“It’s coming, E. Just taking longer than I expected.” His hand flew through his ashy locks in frustration. “We hit a design flaw, so we’re ironing out all the kinks before testing.” I knew that was hard for him to admit, not because of what we would think, but because he didn’t like not having all the answers and fixes to a problem.
It took a few seconds for all that worry to melt away, replaced with a cocky smile that screamed for her to trust him. “You know I’d never send out a bad product with our name on it.”
That seemed to jar her out of whatever train of thought she was on. She gave him a curt nod. “Fine. Push it back one more month, but we need to see results in thirty days. I’ve got contracts pending.”
“All right, all right, you scheduling sadist,” he said with a grin, winking at her as he grabbed something off his desk. Leaning back, he tossed it into the air, clearly done with his part of the meeting.
Ezra was strong, harsh, and demanding, but she always put being our sister first. Even though she never stopped pushing us to be our best, she believed us when we said we couldn’t do something. We could tell her anything, and she’d find a way to fix it, to make it right, to help in every way she could.
But that kind of strength could also make you feel small. It made me want to prove myself, to handle things on my own, to show her I was just as worthy of the title as she was.
And I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
“Riot, have you taken care of the Kaminsky job? I haven't seen an update.”
Riot’s hologram hadn’t moved since I sat down, making me think she’d somehow figured out how to trick Calix’s magical device, but when her mouth opened to respond, I was reminded that I should’ve known my sister was just that weird.
“Yes. It was completed this morning with an agent delivering the eyes and tongue today.”
It must have been a human job since supes could just grow those things back. The only satisfactory end for a supe job was to rip out the heart, the one thing they couldn’t remake.
“Perfect. I’ll have the money wired to your accounts now.” She nodded to someone out of frame before looking back at us. I would bet a million dollars it was Arion.
Arion wasn’t just her aide or secretary—he was part executive manager, part accountant, and part silent security detail, even if Ezra pretended she didn’t need protection. I wasn’t exactly sure when or how he’d entered the picture, but one day, he was justthere. Always calm, composed, and unwavering in his loyalty to her.
“Aniyah, how is everything going on your end? I saw a spike in revenue for the past few months.” She said it like she was surprised, but I couldn't fault her.
The sex trade had always provided a steady stream of revenue for the Syndicate, but once Ezra took over the Desmond managing seat, she’d pushed for something more. She didn’t want us trapped in the role of the mobsters we’d been trained to be, what the Syndicate had always been. She wanted each of us to pursue legitimate ventures to balance out the seedier parts of our empire. It meant taking a short-term financial hit in exchange for long-term growth.
The Glovefox clan had branched out into modeling and entertainment, launching legitimate businesses not just to funnel and clean money but to cultivate loyal talent under our banner. The return on investment had taken longer than I expected, so, in the meantime, I founded the Winged Palace, and the money started pouring in.
“After completing the thirteenth and final floor of WP two months ago, membership spiked. A lot of the newcomers opted for the higher tiers, which brings in monthly revenue whether they use it or not.”
Winged Palace was my baby, my dream establishment, drawing in clients from across the globe and increasing our influence with every new member. We were becoming the go-to spot for the elite to engage in their sexual depravity in a controlled and safe environment.
Ezra nodded. “Great work.” Her eyes landed on me, lips twitching into almost a smile—close enough for me to take the win.
“If you need more security,” she added, “let Nova know. The more popular something becomes, the bigger the target.”
“I will,” I replied, and Nova winked in silent agreement.
“Good. I sent each of you a secure email with the latest financials, including both the official books and the off-record receivables and payables. If you have questions, let me know, and we’ll go over it.”
“Aww, E, you know we trust you with all of that.” Calix threw his hand out at her and laughed. We all knew he wouldn’t even open the email. As long as his research was funded, the rest barely registered for him.
Nova chimed in. “Cal’s right, but I’ll still look it over and let you know if I have any questions.”
Riot simply nodded. I could practically see her finger hovering over the “end call” button. I loved her to pieces, but she’d always preferred solitude to prolonged group interaction. It waspart of what made her a ruthless killing machine, but also why connecting with her required more of a one-on-one approach. One thing never changed though: Riot always showed up for family, no matter what.
“I’d hate for all that work to go to waste,” I added with a smirk, “so I’ll look it over... in between blow jobs.”
Every face on the screen snapped to me in unified shock, and I burst out laughing. This never got old.
Calix, predictably dramatic, screamed, “Aniyah!” like I’d just committed a crime against him personally.
Nova nearly fell over in her chair, slapping her knee and cackling, “Get it, girl!”
Riot blinked. Just... kept blinking.
