The Whores of House Navine

Jennifer Hudson as Lust
~
Charlize Theron as Madame Navine
~
Gugu Mbatha-raw as Envy
~
Emilia Clarke as Sloth
~
Gemma Chan as Greed
~
Jennifer Connelly as Wrath
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Rebel Wilson as Pride
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Ana de Armas as Gluttony
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Tom Hardy as Detective Ryker
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Chad Michael Murray as Detective Xander
~*~

Men are a necessary evil.

A necessary... evil?

8 years. Wrath was forced to live by this mantra for 8 years. Madame Navine repeated it like it was a prayer to recite before bed, in the morning, and before every meal.

Men are a necessary evil...

Wrath looked down at the necessary evil lying in her bed. An unwanted stranger in her warm sheets of comfort. His eyes had rolled to the back of his head as her walls constricted around his shaft like a boa killing its prey. For just a moment, he looked like the demonic creature she knew his kind to be. 

A necessary evil...

Her long curly black hair curtained her bright blue eyes. Her body rocked on top of him as he firmly gripped her hips. He could barely keep up with her. Few of them could. Few of them lasted very long. 

"Good god, beautiful. You're a fucking goddess!" he moaned out. Wrath was not entertained by flattery. The less they spoke the more tolerable they were. When would this be over?

She looked up at the ceiling as she continued to ride him. Madame Navine advised to always look at the ceiling when boredom invaded her thoughts. 

"Never let a man know you're bored with him. Give him his money's worth."

Wrath stared at the ceiling. Boredom was never the problem for her. Not like the other girls... No, for Wrath... it was much... much worse...

"That's it, sweetheart. Oh, you feel so fucking good. Faster, beautiful!"

Wrath felt him slap her backside, leaving a hot stinging sensation against her skin. Her jaw twitched as she looked down at him.

"You like it rough, don't you, baby," he grinned at her as his movements became much more aggressive. He roughly grabbed her arm, yanking her down towards him. "I'm gonna make you fucking scream," he said heatedly.

Wrath looked down at him and let him take control. She stared into his eyes, searching. And then she saw it.

The great evil.

Pulling back slightly, she pressed her palms against his chest until her fingers reached his neck. A grin painted his face as he slapped her ass again.

Wrath's nostrils flared as she wrapped her hands around his neck. Their bodies took on a different rhythm as she tightened her grip on his trachea.

"S-sweetheart, th-that's too ti-" he struggled to speak. He went to pull her off of him when her thumbs dug into his neck, her sharp nails piercing his flesh. Blood gushed from the widening hole she created in his neck, seeping onto her sheets.

He stared at her wide-eyed, gurgling on his blood. 

Wrath tilted her head to the side as she pulled his skin further apart. Not a word escaped her lips as she watched his body twitch in agony. Not even the blood soaking down to her bedsheets bothered her.

When his body stopped twitching, she ran her bloody nails up the side of his face. She looked into his lifeless eyes.

"Men... are a necessary evil..." she spoke for the first time that night.

~

"You've spent 3 evenings in a row with him for like 4 weeks. He's getting far too attached."

"What am I supposed to do? Tell him 'no'?"

"YES! What the bloody hell, Lust?! That should be obvious? At least charge him extra! He spends half the time painting you!" 

Lust rolled her eyes as she walked down the hallway alongside Pride. "You know Madame Navine does not allow us to say 'no' unless she says it for us. Besides, Norin has been... good to me," Lust said thoughtfully.

"He's an obsessive bloody creep is what he is," Pride scoffed.

"Aren't they all?" Lust smirked.

"Very true," Pride grinned. "Just don't let him take up so much of your time. Spend too long with a man and he'll start to think he owns you."

"For the right price, they can think whatever the hell they want," Lust said. She stopped short and put her arm in front of Pride.


"What?" Pride asked. 

Lust pointed to Wrath's bedroom door where blood was seeping on the floor beneath the crack.

"Oh, fuck, not again!" Pride said rushing to Wrath's bedroom. She nearly broke the door down and caught Wrath sitting naked on her blood-soaked bed with her hands in her lap. Wrath looked up at Lust and Pride with mixed emotions.

"Fucking hell, Wrath!" Pride snapped. "You killed another one?!"

Lust hurried into the room and pulled Wrath off of the bed. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Lust said looking her over.

Wrath said nothing as she stared absentmindedly at the wall.

Lust ran to the small washroom in Wrath's room to grab a towel and some water. She pushed Wrath into a chair and started to clean the blood off of her naked body.

"Dammit, Wrath," Lust frowned as she wiped the blood from her hands. "You can't keep doing this."

"It's a bloody hobby for her at this point," Pride said annoyed.

"Pride, can you clean up the bod-" Lust started.

"If you're about to ask me to touch this disgusting creature, I'm just going to assume you've gone absolutely mad. Like Wrath," Pride scoffed. "I'm not fucking cleaning this up. I did it last time."

Lust sucked her teeth. "Then get one of the others! Hurry, before Madame Navine finds out!"

Pride rolled her eyes in annoyance and walked out of the room. Lust dipped the bloody towel in the bucket of water and proceeded to scrub more blood off of Wrath's bare thighs.

"You know what will happen to you if Madame Navine finds out. Do you want her to punish you again, Wrath? I mean seriously," Lust said annoyed.

"Men are a necessary evil," Wrath said emotionless. 

Lust looked at her for a moment trying to decipher the meaning behind her words. Suddenly the door swung open and Pride walked in followed by Sloth and Envy.

"Oh god, not again, Wrath," Envy sighed. She bunched her dress up in her hands and hurried into the washroom to grab some towels. "Sloth, grab the wool blanket from in the linen closet."

Sloth stared at the blood-soaked bed and the dead body dangling over the edge. "Christ..." she muttered. "At least she didn't use a knife this time."

"You say that like it makes the situation so much better," Pride said.

Sloth grabbed a large wool blanket and laid it out on the floor.

"Help me move his body," Envy said grabbing his legs. Sloth grabbed one of his arms and started to pull him off the bed. 

"God! He's so heavy!" Sloth groaned. "Pride! Can you help?"

Pride curled her lip in disgust. "...Fine..." 

