Page 36 of Protect Me

Liv gives me a quick tour as we walk, pointing out the amenities as well as introducing me to the other performers we come across.

“Nice aerials,” Lex, a shapeshifter, tells me.

“Stop hitting on her,” a woman snaps, glaring at him as she pushes past and offers her hand to me.

“I wasn’t,” Lex protests.

The girl rolls her eyes. “Dude, it sounded like you said nice areolas.”

Lex stutters, but the girl just shakes her head and holds out her hand to me. “I’m Fiona.”

The berserker.I shake her hand. “Helen.”

“I’ve heard. You’re the new Liv.”

“Um, I don’t think anyone can be Liv,” I say.

“Relax, I’m fucking with you. And her.” She gives Liv a sideways smile. “How’s the baking going?”

“Just fine.” Liv rubs her belly affectionately, and despite Fiona’s no-bullshit demeanor, I can tell she really cares. It’s sweet, and I can’t help but feel a tad jealous of the connection these two women share. For years, I longed for a friend. But when you fear being used, it’s impossible to trust.

“You two eat yet?” Fiona asks.

“On our way now,” Liv tells her.

“I’ll join you.” She falls into step with us, but we don’t get far before we’re stopped again.

“There you are.” Duncan strides toward us, his long legs eating up the ground. My stomach flutters at the sight of him looking so serious and intent—on me. My gaze drops to his mouth, to full lips I can easily imagine on my skin.

“We’re on our way to lunch,” Liv tells him. “Want to join us?”

“Can’t. I need to talk to Helen.”

Before I can respond, he takes my elbow and steers me back the way I came. My heart thuds as I realize his neutral expression is only a mask. The tension coming off him in waves tells a different story. He’s pissed. The question iswhy? What did I do?

Fear curls in my gut.

“What’s going on?” I ask, letting Duncan lead me down the hall and through a back access door I’ve never noticed before.

The next hall is shorter with only a single door already hanging open just ahead. Duncan pulls me inside and then shuts the door behind us with a loud thud.

I suck in a sharp breath at the sight of Killian and Bracken already waiting for me inside what looks like a central living room, complete with two couches and a kitchenette-dining area along with three separate master suites splitting off in different directions. The space smells like a combination of all three of them.

Their private quarters, I realize. But my reaction to that is short-lived as I hone in on their faces.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, noting every one of their expressions is set in the same hard look.

My heart thuds louder, and I catch myself backing toward the door.

“We just came from the front entrance,” Duncan says quietly, placing his hand at my lower back to keep me from moving away.

I change course, putting a few feet between us.

His voice is calm. Too calm. My pulse speeds.

“Three men came looking for you,” he adds.

Every muscle in my body turns to ice—freezing solid as the blood in my veins runs cold. He knows where I am. Not that I should be surprised, I suppose, since they’d tracked me this far the night I managed to slip away. But fear holds me paralyzed now. If Robert comes for me, will the Ringmaster honor my deal? Or will he hand me over?

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