Stiletto Sisterhood

Original Edition: Priya | A smoking, fully loaded AK-47

Priya skidded to a halt in time to avoid a collision and barely managed to dodge the hot slosh of coffee that would've otherwise destroyed her ivory slacks and pale pink blouse. Shaking dark beads of brew off her burning hand, she swallowed the equally scalding curse as the woman in towering pumps swivelled on strong legs and angled her pointed chin a degree higher.

"I've been looking for you." Marai crossed her arms, hands cinching her biceps accented with an elegant manicure. The side of her head was freshly shorn and her slick wing of dark hair grazed the hard edge of her jaw.

"I...me?" Scheisse, I need to stop stammering like an idiot in front of his woman.

Marai dropped her chin in a stiff motion of affirmation. "This way."

Priya's eyes dropped to her lacquered black pumps and followed Marai pried open the door the firm's library and held it wide enough for her to slip in behind her before nudging it shut.

"I have a meeting in ten minutes which I'm already late for so I will keep this brief," Marai dropped her hands from her arms but her posture was no less severe or intimidating. "You've drawn a lot of attention with you case, Ms. Seth. Attention that I am not sure you adequately know how to handle."

"Ms. Nagao—"

"Several media outlets are already hyped over the salivating headlines of a contracted grad student out for a first year associate-ship is going against a realty giant. I don't know how, but you've taken a simple matter and turned it into a circus."

Priya flinched at the whip-crack tone but otherwise kept her mouth shut.

Thin lips narrowed further. "I want this passed off to Paulson."

"What? Why?"

"Because you've sucked this case into a media vortex and run the risk of losing control. Crowley's team will eat you alive tomorrow."

Priya's grip tightened around her mug, rings cracking against ceramic. "I won't let that happen."

"This isn't up for discussion." Marai curled one hand into a fist and scored her thumb back and forth across her knuckles. Diamonds at her wrist and ears catching the light. "My firm has a long-standing reputation that I will not see you taint with your...inexperience."

"Please...please, don't. You asked us to prove ourselves. If you pull this case I lose any chance of doing so."

At the sound of a cleared throat and both Priya and Marai's gazes pulled to where Hadrian sat, arms spread in supplication and eyes wide with surprise.

"Sorry. But you both sorta burst in and it all happened so fast."

Marai scored her tongue over her upper teeth and bounced a fist off her thigh. She spared them both a single, withering glance and spun out the door in a whirl of bling and steam. At her departure Priya exhaled, knees shaking and fingers clenched so tight around her mug they'd started to go numb.

"Damn, Tiger. Telling a named partner 'no'..." Hadrian sucked in a hissing breath, eyes dancing playfully as he crossed to her. "Takes some serious balls."

Setting her mug down on the nearest table, Priya set her hands to the scarred wood and hung her head. Tight. Everything felt tight and hot and confined. She wanted to pull the pins out of her hair and let it tumble free, to pop open buttons on her blouse and heave a chair out the window so she could gulp in air. "Leave me alone, Hadrian. I can't do sassy with you right now."

"Hey, sorry, I was only pulling your leg. You alright?"

Standing straight, Priya let her head fall and her eyes open, certain that abject misery and frustration shone in them.