The three women rolled the body off of the bed and onto the wool blanket on the floor.

"Take off the sheets. We'll need to get rid of them," Envy said tearing the rest of the contents off of the bed.

"Just what in the world is going on here?"

The women looked up and saw Greed standing at the door, staring at them wide-eyed. 

"Really, Wrath? Another one?" Greed shook her head. 

"Close the door before someone walks by!" Lust snapped at her. Greed closed the door and stepped inside the room. She glanced at Lust trying to clean off Wrath's motionless body and then at Envy, Sloth, and Pride trying to get rid of the bloody sheets.

Greed rose on her toes and glanced at the body on the ground. "Merl Links... never liked him anywa- oh, hello..." she bent down and grabbed the wallet hanging out of his pocket.

"Not like he'll be needing this anymore," she said tucking it into her cleavage.

"Really, Greed?" Envy looked at her disapprovingly.

"What? He's dead," Greed shrugged. 

"Did you come here to help or ravage a dead man's things?" Lust said annoyed.

"Oh... I came here to tell you that Madame Navine was looking for us," Greed said. "So, hurry up before she finds out."

"Finds out what?"

The women looked at the door again, this time to see Madame Navine with her arms crossed over her chest. Her long blonde hair was tied up into a perfectly neat bun on her head as her sharp blue eyes scanned the room, taking in the scene before her.

"Wrath, she-" Lust tried to speak. 

"She had another episode," Pride said. "He must have said something to trigger her."

Madame Navine raised a perfect blonde brow as she looked at Wrath's naked body still slightly stained from the man's blood. She glanced at the man's dead body on the floor.

"Something always does..." Madame Navine sighed. She let her arms fall to her sides. "Hurry up and put his body with the others. Clean yourselves up and get downstairs. We have clients waiting."
She walked outside of the room without saying another word. The women looked at each other rather helplessly. 

***

Lust walked down the long winding stairs and was rather surprised by how many men were visiting their house. Several eyes landed on her the moment her presence was noticed.

"Soldiers visiting prior to deployment," Envy said walking up next to her. "You'd think they'd want to spend time with their children and wives before facing certain death, but no. They'd rather be at a whore house."

"That's because wives provide stability, dear Envy. We, on the other hand, fulfill fantasies," Gluttony winked. 

Lust smiled as she looked over Gluttony's revealing black dress. "You look great, Gluttony."

"Thanks, darling. Figured I'd promote a little extra for our country's heroes," Gluttony smirked with a toss of her luscious brown hair. "Sorry, I wasn't there for the latest and greatest Wrath meltdown."

"There was nothing great about it," Envy said annoyed. "Wrath is barely holding on by a thread."

"Then why is she here tonight?" Gluttony asked watching Sloth walk towards them with Wrath next to her.

"You know the Madame would never allow one of us to miss a night..." Envy said watching Sloth.

Sloth furrowed her brows hidden by her long platinum blonde hair. "Wrath is not doing well. She won't survive the night. We have to keep watch of her."

"Just how do you expect us to do that, Sloth?" Envy asked.  

Sloth shrugged. "I don't know... buddy system?"

"Buddy system? Are you 12, Sloth?" Gluttony chuckled.

The women suddenly felt a foreboding presence before Madame Navine approached them. All 4 of them went stiff while Wrath looked off to the side.

"Is there any particular reason why the 5 of you are huddled over here and not entertaining our clients?" Madame Navine asked.

"We... were just trying to figure out how to help Wrath," Sloth said meekly. 

"That's not your job and none of your concern," Madame Navine said grabbing Wrath's arm and pulling her away from Sloth. "Your job is to sell your cunt to the highest bidder. Now get to it."

Gluttony and Sloth slinked away like scolded school children. Madame Navine stopped Lust and Envy before they could leave.

"There are three men in the northeast wing who have very... particular tastes... do tend to their needs," Madame Navine said suggestively.

Envy and Lust nodded their understanding. "Yes, Madame." 

~

"So exotic."

"What beautiful skin."

"Your hair is like... cotton."

Lust plastered on a smile, unmoved by the attention her body warranted. As a lady of the night, she was used to this. Most of her clients were those who had obsessions with women that looked like her.

Dark skin. Thick lips. Wide nose. Kinky hair. Wide hips. Big thighs. Plump stomach. Large ass.

Her number of clientele rivaled even the most popular women of the house.

She was desired by many, including those who kept their obsession hidden from the rest of society. For House Navine was a safe haven for the wicked to come and play. 

Lust smiled pleasantly at the many eyes that roamed her body like ravenous predators eager for a bite. It was so strange to be in a position where the men were at her choosing, rather than the other way around.

"The law of supply and demand," Envy said through her smile as she stood next to Lust. "I hope they realize only one of them is getting either of us. I don't have the patience to deal with three like last time."

"Oh to be a colored woman in this house of sin," Lust smirked. "Never have I seen so many white men falling all over themselves for black pussy."

"You'd never see it outside these walls, Lust," Envy said. "We're merely a forbidden fruit to them."

"The best kind," Lust said, waving at a gentleman whose eyes hadn't left her the moment she entered the room. "Men want what they know they can't have."

Envy glanced across the room, looking at the other women surrounded by groups of men. Her eyes landed on Sloth who was in a circle of men, doting on her. 

She lowered her gaze to meet Madame Navine's sharp blue eyes, giving her a rather stern look.

"They don't even know what I am half the time," Envy said. "It's as if we're two breeds of exotic."

"We're not dogs, Envy," Lust said.

"But that's how they look at us, isn't it?" Envy asked. "Like animals? My last suitor called me a half breed."

"He's a bastard," Lust sucked her teeth annoyed.

"I'm the bastard, Lust!" Envy said turning to her. "I don't know anything about my parents except that my father hated the color of my skin enough to rape my mother like she was a dog herself."

Lust could see Envy was getting worked up and gently grabbed her shoulders. She gave the men a hopeful wink and pulled Envy to the side.

"You can't dwell on this, Envy," Lust said. "We've had this discussion before. You are more than what they say you are. They will not define us. They will never define us. We do."

