Page 32 of Lillith
“Down,” he snapped. That was all it took for the room to shift instantly around her. The Royal Harlots moved like they’d done this before—chairs scraping, bodies dropping low, hands reaching for things Lillith hadn’t even noticed were there. Weapons—actual weapons.
“Get inside the room, now!” Ember barked. Lillith didn’t argue. She didn’t even think. She just moved as Ember had ordered, but she didn’t get far. Tank’s hand caught her arm, yanking her back just enough to stop her.
“No,” he said.
Her heart slammed. “What do you mean, no?”
“You stay with me,” he ordered. That should’ve scared her, but it didn’t. Instead, it grounded her.
“Okay,” she said. Outside, doors slammed, and she heard men’s voices. There were more than a few of them.
“Shit,” someone muttered behind her.
“Positions,” Ember ordered, already moving toward the side of the room like she owned the chaos. Lillith’s pulse was roaring now, adrenaline kicking in so hard it made her hands shake. This was real. This wasn’t just Tank’s stories, and not just tension, warnings, and paranoia.
“They found us,” she whispered.
“Yeah,” Tank said, his voice low and focused. “They did.” A loud bang hit the front doors, and Lillith flinched. The wooden doors sounded as though they would crack completely apart as another blow landed. This one was harder.
“They’re not wasting time,” Tank muttered.
“Good,” Ember shot back. “Neither are we.” That got Lillith’s attention. She turned slightly, just enough to see Ember—gun in hand, eyes sharp, and completely calm. Her sister was acting likethis was just any other day, and Lillith was beginning to see that she didn’t know her sister well at all. Ember was fierce.
“Lillith,” Ember said without looking at her.
“Yeah?”
“Stay behind something solid,” her sister ordered.
“Define solid,” Lillith muttered.
“Anything that isn’t you,” Tank growled. There was another slam against the door, and the hinges groaned in protest.
“Tank,” Ember said, quickly. “You got a plan?”
“Yeah,” he said. “We don’t let them get inside.”
Lillith looked at him as though he had lost his mind. “That’s the plan?” she whispered.
“It’s simple, and it works,” he muttered. The door splintered as the wood cracked down the middle, and light from outside spilled through.
The first man came through the doorway, and everything exploded around her. Deafening gunfire rang out as Lillith dropped instinctively to the floor, as chaos ripped through the room. The Harlots didn’t panic. They moved with precision, and Lillith couldn’t seem to take her eyes off them. They were like a machine that had been waiting for this exact moment.
“Left side!” someone shouted.
“I got him!” another voice snapped. Tank moved in front of her, shielding Lillith from the danger that surrounded them.
“I guess you're my something solid,” she breathed.
“Stay down,” he ordered.
“I am down!” she snapped back, her voice shaking despite her best efforts. Another man pushed through the door, and then another. There were too many, and Lillith panicked.
“They’re flooding in,” Tank muttered.
“Not for long,” Ember shot back. Lillith risked a glance at what was going on, which was a horrible idea. A man lunged forward and went down hard when one of the women tookhim out with a clean shot. There was no hesitation or second-guessing on her part, and for that, Lillith was thankful.
“Holy shit,” Lillith breathed. Yeah—she was definitely not in California anymore.
