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“Can the pope sing?” I scoff.

He raises a brow. “I don’t think that’s the correct phrase.”

I wave my hand in the air. “Show me the choreography.”

The guy motions me to the back and I wait for Maddie to follow, but she holds up her phone. “Don’t worry, I’ll record the whole thing.”

I appreciate her sacrifice. Caleb is going to need evidence of this.

Five minutes later, I’ve determined he will never get to see this footage. They only let me watch a video of the dance twice. I needed at least fifty-two run-throughs.

“Wait!” I grab the nearest dancer’s arm as the group of them crowd around me, forcing me onto the darkened stage. “I don’t think I’ve got it.”

She just laughs. “This is Vegas, honey. All they want is a show.”

A show? Now that I can do.

Barbie Girl plays. A bit cliché, but I can dance to this song in my sleep. Usually, I’m not front and center on a stage in Vegas, but I think it’s safe to say I’ve found my purpose in life.

The lights beam down and I go blind. Then I remember the dance moves and start doing them to the best of my memory as the club slowly comes back into view. I shimmy to the right and spi—I crash into another dancer, who thankfully takes it in stride. I can see now, but I’m also behind. Crap, what comes next?

A leap? I do it, and… kick the dancer in front of me in the head because she just went down in the splits. I guess I did the splits, just the aerial version. People hoot and laugh, but I don’t leave the stage. I continue to dance like no one is watching. Unfortunately, many peoplearewatching, and my mind has gone blank on the rest of the routine.

Two men grab my arms and I startle before realizing they are lifting me. I hold my arms stiff, but the move tests my upper body strength. Are they trying to rip my arms off? This looks much easier on TV.

I bring my knee up like I’ve seen people on TV do.

But it connects with something—a face. A man below me glares at me before grabbing his now bloody nose and stomping off the stage.

It’s not my fault he was at my knee.

I spot Maddie in the front, phone held high. I won’t be posting this video online.

Another man grabs my waist and I yelp as he puts me on his shoulder. Gee, these guys sure are handsy.

The song ends and the audience applauds. Everyone in the front couple rows at least; the rest of the club hardly seems to care. Especially that guy on his phone who just…wait, did he just take that woman’s purse?

He did! And no one’s stopping him. Why isn’t anyone stopping him?

The thief’s eyes connect with mine, and I gasp.

It’s him! Thane!

“Stop that man!” I yell, but my words disappear in the noise.

The men holding me set me back down. The second my feet hit the stage, I run and jump off the edge.

No one catches me. That was overenthusiastic of me to assume that might happen twice in my lifetime.

My legs crumple beneath me and I crash to the floor. What a show.

Chapter 7

Caleb

Thismeetingisnotgoing well.

“You lied to us, Katerina,” one of the three men says as they walk around her with guns far bigger than mine. Big enough to make me nervous. She said this would be a simple meeting, an agreement between two parties.