MasukThe guards didn't take me down to the lower cells right away. They kept me standing just behind the thick velvet curtains at the edge of the stage, their fingers pinching my shoulders so hard that my skin was already turning purple. I could hear the loud, angry voices of the southern captains echoing from the main floor, demanding answers from Andreas about the security breach. My whole body was shaking, the cold sweat mixing with the wet stage paint on my face, making my eyes sting."What are we doing with him, Val?" one of the guards holding me asked, leaning his head back toward the corridor. "The boss said the cells, but Leon is still down there clearing out Dante’s drivers."Val walked up the short flight of stairs, his face pale but his eyes gleaming with a nasty, satisfied look. He didn't even look me in the eyes; he just stared at my bare, trembling shoulders. "The boss changed his mind. He doesn't want this trash anywhere near the private r
Dante finally let go of my arm, shoving me away like a piece of trash. My knees buckled instantly, and I collapsed flat onto the smooth floorboards of the stage. The skin on my wrist was bright red, burning from his tight grip, but I couldn't care about the physical pain. My mind was completely fracturing. I looked up at the balcony through a thick wall of tears, my chest heaving so fast I could barely get a single gasp of air into my lungs."Andreas!" I screamed, the sound tearing out of my throat, raw and completely broken. I dragged my body forward on my knees, my hands sliding against the floor as I reached up toward the upper level. "Please, you have to listen to me! I didn't have a choice! They have Asher! They have my little brother!"Andreas didn't move for a long, terrible moment. He stood at the high railing, his green eyes dark and completely fixed on me. Then, slowly, he turned around and walked down the side stairs, his steps slow and measure
The silence in the room was so thick it felt like it was filling my lungs, making it impossible to catch a real breath. Dante’s hand was still wrapped around my forearm like an iron band, his fingers pinching right down to the bone. I tried to pull back, my bare feet sliding on the slick floor, but he gave my arm a violent wrench that nearly pulled my shoulder out of its socket. I let out a sharp cry, the sound cutting through the quiet room and bouncing off the high ceiling.Every single face on the main floor was staring up at us. The captains from the southern districts were leaning so far over the VIP balcony railings that I thought they would fall. Nobody was drinking. Nobody was moving. The giant screenshot of my text message was still glowing on the massive wall screens behind us, casting a bright white light over the whole stage that showed every tear running down my face."Let him go, Moretti," Leon shouted from the base of the stage stairs
The applause from the crowd was still ringing in my ears when Val blocked the exit to the dressing room stairs. He had two large guards standing right behind him, their expressions completely blank. He didn't say a word, just pointed his finger back toward the stage wings. My heart gave a sickening drop. The stage hands were already setting up the lights for a second routine, even though my set was supposed to be finished. The music started up again, a fast, loud electronic rhythm that made my ears buzz with panic."Get back out there, Raine," Val ordered, his voice flat and empty. "The show isn't over yet.""Val, please," I whispered, my chest heaving as I tried to clear the tears from my eyes. "I can't. My legs are shaking too much.""I don't care," he snapped, shoving my shoulder forward. "The captains want to see more. Move."I stumbled back out onto the wide floor under the burning white spotlights. The crowd cheered again, but the soun
The music started with a low, deep thrum that shook the floorboards under my feet. The stage hands gave me a quick nod from the darkness of the wings, and then the bright white spotlights snapped on, blinding me for a split second as I stepped out into the open air. The heat from the lights hit my face instantly, but inside, my whole body was still shivering.The main floor was a complete sea of moving heads and flashing glasses. Every single table was packed with people, their voices a loud, mixing roar that almost drowned out the opening notes of the song. I began my routine, forcing my arms and legs to move through the familiar twists and turns I had practiced a thousand times before. My body was running on pure habit, sliding across the smooth floor while my mind remained completely trapped in a state of terror.As the smoke machine began to fill the edges of the stage with white mist, I risked a glance upward toward the private VIP balc
The bass from the main floor was vibrating right through the soles of my shoes, a steady, rhythmic thumping that didn't stop. It was a low, constant shake that made the small glass bottles on my makeup table rattle against each other. It was Friday night, the biggest event of the entire month, and the club was completely packed from the front entry doors to the VIP balconies upstairs. I could hear the roar of the crowd even from the deep back dressing rooms, a loud, mixing sound of laughter, shouting, and clinking glasses. Any other night, that sound would have given me a rush of excitement, making my blood pump fast before a show, but tonight it just made me feel entirely cold.I sat alone in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection under the harsh white lights. My skin looked far too pale, almost gray, and my eyes were wide and dark with a terror that I couldn't brush away no matter how much paint I put on my skin. I was already dressed in my performance
The pale gray light of dawn finally broke through the mist, filling the bedroom with a cold, dim brightness that made the ruined walls look even worse. The white plaster dust had settled over everything, coating the overturned chairs and the torn mattress like a layer of dry frost. I sat on the ver
The sound of the gunfire finally stopped, leaving a terrible, ringing quietness in the room that felt almost worse than the explosions. The air was completely gray, thick with the bitter smell of smoke and ruined plaster that made my throat feel raw and dry. I stayed on the floor for a long moment,
I was lying wide awake in the dark, my eyes staring blankly at the ceiling while the slow ticking of the wall clock filled my ears. Andreas was still sleeping deeply beside me, his large arm resting over my ribs, his chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. The gold ring he had placed on
The small delivery truck backed slowly into the dark garage area beneath the club, its engine making a quiet, low purr that was completely covered by the sound of the rain outside. There were no bright lights down here, just the dim yellow glow of a single bulb near the loading bay. The back doors







