Page 60 of Sapphire's Gem
Cassidy nodded and then sat up as a large truck arrived. It backed up to the warehouse loading bay that we’d been watching, and the driver jumped down. In the one light above the warehouse door, I saw a woman exit. Shit, that was Sparrow.
“Do we go in yet?” Cassidy asked.
“No. She could claim that the driver had the wrong warehouse. We need to let them take the delivery in and catch them with it,” I replied.
Cassidy nodded as I told everyone watching to wait until the shipment had been emptied. Large crates were unloaded as Sparrow watched. My gut twisted. I liked Sparrow, and it was hard to think she was involved in drug running. Maybe Sapphire didn’t know what her sister was doing. As much as I’d like to believe that was a no, nothing happened in the Royal Harlots that Sapphire didn’t approve of.
For the next hour, we watched, taking clear pictures. “Raid the warehouse,” Hatton’s voice came over the radio, and I glanced up and saw him standing by an unmarked.
Sirens pierced the silence as black and whites appeared, and I drove into the warehouse yard.
SWAT kicked the door in, and cops piled inside the warehouse. I spotted Sparrow, looking shocked, and she immediately got to her knees, holding her hands behind her head. Those with her—Nun, Stitch, and Poker—looked shocked but followed Sparrow’s example.
Uniformed officers forced the driver and three other men who were standing by the boxes to the ground.
All of them were patted down, and a variety of weapons were discovered on the women. Sparrow had begun to look amused, but it was mixed with anger.
“What’s the meaning of this?” she demanded of Hatton as cuffs were slapped on them all.
“We’ve got a warrant to search the premises for drugs,” he said.
“You think we’re dealing drugs?” Sparrow insisted.
Hatton’s eyes went to the crates and nodded.
“Be my fuckin’ guest. But I warn you now, damage my merchandise and I’ll sue the fuck out of you.”
Sparrow was too relaxed for my liking, and her gaze focused on me.
“You blew it, asshole. Don’t say a word,” she ordered her sisters and shifted. She crossed her legs in front of her and lowered her arms.
“Put your hands…”
“Leave her,” I said to the uniformed cop. I had a sinking feeling this night was about to go horribly wrong.
Hatton motioned for an officer to pry open the crate's lid. The lid clattered to the floor as the Royal Harlots stared at us with varying degrees of amusement and distaste.
“What the fuck?” Hatton called out as he looked inside the box.
“What?” I asked, moving over with Cassidy. My eyes widened at the contents of the crate.
“Are those…?” Cassidy exclaimed.
“Butt plugs,” I stated.
“Empty the crate,” Hatton said and moved to the next.
“Remember, any merchandise damaged, the PPD are paying for,” Sparrow spat out.
The next crate contained whips in clear plastic bags. My gut sank. We’d intercepted a shipment of sex toys. Sparrow was smug after six more crates were opened and the drug dogs didn’t alert.
“You can pack all the stuff back into those crates and make fuckin’ sure they’re not damaged,” she snarled at us.
“Uncuff them,” Hatton ordered.
“Fuckin’ assholes,” Nun said loudly as she was uncuffed.
“You blew it. The tip-offs about shipments, the help we offer, everything stops after this. We gave you those gangbangers, and you spit on us,” Sparrow hissed at Hatton.
