by Erin O'Kane
A guard stands in the corner, watching us carefully. For their protection or to keep us in line? Maybe both.
“Please, do come in,” the man at the head of the table sneers sarcastically.
“You were expecting us, weren’t you? We didn’t want to be rude and keep you waiting,” Alcide answers smoothly, the charm being laid on thick. I notice with amusement that it works, the man’s scorn disappearing as he sits back in his chair.
He’s old, and his grey hair is neatly styled and combed. His face is clean, with lines around his eyes and mouth. He appears harmless, just an average, older gentleman, but his eyes betray that image. They’re icy-blue, cold, and empty.
He’s wearing a black suit with a plain white shirt. His perfectly put together appearance and pressed attire screams money. Yet some of the people outside were hungry and dirty. That puts a sour taste in my mouth.
The other two men are just as well dressed, but they don’t carry as much power as the other man. It’s clear from the way they hold themselves that they defer to him. One is a younger man with blond hair and green eyes—handsome but with a shark-like smile. The other is an older version of the younger man, with greying hair and the start of wrinkles. They look like they have never done a day of hard work in their lives.
“Indeed,” the first man replies, his silver eyebrow arching. “Take a seat, won’t you?” His words are phrased like a question, but with an undertone of a command that suggests it’s more of an order.
Alcide pulls out a chair and looks at me. I smile, sliding into the seat before he moves to sit in the chair beside me, blocking me slightly from the men. Nixon takes the one on my other side, both of them blocking me in and I know it’s on purpose.
Alcide leans back in his chair, silent as he keenly watches the men before us. The younger man shuffles nervously before his eyes lock on me, and the blue depths heat as he runs them down the parts of my body that aren’t obscured by the table. Alcide must notice, because he leans forward again, blocking the younger man’s view, and clears his throat.
“You requested to meet?” Alcide inquires calmly, emphasising the word request.
“Yes, we did. News travelled to us of...amazing feats being accomplished by a travelling circus—by you. Naturally, we were intrigued,” the man responds.
“Naturally,” Alcide repeats dryly, with none of his usual charm present. I can tell from that just how much he hates everything they represent. While the rest of the world starves and begs, they sit in their city with their riches.
“That’s why we invited you here. You must have been curious about us to come, no?”
When Alcide doesn’t reply, the man waves his hand in the air.
“Where are my manners? I apologise, but your sudden entry took me off guard. I am Mr. Lennon, but please call me Arthur. The gentlemen beside me are Chester Franklin and,” he points at the older man and then to the younger man, “Oliver Franklin.” They both nod in greeting and Arthur carries on. “We represent some of the ruling parties of this city. We run it just as we did before the bombs, as a government.”
Interesting.
“Now, as for your show. We, of course, invite you to perform for our residents. I’m sure they would enjoy your...peculiarities as much as the normal, uneducated masses you are used to. There is, however, a condition,” Arthur informs us, leaning back in his chair. His eyes flicker to me with interest before Alcide’s stare draws him back.
“And what condition is that? I’m sure you’re right. The...people of this city would enjoy our acts as much as everyone else of this world.” I can hear the undertone of anger in Alcide’s words, and I place a hand on his thigh under the table. I notice him suck in a slight breath before he grabs my hand and holds on, using me for strength in the face of this cruel man.
“We, of course, must see the show on the first night, to ensure our audiences will enjoy it,” he explains.
“That is all?” Alcide questions, leaning back in his seat as his brows furrow in confusion.
“Yes.” Arthur grins, but the look gives me a bad feeling.
“Then please join us tonight for our first show.” Alcide smiles, but there is nothing warm about it.
“That soon?” Arthur’s eyebrows go up.
“We move fast, Arthur, and we work harder. I’m sure you will enjoy the show as much as...the uneducated masses,” Alcide finishes.
“Tonight then,” Arthur agrees.
Alcide stands, and Nixon and I rise with him. “Tonight.”
