Sally’s blue eyes still shimmered with tears when she stepped into the dormitory behind me. Many heads turned our way, and I bit my tongue when I felt Sally move behind me, using me as a shield and cowering away from the others.

Grabbing her arm, I dragged out and made her stand beside me. I didn’t like how that made me feel, but I refused sentiment any precedence. It wouldn’t help Sally, and it definitely wouldn’t help me.

“Girls,” I addressed the four curious stares looking our way. “This is Sally.”

I understood their interest in her. All new ‘students’ were between six and nine. Sally was the first teenager to join Three Blades, and we all knew that wouldn’t aide either her or us.

Hilary smiled and stood up, approaching Sally with caution. She knew how it could go down; she’d witnessed enough newcomers to be vigilant. “Hi, Sally,” she offered with another soft smile. “You can bunk with me.”

Sally stepped back, once again shying away. Gritting my teeth, I turned on her. “Stop being a child!” I nearly laughed at my own words; she was a fucking child. They all were. We all were at the beginning.

Hilary swallowed loudly, my reputation making her slightly anxious. Still, she tried again, this time taking Sally’s forearm gently. “Sally, you can bunk with me.” Her hard stare warned Sally not to enrage me. I secretly hoped that she would, so that I could bury this stupid empathy making my heart beat harder.

Sally, finally, nodded timidly and allowed Hilary to guide her over to the bunk bed she slept in.

“Show her the ropes, Hilary,” I ordered.

Hilary nodded without even glancing at me. “Of course, Elsie. She'll be all right with us.”

I replied with a curt nod. I wouldn’t tell Hilary I already knew she would take care of Sally, that was one of the reasons I put her in this particular dorm. Usually, any of the newbies that showed this much anxiety, I would bunk them up with the meanest of my students. Still, there was something about Sally that called out to me, a way about her that softened the coldness that had frozen me from the inside out slowly over the last twenty years. A coldness that had been injected into me from the very first day I had stepped into this place – just like Sally.

Sally stood immobile, hugging the clothes Mary had allocated to her. My heart went out to her, but, pushing it aside, I glared at her. “Be ready. Five AM start, and I expect you to have snapped out of this ridiculous childishness.”

Hilary lowered her gaze, sympathising with Sally, yet surprisingly, Sally gave me a firm nod. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“My name is Elsie. I don’t answer to Ma’am, or even fucking Miss, for that matter. Remember that.”

More tears flooded her eyes, but she blinked them away and nodded quickly. “I’m sorry. I’ll be ready for you at five AM.”

Spinning, I allowed the small smile to creep across my face. I had known that Sally would benefit from Hilary’s strength and compassion. Hilary had been one of the rare students who had never lost her kindness, unlike most of the kids here – myself included. Already, Sally was soaking up confidence from just holding Hilary’s hand.

Ebony was leaning against the wall when I stepped from the dorm. Her smile was more of a smirk, and I rolled my eyes, shutting the door behind me so the girls wouldn’t hear our conversation.

“There’s more of that iceberg melting a tiny bit.”

“Fuck off, Eb.” My tone was sour, but Ebony took my mood as she usually did, with little notice.

“There’s only one reason you’d assign her to Hilary, and we both know why that is.” She laughed then turned to look at me. “We have a job.”

Nodding, I rolled my head around my neck. “Good, it might shoot down this fucking frustration.”

“Nah, a job won’t do that, you need a fuck, Sister.”

“And I suppose you’re offering?” I winked at her, deliberately provoking her.

 “One day you’ll let my tongue between those amazing thighs of yours, Elsie. And what’s more, you’ll realise what you’ve been missing out on all these years.”

“That day will come when you suddenly grow a cock, Eb. I’m afraid tongues, and fingers just don’t cut it for me. But, seriously, if ever my preferences change, I’m all yours.”

She grinned at me and poked her tongue out, giving it a quick flick.

“Ladies,” Frank greeted when we knocked on his door, and he bid us entrance. Frank didn’t do pleasantries, nor did he do idle chit-chat. He threw the file on his desk, and I picked it up, flicking open the manila cover. “His name is Euan Sinclair. He’s the CEO of Sinclair, Hope and Underwood.”

Raising an eyebrow, I scanned over the photo clipped to the inside cover. “He’s pretty big time. Won’t lie, I’ve heard of him, mainly because of his generosity to various charities, especially his own.”

Frank nodded and folded his fingers together, regarding me closely. “Just because he donates to charity doesn’t mean he’s a good man, Elsie.”

He was disappointed in my reservation, and his scowl told me so.

Shrugging, I closed the file and nodded. “Sure. Time limit?”

“The contractor specified thirty days only.”

“Doable,” Ebony murmured, flicking me a warning glance before turning back to Frank. “As usual, we’ll keep you up to date.”

He nodded but kept his stare on me. “Elsie?”

“Yep. It’s done.”

His expression was questioning, almost troubled, and he pursed his lips. “Is there something going on that I need to know about?”

“No.”

Although he suspected my lie, he refrained from any further interrogation and gave us both a nod.

