Chapter One.
I slammed into the warehouse we purchased and looked it over.
We’d waltzed in and paid cash for this old stone structure on the edge of Odiorne State Park.
The surrounding land was state-owned, and there was one hundred and thirty-five acres with no close neighbours.
Sadly, for the state, the two acres we’d bought had been privately owned.
I looked at the girls near me. Together we’d grow strong. Mariah, Chelsea, and I had stuck together, but Chelsea had used her powers to seek others like us. We’d also changed our names. I was Sapphire, Mariah had become Sparrow, and Chelsea was Belladonna.
Others had joined our ranks since forming.
We had Vengeance, who was a few months younger than me, and who had phytokinesis, the power to control plants. Consider Poison Ivy, and you’d be halfway there.
Cyber had one of the rarest talents around, so rare that I didn’t believe anyone else had it.
It was such a rare ability that it didn’t even have a name.
She could touch any computerised equipment, from basic to complex, and operate it.
It was as if her conscious merged with the internet and she owned its ass.
Cyber was sixteen and had already been abused for her powers.
Belladonna, Sparrow, and I had sprung her from her prison six months ago.
She’d been so relieved and was already blossoming in her freedom.
We’d also faked her death, covering her tracks so she wouldn’t be hunted down again.
Heart was seriously empathic—and vulnerable because of it.
Nobody had shown her how to block, so she was constantly overloaded.
When Belladonna had located her, locked in a psychiatric clinic, she instantly blocked Heart’s abilities and earned her loyalty on the spot.
Now, Heart, after eighteen months with us and only just turning twenty-one, knew how to handle them.
“What do you reckon?” I asked Sparrow.
“It’s okay for what’s required. There’s a tunnel that we’ve discovered, one leading to the cove as we thought.”
“Wide enough for what we need?”
“Yup. And in damn good repair. Honestly, Sapphire, I think this has been used recently.”
“Nice,” I replied, looking around.
“And the other warehouse we wanted?” Vengeance inquired, coming forward.
“Got it today. The sale went through, and I signed the paperwork an hour ago. We have a home, girls,” I said, and everyone grinned.
With me today was the start of our girl gang. We intended to find others like us, save them, and bring them here. Together we’d be stronger. They were out there, and they needed to know we were, too.
“Did we get the business account open?” Sparrow asked.
“Yes, also done and dusted this morning. It’s time we started working out what we want to do. While I don’t mind hitting Vegas again, I think after our last excursion, we give them a break for a bit.” I grinned at Sparrow.
As soon as we’d decided what we wanted from life, the six of us had headed straight to Vegas.
Ever since we’d left the Dukes’ home, Belladonna, Sparrow, and I had been on the run.
Screw child services, we didn’t trust them in the slightest. We’d lived working in places that paid cash in hand, and sometimes Cyber had hacked into banks and given us the money we needed to live.
But now we’d made a decision; we weren’t keen on living like that anymore.
We deserved a home, a sanctuary of our own.
If we intend to recruit others like us, we had to offer them work and a home. That had been the start of our plans, which came to fruition last month. With fake IDs, we’d hit Vegas. By using Cyber's extraordinary skills and Sparrow’s, we’d walked away millionaires.
We didn’t stay in one casino; we hit several with different people.
Sparrow didn’t need to be at a table to win; she could control the dice or wheel from anywhere as long as she could see it.
Of course, Belladonna’s telepathic skills could link her to whichever one of us was at the table, and Sparrow could then ensure we won.
We weren’t stupid; we made sure that we lost a few big hands as well, but we came out on top and richer than we believed possible. None of us wanted to blow the money; we had plans, and we were putting them in motion.
This warehouse was our first stop. Even though it was isolated, we would operate our shipping company from there.
Through it, we’d run both our legal business and a smuggling one.
We already had a lockdown on several leads.
For example, who knew that it was illegal to sell sex toys in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and India?
Well, it was something I’d discovered. Right now, I was planning routes into those very countries, hidden under our legitimate shipping.
We’d discussed what we wanted to do and were now looking for businesses that suited us.
Sparrow planned to run the illegal smuggling ring.
We’d run tobacco, alcohol, and sex toys for a start and see how we’d got on.
