loudly, wiping at her tears. Cora wasn’t surprised. The redheaded girl was such a sweetheart. She wouldn’t hurt a fly. Cora had assumed the only reason Elena was happy in the Faire at all was because of Louis.
Maksim silently joined Turk, and the Ringmaster was winning with seven to her five. Bruce, Donna, Rick, Anastasia, and Aaron were left.
Without much fuss, Donna and Rick joined her. She smiled at them and reached out to take Donna’s hand. The little dark-haired woman stepped into her and hugged her tightly enough that she felt her spine crack. The flyer was terrifyingly strong.
Bruce stepped forward. He ran his hands over his head. “Ah, shit.” He walked over to Cora’s side. “Who’m I even kidding? Let’s get the fuck out of here, kid.”
Cora had to chuckle. She was winning by one, with Anastasia and Aaron left to go. But with Amanda and Jack’s votes siding automatically with Turk, it still left her in trouble. She needed both the Diva and the Barker to side with her, or else it would be a as good as a tie.
And a tie probably meant a brawl.
And she really, really, really didn’t want to get into a fistfight with a three-hundred pound, six-foot-five mountain of a man who had been in actual wars.
Aaron stepped forward, unscrewed the cap of his flask, and took a hard swig. He replaced the cap and tucked it into his coat pocket. He looked to Turk, and she watched as his shoulders slumped. “We’ve worked together for a long time, boss. You ’n me have been good friends.”
“We have.” Ringmaster’s expression didn’t falter, though his voice was softer. “They have been good years.”
Aaron nodded and choked up. “It’s been an honor, boss. A real honor. But…but I’m sorry. This just ain’t right. Lying to us like that wasn’t right. We aren’t your soldiers. We’re your Family.” And with that, Aaron walked to side with Cora. Cora hugged him, and he buried his head into her shoulder for a moment, sniffled, and then walked toward the back of the small group, wiping at his eyes. He kicked angrily at the sand.
Her heart broke for him.
And only the Diva was left. Standing there, looking resplendent in her finest gown. She was Hedy Lamar, Lana Turner, and Elizabeth Taylor, all rolled into one. She was smoking a cigarette put into the end of one of those long holders. She held the moment for a long beat, before lifting her chin and strolling with all the elegance of the world…to Cora’s side.
Anastasia eyed Cora smoothly. “Why looked so surprised, darling? Do you think I want to die? Please.” She shrugged one fur-stole-covered shoulder. “I just like to be dramatic.”
Cora put her palm over her eyes.
“Well, fat man,” Simon crooned and draped his arms over Cora’s shoulders, standing behind her. “It seems you’ve lost. Even if we count Amanda and Jack in your favor, you’re down by one.”
Ringmaster took in a long breath and let it out with a sigh. “It seems so.”
Cora couldn’t believe it. She smiled. She had won? Seriously? She almost didn’t believe it. But the reality of what was about to follow drained her enjoyment of her victory as quickly as it had come.
This wasn’t winning a baseball match. This wasn’t a bowling league.
This was murder.
She was about to pull the cord on someone’s life. Her stomach churned. “Do you want to go somewhere private, Turk?”
Ringmaster was quiet for a long time. “Yes. Let’s not do this here.”
Elena burst into tears and ran over the line in the sand to Louis, who caught her in his arms and held her, shushing her quietly. “I don’t want anybody to die,” the Seamstress whined. “I just don’t want anybody else to die.”
“I don’t either.” Cora sighed. “But there’s no other way.”
She stepped away from the crowd. Simon followed her, her eager watchdog. “Where do you want to go, Turk?”
Ringmaster cracked his neck from one side to the other and glanced at Simon. “On second thought…no.”
“You want to end it here with everyone?” She blinked, surprised.
“You misunderstand.” He straightened his bowtie. “On second thought”—he took his bullwhip from his hip and flicked it out beside him with practiced ease—“no.”
Cora’s hopes for a peaceful end to all the suffering and drama fell into the abyss like a bag of bricks into the ocean. “I thought you gave me your word.”
“You trust too easily, Cora.” Turk watched her mournfully. “You should believe a person’s motives before you believe their