Chapter Twenty-Eight
ZERO
Last night played in my mind on repeat like a bad dream, but I knew it had really happened. The cum-crusted T-shirt tucked next to my bed was proof enough but, more than that, Arina’s soft, stuttered breaths were burned into my mind.
They stood out in my thoughts like a goddamn neon sign.
Lying awake until Arina returned to the bus hadn’t been my plan, but every time I closed my eyes, there she was on the back of my eyelids. I laid there, clinging to the hope that she’d run off, that she wouldn’t come back to the bus.
But she did.
When the bus door opened sometime after midnight, I knew it was her.
Everyone else had been in bed before ten—I checked before turning in.
Her footsteps had been impossibly light as she made her way down the bus, shuffling around before disappearing into the bathroom.
The second I heard the water turn on in the shower, my cock twitched.
The bratty little beta had been feet from me, naked and drenched.
I shouldn’t have been thinking about it. Hell, fucking her was the last thing I needed to be thinking about, and then… I’d woken to her sensual, stuttered breaths as she touched herself.
Fuck. Thinking about it now, while I stood backstage waiting for the show to start, my cock thickened. I shifted against the wall to hide the tent in the front of my pants and crossed my arms over my chest.
I needed to get a grip. It had to be because I hadn’t gotten laid in months, but there wasn’t anyone worth my time in the troupe. I wasn’t like Revel, who had fifty-two thirsty females on speed dial at any given moment. I didn’t look for hookups in the various cities we stopped in.
I didn’t know what I was waiting for, but I knew one thing—it wasn’t Arina.
Arina the beta.
Arina the obnoxious brat.
Arina… I groaned.
She had to go.
What pissed me off most about the situation was that I’d underestimated her.
I hadn’t expected someone so shy and timid to be so goddamn stubborn. I assumed she’d fold at the first glint of my knife, that she’d run away with her tail between her legs, but no. She’d stood in front of that target, unwavering, until I had nothing left to throw at her.
I did my best to make her walk away, but she stood ten toes down.
She was a nuisance, one we couldn’t afford.
If I was going to take over the circus one day, the last thing I needed was some pain in the ass beta woman who challenged me. Everyone else in the troupe knew their place, and they respected me… for the most part. If they didn’t respect me, they feared me, and that was close enough.
Fear, I could work with.
But whatever stubborn ass, prove-herself-to-the-world thing Arina had going on, I couldn’t.
My eyes found her once again, this time laughing it up with the aerialists on the other side of the room. Daze had an arm draped around her shoulders, and he threw his head back as he laughed, the sound echoing through the room.
My jaw hardened.
That wasn’t good.
She was making herself at home, mingling with the other troupe members, and they seemed to welcome her with open arms.
No, that wouldn’t do.
It was difficult enough plotting right under Hallow’s nose, but with the rest of the circus performers watching out for her… I needed to come up with another plan fast.
My blades clearly weren’t going to work. I could throw a thousand of them at her, but if I didn’t hurt her, she’d keep standing there. And I couldn’t hurt her because of Hallow; they’d have my head, accident or not.
I could throw her into Night’s act.
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully but quickly dismissed the idea. Night’s act was the most complicated, especially since he refused to talk to any of the assistants. She’d have no idea what she was doing, and she’d ruin the whole thing. Then, it’d be Night with my head on a platter instead of Hallow.
My eyes caught on Arina high-fiving one of the aerialists, and I rolled my eyes. It was annoying how much everyone seemed to like her. If we didn’t do something soon, she’d have the entire troupe eating out of her hand, minus the alphas.
Revel’s act might work…
I rubbed my chin at the thought, excitement sparking under my skin.
The stubborn dickhead refused to work with her—he’d said as much—but he was the one who really wanted her gone. He might just have to suck it up.
It was a risk to directly defy Hallow’s orders. They said she was going to perform in my act tonight, and if she did well, we’d add her to the other alpha acts at our next stop.
But what was the difference between mine and Revel’s acts really?
She’d be standing still the entire time. As long as she didn’t move, she wouldn’t get hurt…
With a determined smirk, I kicked off the wall and strolled across the room with my eyes peeled, searching for Syxx or Sevyn, two of the assistants we passed around between shows. They both rode the clown bus, but they avoided me as much as possible.
I found them sitting together in a pair of folding chairs in the corner.
They were both dressed in a fresh mess of colorful tulle like normal, somehow matching and clashing with each other all at once.
Syxx was braiding Sevyn’s vibrant purple hair, her own hot-pink curls twisted up on top of her head and pinned beneath a crown of tulle.
As I approached, their wide eyes found me, and they stiffened.
They were both short, pale, and petite, but that was where the similarities ended. It was also where I stopped paying attention. I knew they’d come into the circus together, but like most of the other betas in our troupe, I didn’t bother to learn their backstories.
“Hey, Zero,” Syxx said, her gaze bouncing between me and her tedious work on Sevyn’s hair.
“How are my two favorite assistants?” I grinned at the way they froze.
“Oh no,” Sevyn said.
Syxx cocked a perfectly drawn pink eyebrow at me. “What do you want?”
There was no point in beating around the bush; we didn’t have much time until the show started. If I expected either of them to help me, I needed to cut to the chase.
“A favor.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Which one of you is helping with Revel’s act tonight?”
Sevyn’s head canted to the side while Syxx tried to keep ahold of her braid. “I am.”
Damn. I was hoping it was Syxx. Of the two, she’d probably be more likely to help me.
Still, I didn’t let my disappointment show.
“What are the chances of you helping me with my act tonight instead?”
Sevyn snorted. “Nonexistent.”
“Oh, come on.” I chuckled dryly. “You don’t hate me that much, do you?”
A furrow formed between her purple eyebrows, and she pursed her lips. “You stabbed me. Or did you forget?”
“Come on, Sev. It was just a scratch.”
“I almost lost my finger,” she snapped, holding up her pinky for me to see. There was a thick scar running up the side where my blade had severed the skin.
I grimaced. “Okay, but I said I was sorry. And it won’t happen again, I promise.” I made a cross over my chest and poked out my bottom lip. “What do you say?”
“Why?” Syxx interrupted, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I didn’t have time to argue, nor did I want to. I just wanted a yes. “Why are you trying to change the lineup right before the show?”
I ran my tongue over my teeth. It wasn’t any of their business, not really. They’d get paid the same, regardless of which act they helped with.
“I want the newbie to see how a real assistant performs.” I winked at her. “And she’ll take your place in the cage.”
“Does Hallow know about this?” Sevyn narrowed her eyes at me.
Of course she would be concerned if our ringleader knew about a last-minute switch—she didn’t want to take the fall if something went wrong. And I was treading dangerous waters by messing with the performance without orders, but the risk was worth the reward in this case.
If Revel managed to frighten Arina into leaving, we’d be rid of her.
Things could go back to normal.
“Would I be asking if they didn’t?” I cocked a brow, daring her to question me. It was a huge bluff, but considering my proximity to Hallow, I knew she would fold.
Sevyn finally sighed. “Fine. But if you stab me again, Zero, I swear to Christ…”
“I’ll be more careful than ever,” I assured her, which was true. I was already toeing the line tonight. If I hurt Sevyn, Hallow would kill me.
Or Syxx would, judging by the way she was staring daggers into the side of my face.
“Whatever.” Sevyn sat straight in her seat to let Syxx finish her hair. “I deserve a raise.”