Warden, President of Royal Bastards MC in Camden, had been very helpful in finding us contacts, and we were already seeking our own ships.
Warden had basically told me that birds of a feather should stick together.
Warden’s MC and my gang shared psychic skills that set us apart from everyone else.
If there’d been a female version of the RBMC, I’d have joined immediately. Warden had offered us a place in his, but I’d held back. Something deep inside told me we weren’t meant to be a part of the RBMC.
“This is our first step!” Heart said with a smile. She wanted to run a hotel, which was surprising given her empathy, but she claimed she’d be able to soothe customers and so on. Meanwhile, Vengeance wanted to open a garden centre, which made sense.
Belladonna planned to run a legit ski resort/summer resort.
As for me, I’d been told I was running the gang and to get on with it.
We wanted more businesses than that, but we needed others to help run them.
For now, we owned a large, old stone warehouse that would be used as our home.
Plus, we owned this much smaller warehouse to run a shipping transport business out of, once we found clients.
There was a knock on the shutter doors, and we turned as a teenager entered. She stared at us with contemplation before a smirk crossed her face. Without a word, she held up a hand, and even as Sparrow moved to throw up a protective shield, ice coated the floor in front of us.
A smug grin spread across her face. “You can call me Tinkerbell, and I believe we’ve been looking for each other,” she said cockily.
I swapped glances with the others and laughed.
“Welcome to the girl gang, Tink,” I said.
“Tinkerbell. The bell bit is important after all,” Tinkerbell replied, making a bell out of ice.
“That’s so freaking cool!” Sparrow exclaimed and smiled.
“You’re going to be handy in the summer when we need to cool down,” Belladonna chipped in.
Tinkerbell laughed, and we walked over to greet our newest member.
Sapphire - 2016
“What are you saying?” Duchess, President of the National Chapter of the Royal Harlots MC, said, tilting her head.
“I want to open my own chapter in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.”
“Sapphire, I don’t know you well enough for that,” Duchess returned.
“And?”
“Saph, you’ve not even patched in yet!” Duchess exclaimed.
“Duchess, you know I’ve got skills and shit we don’t talk about. I brought seven girls here, not including myself. We want to create something special, and that can’t happen here,” I replied calmly.
“Why not?” Duchess demanded.
“Because our kind of special gets noticed. And as National President, you don’t need that added scrutiny. None of us can be ourselves; we’re on edge, watching for spies and eyes the whole time. We can’t relax.”
“You’re saying you don’t trust my sisters?” Duchess reared up in anger.
“I don’t trust those watching us. Do you even realise the government hunts us for our skills? One slip-up is all it would take, and we’d be gone for good. We trust you guys, but the hangers-on? The men attending here…?” I sighed. “And we’re so tense, one of us is going to explode,” I replied.
Duchess leaned back in her chair. “You know I wanted you to stay here.”
“Duchess, I’ve got respect for you, but we never said we wanted to leave NH.
Portsmouth is our home, our businesses are there, and it’s where we belong.
Warden told me about this place, which is why we came, but it was never going to be long term.
We wish to be Harlots, but not to the level of being uncomfortable in our own skin. ”
“And I’m supposed to make you president when you’re not even patched in?” Duchess drawled, sounding amused.
“Fine, we’ll walk and create our own MC. We don’t have to be Harlots, we want to be, but it’s not necessary,” I said calmly. “We own our own businesses, and they’re very profitable. Sorry this didn’t work out.”
I got to my feet, and Duchess scowled. She watched me for several long moments, and I wished I had Belladonna’s ability to read her mind.
“I was planning to offer you a chapter in a few years. Guess you can have it now. You will stay Harlots, am I clear? We’re friends, and I don’t give friendship lightly.
Take your girls and go. You’re right, people are watching us, and closely.
I ain’t bothered, they can come for us. But not you girls.
The Feds would love you.” She shook her head.
“Why did you pick Portsmouth?” she asked abruptly, but I saw a glint in her eye.
“You know why,” I said, and she laughed.
“What isn’t said doesn’t need to be. Stay safe and give Warden my regards,” Duchess said, referring to the Camden, Maine, President of the Royal Bastards MC.
“Will do,” I replied and reached out to grip her hand. Holding Duchess’s eyes, I put feeling into my voice. “Thank you.”
Sapphire - 2025