Page 2 of Last One Standing (Saint Brothers #5)

CHAPTER TWO

KONA

I was having a hard time pinning my hair to my head. My shoulder ached, and lifting it was causing me issues.

“I can help you.”

I looked in the mirror. Behind me, my brother, Pika, was standing right outside my dressing room door.

“Thanks. I guess I’m just tired today.”

His gaze fell to the floor as he shuffled over to me. “I’m sure it’s more than that.” He wouldn’t meet my eyes in the mirror, but he didn’t have to.

“I’m fine, but the help is appreciated.” I handed him the pins.

Pika had helped me get into character many times. I never had to tell him how to do anything anymore. He’d been eight years old when he’d become my responsibility and now at fifteen, he could drag me up as if it were muscle memory.

“He’s getting worse, Kona,” Pika whispered in my ear.

He had to whisper because Brick had eyes and ears everywhere—it was his club, after all. Sure, he claimed to have built it for me, but Pika and I knew he’d done it to have another place to keep me.

“This time it may have actually been my fault. I turned too quickly and fell down the three steps by the clubhouse, landing on my shoulder.”

Pika sighed. “And what did you have to avoid that caused you to turn so fast?”

Smart little shit. “Let’s focus on the show tonight, okay? Apparently, there’s a group of guys coming that are friends of Leo’s. He asked if I could move some things around to get them a reservation. It took a couple of weeks, but I did.”

“That was nice of you.” He pinned the last of my long dark hair to my head, then slid the wig cap on.

“Leo never asks for a damn thing. I guess one of them, or all of them, helped him a while back, so of course I’d want to give these guys a great show.”

“Helped, how?” Pika took the seat beside mine as I began my makeup routine. I still needed to get the wig glue on and secure the wig, but makeup first.

“No idea, not my business.” Pika was quiet, so I peeked over at him. “Don’t get any ideas in your head, little brother. We have a plan already.”

“A plan that’s taking forever.”

I faced him and took his hands in mine. “We will get away from here, I promise. Brick and the other guys wouldn’t dare lay a finger on you.”

Pika scoffed, his expression bordering on anger. “You think I’m worried about myself?”

“Lower your voice.”

Pika got up and shut the dressing room door. “Brick is going to kill you one day, Kona.”

“He’s obsessed with me, Pika. He uses you to keep me in line because there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. But I’m really close to having saved enough to get us across the country and away from him and his crew.”

“He’ll hunt us down, Kona.”

I stood and went over to him, immediately wrapping him in my arms. “You listen to me. You know where the money is. If something happens to me, you take it and go.” I pushed back and stared into his brown eyes. “He won’t hunt you down.”

“I’ll never leave you, Kona.”

“You will if you have to.”

Pika opened his mouth, likely to argue, but I stopped him. “Now, go see if the others need help. I have to get my face on.”

His shoulders sagged, and he turned away and left. I shut the door behind him and took a deep breath.

I wished I’d never taken the help Brick had offered me five years ago, but at the same time if I hadn’t, who knew where Pika would be? I didn’t much give a shit about myself; I lived for my brother and would climb a ladder on fire if it meant keeping him safe.

It took longer than usual to get ready, and I was sweating a bit. I popped some painkillers one of the other queens had given me.

Stilettos and Sangria wasn’t your typical drag queen club, no.

Brick wanted it to be special, different.

We had a host, Ima Cummings, who’d been in this business for a while and was one of the best drag queens I’d ever seen.

Every show started with a glorious number in which Ima would emerge and get things going.

Brick felt I was a shining star. Even once I’d explained that I wanted to be part of the numbers, he’d refused to listen. I was a headliner. I came out after the opening, after a few queens did their thing.

I didn’t think Brick had expected the love I got, because he often liked to tell me that if I took the makeup off for all my adoring fans, they might not be so impressed with what they saw.

But as soon as he wanted his dick wet, he would tell me how beautiful I was, and everything you’d think someone would want to hear.

At first, I’d eaten up the praise; now it made me want to vomit.

I’d just zipped up my dress when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and in walked Brick. He wasn’t at every show—usually he had one of his guys or a prospect in attendance. I swallowed, the weight of his stare making me queasy.

“Brick. I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”

His brown hair was in a ponytail, he wore faded jeans, a black T-shirt, and of course his cut.

As president of the Dead Kings, he wore his power like a piece of clothing.

His beard was trimmed, sort of like a goatee, but he changed it up sometimes.

And he had a smug smile as though he knew how walking into my dressing room affected me.

“Surprise, little flower.” He inched closer and I wanted to step back, but if I did I’d pay a painful price.

“Now, don’t go smudging me, Brick. I gotta be on soon.”

He held his hands up in surrender. “I wouldn’t dare.”

In this moment, with my hair, makeup, tucked and sucked in, a glittering dress sliding over my skin, I wasn’t Kona Miller. I was Anita Pounding and like I’d have to do in front of an audience soon, I let her take control and gave Kona a break.

“I am loving this surprise, sugar, but if you distract me now, I’ll need to retuck.” I winked.

He chuckled darkly. “Don’t tempt me. I’m here because I heard Leo talking to Tank about a special party in the VIP section.” He stepped a little closer. “Cindy does the reservations, and it turns out you asked her to make it happen…makes me wonder.”

“Wonder what, darlin’?” Inside I was shaking, but Anita was fearless—she’d think of something.

“Who these guys are. A group of good-looking guys, here, in the VIP section…for you.”

I waved my hand and scoffed. “Not for me, sweet cheeks. They’re friends of Leo’s. He asked for a favor. I’m nothing if not accommodating.”

His brows furrowed a fraction. “So, you don’t know who they are?”

“Not in the slightest. But Leo never asks for a thing, and he puts up with a lot.” I shrugged. “I didn’t see the harm, and they paid.”

“Huh.” He narrowed his gaze. He was searching for the lie, and ninety-nine percent of what I’d said was the truth. Only thing was, I knew they had done a favor for Leo, helped him out. I didn’t want Brick knowing anything about that and choking it out of Leo.

“Anything else, my king?” He loved that nickname the best, and a blooming smile spread across his stupid face.

“No…I’ll let you finish. See you out there.”

When he left, I released a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. I shook it off—I had a show to do, and I couldn’t worry about Leo’s friends or Leo right now.