Envy's gaze softened as she looked at Lust gratefully. She couldn't count how many times Lust had talked her off the ledge every time she had a crisis. Her biggest saving grace was having a friend like Lust to keep her sane in their very unfortunate lifestyle. 

"This conversation looks like it's rather heavy," Greed said walking towards them with Gluttony by her side who was snacking on a plate of fruits.

"Just musing over being a fetish," Lust said.

"Ah yes, it's a gift," Greed said.

Lust and Envy looked at her confused.

Greed shrugged. "I mean sure it's demeaning when someone calls me a fucking Oriental as if I'm a rug, but for a diamond necklace that costs more than my entire family's village, I'm willing to suck it up."

"Don't forget the kind of business we're in ladies," Gluttony said glancing at a man watching her. "It's the one profession where we get to use that shit to our advantage."

Gluttony slowly pushed a banana into her mouth as she kept her eyes locked on the man in question. His eyes widened and he swallowed hard, quickly covering the erection growing in his pants. Gluttony couldn't help but chuckle amusedly.

"I'm from São Paulo not Barcelona, but you better fucking believe I'll fake the Spanish if I'm being courted by royalty," Gluttony winked.  

Lust smirked amused as Envy rolled her eyes. 

"Doubt all you want, Envy. But if you played your cards right, you'd be bringing in double the amount of clientele," Greed said.

"Greed, you've been with the same Norwegian officer for nearly a year," Envy said. 

"That's because he's courting me. And who knows... maybe one day... we'll be something more..." Greed said.

Gluttony immediately broke eye contact with the guy she was flirting with and glanced at Greed. "You can't marry him, Greed!"

"Why not?" Greed asked almost offended.

"The Madame would never allow it," Gluttony said. "You should know this."

"He's already told me he'll pay her whatever she wants to keep me for himself," Greed argued. 

Gluttony shook her head with a chuckle. "Men will say anything when they're fucking you, Greed. Don't be so naive. Besides, a man will never take a whore for a wife.

Lust wanted to say something when she noticed the defeated look on Greed's face. She knew Greed was growing feelings for the Norwegian soldier who made it a goal to visit her every other day for the past year. But Gluttony was right. Even if the Madame would accept his offer... none of these men would dare be seen with them in daylight. 

Lust looked up suddenly when the gentleman who had been eyeing her all night finally approached.

"Miss..." he said, taking her hand. As he kissed the back of it, she glanced at Madame Navine who nodded her approval of him, indicating that he had already paid a rather hefty price for her.

She looked back at the man with shaggy brown hair and bright green eyes that deeply probed her. He had a rather nice, tall build though he was a bit lanky. "I haven't been able to take my eyes off of you all night," he said to her.

"I noticed," Lust smirked at him. "And your name?"

"Lenny," he said.

"Lenny," she smiled. "And what can I do for you, Lenny?"

~

Lust's body moved back and forth on the bed that creaked beneath her weight. Her dress barely hanging from her body as Lenny fucked her from behind. 

His hands grasped eagerly at any bit of skin he could grab, groping, squeezing, and pulling as he moaned out his want for her.

His height made up for his slim stature as she had been very concerned when he picked her up in his arms and tossed her onto the bed. She had no idea where all that strength came from in that thin body of his.

"Fuckin' hell, you're the sexiest fuckin' thing I've ever seen," he groaned. His palms latched onto her wide hips as he slammed into her over and over again.

He grabbed her large ass with both hands and squeezed eagerly. "God, I just wanna-"

Lust's eyes widened when she felt his fingers slide between her cheeks. She had experienced a variety of kinks from her clients and few of them ever looked like what they actually wanted.

"You're just so gotdamn beautiful," he groaned as he picked up his pace. She let out small coos and moans to appease him.

"You know, I have a wife and two kids at home. I know I shouldn't be here, but I'm just... I had to have you," he panted. "I had to."

Lust wished she could have established the golden rule of silence with her clients. For some reason, they always felt the need to relay her their darkest secrets and desires as if she was some sort of therapist. It was always that they were married but unhappy or had some strange fetish for black women and she helped them get rid of the urge.

Silence is golden, she thought with a roll of her eyes. She wished he would just moan like normal people do. 

But no... talking about your children and cheating on your wife is fantastic sex talk. 

Lust felt his grip on her hips tighten before he finally released. His desperate moans echoed around her room. He struggled to pull out of her and fell backward on her bed. Panting heavily, he tried to catch his breath. 

Lust looked down at him with a smile. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"You're fuckin' perfect," he breathed out.

Lust's grin widened. 