We turn to leave, but Arthur’s voice stops us at the door. “Oh, and Alcide, was it? I hope your little...circus truly is all it’s made out to be. We could use something a little...different.”
I look over my shoulder, shivering at the greed in the man’s eyes. Nixon opens the door and I rush through it, with Alcide right behind me. Only when the door is shut and there’s a barrier between us do we start to relax, but I know I won’t be truly calm until we get back to the circus.
“Alcide—” I start, but he holds his finger to his lips so I seal mine again.
“Not here, come on. We need to get back and get ready for tonight’s show. It appears we’ll have some special guests this evening,” he growls.
Once we leave City Hall, another guard waits to escort us through the city to our family, where they are waiting to see whether or not they should to unpack. The guard cuts through alleys and back roads, but it still takes us twenty minutes to make it through the city and to the cleared patch of dirt where the wagons and my guys are waiting, looking anxious.
When they spot us, they deflate—even Blain, before he puts on his signature asshole look. “‘Bout time!” he calls.
“Aww, Blainy, did you miss me?” I wink as we get closer.
He rolls his eyes, but there is a smirk on his lips. “You wish, Harpy,” he mocks, but he pulls me into his arms, betraying his words as he turns us and leans on me while he watches Alcide, whose eyes are on the retreating back of the guard.
Alcide waits until he is out of view before turning to us, his shoulders slumping and life coming back into his face. “We are staying, start unpacking. We have a show tonight. I want the set up done in two hours and I want a practice there,” he yells out, and the hands rush off, starting to get every unloaded.
Rex whistles. “That’s a tight turn around,” he comments.
Alcide nods. “Yes, but I don’t want to be here any longer than we have to be,” he mutters, but I catch it, and so do the others.
“Bad feeling?” Jessie asks, playing with my hair.
“Something like that. Come on then. We have a show to prepare for,” he calls, his smile forced and his eyes worried.
Blain lets go of me, spinning me into Rex who catches me. Rex smiles down at me, his eyes sparkling in the sun and his hair messy as always. “Come check on the animals with me?” he requests, brushing a stray lock of my hair behind my ear.
“Yes!” I almost shout, making him laugh.
I have started looking after the animals with Rex and they listen to me now, not as much as him, but definitely more than Blain. They are just as much a part of this family as we are. With being stuck on the road for the last two weeks, it has been hard. We would just set up a tent or two on a night and pack up early the next day to keep moving, which means I haven’t got to spend a lot of time with them and I miss them fiercely.
He grabs my hand, twining our fingers as we make our way to the wagons at the back they are riding in. I already spot Sid and Fluffy stretching out on the dirt, sunbathing. When they see us, they bound over—Fluffy knocking me on my ass and into the dirt.
“I know you do that on purpose,” I scold playfully, laughing as Fluffy rubs his head against my chest, making me smile and run my fingers through his soft fur.
“I missed you too, baby!” I coo, scratching his head.
“We better see the others,” Rex advises with a laugh, reaching down and stroking Fluffy, making the cat’s tawny eyes slit in p
leasure as he purrs.
I nod and get to my feet. I drop my hand onto Fluffy’s back and he walks next to us, with Sid following as we head around the back of the wagon to see the others. Bubbles and Rumple are curled up in the corner, glaring at Tiny as he moves around the wagon before jumping down to greet me.
I step back, already giggling as I warn, “No, Tiny, no!” I laugh as he wraps his trunk around me and picks me up, holding me to his face. I wrap my arms around him as much as I can and rain kisses on his face.
He blinks his eyes, his lashes kissing me, before putting me back on the ground again as he goes to greet Rex. I crouch into the wagon, smiling at Rumple and Bubbles.
“Hey, cuties. What, no hug?” I joke.
They slither closer, but instead of hugging me or anything, they stick their tongues out before moving away.
I hop down and go back to playing with Fluffy, Sid, and Tiny, and before I know it, the camp is up around me.
