Page 68 of Dance of Madness

Whatever the fuck that meant.

A block later I guessed she was spacing out again, so I tested her by asking what her favorite ice cream flavor was.

“Totally, same,” she’d replied.

So, yeah. Brooklyn might bephysicallywith us, but mentally she'smilesaway, possibly in an alternate dimension.

The only reason I don't joke about it with her is that she also looksexhausted. Has for a few weeks now. And the last few days in the studio she was definitely dragging, which isn’t like her.

I elbow her quietly in the side.

“Hey,” I mutter. “You okay?”

“Just tired,” she says. “I’ve been sleeping like shit.”

“Well, it’s still your turn,” Laz butts in. “The game is marry, fuck, kill: Disney Princes edition.”

Brooklyn gives him a look. “For reals?”

“For reals,” he grins.

“Wow, lucky me,” Brooklyn deadpans. “Are you two playing, too?” She nods past Laz to Bane.

“I don’t see why not,” Bane says in that slightly gravely tone of his. He shrugs, reaching a tattooed arm up to push his fingers through his dark hair.

“So which prince doyouwant to fuck, then?” I wink at him.

He snorts. “Nice bait and switch. Your friend Val put you up to that?”

Val can be athirstymotherfucker, and he hasn’t exactly been subtle in hinting at his interest in…what was it…yes, I think “topping Bane so thoroughly he starts attending Beyoncé Brunch unironically” were his exact words.

“He didn’t!” I laugh. “But, out of curiosity…”

“Still straight,” Bane shrugs. “Tell Val sorry.”

“I’m sure he could work around that.”

Bane rolls his eyes. “Terrific. Might be a problem forme.”

“Obviously, Antonov and I will be making them ‘princesses’ when it’s our turn,” Laz says. “Meanwhile, Brooklyn is totally dodging the question at hand.”

I grew up with Bane and Laz. So did Evie. It’s kind of unavoidable, given the tendency for Russian crime families to know each other, meet up on major holidays, and have fathers who generally enjoy drinking together.

Bane’s father Nikolai, the head of the Antonov Bratva, sits at the Iron Table along with people like Kir Nikolayev, and Evelina and Roman’s father, Pavel Nikitin. Meanwhile, Laz’s father runs the Kislev Bratva, which operates under the banner of the Antonov Bratva. Brooklyn, Evie, and I bumped into them outside of The Blind Tiger as we were walking past West 4thStreet into the Village about half an hour ago, and they decided to tag along.

Laz is effortlessly cool: tall, sharp-featured, classically good looking in that model kind of way that’salmostobnoxious. He’s a bit of a charmer, but he’s a good guy.

As long as you don't cross him.

Bane is the exact opposite. Quiet. Viciously brooding. I’m not sure how else to put it other than there’s a darkness in him, like something broke and then got put back together not quite the way it was supposed to go.

He’s also got this focused intensity thing that most people find unnerving. I suppose that includes me, even though I’ve known him since we were kids. It’s not that I’m scared of him. Imight sometimes be a little nervous imagining what he could be capable of, though.

Brooklyn sighs. “Okay, fine.” Her brows knit in concentration. “Marry…Prince Eric.”

Laz arches a brow. “As inLittle Mermaid? Explain.”

Brooklyn shrugs. “He stays in love with her even after he realizes she’s literally half fish.” She grins. “Andthe wrong half—most men would probably agree, no?”

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