"I wanna marry you," he added.
She immediately lost her smile. "Um... sorry?"
"I'll pay the Madame," he said getting on his knees. "I was going to leave my wife anyway and now-" he started but Lust quickly put her finger over his lips.
"That's enough pussy for you tonight. I'm cutting you off," she smirked. 
Lust pulled on her robe, wrapping it around her waist as Lenny put on his clothes. The house was already dark with the sounds of several others enjoying their night. She walked him down the stairs of the large house to the door at the back of the kitchen.
"You're not really cutting me off are you?" he asked before leaving. "I'll pay double."
Lust smirked. "Just stop proposing to me and you can visit all you want. You have kids, remember?" 
Lenny frowned. "Yes, but... but I need you."
"Go to church, Lenny," she said pushing him out the door. He gave her a slight smile before tugging his hat on and walking into the night.
She went to close the door when a foot lodged itself into the crack to keep her from closing the door. The door was forcefully pushed open causing Lust to stumble backward. 
She looked at the man blocking her path and stared at him confused. 
"Norin?" she asked. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"You fucking slept with him?!" he snarled at her. "You gave him what's mine?!"
Lust swallowed hard and took a step back. She had dealt with obsessive clients before and had learned to cut them off when they started to get attached. Norin had proven to be her most difficult one.
"You clearly don't know how this works, Norin. You don't own me," she snapped him. "Get ou-"
She didn't finish her sentence before he slapped her across the face so hard that she fell to the ground. She crawled back on her butt as he walked up to her, staring down at her menacingly.
"You don't know how this works," he said crawling on top of her. He grabbed the edges of her robe and pulled it apart, exposing her breasts. "You're mine. Not his! Mine!"
"Norin, stop! Get off!" she screamed at him as she slapped his face several times. She tried to kick him off but his heavy bodyweight pinned her down.
Lust squirmed beneath him as his hands glided up her naked thigh and touched her core. She looked up at him angrily when suddenly a knife shot out through his eye and blood splattered on her face.
She tried to stifle her scream as his body rolled off of her. Lust trembled in shock until she looked up to see Wrath standing at the door in only her nightgown, trembling from the cold.
Wrath looked at Lust with pain and anger in her eyes. "Men are... a necessary evil.." Wrath said as hot tears streamed down her reddened face. 
"Wrath! Oh my god!" Lust said scrambling to her feet. She grabbed Wrath and pulled her into a comforting hug. "It's okay! It's okay! Um!"
Lust looked down at Norin's body. A pool of blood spread out around his head.
"Shit! Shit!" Lust said trying to figure out what to do. She tried to be as quiet as possible when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Dammit!" Lust whispered frantically. "Wrath! Go! Hurry up and leave!"
But Wrath stayed where she stood without saying a word. 
Before Lust had time to figure out what to do, Greed and Gluttony walked into the kitchen. 
"It's not a midnight snack if you're eating at 2 in the morning Gluttony," Greed said wrapping her robe tighter around her body.
"Okay, but nobody says they're going for a 2 in the morning snack," Gluttony rolled her eyes. She stopped short when she saw Lust and Wrath standing over another dead body.
"Are you kidding me?!" Greed blurted. "The hell, Wrath?!"
"Please, be quiet. Don't wake-" Lust started, but it was too late. Madame Navine was already walking into the kitchen with Sloth behind her.
"Madame Navine," Lust said quickly. "This was my fault. I was the one-"
"Quiet, Lust," Madame Navine said, putting her hand up. She glanced around the kitchen, taking in the details. She eyed Lust's ruffled robe, the dead man on the ground, and Wrath's bloody hand.
"He tried to steal from us," Madame Navine scoffed. "Unbelievable."
"Don't you mean rape?" Sloth said annoyed.
"It's the same thing, dear," Madame Navine said, giving Sloth a sideways glance. "Gluttony... Greed... clean this up."
"Oh come on," Gluttony whined. "All because I wanted a snack?!"
"As for you," Madame Navine's sharp blue eyes landed on Wrath.
"Madame, please," Lust begged. 
Madame Navine ignored Lust and grabbed Wrath by the arm. She dragged her past Gluttony and Greed and pushed Sloth aside.
"Where are you taking her?!" Sloth said following Madame Navine. But Madame Navine ignored her as well. She dragged Wrath up a flight of stairs as Sloth and Lust ran after her.
"Stop this! Please stop!" Sloth shouted trying to grab her as they reached the top floor.
"Madame, I told you it was my fault! Please don't punish Wrath! It wasn't her-" Lust begged.
"QUIET, BOTH OF YOU!" Madame Navine snarled at them. The two women immediately shut their mouths in shock and fear. Madame Navine turned around and grabbed the handle of a small door. She roughly shoved Wrath's body inside and closed the door shut. 
"Please don't do this," Sloth cried. "Please. She's just barely-"
"I swear Sloth, one more gotdamn word out of you, and I'll throw you in there with her," Madame Navine snapped at her.
Madame Navine pulled a key from her pocket and locked the door before storming past the two of them. Sloth broke down into sobs as Lust cradled her in her arms. 
***
"I mean shit, you got him to confess before we made it to the damn courthouse. You know how much overhead you just saved me?"
"Does this mean I'm getting a raise?"
"For doing your job? Don't push your fucking luck, X."
Xander smirked amused as he rubbed the tip of his nose with his thumb. "Not gonna lie, Chief, I'm feelin' a little underappreciated here."
Chief Reynolds sucked his teeth in annoyance. "I gave you a promotion two months ago, Xander."
"You owed me that promotion, Chief. You were bringing me up to market. This is entirely different," Xander said with a raised brow. He twirled a small toothpick between his lips, watching for his boss's reaction.
Chief Reynolds eyed Xander who's light blue gaze was unwavering beneath his short blonde hair and fitted wool hat. 
"You fuckin' asshole. Fine! I'll give you your damn raise! Vampire!"
Xander snickered with a tip of his hat. He stood to his feet and headed for the door. "'Preciate it, Chief."
"Get back over here! I'm not done with you yet, Detective! I need your help on another case."
Xander glanced back at Chief Reynolds intrigued. "Don't tell me you need me to clean up another one of your messes," he teased.
"Just sit your ass down, Xander. This is important," Chief Reynolds waved him over. 
Xander strolled back to his seat in front of Chief Reynolds's desk and leaned back. "Do you want me to get my partner, Bobby?" 
"I don't want Bobby on this one, Xander," Chief Reynolds said pushing a button on his desk. "I want you to partner with someone else."
Xander looked at him confused. "Who?"
Suddenly, Xander could hear loud yelling coming from outside the room. The door swung up and the voice got louder.
