“Every word you just said about the auction, the stolen goods, the blackmail—sent to three different precincts,” Kira said softly. “Hot. And mean.”
The club’s lights dimmed. Two bodyguards stepped from the shadows.
As Kira turned to leave, Miss B. Nasty called out: “Next time, I won’t let you walk.” HotAndMean.24.04.04.Kira.Noir.And.Miss.B.Nasty....
For a long second, the two women stared at each other. Then B. Nasty laughed—low, genuine, almost admiring.
B. Nasty was the queen of the underground auction houses, all razor cheekbones and a laugh like broken glass. She’d stolen a hard drive containing Kira’s last client—a washed-up producer who’d bet the wrong money on the wrong horse. “Every word you just said about the auction,
“Takes one to catch one,” Kira replied, palming the hard drive that had just been slid across the table under a napkin. “Pleasure doing business.”
Here’s a short story inspired by that title and those names. The Velvet Vice Starring: Kira Noir & Miss B. Nasty Tagline: Some lessons are served hot... and mean. The neon sigh of Los Angeles at 2 a.m. dripped through the blinds of Kira Noir ’s office. She wasn’t a detective. She was a fixer—the one you called when the problem wore stilettos and a smirk. Two bodyguards stepped from the shadows
“You’re late, Noir,” B. Nasty purred, swirling a drink the color of a warning. She sat on a velvet throne, legs crossed, looking like sin carved into a gown.