipers. He prowled about. As he passed, he assessed each woman, and then continued to the back of the room to eye the weapon’s rack briefly before returning and standing before the whiteboard full of sensitive information about his family. He met Alice’s gaze, his own carrying a glint that was more cat-got-the-cream than predator.
Leila cocked her gun—an old Smith and Wesson revolver. It should have been swapped out for a modern model, but they all had their crutches, and this old gun was hers. Parker dismissed her weapon, and Raven’s, then looked at the Reverend Mother.
“I’m here for Alice,” he stated, voice smooth and full of bass.
Alice snorted. Laughter from the other five Sinners ranged from a tinkling to guffaws. None of it bothered Parker. He shrugged it off and kept his gaze firmly on the Rev.
To her credit, the Reverend Mother didn’t cower. She lifted her chin and pointed her cane at Parker. “Sister Alice is not for sale, young man.”
“I know. She already belongs to me.”
“Now you’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’ pretty boy,” Mercy said, cracking her knuckles.
It warmed Alice’s heart to see her family stand up for her, and she knew then that no matter what they’d all said about the mating, none of them would ever simply hand her over or send her on her way. They were sisters until the end.
