I close my eyes and lick my lips, focused on my breathing. If they wanted to kill you, Dove, you’d be dead. Chill.
The first thing I feel is the sand beneath my shoes vibrate. The first thing I hear is the clinking of metal, and the first thing I think to myself is…what the fuck have I gotten myself into?
“Breathe, Little Bird,” a voice whispers over the nape of my neck, sending chills down my spine. Something covers my eyes and is being tied to the back of my head. “We’re not going to hurt you—much.” That was a different voice, and I turn in an attempt to chase the owner, but I’m met with darkness everywhere. I can see a spotlight through the blindfold, but it’s not clear enough to make out who is around me.
Fingers drag up my arm, setting off goosebumps.
I flinch away.
Someone chuckles, only this chuckle I recognize. “What’s the matter, Little Dovey…” Kingston starts, and then he leans forward, his lips skating over the back of my ear. “Don’t like shadows much?”
I still, my blood turning cold. “What?” I whisper, reaching for the blindfold, but someone halts my movements by forcing my arms to my back. Cold metal from the handcuffs latch around each wrist. “What did you just say?”
He ignores me, and I’m being pushed down to my knees. Did he just say The Shadow, or did I imagine it? It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve imagined myself into thinking The Shadow is present or has whispered something into my ear. It usually comes during a nightmare, but I’m almost certain Kingston just said what I think he did. Regardless, he’s obviously meaning the shadows that I see through the blindfold. My paranoia will kill me one day.
“Stop!” Delila yells out from somewhere. “I didn’t say perform one of your acts on her. I said incorporate her into the act.”
“First of all—” I think that’s Killian. “How are we supposed to incorporate her into it without showing her what it is that we do, D?”
Silence.
“Because we can save that for her first night. We don’t give swimming lessons; we throw people into the deep end and hope they can swim.”
I pull on the cuffs. “Can someone take the blindfold off?”
“No,” Kingston growls out. Goosebumps stand to the surface of my skin.
“Well, can you remove the handcuffs? I need my arms to dance.”
My wrists are set free as quick as they were locked.
“You’re right,” Delila finishes, and just like that, the blindfold is torn off my eyes. “We can’t have her in there without knowing what to expect.” She eyes me up and down, and I squirm. I don’t like Delila, nor do I trust her. “We will wait until we’re on the road. For now,” she says to me, a smirk on her mouth, “make yourself at home. Get to know people without getting to know them too well, and for the love of God, Dove—” Her fingers wrap around my chin, directing my face up to hers. “Don’t get yourself killed.” She pats my cheek and smiles sweetly before stepping back and looking out to the audience of performers. “We leave tomorrow night. First stop is here, New York.” She starts walking away when she grumbles, “Hopefully, we can find another Beatrice while we’re at it.”
When Delila is out of earshot, I turn to face Kingston and the other four. “Want to explain to me what it is that you do so that I can at least get a feel for it?”
“No,” Keaton says, turning to leave behind Delila.
“She can’t be your fifth. That’s too close.” Keaton kicks out his legs, lighting up a cigarette. My finger continues to caress my upper lip as I watch all three of them. I see where they’re coming from, but at the same time, it makes my task easier.
“He’s right. She can’t. I mean, she’s good, but you haven’t had a fifth. Ever.” Kyrin argues.
“What the fuck? How can none of you see what I see? Y’all need some glasses or have something to tell me? That girl dominates the room when she dances. You’re telling me that that’s not his fifth?” Killian, being himself, is fighting for the girl. Good for her. She’ll need all the fans that she can get, but that still doesn’t argue the fact that I’m going to destroy her.
I clench my jaw. Their bickering is balancing on my last nerve, and I know it’s my last because I used up all the rest of them when Dove walked up in here.
Once.
Twice.
“And have you ever seen someone as fucking hot as her? The doe eyes and dark red hair. I’m fucking digging it. It’s the same color as my Ferrari.” Killian still won’t shut the fuck up, and he’s managed to now introduce his pride and joy.