Vengeance (The Prince's Games Book 1) by Rebecca Grey (electric book reader TXT) 📕

Pleasure District has already begged for my services at one time or another. Humans are rare. So is the chance to have sex with one, and sex sells well in The Bend.

I may hate myself most days, but I don’t hate myself enough to be subjected to that. The only coins I get from the owners in the Pleasure District is when I take on the job of hunting down a patron that ran off without paying, or something of that likeness.

“I’m not interested in lending my body out.” I finally sigh. In the spirit of joining together as a team, and partially due to the fact that both Marcello and Juilliard are staring at me like Joss had done so many times when he was begging me to play nice, I point at her weapon. "I like your gun. How did you find ammo?"

It’s a good change of subject and my small insurance that they won’t be shouting that stupid nickname around. The small gesture makes Hedda perk up. Her shoulders straighten and the hint of a smile returns to her lips.

"I make the ammo myself. I'm a collector of Human artifacts. Some would say I have the most extensive collection this side of the wall. Sadly, many Human things have rotted away, but I've found ways around that and I quite fancy the boom this makes when I pull the trigger." She pulls the gun from her holster and strokes a finger down its silver edge. Her weapon is much newer than Marcello's and much better taken care of. "Maybe I'll give you a proper tour one day."

Making her own ammo... now that sounds like a terrible idea. I mean, clearly it works. Whatever she is using shot from her gun and killed that man but, damn, the chances of it blowing up back in her face had to be high. I wouldn't trust it.

"I'll look forward to that," I say, albeit a bit tensely.

"I still don't trust that she is who she says she is," Hedda continues.

I'd be offended except I am well aware that all Hybrids would find it hard to believe that the creature responsible for getting away with their murders is Human. And the likelihood of it, just simply the percentage of chance that "the Ghost" is Human is so, so low. Only I am well aware at every hour and every day that this silly nickname belongs to me, a one-hundred percent mortal Human.

It's a shame on their part they could be killed so easily. Which, in my opinion, only shows how comfortable Hybrids have gotten with this way of living. How comfortable they have gotten with the idea that Humans are no longer a threat.

"Also, technically, I never once took claim on that silly nickname." I crack a slight smile, Saints, I can't help it. "Marcello came to that conclusion all on his own."

Marcello's face falls flat as he stares at me, stares into my soul. Part of me has the audacity to suggest that maybe I should feel bad for making this harder than it has to be. That part is very, very small. It's fun to tease Marcello like this...

"She'll need to prove her worth to this team before I join." Hedda briskly puts her gun away.

"What?" I gasp.

"See what you did there." Juilliard chuckles and places a hand on my shoulder. Turning my head, I glare down at his fingers until he slowly removes them and inclines his head with the slightest apology.

"What do you want her to do?" Marcello asks cheerfully. He moves from beside Hedda to stand behind me, grabbing me with both hands as he looms over me. His nearness makes every cell in my body burn red hot. I don't move. He lowers his mouth to my ear, keeping eye contact with Hedda while he waits for her response. "You asked for this."

"I did not." I bristle, shrugging his arms off me. "If you two don't stop with the constant touching, I'll be keen to cut your fingers off." I look at Marcello. "Then you'll have two robotic hands."

Hedda examines me with the highest level of scrutiny. She picks apart my appearance similar to how I would pick apart my victims. When she opens her mouth, her words sound more like a threat than a task. Because if I fail, I'd never make it to Games to begin with.

"I want her to break into my competitor’s business. I want her to steal a girl."

She wants me to get shot in the head.

 

“We need her. Just do it,” Marcello urges. The smooth sound of his voice is anything but settling when he's trying to talk me into something as dangerous as this. “You’ve seen her shot. You’ve witnessed what sort of capabilities she has to offer our team. And how often do you find someone who owns a gun and has the ammo to use it?”

I peer at him from the side of my eyes, contemplating the repercussions of following through with my previous threat to cut off both his hands. “Yeah, but you also need me,” I growl. "What's the point?"

Do Hybrids ever really have a point for anything they do? Everything is at their every whim and desire. It disgusts me. Even now, my mouth is turned down in an exaggerated frown.

He isn’t wrong about Hedda though. Guns are the superior weapon so having someone who knows how to wield one and has the bullets…well it gives me the opportunity to use them too. And that, that would be a very helpful advantage in the Games.

“To prove that you can do it,” Hedda laughs like this is the most exciting thing to happen to her in days. Even though she just finished shooting a man right in the head. “And so