I pout as I say goodbye, knowing I need to go to practice, but not wanting to leave the animals’ tent. Shaking it off, I skip over to the main tent, which they finished putting up around half an hour ago. The red and white reaches into the sky with lights strung off it and a sign on top.
We started a new show a couple of towns ago, and bit by bit we have been practicing new and more dangerous stunts to keep audiences interested, but tonight we are trying to put it all together. If we can impress those men, they might invite us back, and as much as I hate it here, I am betting it is good money.
The front tent flap stands open and I make my way through, stopping with a smile. It’s good to be home, even if it is one on wheels. Stands of chairs line the perimeter of the tent with aisles in between. Stairs lead down to the circle of sand in the middle where we perform, a ring of stones surrounding it to separate us and them. Ropes, nets, and platforms are strung up in the rafters, waiting for us, and I spot Nixon and Jessie already warming up in the middle.
Jogging down the steps, I pop my head over their shoulders.
“Boo!”
I laugh when Jessie screams and whirls, only for his eyes to narrow and his lips to tip up in a smile. “Oh, you’re going to get it now, Firecracker,” he calls.
I scream as he pushes off and races after me. Moving around Nixon, I jump up and start climbing him. He smiles before grabbing me and lifting me in the air, until I am away from Jessie’s grasp.
“Nix,” Jessie whines, those lush lips pushed together in a pout, and he makes sad, puppy dog eyes.
The big guy arches an eyebrow and Jessie relents. “Fine, let’s get warmed up before Alcide kicks our arses.” He starts to walk away and Nixon puts me down. As soon as my feet touch the floor, with Nixon’s hands on my hips and me smiling up at him, Jessie rushes back. His hand lands on my arse with a resounding smack, making me jump and bump into Nixon as I yelp.
I turn with a glare as he jogs away laughing. Blain stands near us, watching, and he winks at me. “Need it rubbed better, Harpy?” he rumbles, his eyes dark with heat, and when he runs his tongue over his pierced bottom lip, I swallow hard, my pussy starting to pulse.
He is shirtless, his wide, perfectly carved chest on display and his black tattoos standing out against his dark skin. He has a little stubble gracing his jaw and it only makes him look more dangerous, and I’m hoping he never shaves it off. He steps closer, leaning down to whisper, “Maybe if you’re a good girl, I’ll even make it red again later.” He grins as he backs away. Bastard.
“Alright, let’s get going, shall we? Only three hours until show time!” Alcide calls, and I look over to see him striding down the stairs towards us, his ringmaster hat firmly in place.
Sweating, I land hard on the sand. We have mastered the new moves, but they are still hard and we have run through the show three times now, making sure we have it down to a T before we call it good. I head back to my tent to get ready, knowing I need to look amazing tonight.
An outfit is waiting for me on my bed in my tent when I get back, and I smile as I head over and stroke the material—a corset and trousers, and there are even boots. I quickly change out of my clothes and have a wash in the bowl in the corner of my tent. I grab some underwear and a bra and pull them on, then stare at the corset. I am going to need help.
No sooner does the thought form when someone pushes into my tent. I look over my shoulder and smile when I spot Rex. He grins and an adorable blush stains his cheeks when he spots me half naked. You thought he would have gotten over that by now, but he still acts like that shy man I first met.
“Alcide mentioned you might need help getting dressed,” he says, moving closer, surprising me.
He comes up behind me and I turn as he pushes his chest to mine. I curl my hands against his solid, still sweaty chest as he looks down at me. “Rhea,” he whispers, his hand coming up and tracing my lips.
I open them slowly and draw his finger into my mouth, sucking it as he watches. His eyes fly wide before they turn smouldering, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he watches me. I slowly pull his finger from my mouth, and when it breaks free with a pop, he groans and leans down slowly, giving me every chance to stop him. I don’t.
