“Let me go!” I screamed, twisting against the grip on my arm, but he didn’t let me go.
I slammed my fist into his gut, and he groaned, loosening his hands. For a second, I thought I could run, but another clown appeared at the exit. He grabbed my wrists, forcing my arms behind me.
Before I could even shout again, a cloth pressed against my mouth. The smell burned my throat. I kicked, fought, screamed into the fabric, but the sound died against it.
No one came.
The tent started to tilt. Everything blurred, then turned black.
And my eyes closed.
1. Fuck
2. good
VIII. LIAR
Istoodinfrontof Rocco, watching him serve his own daughter to me on a silver platter. On a pile of three boxes with a signHouse of Clowns, I signed off the train, boat, and two tents with clowns and animals to him, while I got the Doll House, three tents, the freaks, and half of the staff.
I couldn’t care less about her. After all, I had met her only yesterday. But she was something I wanted to own, and he had just given me an offer I couldn’t refuse.
And she, even if she didn’t want to be here, now she was owned by me.
Rocco pressed the pen against the paper and looked straight at me with the biggest smirk on his face as he signed.
“There. All yours.”
“I have one condition,” I said.
“Anything,” he smiled.
“You won’t step inside La Maddalena ever again,” I told him.
“Deal,” he said, one gold tooth shining from the corner of his smile.
I raised a brow, watching him. He offered his hand, but I didn’t take it. This deal was a victory for me, but this man didn’t deserve my respect. I only nodded, took the copy of the paper, slid it inside my blazer, and walked toward the tent.
Inside, Doll was already unconscious. Helpless, her body leaned in the arms of one of the clowns.
“Take her to the house,” I said. “And make sure not a single hair is missing from her head, or you will regret it.”
“Yes, sir.” They both nodded, tossed her body over a shoulder, and carried her out.
I sat back at the table, placed the contract Rocco signed into the drawer, and locked it. My palms pressed to my face, my breath caught between them.
Rocco owned Chiara. She was part of the circus. Last year, when she joined, she had to sign the papers. And just as he had tricked others, she signed the part that said if he decided to sell her, he could sell her to anyone, and she couldn’t say a word. One of the oldest rules of the circus. Once you are in, you are in for good. You sell your soul for it, and she sold hers to the biggest monsters of the Circle.
I sighed and opened the drawer where I kept the whiskey. I took out the glass and poured the liquid inside. The scent burned even before the taste did.
The bearded lady stepped inside the tent.
“I see you got yourself a new toy,” she said with a smile.
“Not that type of toy, Mia,” I said, taking a sip and exhaling.
“What are you going to do with Rocco?”
“He won’t be our problem anymore,” I said. “At least not for a while.”