"Just leave it on my desk, Benny! And don't touch my shit!... Yea, yea, I love you too! My pistol is still on my hip, motherfucker, don't test me! I don't give a fuck we're in a damn police department, how many shoot outs have I ended? Exactly! Don't be a fuckin' pussy!"
Xander's eyes widened as he saw Ryker walk through the door.
"NO FUCKING WAY!" Xander snarled.
Ryker closed the door and looked across the room to see an angry Xander glaring at him. He removed his cigar from between his lips.
"NOT THIS FUCKING GUY!" Ryker snapped.
"Alright, alright, settle down, girls. Take a seat, Ryker," Chief Reynolds said leaning on his desk.
"Take a seat?! Fuck no! I'm not working with this jackoff again!" Xander snapped.
"I would literally rather put a fucking bullet in my mouth than deal with your pussy ass!" Ryker said snidely.
"Yea, why don't you fucking do it then?!" Xander growled.
"QUIET!" Chief Reynolds bellowed. The two of them reluctantly shut their mouths as they averted their gaze from each other. 
Chief Reynolds sighed in frustration. "Look. I know you two had a really bad falling out for the last case you worked on together, but I need my best men on this one."
"Fine," Ryker said. "Then kick his ass out, Chief, cause I can do this shit by myself."
"No can do, Ryker. I need both of you on this case. You both even each other out. I know you hate each other's guts but your skillsets complement each other better than any Detective pairing in this whole damn department," Chief Reynolds said.
"I highly doubt that..." Xander muttered. He looked up at his Chief and motioned with his chin. "What's the case?"
Chief Reynolds handed them both a folder. "There's been a series of men who've gone missing the past few months. Not a single one of their bodies have been found. It's like they've completely vanished off of the face of the earth. Contacted their wives, children, friends, employers. We turn up with nothing."
"Except..." Xander said looking through the file.
"Except they all have one thing in common," Chief Reynolds said. "They've all frequented the House of Madame Navine."
"Is that the place that sells really expensive pussy?" Ryker grunted as he rolled his cigar between his lips while reading the file. 
Xander rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Yea, that's the place," Chief Reynolds said. "I need you two to investigate. But be careful with Madame Navine. She's extremely cunning. Very manipulative. And drop-dead gorgeous."
Xander and Ryker looked up at their Chief amused. 
"You sound like you got caught, Chief," Ryker smirked. "You dabblin' in the house of illicit pussy?"
"I'm not saying shit, Ryker," Chief Reynolds said as Xander and Ryker snickered. "Just be wary of her. The only thing she's more protective of than her house... is those girls. We ain't got shit on her. And she's not about to slip up now."
The Chief dismissed them and the detectives got up to leave. They reached the door when Ryker turned to Xander.
"You can just relax, cupcake. I'll handle it. Wouldn't want you to get your dainty little hands dirty, now, would we?" Ryker mocked.
"How about you go suck a dick, Ryker?" Xander snapped. 
"You're way ahead of me, X!" Ryker mocked, making a sucking motion with his hand and mouth before he gave Xander the finger and barged out the door. 
Xander looked back at his Chief annoyed, but Chief Reynolds merely shrugged. "Perhaps this will mend your relationship," the Chief said.
"I want hazard pay for dealing with his reckless ass," Xander snapped. 
***
"Madame never lets us go outside," Sloth said breathing in the fresh air. She walked ahead of the girls and closed her eyes to feel the sun. "I just wanna lay on the grass and sleep for a few days."
"A few days, Sloth? What do you do all day besides sleep, fuck, eat, fuck, shower, and then fuck some more?" Gluttony scoffed.
"That's what I mean! All that fucking is exhausting. I just wanna be left alone," Sloth whined.
"Pretty whore problems," Pride grinned. Lust chuckled as she walked alongside Envy. 
The 5 women had taken their first public stroll in months. After the chaos that ensued around Wrath, Madame Navine decided to appease her girls by allowing them to go out for a walk to the shops, though Greed preferred to meet with her Norwegian beau. Under Madame Navine's thumb, there were very few places they were allowed to be. They couldn't be happier to finally have a moment of freedom. 
But it wasn't all they had hoped it would be. The men treated them more or less the same. Oggling them with wanting eyes full of desire or passing judgment for the same lifestyle they themselves dabbled in behind closed doors. Meanwhile, the women that accompanied their men of little faith scowled at them in disgust and whispered degrading insults. 
"Ugly fat disgusting whore," one woman spat towards Pride as they passed by. 
But Pride merely rolled her eyes with a smirk, completely unphased. 
"She's just jealous because I fucked her husband last week," Pride said. The woman looked at her in shock. Pride tilted her head to the side and put her hand on her wide hip. "T'isn't my fault your husband's unfaithful, sweetheart. Keep your man in your bed or cut him loose, but don't blame me for having a desirable cunt, yea?"
The woman looked at her appalled as Gluttony burst into laughter. 
"This is why we can't take her anywhere," Lust grinned. The woman chuckled to themselves as they strolled towards the boutique shops.
Lust walked alongside Envy as Pride, Gluttony, and Sloth walked ahead. Gluttony and Pride were engrossed in conversation while Sloth seemed to be taking her time taking in the scenery.
"I'm concerned about Wrath," Lust said. "Madame has had her locked in that cellar for a week now."
"It's awful," Envy muttered. "But what can we do? Madame is our life source. We are powerless against her..."
Lust frowned at the helpless tone in Envy's voice. She glanced up at her and caught Envy looking at Sloth.
"You know, Envy... just cause we both colored women doesn't mean we always have to stay together," Lust whispered.
Envy looked at Lust surprised. 
"Go be with her," Lust insisted. "While we still have the pleasure of not being around the Madame."
Envy looked at Lust with deep gratitude. She squeezed her hand gently before quickly walking towards Sloth.
Sloth rocked on her toes, staring at a boutique shop sign when she felt someone behind her.
"Boo!"
Sloth jumped and turned around to see Envy smiling at her.
"I thought you were going to avoid me forever," Sloth smiled.
Envy looked at her weakly. "It's difficult watching you from afar... I miss you..."
"I miss you too..." Sloth said. She held out her hand and Envy smiled as she slipped her hand in hers.
Lust felt warm, watching Sloth and Envy walk off together to check out more boutiques. She glanced over to see Gluttony and Pride checking out a bakery shop. 
Glancing at her watch, Lust realized now was the perfect time to finally get more books to add to her small collection. She quickly walked to the bookstore across the street. 
The bell jingled when Lust walked into the bookstore. Several eyes looked her way, most of them unfriendly.
It wasn't anything she wasn't already used to. 
