Chapter Four.
Phoenix
We should have been alert, but we weren’t. It had been three days since Judas had last attacked Drake, and Belladonna had chased him off.
Drake and I had relaxed our guard, and now we were going to pay the price. As we walked across the Royal Harlots parking lot late afternoon, Drake suddenly collapsed, clutching his head. A scream ripped from me as I saw his ears trickle blood.
Drake fell on his back, dug his feet into the ground and arched off it. Yells came from inside the clubhouse as women burst out of it. Staggering behind them was Belladonna, being guided by a woman I didn’t recognise. Drake howled in agony, with such intensity I swear he ruptured his throat.
Drake drummed his heels as his back nearly broke with the contortion of his body. He collapsed to the ground, blood trickling from his nose. Drake made small whimpers of sheer pain as his head lolled about. Before my eyes, Drake was being attacked by an invisible force, and I couldn’t save him.
“Shore Belladonna!” Sparrow snapped as she gazed at Nun.
“Get Stitch!” Belladonna cried. “Judas is causing a brain bleed in Drake!”
A woman clapped a hand to Belladonna’s arm, then to Nun’s. “Let loose that anger, Nun,” she ordered.
Nun laughed, and the Royal Harlot, Poker, grimaced, but suddenly Belladonna shot upright, her eyes narrowed and turned white. “Enjoy the headache, you little prick,” she snarled and focused. An evil grin crossed her lips as she straightened.
“Heal him,” she said to Stitch, who dropped to her knees and gripped Drake’s head. Drake was barely breathing as Poker dragged Nun over and clasped her arm while holding onto Stitch. Stitch’s eyes turned white as Belladonna’s had, and then her hands began to glow a faint blue.
“What the fuck?” I whispered, stunned.
Belladonna sauntered over, crouched, and peered at me. “Drake’s gonna be okay. While we didn’t know the timing, we expected Judas to make an attempt. The fact that I smacked him back so quickly and powerfully is going to leave him with a psychic headache.”
“He punched through Drake’s wall. Was this for nothing?” I demanded, as tears trickled down my face.
“No. Look, Drake’s already coming around. If Judas had done that three days ago, Drake’s brain would have been mush.”
“What did Poker do?”
“She’s what we call an Amplifier. She can take someone’s emotion, amplify it, and transfer the energy from it.
Nun has a lot of hate and anger inside her, so grabbing her made sense.
Poker transferred the power to me, and it allowed me to smack Judas back with more than a bloody nose this time.
He’ll be down for a few days. That gives me time to shore up that wall of Drake’s, and then we can return to Rapid City.
Judas won’t try that again because he’ll believe I’m stronger. ”
“You are, though, aren’t you?” I asked as I wiped tears away. Drake’s face was relaxed, and the agony had gone from it.
“Yes, Phoe, I am, but fighting from a distance is difficult. Up close and personal, I’d smack Judas all over and burn his brain.
That’s why Poker helped me slap him so hard.
By the time he recovers, we’ll be in RC and hunting him.
Judas may think he’ll be stronger in his own territory, but he’ll be wrong,” Belladonna stated calmly.
“No offence, what if you’re not? You’re being awfully cocky,” I replied with clear worry. I didn’t want to doubt the sisters; they’d helped Drake immensely, but this was my husband. All the suffering and grief I’d experienced, I’d earned Drake and wasn’t going to lose him.
“I get it. You’re putting your soulmate’s future in our hands.
It’s scary. But we’re good, Phoe, otherwise Warden wouldn’t have put you in touch with us,” Poker reassured, and I held her gaze.
There was unwavering faith shining in her eyes.
Poker completely believed in Belladonna’s confidence.
That was fantastic, but this was my husband.
“You won’t be returning to RC with just Bells and Stitch. Nun and Poker will come too,” Sapphire stated. “I expect you to look after my sisters.”
Now I was insulted. “Of course I will! What do you take me for?”
Sapphire cocked an eyebrow, and I held her gaze. “Don’t give them too much, though. I want them to return, not get used to living in the lap of luxury,” she added.
“After they meet my brood, I can guarantee that,” I replied, and Sapphire briefly grinned. She didn’t know I meant it.
Belladonna
So, this was how the other half lived, I thought as I climbed aboard Phoebe’s private plane two days later.
Phoe had already boarded after telling Sapphire that if the Harlots needed anything, then to call.
No doubt Sapphire would use that marker one day.
