Savage Vandal (82 Street Vandals #1) - Heather Long Page 0,10

melody, the silk, and the cool air brushing my skin.

The black bodysuit I wore would leave me not much more than a shadow, though my feet and legs were bare. Dark glitter painted my face and sprinkled my hair, the ethereal effect turning to magic under the shifting blue lights striking not only the stage but lighting the air around me in gradients.

A spin and roll, and I hung only by my hips as I swirled, then I allowed my eyes to open, and for a moment, I locked gazes with Kestrel. I don’t know how I timed it, but even amidst the shadows, I homed right in on him, and his lips parted as he stared at me.

Triumph seemed to unfurl, and I continued what would seem an effortless glide as I rolled through the motions, muscles tensing and then releasing as I navigated the steps. Like ballet, I had to float, even as it required every muscle in my body to control not only trajectory but my pose.

As the haunting melody drifted off, I relaxed back into corpse pose, but I stole a peek down at Kestrel, whose frown disappointed me before he vanished as the room plunged into darkness. Then the lights came up and the music changed along with the tempo, and I writhed to the rock song. This time, I would dance on the air as another set of silks descended, and when I let go of one to roll into another, the music drowned out the screams and applause.

Only discipline let me control my breaths whenever I had to rest my chest against the silks for suspension. The pressure on my bruised and battered ribs made gulping air a challenge, but then I’d curl my body up and I could forget.

Here, there wasn’t pain or loss or loneliness.

There was the music and the feeling.

Sweat slicked my whole body by the time we neared the show’s crescendo. I had them all now. They flew with me, we were a part of this performance together, and I’d never felt so powerful as the music shuddered and gave way to Rag’n’Bone’s “Only Human.”

Marta and the others hated this song. The raw rhythm and beat, they insisted, wasn’t meant for this work, and I hung from the silks wrapped around my forearms as I moved like I was running against the air and heaven was dragging me back.

Or maybe it was hell and the audience was the surface I was desperate to reach. The cut of motion vibrated in my bones as I poured my anger and helplessness and frustration into the movement. The frenetic jerking snapped as I would tumble and then force myself up again. Twice, I snapped my limbs out like I was spread eagled and the screams hit me as I curved into a cross formation and then began to fall, the silks caught with the force I exerted, and I allowed myself a glimpse.

They were on their feet, and then I began my sensuous climb back up. But the tension in one of the silks gave abruptly, and my fall this time wasn’t a part of the plan.

Chapter 3

Jasper

We closed the deal tonight. Three days of negotiation all taking place while the show went on and occupied all the expensive suits in the audience. They really came out for this show. The hottest ticket in town and she didn’t even have to strip, but fuck me, watching her move with that bastard on the stage and wrapping around him and then letting go while he threw her around?

It left me with a bruised dick desperate to burst out of my pants and the violent desire for real bloodshed. I couldn’t even be sure which made me hotter. But that fucker on stage was done touching her. Rodrigo leaned back against the wall next to me. The street rat had been filling in as backup all week.

The little prick adjusted himself twice, and on the second time, I pinned him with a look. “Go keep watch outside.”

I hadn’t missed the dick assigned to be her driver making his way inside. Currently, he sat not far from the stage, his back rigid and his gaze pinned on the woman moving with so much grace, it was hard to breathe.

The punk nodded and slipped out. Like me, he was dressed in all black because as techs, we weren’t supposed to stand out, which suited me fine. Technically, I didn’t have a job out here, but no