Page 22 of Pride
Alice stilled. So did the other lucid Sinners.
Alice lifted her palms apologetically, and then the dagger fell, clattering on the floor. Greed gave Alice a brief nod. Parker hadn’t looked up from his device, still tapping away, inspecting the program that controlled the replicates.
Greed scanned the room, and then tugged down his mask and hood, revealing his face. Griffin.
Realizing the air must be clean enough because Griffin and Parker now stood without ventilators, Alice eased her own off. The air had a bitter tang to it, but so far, so good. She wasn’t asleep on the floor. While the brothers spoke amongst themselves, Alice went to her sisters.
“How long do you think the sleeping agent will work for?” she asked Thea.
Thea kicked the lounge back down to its rightful state. “No idea. Could be hours.”
Mercy gestured for Alice to assist her carrying Tawny. Together they put their sister on the lounge, then did the same for Raven and Leila. They gently carried the Rev to the final spot on the couch and propped her head with a pillow. When they were done, the three awake Sinners gathered close and put their heads together.
“What do you think?” Mercy asked, eyes darting to the deadly men at the stairs.
“I think Parker can hear us anyway, so there’s no point whispering,” Alice pointed out.
“Good point,” Thea said.
They straightened and kept one watchful eye on the zombie replicates, the other on the Lazarus brothers.
“He clearly led them here,” Thea said. “The Syndicate, I mean.”
“But he fought against them.” Alice rubbed her irritated eyes. Mercy tugged her hand down with a shake of her head.Right. Don’t make them worse. “I don’t think he did it on purpose, just as I didn’t intend to bring him here, but it happened. We’re all safe. And we have some replicates and their control device.”
Thea’s eyes lit up. “You’re right. We have an opportunity here. We should show them.”
Mercy’s brow lifted and sized up Griffin and Evan. Then the Mercy Madness took over her. That’s what they’d always called it when she became suddenly enthralled with a potential sexual conquest. She flicked her hair and adjusted her bust.
“Mercy,” Alice warned. “He’s married.”
“What about the other one?”
“They’re all taken. So just keep the tatas in your shirt. Please?”
Mercy pouted, but nodded. “I suppose now’s not really the time.”
“You think?” Thea rolled her eyes.
Red tinted Mercy’s cheeks and she pushed Thea in the shoulder before striding over to the Lazarus brothers.
“Give me that.” She held her hand out before Parker. He only arched his brow, held the device closer, and then went back to speaking with Griffin. Evan cast a curious glance at Mercy and folded his arms.
Trouble brewed in the air. Alice indicated for Thea to join her as she walked over to Parker. “You don’t believe the Sisterhood has any value for an alliance, then let us show you why we do.”
His dark brows joined together.
“I suppose you know Griffin,” he said, and flicked his chin toward the man next to him.
Alice gave them both a flat smile. “Yes, of course. Hello, Griffin.”
Thea stuck out her hand for a shake, but Griffin flinched at it.
“He’s not a toucher,” Alice said, leaning into her.
For some reason, Alice’s words unsettled Parker. Their eyes met briefly, and then he dropped his shoulders.
“I’m Evan.” Evan took Thea’s outstretched hand. She yelped at the electric shock and Evan laughed, his green eyes twinkling. Then he stepped off the stairs and went toward the replicates, mumbling over his shoulder, “You walked right into that one.”