“What the fuck is wrong with you lately, girl?” Ebony grumbled when we exited Frank’s office.

“God, nothing is wrong with me!”

She mumbled something under her breath but left it alone. Thankfully, sensing my mood, she relented and gave me a light nudge. “Benny’s?”

“Well I did have a date with the Hemsworth brothers, but you know me, my girl comes before anyone.”

“The Hemsworth brothers wouldn’t make you come like I would, Elsie. This is a fact you already know. Admit it, that’s why you’re dumping them and taking up my offer instead.”

“As I said, Ebony, you’re uncanny at reading my mind.”

 

***

 

Felicity pointed at me, her icy grey eyes slightly hazed in the alcohol induced stupor. “Sister, you know I’m right.”

The murmurs around our table specified my Sister’s agreement; everyone’s but mine. “Maybe, but you can’t actually say what you’d be doing right now, that’s an impossibility, or rather a gift that none of us has.”

Tehni snorted and placed her glass down on the table. Her large chocolate eyes always lay soft on me, and even though she disagreed with me, still they were gentle as she scowled at me. “I know if it weren’t for Three Blades, I’d have been married off to the biggest cunt in the whole of Asia.”

“And if not?” I argued. “Maybe some multi-millionaire Pakistani hitman would have fallen in love with you, shot your man right between his balls in an expert shot, and carried you off into the sunset, where you’d now be drinking cocktails on your own island, with naked men massaging every part of your ridiculously expensive body.”

“Argh,” Ebony grumbled before downing the rest of her ale. “There’s no reasoning with you, Els. I’m done for the night. Blondie over there has been eyeing me up for the last hour. Do you realise how many orgasms I’ve already sacrificed by listening to you moan in the last hour?”

“You’d love to hear Elsie moan for you, Eb!” Felicity cut in, giving me a lopsided wink, or more of a harsh blink.

“One day that bitch’s pussy will be mine, Felicity,” Ebony countered as she vaguely pointed towards me. “Don’t you mock fate.”

Lifting my hands up, I blew out a frustrated breath. “Why do I never get any offers like that from hot guys?”

“It’s your arse,” Tehni stated grimly with a long slur. “Too wide, dear sister.”

“Cheers, Tehni.”

Felicity snorted and pushed up out of her chair with both hands flat on the table. “Shit, think we’ve overdone it tonight, girls.”

A loud laugh burst from me when she teetered sideways and disappeared under the table.

“Jesus fuck,” Ebony muttered, “You’re an embarrassment to the cause.”

“And what exactly is the cause?”

All three of my friends groaned, having heard enough of my protesting all night.

“Alright, alright,” I conceded, holding up my hands. “But one day soon, I’m gonna prove myself right. And where will you all be?”

“Well, me for one,” Ebony interjected. “Will have my tongue inside some tasty bitch’s meat flaps.”

“Meat flaps? Jesus, sell lesbianism to the world, Sister.” I groaned, unable to remove that image from my mind.

“She fucking would if she knew women would pay for it!”

“Fuck you, Tehni.”

“In your dreams, Eb.”

Rolling my eyes, I reached under the table and pulled out my best friend.

“I love you, Elsie. Don’t ever leave me,” Felicity sobbed drunkenly when I hoisted her quickly over my shoulder. “You can never leave us.”

“Night, girls!” Benny, the owner of the bar, shouted when I aimed for the direction of the exit. “Taxi’s already waiting.”

“Did I ever tell you I love you, Ben?”

“Every night, babe,” he shouted after me, adding, just before the doors swung closed, “And every morning if you ever fucking noticed me!”

Felicity nudged me, laughing, apparently hearing, even in her intoxication. “There’s that hot guy you’ve been waiting for, Els. He’d have his wiener sliding between your meat flaps before you could hiccup.”

“Jesus. Ebony was right; you really are a lost cause.”

“You’d be lost without me, Elsie!”

I smiled when she patted my arse. “I really would, Sister. You’ve had my back more times than I can count.”

She didn’t reply. She didn’t hear me; she was already snoring before I even got the taxi door open.

The driver laughed, coming around the car to help me. “Give her here, love. You get in the other side and clip her in.”

Nodding, I stepped away from the car. A burst of ice shot up my spine, every single hair on my body following route and snapping to attention.

My hand instinctively shot to my jacket as I spun around. My eyes flicked along the alleyway, seeking out the shadows and all that they hid. The poor lighting both aided and hindered the situation, amplifying every instinct that had been born into me since I was eight. My pupils dilated and stretched my peripheral vision, my eyes keen for any slight movement. Hot blood rushed through my veins, pumping adrenaline into every nerve ending in my ready body.

The taxi driver squealed, banging his head on the roof of his car when a cat shrieked, jumping out from behind a bin and scampering off into the darkness.

“Bloody hell!” he gasped, trying to catch his breath. “Scared the living daylights outta me!”

I chuckled and nodded. “You and me both, mate.”

Felicity grumbled in the back of the car, “Sister! I’m gonna puke!”

“Fuck me,” I hissed under my breath as I yanked her back out of the car. “It’s gonna be a long night.”