Lust headed towards the back of the bookstore. She scanned the shelves for the stories she had snuck from Madame Navine's room so many times before. She needed to finally have her own copy.
Bending down, she scoured the shelf and her eyes beamed with joy to find them. She quickly pulled them out and rushed to turn around when she bumped into someone. Her books careened to the floor. 
"Oh! Sorry," she said going to bend down. The person she bumped into bent down at the same time and they immediately locked eyes with each other.
She looked into his light blue eyes and was taken back with how well she could see her reflection in them. His face looked as if it was sculpted by an artist. The short blonde fuzz on his chin matched the blonde curls that were stuffed under his wool hat and slightly covered his eyes.
She realized she was staring too long but that was only because he couldn't stop staring at her as well. His unwavering gaze made her nervous, and she cautiously took a step back.
"What... you ain't never seen a colored girl before?" she smirked. 
He blinked at her a few times before standing to his feet and clearing his throat. "No, it's not that," he chuckled. "I just um..."
"As long as you don't say 'not one as pretty as you'," she grinned.
"What kind of asshole thinks that's a compliment?" he scoffed.
"You'd be surprised. I get it all the time," she said.
He shook his head and bent down again to pick up her books off the floor. He looked them over in his hand.
"Pride and Prejudice... and The Scarlet Letter...good choices. These are classics," he said, handing them to her. 
"Thanks," she said grabbing them from him. "I'd been saving up to buy these books for months and now I finally can."
He looked at her bewildered. "What kind of job do you work that you have to save up for months to get a book this cheap?"
Lust bit her lip nervously knowing she couldn't be completely honest. "I'm in... people services. I serve people," she said quickly.
"Oh, like a waitress or something?" he asked.
"Yea, something like that," she said averting her eyes. "And um... what about you? What do you do?"
He shrugged. "Nothing important. Boring stuff."
Lust chuckled at his lackadaisical demeanor. "Well, I gotta go. It was nice meeting you."
"Xander," he said quickly.
She smiled. "Xander. Nice meeting you, Xander." 
"You're not gonna tell me your name?" he asked.
"Nope," she winked at him. She turned on her heels and left him alone.
Xander shoved his hands into his pocket and put on a sideways grin as he watched her walk away.
Lust walked to the cashier to pay for her books. She tried to give him money but he wouldn't take it.
"Is there a problem?" she asked.
"Niggers ain't s'posed to know how to read," he sucked his teeth. 
"Well, this WOMAN does. Now would you just take the cash so I can leave?" she said annoyed. 
"I ain't servin' no damn ni-" he started when Xander walked up behind her and subtly flashed his badge to the cashier.
"Just give her the damn book," Xander snapped.
Lust looked back at Xander surprised, but he barely looked at her as he glared at the cashier, ready to rip his head off. 
"Thank you for your service, ma'am," the cashier said pushing the books toward her.
She looked at the cashier in shock and then back at Xander. She had no idea what he did to make the cashier respond so drastically different.
"Well, I'll be! The power of white men!" she snickered.
Xander finally looked down at her and grinned. "He was being an asshole."
Lust chuckled. "Well thank you, Xander. I really appreciate you doing that for me."
"Enough for me to get a name?" he asked.
"Nope," she teased as she walked right by him.
He grinned amused, his eyes lingering on her backside a little longer than he expected. 
~
Lust walked out of the bookstore smiling ear-to-ear. She couldn't remember the last time she had a genuine conversation with a man that didn't involve him wanting to fuck her in every which way possible.
"Xander," she repeated as her cheeks got hot. She stopped short when she heard angry yelling coming from across the street.
Her eyes widened in shock to see people throwing food and garbage at Envy and Sloth while Gluttony and Pride yelled at the angry mob trying to attack them.
Lust rushed over towards them to help the girls only to get swallowed into the mob herself. 
***
"This is why I don't let you out!"
Madame Navine angrily paced the lounge room on the second floor. The women sat on the couch with their clothes torn, their hair a mess, and several bruises with splotches of dirt on their faces.
Greed leaned against the wall watching them receive a harsh lecture from the woman of the house.
"I've given countless instruction on how to present yourself in public! How to hold yourselves in high regard! And this happens?! After everything I've taught you?!" Madame Navine snarled angrily. "You look like savages! You look as if you escaped from fucking madhouse!"
"If I could just comment-" Pride started, raising her finger to make a point. 
"SHUT UP!" Madame Navine snarled. 
"Yup. Okay." Pride quickly closed her mouth and looked down at her torn dress.
Madame Navine glanced between Envy and Sloth who were both obviously avoiding her gaze.
"Everyone get out. Go clean yourselves and prepare for tonight," Madam Navine said coldly. 
She glared at Sloth. "I need a word with my daughter..."
~
Envy stalked the base of the staircase. She could barely concentrate on what was going on as her mind was preoccupied with Sloth locked in the room with her mother.
She didn't expect Madame Navine to harm her own daughter, but then... the women had learned the hard way never to assume anything when it came to Madame Navine.
Especially after what happened to Wrath...
"Envy, you need to get it together," Greed warned her. "If you don't have at least one client by the time the Madame comes down, she'll have your head."
"I don't give a shit about these damn men!" Envy snapped angrily. Her loud voice caught the attention of many unwanted, curious eyes.
Lust rushed over to Envy who was having a panic attack.
"Envy, I need you to breathe," Lust said cautiously. "Breathe and focus. You have a job to do."
Envy looked at Lust with tears in her eyes. "I can't, Lust! I can't!" she said shaking her head. "What if she does something to her? What if she throws her away like she did Wrath? Or worse?"
Several more men looked over at them and Lust gave a polite smile before pulling Envy to the side.
"You can't do this here. You'll have hell to pay. Go hide out in the kitchen until you've calmed down. I'll take care of it, okay?"
Envy nodded with a sob as she leaned on Lust for support. Lust walked her halfway to the kitchen and escorted her inside. She quickly closed the door and turned around when someone blocked her path.
"Oh! Jeezus! You scared me!" Lust said putting her hand to her chest.
"My apologies, Miss..." the man said eyeing her up hungrily.
Lust looked him up and down and found herself inadvertently appreciating his form. He was incredibly tall with a strong, massive build that caused his shoulders to hunch a bit. His dark brown beard that connected to his mustache wasn't thick enough to hide his pink plump lips.
He took off his hat, revealing his short brown hair. His light hazel eyes, took their time roaming her alluring form before he met her gaze again.