His lips meet mine, softly at first, before they become more insistent. Leaning up on my tiptoes, I press myself against him and open my mouth, so he sweeps his tongue in as his hands come up and tangle in my hair. He pulls me closer, his hard body pressed to mine, and I groan into his mouth, loving the taste of him.
“Thirty minutes!” one of the hands shouts from outside.
We break away reluctantly and watch each other with desire filled eyes, our mouths parted. “I better get you dressed,” he whispers roughly.
“Then later you can undress me,” I tease, my cheeks heating at my boldness, but with how intimate we have all become since Christmas, I should be used to it. He grins naughtily.
“Oh, I plan to, Wildcat.” He drops a chaste kiss on my lips before moving away, and I turn back to the clothes, giving my heart a chance to slow down from its racing. He only needs to be near and he sends it into overdrive.
He helps me into the corset and trousers, his knuckles running along my skin lightly, and he drops kisses on the back of my neck, sending heat through me and making me shiver. When he steps back with a nod, I find myself disappointed. He must notice it, because he smiles and steps forward again, tilting his head and whispering against my lips.
“You look beautiful as always. Later,” he promises, before stepping back.
He walks backwards out of the tent, his eyes stuck on me like he can’t look away, and I giggle as he trips over a rug, going down hard. He jumps to his feet, his face red, but his smile genuine, before he ducks out of my tent.
Blowing out a breath, I wander over to the long golden mirror, wanting to see the outfit in all its glory. I suck in a breath when I do. My hands skate down the corset, which sucks in my already skinny waist, and accentuates my curves.
I turn after spotting a flash of red in the mirror and stop cold, my mouth dropping open. Alcide is standing at the tent flap and he looks delicious. He has a new black top hat on, tilted to the side and showing off his hair. His eyes are dark and his lips pursed. His wide chest is encased in a red and gold jacket, with buttoning up the front and a long tail at the back. His thighs are moulded by black leather trousers with crisscross lacing on the sides, exposing flashes of skin as he steps inside and comes towards me. He looks amazing, and I have to snap my mouth shut, feeling speechless and oh so young in his presence.
“Here, I got you something, cariño,” he says softly, holding out his hand and slowly peeling open his fingers to expose a beautiful necklace.
A bright red stone sits in a gold clasp with a long, golden chain with moons hanging off it.
“Turn around,” he whispers, his voice rough and velvety.
I nod, doing as I am told, and watch in the mirror as he lifts my hair, and I quickly grab the curls and hold them in my hands on top of my head, exposing my pale ne
ck.
He runs the chain over my skin, making me shiver and fastens the clasp at the back. His hands come to rest on my shoulders as the jewel settles between the tops of my breasts exposed in the corset. “Beautiful,” he says softly, running his hand along my shoulder and down next to the chain, his knuckles catching my breast and making me suck in a deep breath.
“Do you know why I got a red coat?” he inquires, watching me in the mirror.
I shake my head mutely, afraid to break this moment with my words. He leans closer, his eyes on me in the mirror, as his mouth meets my ear. “It reminds me of the colour of your hair, you’re always with me and we match,” he whispers, before pulling back, and I let my hair down and look at us both in the mirror—observing for a moment what he sees.
My black corset has gold lace running through it, and my black leather trousers are tucked into knee-high red boots. My hair is bright red on the top, fading to orange and then blonde on the ends like a flame. My eyes sparkle in the light, my mouth is tipped up and my cheeks pink. He stands slightly behind me, looking dark and temping, and he’s right. We look good together, we match. He designed these outfits so we would. I gulp, fluttering my lashes before I meet his gaze confidently in the mirror.
“We look good together,” I offer, my words husky.
His lips curl up in a smile. “We do, cariño.”
A noise has us both turning to the tent flap, which is moving, but there is no breeze. Frowning, my eyes catch on something on the floor. Alcide strides over and I follow him as he picks it up. I peek my head out of the flap and freeze. The boy from when I first came to the city, the one I gave my rations to, is stopped half behind a tent, his eyes on me. He nods, touching his wrist before he races away into the night.