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“Hey.” I nudge Tillie’s arm as they both approach us. Tillie reminds me of a stray cat. Untamed and savage, but loyal under the right conditions.
Tate’s eyes find Tillie. “Can we talk?”
Tillie looks to me, and then back to Tate. “Sure.” They disappear to the side of the house while Elena stands beside me.
“Nice night for it, don’t you think?” She fidgets with her dress before running her hand over the side of her hair. It’s tied in a side chignon bun.
I smile. “Sure.”
“Listen, I know that you went to see Madison…” Oh God. Again. “I just want to say thank you. She’s not had an easy life, so I just want to say thank you for being a good friend to her.”
“No problem.” I squeeze my gold clutch, busying myself by pulling out my phone and flicking through the texts I received while I was getting ready. Anything to not allow the guilt of my secrets to cage me in.
?: It’s showtime.
The hotel is on the central street of Riverside. With all of the shops closed and blinds drawn, there’s an unsettling feeling that sticks to my bones.
“Why do people in this town despise The Kings?” I ask Scarlet as the driver pulls into the porte cochere of the five-star hotel. There are a fountain and crystal chandelier hanging over the middle, with valet drivers standing at the entrance.
“They don’t, they’re just afraid of them.” She clears her throat. “Of us.”
“Why?” I ask again. “Hector explained a little, but not a lot. I guess I just would like to understand.”
“That’s okay.” Her hand is on my leg, as she shoots a glance at everyone else in the limo, who all remain silent. “I guess it started with our ancestors. There’s a rival club called The Gentlemen who are also from Riverside, but they’re from the east side, over the train tracks—” She pauses, squeezing my knee, which brings my attention up to her. “You must never go over those tracks. Ever. We are stronger, more powerful, and ruthless, but make no mistake, The Gentlemen will fight—even if they have nothing much to fight with.”
“So you’ve always stayed away from each other?” I ask. “What about the people who live here?”
“Well, they’re afraid of us because of the power that we hold and the legends that haunt the land. The Gentlemen have always stayed to their side of the tracks, but they’ve never bothered the people here either.”
“Are most towns this—strange?” I find myself saying absently, while looking out the window.
“This is nothing. Wait until you see Perdita…” Tillie grumbles. “Which, by the way, you also own half of.”
I ignore her, the information too much. Too soon and too much. I’d heard of Perdita through distant talks from Brantley and the boys, but at the time it passed over my head. “What’s going to happen when the school is back open next week?”
“Mmmm,” Elena says, leaning forward and reaching for the handle to the door. “I guess that’s the big question.”
We spill out of the limo and make our way into the lobby. The vast space of it is nothing I’ve ever felt before, but once we reach the small theater room, I find my lungs expanding again. There are chairs and small tables scattered around the front, with a little makeshift stage in the middle where a piano is set up.
My lungs turn ablaze now, my fingers twitching to skate over the keys.
“Ahhh, you noticed,” Scarlet purrs in my ear. It’s a Steinway & Sons, there was no way I wouldn’t notice. “Hector thought it’d be nice if you played, and maybe sang, a couple of pieces throughout the night. Of course, you can decline. We have someone on backup if you decide to pass.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. I’d love to, for Bishop.” I drive home why I would do it, and when our eyes connect, elation bathes her features.
“Thank you for caring about him.”
“He’s worth caring for,” I mutter, squeezing her hand reassuringly. “Do you mind if I go and practice a little?”
She shoos me away. “Of course.”
I reach the edge of the stage and the light that shines down over me reduces to a warm sepia. I run my finger over the sleek gloss case. “Wow.”
Taking a seat on the bench, I lift the case up and move the microphone away from my mouth. Placing my clutch down on my lap, I pull out my phone and hit dial on Madison’s name.
She answers instantly. “Is he done?”
“No.” I press my hand over my heart to make sure it’s still there securely. “Not yet. I need to ask you something. I have to play two songs tonight on the piano for his ceremony. I know one that I’m going to play, but do you have another that is significant to you both? Maybe a song that you—”