"Didn't mean to startle you..." he said.
Lust smiled politely. "It's alright. Can I get you something? We have wine for all of our guests."
"I am thirsty, Miss, but not for wine..." he said suggestively.
Lust raised her brows in amusement at a line she hadn't quite heard before. At least he was more creative than the others.
"I see... have you been enjoying your evening?" she asked.
"I am now," he grinned.
Lust couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, I'm glad to hear it. Why don't we head back into the main hall to talk more?"
The man looked past her into the kitchen where she had hidden Envy. He looked down at her again and put on a smile. "By all means, lead the way."
Lust walked past him and his eyes followed her before he was practically attached to her back. She directed him to the corner of the room where he sat down and spread out his legs for comfort.
"So what brings you here?" she asked.
"What brings any man here?" he said with a raised brow. 
Lust shifted to her hip. "I mean... what fantasy are you trying to fulfill?"
He looked up at her for a long moment and shrugged. "I just felt like trying something new."
Lust nodded. "See anyone you'd like to try?"
He grinned. "I'm looking at her right now." He motioned with his hand for her to come closer.
Lust smirked at his quick remarks and unfiltered boldness. She took it a step further and lifted her dress slightly before sitting on his lap. Her backside was soft and plump against his thigh as she got comfortable. Wresting her elbow on his shoulder, she gave him a teasing look.
"You're trying to tempt me," he grinned as his arm rounded her waist. 
"You came to me, remember?" she teased. 
He smirked amused. His eyes lowered to her cleavage and he couldn't help his hand caressing her slightly exposed thigh from the slit in her dress. "Tell me..." he said drinking her in. "What's a dame like you doing in a place like this?"
"That's an odd question for someone visiting for the first time," she said.
He chuckled as he slipped his hand between her thighs. "I just mean... you don't seem like the kind of woman a guy should have to share..."
Lust raised a brow and gently grabbed the back of his hair. "You don't even know if I'm good or not?"
"Yea?" he said looking up at her. "Well, maybe we should go find out..."
Lust nearly got lost in his gaze. Never had she met a client so smooth and purposeful in what he wanted in a way that didn't make her skin crawl. Her gaze switched from his hazel eyes to his lips and he immediately leaned in to push his lips against hers.
Lust moved her mouth sensually against his and slipped her tongue into his mouth. She felt his hand palm her thigh, his fingers teasing just a few inches before her warm core. 
"Convinced yet?" she breathed against his lips. A small whimper escaped her lips when she felt his fingers rub against her softness just outside her bloomers.
"....not quite..." he groaned. "But I've got a few bills I'm willing to give up so I can explore further."
She pulled back from his lips and smirked at him. "Then let's go."
She went to stand up when he firmly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down to his lap.
She looked at him startled by the dramatic change of expression on his face.
"Just a second," he said seriously.
~
"I'm in love with her, mother! Why can't you understand that?"
Madame Navine groaned into her hand as she listened to her daughter sob. She reminded her of the 8-year-old brat she could barely put up with when she was just a child. Crying over the smallest things, she was almost certain the girl was mentally unhinged. 
"Why can't you just let us be?" Sloth pleaded with tears in her eyes.
"Let you be?!" Madame Navine spun on her daughter angrily. "Have you forgotten what you are?! You're ruining your future!"
"I don't want a future if it's not with her!" Sloth cried. "I don't care about these men! Can't you see that I'm miserable with them?! I'm not in love with any of them!"
Her mother angrily grabbed her by the arm. "When has love ever been a factor?! You think this is about love?! You think love is what kept us alive all these years?! Your father beat me to a bloody pulp while I was pregnant with you and left me in a ditch to die! And you think love saved us?! Fuck love! It was strength! Perseverance! Purpose! You survived because of me! Not love!"
Tears streamed down Sloth's face as she looked at her mother with distraught. "I don't want to do this anymore..."
"That's too bad, sweetheart, because this is your life. It was mine. It was your mother's and it was her mother's. And now it's yours. It's how we survive. Learn to fake it if you must but you will not compromise your worth by involving yourself with someone who can't pay," Madame Navine said coldly.
Sloth shook her head angrily. "You're going to ruin us. All of us. Just like you ruined Wrath!"
Madame Navine looked at her daughter like she had lost her mind. "You ungrateful-"
"You promised her mother, your sister, that you would take care of her! But you lied! Look what you've done to her!"
The harsh sound of flesh slapping against flesh reverberated around the room, silencing Sloth. She gently touched her cheek that stung painfully from her mother's discipline.
"Don't you ever... talk to me about my sister like that again," Madame Navine snarled.
Sloth rubbed her reddened cheek and stared at her mother with tearful blue eyes full of hate. 
Suddenly, Gluttony came barging into the room. "Madame!"
"Why are you here, Gluttony? You should be entertaining our guests," Madame Navine said irritably.
"Yes, Madame, but... I think you should come downstairs right away," Gluttony said anxiously.
~
Madame Navine walked down the winding stairs to see several of her clients being escorted out of the door. Her own women were restrained with their hands behind their backs by men in police uniforms. 
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing? Get the hell away from my girls!" Madame Navine snarled angrily. 
"Madame Navine. I don't think we've been formally introduced. My name's Ryker. Detective Ryker," the man with hazel eyes said as he approached her.
Lust's nostrils flared. She gave Ryker the dirtiest look from his betrayal as he walked past her. He grinned at her with a shrug and turned to Madame Navine.
"I can see that you're upset, but frankly, I really don't care. What you're doing here is illegal and that's the least of your worries. You and your girls have been identified as suspects for a series of missing cases. We're going to have to search your house," he said to her.
"I don't give a fuck what questions you have or why you're here! All of that is hearsay! You're on private property and you don't have a damn warrant. Now get the fuck out!" she shouted at them.
"Somebody say something about a warrant?"
Lust looked towards the door where she heard the familiar voice and nearly felt her stomach drop to her butt. She couldn't believe who was at the door. She quickly turned to hide her face.
"Well fuck me, you actually did something right for once," Ryker mocked Xander.
"How about you shut the fuck up and do your damn job," Xander snapped at him. 
Xander looked at Madame Navine. "My men here-"
