“I don’t want to be here, Mama…” I whispered, running a rag over the pristine glass table.
Mama turned to face me, her hands coming to her slender waist. Mama was looking frail—more than I had ever seen her before.
“I know you don’t want to, Zaika, but it’s part of your father and I’s job to be here. Go and fix yourself up a bit so we can take you to Mayhem when we finish up. How does that sound?”
It sounded fun. I always wanted to go to Mayhem. I saw photos of it from my ma and pa, but never would have thought I’d ever be able to see it for myself. With my own eyes.
I ran up the stairs and into the guest room, rummaging through my suitcase until I found a little red dress. It had long sleeves and came down to my knees. It was my favorite. Papa didn’t really like it. He would say that red and black were grown up colors, but Mama always fought him on that.
I slipped the dress on and tied a matching red ribbon around my head.
Tonight, I got to play with destiny, and I couldn’t wait.
I broke myself out of my memory lapse and reach for the covers from my bed, pulling them down until they’re wrapped around my body. Curling into a ball on the floor, I squeeze my eyes shut.
My door slams against the wall in my room, and I jump up from my bed, my gun cocked and pointed on Delila. “Jesus, Kill.”
“Sorry.” I lower it, tucking it inside the waistband of my briefs and running my hands through my hair. “What do you want?”
“I need you all out front now so I can brief everyone on what is happening from here. And Killian?” She glares, gesturing to my body. “Come dressed this time, please.”
I drop back onto my bed, my hands on my face.
A slender arm snakes around my waist. “Mmm, come back to bed.”
I push her away. “Get out.”
Callan flinches away from me. “Wow, Kill. No problem.” She picks up her clothes off the floor and I don’t know she’s gone until my door slams shut.
“You know…” Maya murmurs from the other side of the bed, shuffling up onto her elbows. I turn over my shoulder to face her. “You don’t have to be that awful to her.”
“Yeah.” I glare at Maya. “I do.”
She reaches to the bedside table and grabs one of my smokes, resting it between her lips.
“What time is it?” Val mutters, rubbing the sleep from her eyes on the other side of Maya.
“Early, but Delila has called a meeting. She’s going to brief us on what’s happening today.” I stand, reaching for my jeans. I slide them on, leaving the button undone. I point to the door. “Both of you, get out.”
They look up at me with puppy eyes. I cringe, my jaw tensing. “Now.”
Val grumbles in obvious amusement as she slowly crawls out of my bed, but Maya remains, smoking her cigarette. I get it. Maya has always thought that she was on a pedestal with me. Mainly because I put her there, but the way she acted last night pissed me off, and then bringing the party to my bed irked me even more.
“Get out, May.”
She flinches. “What?”
I roll my eyes, snatching my phone from the bedside table, before making my way downstairs. I’m running my hand through my hair when I spot King at the door, ready to leave.
“You know, I watched them all slowly climb out from your room this morning, and they reminded me of stray cats.”
Biting a cigarette between my teeth, I snatch my Ray-Bans off the table. “What? Don’t act like you’re surprised.” A smirk is on my mouth before I can fight it.
King pushes the door open and we slowly make our way to the tent. “Nah, not at all, but I was waiting for Sass to come down.”
I freeze, my fingers flexing around my cigarette. I drag it out slowly, puffing out a cloud of smoke.
“What?” I know he’s tormenting me. “She didn’t come? Don’t tell me… she’s not like the rest of the easy girls who go to bed with you no matter who is already there? I’m shocked. Really. A girl who looks like that but has morals?” he mocks, pressing a hand to his chest.
“Shut up, motherfucker.”
King lets out a loud laugh just as we enter the tent. Everyone is already here, waiting. Delila stands in the center of the ring, glaring at me.
“Well, nice of you to finally join us, Trickster. Tell me, are any of the other three girls I saw in your bed this morning joining us? Including my daughter?”
My jaw clenches. Bitch. Turning toward the movement I catch in the corner of my eye, I find Saskia sitting beside Kenan and Perse, her knees drawn up to her chest. Slowly she looks up at me, her eyes rimmed red and face clear of makeup. Fuck. How can she look even more beautiful without makeup on?