I open my mouth to answer. To say no and that I’m tired, when Delila’s voice interrupts me. “Beatrice, how lovely for you both to show up.”
Beat’s smile instantly falls as she spins around to greet Delila. “Delila.”
“I hope you’re talking to my favorite lead girl to see if you can dance for us again and not because you’re trying to poach her.”
Instantly, that makes me smile. Delila and Beat don’t get along? Maybe I will take her up on her offer.
“Actually,” I interrupt Delila before Beat can say anything. “Neither. We were just about to go for a drink. You know, to celebrate my first successful act.” I try to keep the sarcasm out of my tone but fail miserably when I notice the twitch in Delila’s eye.
“Great!” Beat claps her hands. “We’ll meet you at the limo when you’re ready. We’re parked on the curb.”
I nod, offering her a small smile, as she and her entourage disappear into the darkness.
It’s not until Delila clears her throat that I realize she’s still standing there. “Be careful, Little Bird. Not all that glitters is gold.”
I roll my eyes, heading back to the RV and quickly changing out of my scandalous clothes. I ignore my phone vibrating in my hand and I quickly grab my fur coat and dash back out the door, before any of The Brothers come back. I don’t want to see any of them right now, and to be honest, I feel like a drink.
The music hums around me, as my thoughts remain fixed on a certain red-haired girl who won’t stay the fuck out of my mind. You can’t have her. No matter how many times I replay that same sentence over in my head, it seems the dots just won’t connect in my brain. I know why I’m drawn to her, and I made peace with that a long time ago. It’s part of the deal. Some sick game I like to play with myself, like a damn masochist.
Most of the Midnight Mayhem crew is buzzed as fuck from all of the alcohol being passed around. It’s the after party, but we have one after each damn show. It gets old pretty fast when you’ve been on the road since you were fifteen fucking years old.
My phone pulses in my pocket, and I reach in, thinking over whether or not I want to answer it. My mom calling at this time of the night should be worrying—had my mom been a normal mom, which she’s not. I hit ignore just as Val drops her bony ass into my lap.
“Awww, where’s your cute little toy gone?” Her hand runs over my cheek, the scent of expensive champagne tainting her plump lips.
I whack her hand away. “You of all people should know how my toys are treated.”
Her eyes darken as she brings the bottle of Moët to her mouth. “Don’t I ever.”
I glare at her. “I’m not interested.”
She wiggles in my lap. I clench my jaw and spread my knees out, so she drops between them, landing on the dirt ground. A few people around us stop to look, but not for long, when she snaps at all of them to mind their own fucking business.
Her eyes cut back to mine. “Jeez, King. When did you get extra moody?”
Keaton kicks my chair. “About the time someone decided to sleep in our RV.”
Val stands, dusting off her pants and picking up whatever self-respect I’ve left her with. “You’re such an asshole.”
I look over her shoulder, dismissing her, just as Keaton takes the seat beside me, chuckling. “Any idea where the little bird has flown off to?”
I take a sip of my whiskey, allowing the liquid to burn in my mouth before swallowing. “She’s gone with Beat.”
“Beat as in Manik? She’s hanging around again?”
I shake my head, reaching for the pack of smokes on the ground and banging the end onto my thigh. “Naw. They just come to the New York shows when we’re here. Seems this time, Beatrice has found a liking to Dove.”
Keaton doesn’t answer, so I look over at him just as I blow out a cloud of smoke.
He smirks.
“Don’t fucking say it, Keats. Unless you want me to rearrange that pretty little face, I wouldn’t fucking say it.”
Keaton chuckles, resting his head back against the back of his chair. “I wouldn’t, but I would get a handle on that before it gets out of control. You’re losing focus.”
“The fuck I am,” I snap, flicking the ash off my smoke. “She’s not the fucking one.”
Kyrin must have sunk into the chair on the other side of me because his voice cracks through next. “They come in twos.”
Beat orders two vodkas and then rests her eyes on me. Her two bodyguards are probably outside waiting for us, but Aeron went home. “Where did you learn to dance like that?” she asks, stirring the olives around in her martini.
“Ah,” I lean back in my chair, “my mom ruled her expectations with a heavy foot, and that foot usually had a ballerina slipper attached to it, so…”
Beat laughs, flicking some peanuts into her mouth. “I get it. I mean, I don’t really get it. I—my mom and—”
“Oh!” I shake my head, thankful for the drink when it finally arrives. I take a sip before answering. “No, I mean, it was great, but they died when I was young.”
“Oh.” Beat softens her tone, her shoulders sagging. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
I wave her off, not because I’m unaffected by their death anymore, but because after all these years of having to explain or say the same thing, almost like a rehearsed script, it’s easier now. “It was a long time ago.” Lie, you’re still affected by it. Shutting out bad memories doesn’t help you cope. It’s the easy lie that we blanket ourselves with for a false sense of security.
“So how has Delila been?” Beat changes the subject.
I shrug. “A total bitch at the best of times.” The alcohol is warming my blood and fueling my confidence to speak.
“So, still the same then.” Beat rolls her eyes.
“You used to be in Midnight Mayhem?” I ask.
Her shoulders sag. “Yes. A long time ago, but essentially, yes. For a couple shows anyway.”
“How’d you find it?” I’m intrigued by her on a level that I’m not sure I can quite grasp yet. Fascinated. I want to know her in a way.
“Well.” She exhales. “I was running away from my husband because he kidnapped me. Then there was this whole ‘he might kill me thing’ and I didn’t feel like dying.”
I laugh, throwing my head back. I laugh so hard my belly tightens. When I finally come down from my fit of giggles, she’s watching me with surprise. “You’re not freaked out by what I just said?”
I swipe at my eyes. “No. I mean, if you knew how I came about my current position.”
Beat searches my eyes. “Oh, I think I have an idea. Maybe. Though I’m not sure.”
I shake my head, sighing. I feel relaxed for the first time in a long time. Being around so much testosterone has taken its toll on me. “I swear you could write a really creepy book about my life.”
Beat snorts, leaning into her bag that’s near her ankles and dropping a book onto the table. She points. “Join the club.” My eyes fall on the cover, the bright green title catching my eyes first. The title is simple. MANIK. The cover image is of Aeron’s chest, but where his face is supposed to be, there are ravens flying out.