Chapter 38 THE QUEEN’S DEBUT
“Uhn, Si,” Mina said, looking at me. “Won’t you pick up your phone?”
For a brief moment, something sharp and anticipatory stirred in my chest. This was it. The call to fix the chaos I had carefully, methodically unleashed. The moment she would unknowingly pull me closer to the heart of the Harbingers.
“I will,” I said, staring at the name on my screen. Viper. “I think this is the call.”
“I think it’s too soon.” Mina countered. “Just pick up.”
I answered on the third ring, my voice calm. “You called.”
“You’re up.”
Viper’s voice was like a splash of ice water through the phone. I leaned against the workbench, the smell of Jax’s cologne and old grease still clinging to my skin.
“Up for what?” I asked, blinking in surprise.
“For your first major league match next tomorrow. Ever heard of the Banshee?"
I felt a twinge of disappointment, but I didn't let it show. A fight was just another stage, and tonight, I was going to be the main event. "The Banshee? I heard she likes to snap bones for fun."
"She does," Viper said, her tone turning serious. "And she’s a crowd favorite among the top tiers. If you lose, Siren, your reputation is buried. If you win, you’re the gold mine of this league. Don't be late."
The line went dead.
Mina looked at me curiously. “Any news?”
“Nah,” I replied, trying to hide the disappointment in my voice. “Just a league match.”
She shrugged. “Told ya.” She squinted at me. “By the way, I love the way you’ve started doing your hair. Fits you better.”
I patted the hair framing my face. I had given up on maintaining Sienna’s look. The tight bun was beginning to give me headaches, so I decided to stop. “Thanks.”
The den was alive when I arrived—louder than usual, thicker with anticipation. The air buzzed with the kind of energy that only came from bloodsport and money. Word had spread fast. A new fighter stepping into the ring always drew a crowd, but tonight, there was something sharper in the air.
Curiosity. Hunger.
I could feel it as I stepped inside.
Jax was already there, leaning against the far wall like he owned it, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes found me immediately, scanning me from head to toe in that quiet, assessing way of his.
“You ready?” he asked.
I rolled my shoulders, loosening the tension in my muscles. “I’ve been ready.”
And I meant it.
At first, I had relied on instinct—on Sienna’s body remembering what to do even when my mind didn’t. But that wasn’t the case anymore. Training with Jax had changed something. Strengthened it. Refined it.
Now, I didn’t just follow the movements.
I understood them.
“Don’t underestimate her,” Jax said, pushing off the wall and stepping closer. “She’s one of Viper’s top fighters.”
“I wouldn’t want her to be anything less.”
His gaze lingered on me for a second longer, like he was searching for doubt.
He wouldn’t find it.
“Alright,” he said finally, giving a short nod. “Then go remind them who you are.”
——
The roar of the crowd hit me the moment my name was called.
“Siren!”
I stepped into the ring, the harsh overhead lights cutting through the dimness of the den. For a second, everything blurred—the noise, the movement—until it sharpened into focus.
And then I saw her.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. A scar cutting across her cheek like a warning. She stood in the center of the ring with the easy confidence of someone who had never been beaten badly enough to fear it.
Her lips curled into a smirk. “You’re the new girl?”
I smiled faintly. “Something like that.”
The bell rang.
She moved first, fast, and aggressively. A jab aimed straight for my jaw.
I slipped it.
Her surprise was subtle, but I saw it.
She came again, harder this time, a flurry meant to overwhelm and dominate.
But I wasn’t overwhelmed.
I moved with her, my body reacting before I could think, my instincts aligning with something deeper—something that had been trained, sharpened, perfected over time. I saw the openings before they fully formed.
And I took them.
My fist drove into her ribs.
She grunted, more startled than hurt, and the crowd reacted instantly, their attention snapping fully onto the fight.
The pace intensified quickly. Blow for blow, strike for strike. She was strong—there was no denying that. Each hit she landed carried weight.
