Kiss Me in the Dark Anthology - Monica James Page 0,41

months each time. Since the last one we did was two years ago, the fact that we’re already all abroad doesn’t sit right with me. The floor rocks softly, the imbalance a dead giveaway that we’re on The Cap aka—my family’s huge ass fucking cruise ship. We always take the ship over to kick off an international flight to give us time to practice, train, wind down a bit. If we take the 747, we all end up grumpy, tired, and only needing to train as soon as we get on land anyway. This way, we can take the majority of our equipment over with us. The Cap, named after my great, great something grandfather, is painted in sleek black with the words Midnight Mayhem written over the sides in lilac. It can be a bitch when it comes to customs and transfers for the road registration, but that’s where connections come in and a lot of powerful people owe us a shit ton of favors.

King shakes his head, picking up his glass of whiskey and throwing it back. “No. She’s more on edge than ever.” We’re currently kicking back in Yaam. The bar located on level one. Obviously, this isn’t like your usual cruise ship. There are no souvenir shops or cute little bakeries. There are two bars, one on this level and the other on the top deck near the pool. On the second level is where all of our bedrooms and storage compartments for the lighter loads are, where the heavier items—such as bikes, equipment, and all the others are tucked inside the basement.

“Yeah.” I run my hand through the strands of my hair, tugging on the ends slightly. “I’ve noticed that too.” Since Christmas Day, Delila has been more reserved and tense. None of us have seen this shift in her before, and it has put a spin on the dynamic that we live through. Delila is the type of woman that brings funerals to life, not sleep with the dead.

Perse shuffles, swiping the sleep from her eyes. “Can we go to bed?”

King throws his arm around her neck. “Yeah.” He stands, glaring at me. “Don’t get up to too much mischief…”

I wink at him. “Oh you’re just jealous because you’re—”

Perse slices me with a cold stare.

“Never mind.” I roll my eyes. “’Night, lovers.” They disappear through the bar and out the exit. Running my hand over my face, my focus falls on Callan.

Yeah, fuck it. She’ll do for tonight. Perse hates when I play with her girls, but I can’t help it if they’re offering themselves up as my toys. Well, Callan does. Sass is a different fucking story.

I tilt my head back and look down to my crotch, a smirk on my mouth.

Callan licks the rim of her margarita and shoots back the rest before her long legs swing out from beneath the bar and she walks toward me.

Killian

Remember when you could change your ringtone to some remixed Jay-Z and Linkin Park song? Well, fuck, wish I still had that option because “Reflection” (iPhone’s default ringtone) is banging on my rage this morning. I swipe it from the bedside table and hit answer.

“You better be dead, Maya.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not. But you might be, because you’re late and Delila isn’t in a good mood today.” Maya is my annoying as fuck best friend who doesn’t know any boundaries, lights a fire under my ass anytime that she can, and tests my patience every day. If you hadn’t figured it out, yeah, the bar I was at last night had been renamed after her. She wanted it to be called “MAYA,” but I had to hold on to some masculinity, so I called it “YAAM.” Safe to say, she’s not a fan.

I groan, swiping my eyes. “Fuck her. She doesn’t run my ship.”

“Kill? Get in here now.” Delila is also Maya’s mom, but their relationship is not like your average. Putting it lightly.

“Fine!” I hang up and make my way out of bed, growling at the onslaught of light that’s beaming through my windows. “Fuck.” I must have forgotten to close them last night after Callan left, or rather, I kicked her ass out.

After a quick shower, I throw on some grey sweats and Adidas sneakers, tossing a clean white Tommy Hilfiger shirt over my shoulder. I don’t know what Delila’s issue is, it’s not like we can train on the triple wheel of death, which is the stunt she’s always grinding our ass to train.