18

Those who are naked can still be wearing costumes.

She was going to be killed that very night.

Of that, Khalani was certain.

And it wasn’t brooding guards or violent criminals that would do her in. It was the six-inch black heels Spade had left for her, along with a dark red dress draped over the bed.

Spade insisted Khalani needed to look her best at the casino, and in Hermes, that meant showing off as much skin as possible without actually being naked.

The red dress had a plunging V-neck, hugged her waist into impossible proportions, accentuated her hips, and ended mid-thigh—no matter how hard she tried to tug it down.

Khalani rubbed her hands down her legs, more comfortable in her old, abysmal prison uniform.

A light knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.” Khalani swallowed, combating the urge to rip the dress off.

Serene popped her head in, eyes widening when she got her first look at Khalani. “Wow. I don’t even have words.”

“That bad, huh?” Khalani subconsciously rubbed her palms down the thin material that barely covered her nipples.

“No.” Serene walked in, still staring at her. “You look incredible. Might actually give the Captain a heart attack.”

“I doubt he’ll be impressed.”

Very little caught Takeshi’s attention unless its primary use was for murder.

She still didn’t understand why he volunteered for the job.

Perhaps he sensed Khalani’s mental instability and didn’t trust her to break out of the prison camp alone.

“Spade gave you makeup too?” Serene asked, cutting through her spiraling thoughts, sifting through the other items on the nightstand—a hairbrush and a thin iron tool.

“Yeah. But I’ve never worn any. Don’t really know how to use it,” she admitted, her cheeks flushing.

“I’ll help you.” Serene grabbed the beauty products and gestured for Khalani to sit on the bed.

“No, it’s okay. I don’t need it.”

“You’re right, you don’t need it.” Serene seized her shoulders and forced her to sit. “But when everything’s falling apart around you, you can at least control what you look like when it happens.”

Her knee bobbed up and down as Serene brushed powder over her cheeks and eyes, curling her long brown hair with the strange gold tool. Finally, Serene stepped back, a slow smile spreading across her face.

“Well?” Khalani asked, picking at her nails.

“Come see for yourself.” Serene took her hand and led her to the tiny bathroom, where an oval mirror hung above the sink.

When she was abruptly placed in front of it, Khalani’s mouth parted.

Her wide green eyes were enhanced by smoky eyeshadow and extra-long lashes. Her cheeks were dusted with a rosy tint, and her lips were a deep red, glossy color. Brown hair cascaded in curls just past her breasts, the frizz and tangles smoothed away.

Khalani barely recognized the woman in the mirror, as if she’d borrowed someone else’s skin.

And the longer she stared at herself, the faster her pulse raced.

Stepping into the casino, everyone would surely recognize her as an imposter.

She was the wrong person for this.

She was going to get them all killed.

Serene gripped her hand. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop. You look incredible.”

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Listen to me. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve still been stuck in prison. There is no one stronger or defiantly beautiful. That is who I see. And it’s about time you started seeing it too.” Serene’s heartfelt words were laced with pure conviction, as if she were testifying to the world.

Blood rushed to Khalani’s chest, and she felt her nose tingling.

“No, no. No crying or else you’ll ruin the makeup.” Serene fanned her face frantically. “I lied. You look like shit and we’re all gonna die.”

A burst of laughter escaped her, and she wiped her nose. “You know, most people would cry at that.”

“I know. But you’re not most people. You’re my best friend.” Serene gave her a conspiratorial wink. “Now, this is what you’re going to do. You’re going to walk through this door with your head held high because you’re a badass criminal. Got it?”

“Since when did you become so bossy?”

“Since no one would listen to me otherwise.”

***

When Khalani emerged upstairs, everyone was waiting for her.

Adan enveloped her in a long embrace, urging her to stay safe, not wanting to let her go. He even suggested dressing up like a girl and going in her place.

“I’ll be fine,” she reassured him, not mentioning how much she wanted to crawl in a hole and disappear.

After months together, the thought of leaving, even briefly, was more daunting than she’d anticipated. But Khalani tucked her emotions away until they were fleeting, masking her fear by pretending it didn’t exist.

Brock stood off to the side, his angry scowl deepening when she passed.

“Any words of wisdom?” she asked.

“Don’t be an embarrassment and die.”

Inspiring words, truly.

With a shake of her head, Khalani approached the front bar where Spade, Takeshi, and Raziel talked in low voices.

Her breath hitched when she got her first glimpse at Takeshi.

The black suit seemed custom-made for his body. The shiny fabric hugged his muscular frame and broad shoulders perfectly, and his slicked black hair was gelled to the side, though a few rebellious strands spilled across his forehead.

He looked like danger in its most irresistible form.

For the first time, she saw the sophisticated man who grew up in Genesis—the last surface city in Apollo that was reserved for the wealthy. But when he glanced her way, his muscles went utterly still, and it was the deadly Captain who stared back.

His magnetic eyes flared as they swept over her face, past her arms, and down her chest, toward the thin fabric clinging to her ribs and thighs.

His dark stare was a brand, a sword’s edge gliding over her skin.

For a moment, his jaw clenched, and Khalani caught a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze before he masked it again. A rush of heat spread to her cheeks as she felt the weight of everyone’s gaze on her.