Phoe had also paid double mine and Stitch’s usual fee and was covering Poker and Nun’s time.
I imagined it was nice to have so much money that you didn’t flinch at paying our fees.
I bet Drake Michaelson got used to this level of luxury pretty quickly.
As soon as I thought that, I realised I was being uncharitable.
But hell, who wouldn’t, I wondered, looking around the plane.
It was large and spacious, with everything anyone could want.
It literally screamed, a mega-rich-bitch owns me.
When we landed in RC, I was surprised to find a prospect with a trailer meeting us. On it were five Harleys.
“I thought you’d prefer riding. These we keep for loners,” Drake said as he wheeled his own Hog off. Now, that was class. Loner bikes for guests.
Drake ordered the prospects to take our luggage and swung onto his Harley. It was beautiful; someone had done a fantastic job. Phoe hopped up behind, and we glanced across at the two guys waiting on Harleys.
“Ace, Apache,” Drake greeted.
“Hello,” Nun purred, and I smirked.
Anxiety flowed from both men. It poured off them with an acidic taste.
“Well?” the older man demanded.
“Come to the Hall; we’ll explain there,” Drake ordered. They nodded and fell into place behind him. We followed them as they roared out and wondered what Drake would say to them.
“A psychic attack?” Apache asked with a frown.
“Yes,” I said, prepared to fight. Apache and Ace both swapped glances. Ace was Drake’s VP, and Apache held the rank Road Captain, although he’d once been an enforcer.
“There are things out there we can’t understand. My people have known for many years that powers exist beyond our comprehension. How do we track what is invisible to our eyes?” Apache asked.
“With me. Judas will attack once he realises Drake is home. I’ll mask my presence until he attacks, and then we’ll lock him down,” I replied.
“Which means what?” Ace demanded. Gorgeous, yeah, but the asshole had an attitude problem.
“It means I’ll fuck his mind up and destroy him,” I stated.
Ace held my gaze, and I barely resisted the urge to give him a poke.
Then approval shone in his eyes. I got the feeling that was rare and inclined my head in acknowledgement.
Lord knows I didn’t need it, not from him, but in the interest of a possible working relationship between our two MCs, I’d play nice.
Ace smirked as if he had read my thoughts and nodded.
“Do you think he’s done this before?” Apache asked.
“No. Definitely not. When he went after Drake last time, Judas made a foolish mistake and used everything he had to attack. That allowed me to slap him back hard. Judas won’t leave his bed for a few days because of the headache I gave him.
Instead, he’ll be stewing that a mere female opposed his wishes.
He won’t believe I’m stronger because I’m female.
Judas’ll come for Drake again, and then we’ll spring the trap. ”
“He’s overconfident and arrogant. A bad mix. He’ll fall; it’s just a matter of when,” Stitch added.
“Can he harm Drake?” Ace asked.
“No. Not while we’re here. There’s no doubt he’ll attack. Judas wants Drake to suffer,” I replied.
“Then we best be on guard,” Apache said slowly.
While I appreciated the sentiment, there was nothing they could do to help. This was for me and my sisters to resolve. We’d be doing the heavy lifting, and that was that.
Drake
“Yeah, make it a mandatory one. Old ladies and Hellions,” I ordered down the phone.
Ace grunted, and I guess that was his reply before he cut the line.
Four days had trickled past, and I was aware the Royal Harlots had their own businesses to run.
We’d expected an attack yesterday, but nothing had happened.
Belladonna sensed we were being watched; Judas was probably trying to figure us out.
So, I’d decided to give the asshole a nudge.
We were having a get-together at the clubhouse, a family party. Let Judas see us having a blowout.
If I guessed right, and my gut told me I had, it would piss him off.
Judas would react and make a mistake, and then we’d nail his ass to the ground.
It went against the grain to let someone fight my battles for me.
But this I couldn’t win; how the hell did somebody as normal as me battle an invisible guy?
That was a joke in itself, me… normal. Not likely.
I gazed out of my study window at the four Royal Harlots.
Phoe had insisted they stay with us, which had made me uncomfortable.
I didn’t know them well, and this was my home.
But I understood how she felt. Thanks to their efforts, I was alive.
Stitch had explained that Judas had tried to fry my brain.
Motherfucker. Who was he? Who had he lost in the war?
Was it someone on our side of a Venomous Fang?
Maybe one who’d been forced to fight or lose his family.
It transpired there’d been a lot of those.