In Fury Lies Mischief (Midnight Mayhem 2)

“As I was saying,” Delila adds, her attention coming to me briefly before flying around the room. “Two weeks. We need to get paperwork in order and marketing out before we venture off but at the same time, we have days lost so we need to get back on. I would like all of you to get back into training. The time in Kiznitch and travel is time lost. Time we cannot afford to lose. So, from today onwards, all of you are to train at least once a day and up your calorie count to counter the calories burned, because I also want everyone running in the morning during a fasting window. That will help with your agility, stamina, and overall fitness.”

She takes a small pause—when I say small, I mean it was small enough for me to use every single swear word against her because fucking running on a fast? No thanks.

“You are to train every single one of your acts once a day. No choosing whatever you like and doing the next one the day after—do them all.”

I groan, tilting my head back so my hair trails down the back of the chair.

“Saskia, that includes you. I know it’s a lot to ask because of how many you have, but you’ll thank me later.”

Bet I won’t.

I nod, hearing her loud and clear. I actually would love to have my mind taken off the fact that Killian is ignoring me and acting as if I didn’t exist, I’m somehow a billionaire, and I have some secret family last name.

Everyone starts to pile out, but I stay. Kenan squeezes my hand. “What’s wrong?” He tucks me under his arm and presses his lips to my head. “Two weeks then we’re on the road and the silence will turn into the crowds cheering.”

I chuckle, shuffling down a little while unzipping my hoodie, exposing my sports bra. “I’m fine, Ken.”

I stand, tossing my hoodie onto one of the chairs in the front of the ring. I know that Kenan is trying to help. I get it. I would do the same if I knew someone had openly hurt him in such a way that Killian had me, but I can’t dwell on it any more than I already have.

Once everyone has left, I flick through my phone and push play on a random song in my library. Something easy that I can warm up with. I want to practice all day today so that I don’t have to all day tomorrow. The song plays and I move around, stretching out my legs and bending into child’s pose.

“Want a buddy?” Perse asks. “Rose was supposed to be with me today, but she has the flu.”

Rose is one of the other girls who came in with Perse in the same manner. They’re best friends because of it and remind me of the kind of friendship that every girl should have. Loyalty, respect and love. That’s all a friendship needs to survive, but when one is broken, the other two become heavy and it won’t be long before they break too and then, you have no friendship. Rose and Perse are solid in all three.

“She okay?” I ask, gesturing out to the stage. I flick my hair over and pile it all onto the top of my head into a high pony. “I noticed she didn’t look well today.”

“She’ll be fine.” Perse tosses her slippers onto the ground in front of us. “I think it’s a mixture of jet lag too.”

“I get that,” I grumble, stretching out my legs, reaching for my toes.

“I was going to ask you something, but I wanted to check with you before we go on the road.”

I bring my eyes up to hers. She has my attention.

She takes a seat beside me and copies my stretch. “Do you want me to find somewhere new for Callan. I love my group, but I can’t have tension between any of you because it will show during the performance, and she’s in the wrong by taunting you with Killian.”

I never liked Callan. She wasn’t someone who I could picture being friends with—even when I first met her on the flight to New Orleans when they first picked us up. Part of me thought she resented me because I wasn’t on the boat with her, and another part of me just thought maybe she was someone that I just didn’t vibe with. I let it go. I never let opinions of me reach my soul.

Shaking my head, I answer, “No, I’ll be fine. Her and Killian are fine with each other.”

Perse doesn’t answer and I bring my eyes to her. She offers a small smile. “I’m not worried about you, Saskia. It’s her that I don’t trust. I know girls like her, and beside the fact that Val and I are fine now, I don’t think Callan shares the same morality that Val had beneath her ugly.”