Wattys Shortlist 2022 -
When she isn't looking, they call her the Princess of the Ghouls, but they haven't seen the assassination order on her secret identity: viper.
Stuck in Lake Darling, ruled by her father's gang, Vi has one objective... run awa...
Heratix Territory - Westway Road, Holders Bay HOLDERS BAY -[2071]: 22 YEARS POST BOMBING
OCTOBER 12 (Present Day) - Spring
... REID ABRAX MYERS ...
I stand to the back, a nasty glare on my face as Vi and that dīckhead Scorpius face the zecs. Ket watches me with eyes that make my skin prickle, but Zinc and Rosso avoid acknowledging my existence.
I nearly wan' pull Vi aside and rip into her, but I fume silently, waiting for the zecs to pitch their death sentence.
What the fück was she thinking? Getting herself involved in this.
"Was fückin' stupid, showin' up here with eight crew's callin' dibs on each one of your not-so-pretty mugs." Zinc's gaze falters to Vi like he knows he's lying.
Ket glares at them, "What's not to say we don' turn you in?"
Scorpius grins, "The shīt in that warehouse is a hell of a lot more valuable than some hit money that the army tracks."
Rosso scrunches his burly brows, "Heratix run the army. They only see what records we want."
"Semantics." Zinc mutters, the scarred side of his face barely moving.
"We'll clean the warehouse out, so long as you take us in, wipe our old files, and give our shīt back." Scorpius crosses his arms.
Ket scoffs and Vi's brow twangs, but I watch in silent scepticism. The Heratix warehouse is empty aside from us. The road outside appears to be a normal city street... but the Heratix own every rat in every sewer this side of Westway station.
Zinc clears his throat, "When, and only when, you clean the warehouse out we'll take you in as our own. New files, all that... but for now the new grunts outside are our collateral."
"Collateral?" Vi flares.
"You's fück up, we keep 'em. Put the pretty girl to work, the others into slaving," Zinc glares down at her, but she just sticks her chin in the air defiantly. I grit my jaw, skin-crawling as he observes her. She's gon' get herself killed. "We'll organise everything, you'll just be the ones on the job but as for now, you're on interim contracts."
"Interim?" Scorpius flexes his knuckles.
"Yous are gon' take every job we give you until you complete the hit on the evidence warehouse, and you're not gon' tell anyone about the guns." Then, Zinc nods, cruelly amused, "you're going to have to organise your own residence in the city."
Scorpius looks up quickly, anger flickering in his eyes. I grit my jaw, working a knot out of my palm like it'll stop the growing urge to flip my shīt. "We got eight crews on our ass, it's in your interest you give us residence here if you wan' the guns to stay secret." I grate out, pretending I knew about the weapons. My voice alone seems to piss Vi off because she straightens her shoulders like I'm standing too close, but the only person standing too close is Scorpius.
It satisfies me that my presence irks her.
Zinc looks at me, then Scorpius, "You'll work it out. I'm sure Maddon owes you after Sunday Blues."
I narrow my eyes, finally putting two and two together. Maddon runs a crew that was wound up in a trade that went really bad years ago— rumour has it her son was taken as collateral and put in an army camp for Manics. Still, he got free and never came back.
Scorpius fits the bill.
"You three gon' have to figure it out." Ket says.
The mention of my involvement pisses Vi off even more. I can see her itching to find out why the zecs pulled me in on this when they left the others outside, "Three?" Vi snarks and I scoff from behind her.
Zinc smirks, glancing at the stiff distance between us, before he focuses on her too intently, "Abrax has a history with us, we'll be more comfortable knowing he's on the job." The bastard looks me in the eye, "How's it feel to be back, Myers?"
I sniff, rubbing my nose irritably, "Yeah alright. You gon' put it to a vote? Cause I don' see Matilde none."
Zinc laughs callously, "Course you're talking about Matilde-."
"Me?" Her voice makes me grit my teeth, my gaze snapping to Vi before I avert my eyes altogether and glance at the lights hanging above Zinc's head. Matilde's voice is sweet and low.
"Ket. You know my vote." Matilde approaches from the door to my right, and my skin crawls. I have to keep up appearances, or it's gon' burn the only bridge I have in this place. We have, by the sounds of this new agreement.
But Vi perceives just by Matilde's voice what this is gon' be, because she snaps her gaze to the bombshell strutting my way.
"Ditto that." Ket agrees.
Matilde's face breaks out into a smile as she arrives, placing her elbows on my shoulders as she takes hold of my face. My hands fall to her waist.
Every fibre of me is aware of Vi's fuming glare.
"Hi baby." Matilde murmurs, brushing our lips and pressing her chest against mine.
"Long time, huh?" I mutter. Fuck.
"Yeah, what's the point? Deals a deal." Zinc thwacks a metal hammer against the steel top table at the same moment that Matilde crashes her lips against mine.
...
There's a sequel! Introducing: HERATIX I hope everyone is as excited as me! I'm still to post the official blurb, but for anyone who's interested, Heratix is like the R rated big sister to MAD. Warning! Lots of angry makeup s3x ahead ayo.
My dm's r always open for anyone who wants to talk about writing and reading! (Also anyone who wants to b friends) See you guys soon, ily so much!
Keep in touch! I'd love to be friends on Insta and Tiktok too, I always follow back!! (and for writing enquiries email me at: cvilyn7@gmail.com)
