Page 179 of Dance of Devils

I feel my face heat. “What?”

She sighs. “I heard a rumor about a new man in your life.”

I grin, blushing deeper. “Oh?”

She rolls her eyes. “Don’t fuckingohme, bitch. I stalk your friends on Insta and caught a pic from a birthday party the other day for some guy named…Lazarus?”

I laugh. “Just Laz.”

“Yeah, well, surprise surprise, who do I see in the background of said post? You—lookinsmoking, by the way?—”

“Thanks.”

“Sitting in the lap of asuper-hotguy who looked…what…fifteen years older than you?”

I grin. “Twenty-one, actually.”

“Girl,” she laughs. “Fuck the haters.Go get it. That dude isfine.” Her brow cocks. “And…if I’m not mistaken, he’s also the guy who marched in here that last night of yours and beat the living fuck out of Lou?”

I chew on my lip. “That would be him.”

“And the same smoke-show who came looking for you at my apartment?”

I grin and nod.

Maya throws her head back and cackles. “Does he have a brother?”

I snicker. “No, sorry. I’ll keep an ear out for any cousins, though.”

“Please do.” She turns, her eyes sweeping over me as she smiles.

“What?”

“Happiness looks good on you, that's all.”

I roll my eyes. “Please. Thatoutfitlooks good on you.”

“Well, duh,” she smirks. “And stop deflecting with humor.” She arches a brow. “You do that a lot, you know. But yeah… Happiness suits you.” She smiles. “Youarehappy, right?”

A huge grin spreads across my face. “Reallyfucking happy.”

Maya grins back. “You’ve growna lotsince you got out of this place.”

I smile wryly. “Ever think about leaving yourself?”

She gestures around the dressing room. “And leave all this? Look, Lou's a fucking predator, but he’s also scared of me. The clients are gross sometimes, but…” She shrugs. “I dunno. I fuckin’ love this place. I love being on that stage, I love looking out for the other girls… I just feel at home here, even if I want to give it a deep clean and take out some of the trash sometimes.”

She glances at the clock, sighing. “Showtime. Look, Lou really is gone for a few days. You wanna hang out after I’m done? Head somewhere fun, get some stupid pink girly drinks?”

I grin. “I’dloveto.”

After she sashays out of the dressing room, guilt hits me. Kir doesn’t know I’m here, and it’s weighing on me.

Just then, two dancers I don’t think I ever worked with come bustling into the dressing room, giving me odd looks. I excuse myself and head out to the back parking lot to call Kir, tell him where I am and that I’mfineabout it, and that I’ll be going out with Maya for a couple drinks after.

The muggy summer air hits me as I open the back door and step out, reaching into my pocket for my phone.

Then pain explodes through my stomach and I see black spots as I keel over, crying out in agony when the fist slams into my gut again.