“You’re a badass criminal. Got it?”

Serene’s words rang in her head like a resounding anthem, helping Khalani square her shoulders and lift her chin.

“I must say that you’re a vision.” Spade was the first to break the silence.

“You have oddly great taste in dresses,” she noted dryly.

“I usually prefer taking them off,” Spade shrugged, a sly grin forming on his face. “But you prove why some things should be appreciated first.”

By that point, Khalani was certain her face was as red as her dress.

“It’s time to go,” Takeshi said, his deep voice lower than usual, more animal than man, as his icy gaze drilled through Spade.

Short arms suddenly wrapped around her. Khalani barely kept herself upright as Winnie crashed into her, squeezing her for dear life.

“Khalani, girl. You look so beautiful. Too beautiful to be going to a dangerous place like this. Let Winnie go. She can’t stand for you to go without her.”

“You know I have to go, Winnie.” She hugged her back with all the strength left within her. “But I’ll come back to you.”

“Pinky promise you’ll come home,” Winnie insisted, her eyes shining with unrestrained fear as she held up her right pinky.

“Pinky promise?”

“It’s a binding contract,” Winnie explained. “When you swear on a pinky, it means your life is on the line. If you break that promise, bees will come and sting your eyeballs.”

“What’s a bee?” She frowned.

“Khalani, give Winnie your pinky,” Winnie commanded firmly.

There was no arguing with that tone, so Khalani complied, wrapping her pinky around Winnie’s weathered finger. Winnie nodded and cupped her face, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Give ’em hell, child.”

“And you.” Winnie whirled on Takeshi, jabbing her pointer finger into his chest. “You bring her back to Winnie alive. Winnie likes you, but if there’s one scratch on her, she’ll skin you alive and make a cloak out of it.”

Everyone’s jaw hung open, but Takeshi didn’t even flinch at her words. He bowed his head as though Winnie’s threat and the responsibility she entrusted to him weighed heavier than gravity.

“You have my word,” he swore, his voice firm and unwavering. “No one will touch her and escape death.”

Khalani momentarily forgot how to breathe.

Repeat after me: Your enemy threatening to maim others on your behalf is psychotic and troubling.

Winnie seemed satisfied with Takeshi’s promise and nodded, as though anything less would’ve been unacceptable.

“A couple last things.” Raziel stepped forward, the black mask still covering his nose and mouth as he held a strange, thin metal device. “I’m going to administer a shot in your arm. It’s the tracker that will inform us of your location. It’s undetectable and will guide us right to you in a week.”

Raziel approached Takeshi first. Takeshi shrugged out of his jacket and lifted his shirt, exposing the veins in his muscular forearm.

If the shot hurt, he didn’t show it.

When Raziel turned to Khalani, she tensed, but the sting was nothing compared to what she’d experienced in Braderhelm. The tattooed number on her wrist was a testament to her pain.

“You’re ready now.” Raziel nodded. “Let’s go.”

***

Khalani, Takeshi, and Raziel passed numerous shops and bars, their vibrant, pulsating lights drawing her attention as she struggled to maintain her balance in heels on the uneven cobblestone street.

Men openly leered at Khalani, some daring to venture a little closer, but when they caught sight of Takeshi and Raziel’s towering forms, they quickly backed off.

She didn’t miss the way every woman eyed Takeshi with ravenous desire, but he stared straight ahead, ignoring them all.

Raziel prowled forward in his black cape with deadly confidence, and it only took Khalani a few minutes to notice men and women ducking their heads or speeding away at the sight of him.

“How long have you been part of the Aces?” she asked, her eyes narrowing on Raziel.

“My whole life.”

“And what exactly do the Aces…do?”

Raziel paused, looking up as if he were deciding the best way to answer. “We dabble in different business ventures. Trading goods. Collecting payments. Providing assistance around the city. Things like that.”

“Is that why people keep avoiding you and look like they’re afraid of losing their limbs?”

His cheeks slightly upturned. “Chopping off limbs isn’t really my style. It’s too messy. I prefer breaking kneecaps, nicking Achilles tendons, and making them run for a bit.”

Swell. Another crazy man to watch out for.

“It would be easier if you just broke the tibia,” Takeshi remarked, still staring straight ahead.

“But where’s the fun in that?”

“Fair point.”

And now they were bonding over which bones were more suitable for breaking.

Did she have a sign on her back that read, ‘Accepting male companions: Only those who avoid therapy?’

When they turned a sharp corner, her gaze stretched wide.

In the distance, the largest building she’d ever seen loomed. It was dazzling white, with thirty massive golden pillars supporting the grand structure, leading to marble steps and open bronze gates. The awe-inspiring architecture looked more like a grand temple to worship ancient deities.

It was even bigger than the Council Chambers of Apollo.

Hundreds of men and women in impeccable outfits ascended the golden steps, their faces alight with anticipation.

“Is that—”

“Yes. That’s the casino. Be on your guard,” Raziel answered, straightening his suit and marching forward.

Khalani forced her mouth to close, smoothing her hands over her dress. Taking a deep breath, she followed Raziel, ignoring the inner voice that screamed for her to run and never look back.