"Your men," Ryker muttered with a roll of his eyes.
Xander ignored him. "My men here are going to read you and every other woman who lives here your rights. Then we're going to search your house. The more you cooperate, the less painful this will be for you," Xander said politely. "Is this everyone?"
Madame Navine was so angry she could barely speak. Gluttony looked around noticing Wrath was still locked in the hidden room.
"Yes," Sloth said quickly. "This is all of us."
The girls exchanged looks as they read the intent in each other's eyes. 
Xander nodded and looked around the room when his eyes landed on Lust. She was blatantly avoiding him until one of the officers pulled her towards the door along with the rest of the woman.
Lust glanced back at Xander and saw a look of utter shock and confusion on his face. She didn't know why it bothered her so much. Nor did she know why a guy she barely knew seemed to be so visibly upset by her arrest. 
Ryker walked up to Xander whose eyes hadn't left Lust.
"You know that broad?" Ryker asked. 
Xander swallowed hard and barely shook his head. "...I just... barely met her..."
Ryker curiously looked from Xander to Lust before one of the officers approached them.
"Sir," the officer said getting Ryker's attention. "We found this buried in the back."
Ryker put on a glove and took the dirty knife from the officer's gloved hand.
"Put it with the rest of the evidence," Ryker said.
~
"I'm betting it's the Madame. Bitch is clearly off her rocker. She was ready to choke the shit out of me the moment she walked down those damn stairs like she was the ice queen herself," Ryker said walking towards the office.
"Well, I frequently want to choke you so I'm not sure that counts," Xander mocked. "Besides, there are 6 other suspects. It could be any one of them."
"Could be a group effort for all we know," Ryker shrugged as he lit his cigar. "We've got 7 of them. One of them is bound to crack and tell the truth."
When the two of them arrived at the interrogation room, Xander quickly stopped Ryker before he could open the door.
"What now?" Ryker said annoyed.
"Um... let me... let me take the lead on this one," Xander said, peeking through the glass. 
Ryker leaned back to look through the glass as well and saw Lust sitting at the table with her head lowered.
"Did you fuck this broad or something?" Ryker said with a raised brow.
"What? No! No, I just... your methods are too fucking harsh. I just wanna change it around a bit," Xander said defensively.
Ryker sucked his teeth. "What did I say? Fucking princess."
"Shut up," Xander said opening the door. 
Lust immediately looked up when she heard the door open and saw Xander and Ryker walk in. She sunk back into her seat and averted her eyes, feeling extremely uncomfortable.
"Think I can get your real name now?" Xander, said sitting at the table across from her.
~
Lust played with her fingers as she stared at the table. She had been enduring the detectives' barrage of questions for almost an hour.
She gave them nothing.
"I need you to fucking work with us, sweetheart. The sooner you do that, the sooner you can get out of here," Ryker said impatiently.
Lust rolled her eyes. "We both know that's not true," she said. "I already know how you work, asshole."
"Listen, sweetheart, I was just doing my job. And it's 'Detective' to you," Ryker corrected her.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Detective Asshole," she mocked. 
Xander tried to hold back his grin. He cleared his throat and leaned forward to ask her another question.
"I just don't understand who you're trying to protect," Xander said. "I mean this woman is selling you. Don't you want to be free from her?"
Lust looked up at Xander and scoffed. "With all due respect, Detective, you have no idea what it's like to be a woman in a man's world. Let alone a colored woman in a white man's world. We do what we need to do to survive."
"You kind of sound like you're insulting yourself here. Letting strange men determine your worth?" Xander asked. 
"No man determines my worth," Lust said looking at him. "Only I do.  I choose whether they can have me or not. Not them."
Ryker scoffed. "And yet, I almost fucked you."
Xander looked at Ryker annoyed.
"Keyword 'almost'. But you didn't," Lust said mockingly. "And now you never will. So carry on with your interrogation that's going absolutely nowhere."
Ryker groaned in frustration as he removed his cigar from his mouth. "We just need to know the truth. It sounds like you're the victim here, not the suspect."
"Well, you're sure treating me like one," she said defensively. 
Xander took a deep breath as he tried to think of a different approach.
"How many... gentlemen... tend to visit you?" Xander asked.
Lust could see the tension in his face that masked the terse tone in his voice. 
"At least 3 a day..." she said.
Ryker whistled in surprise and Xander tried to hide his frown.
"Do you have any repeat visitors?" Xander asked.
"Why does that matter?" she asked.
"Please, just answer the question," Xander said with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. 
"Yes," she said. 
Xander held her gaze for a moment almost as if he was meeting her again for the first time before he looked back down at his paper.
Lust averted her eyes, feeling even more awkward than before.
"Do any of them seem to be more than just... clients?" Xander asked.
Lust shook her head in annoyance.
"Startin' to sound like a jealous boyfriend there, X," Ryker grinned.
"I have a point," Xander snapped annoyed. "Please, answer the question," he said to her.
Lust looked at him with a tense jaw. "No. Though... some of them think themselves to be..."
"Visiting you off-hours? Unsolicited?" Xander probed.
"Sometimes," she said rubbing her arm.
"Have any of them ever threatened you?" Xander continued.
"I don't know," she said.
"How do you not know?" Xander asked. "You're in 'people's services', you told me, so you should know."
Lust shook her head. "I don't know. I guess. Yes, sometimes."
"Have any of the other women witnessed you being threatened?" Xander asked.
"No," she said.
"Have you been threatened outside of your bedroom?"
"No. I mean yes."
"Yes or no?"
"No!"
"Have any of your clients ever hurt you?"
"No."
"Tried to force themselves on you?"
"No. I mean- men are naturally animals. They lose control sometimes," she said quickly.
"Write that down as a 'yes'," Ryker said.
"Already did," Xander said writing in his file. He pulled out a picture and pushed it on the table towards her.
"Do you recognize this man?" he asked.
Lust felt a lump harden in her throat to see a black and white photo of Norin, the man that Wrath had killed when he tried to force himself on her.
"No," she said quickly.
"No?" Xander said with a raised brow.
Lust vehemently shook her head. "No, I don't know him."
"He frequented your house," Xander said.
"I don't know him!" she snapped. 
Xander stared at her for a moment before leaning back in his chair. He pulled out another paper, but this time it was a painting. A very detailed painting.
A detailed painting of her. With Norin's signature. 
"...is that you?" Xander asked.
Lust swallowed hard as she looked up at Ryker and Xander with fear in her eyes.
***