If we kept this up, I would lose stamina fast. And I was sure that’s what she was aiming for.
I let her push me back, just enough to build her confidence. Just enough to make her believe she had the upper hand.
Then I feinted to the left and slammed my elbow into her jaw.
Her head snapped back, her balance breaking for a fraction of a second.
It was all I needed.
I hit her three times in rapid succession: the solar plexus, the throat, and finally, a spinning kick to the temple. It was a combinationJax and I had practiced a hundred times.
The Banshee’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she hit the floor with a thud.
The world went quiet for a heartbeat.
Then the crowd roared louder than before, sharper, charged with excitement.
"Siren! Siren! Siren!"
Viper was waiting for me when I stepped out of the ring.
Her expression wasn’t her usual cool, controlled mask. There was something sharper there now, something hungry.
“You’re a diamond,” she said, her eyes gleaming as she looked me over.
I wiped the sweat from my face, keeping my breathing steady. “Glad you think so.”
“Oh, I do.” She let out a low chuckle. “You just made me a lot of money.”
I tilted my head slightly. “Then maybe it’s time I make a little more for myself.”
Her gaze sharpened immediately. “Careful.”
“I’m tired of waiting for calls.” I continued carefully. “I want to run my own ops. I want my team to have the green light to move in the city without your shadow over us."
Viper hesitated, leaning against her desk. She tapped her fingers against a stack of cash. "You’ve earned it, I suppose.” She said after a while. “Maybe,” she said slowly. “I do have something.”
I said nothing, letting her take the lead.
“Things have been… complicated,” she went on. “You’ve heard about the fire at the construction site.”
I kept my expression neutral, though something dark and satisfied curled inside me. “Yeah,” I said lightly. “Hard to miss. It was quite tragic.”
Her eyes flickered, searching my face for something, but I gave her nothing to hold onto.
“Yeah, it was tragic,” she echoed, though her tone was flat. “And inconvenient.”
She leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering. “Someone’s been interfering with operations. Especially on my turf. It’s becoming a problem.”
I raised a brow. “Bold of them.”
“Stupid,” she corrected. “And it’s making me look bad. Kanan is... displeased, to say the least. Someone is messing with our operations, especially the ones on my turf.”
There it was. The pressure.. The cracks were beginning to form beneath the surface.
“What do you need?” I asked.
“How good is your team with protection?"
I felt a surge of joy, but I kept my face a mask of professional indifference. "We’re the best. Though we usually deal more in cleaning up messes than preventing them."
“I have a shipment moving tomorrow,” she said. “A very important one, and I need security.”
I let the silence stretch, pretending to consider the offer. "It’s a big risk, Viper. Guarding a shipment that high-profile makes my team a target for whoever is hitting your spots."
"I’ll pay," she said quickly. “But nothing can go wrong.”
I hummed. "You’ll have to pay double our usual rate," I countered. "We don't come cheap, and if I’m putting my people in the line of fire for your reputation, I want to be compensated for the danger."
Viper grumbled, her jaw tightening, but she eventually nodded. "Fine, I’ll pay. Just make sure nothing goes wrong.”
I inclined my head slightly. “My guy would contact you with the details for payment,” I said, then gave her a finger wave before walking away. “You won’t regret it.”
“God, I hope not,” I heard her mutter under her breath.
The night air felt cooler when I stepped out of the den, the noise of the crowd fading behind me.
Jax joined me in our truck.
"What did she discuss with you?" He asked.
“She gave us a job.”
Surprise flashed across his face. “You’re serious?”
“Yup,” I said, a slow, dark smile spreading across my face. "She just got us an invitation to the most important shipment of the month."
"I can’t believe she bit the bait,” Jax said, running a hand through his hair.
I couldn’t help but admire the way his biceps flexed with the action. I cleared my throat, quickly averting my eyes. “Yeah, hook, line, and sinker.”
"So what’s the plan?" Jax asked.
“How would you feel…” I said, a grin splitting my lips. “…about staging a robbery?”