She snorted. “You have a thick skull.”
“You had me thrown in a jail cart.”
“I knew daddy would bail you out.”
“I could have been hanged!”
His voice had risen three octaves. The noise and gossip swirling around them suddenly stopped. Esmeralda couldn’t have this drama in her life. Not when she’d already been a disappointment to the ringmaster before she even competed in her first task for the Running.
She ripped the tray from Ignacio’s grasp and passed it to Gabriel. “Excuse us for a moment, love. I need to have a word with this pest in private.”
“Sure thing,sugar plum,” Gabriel said.
Now he gets what I was trying to do.
Clearly, she wasn’t with Gabriel in any fashion. He’d recently parted with the love of his life, Javier, when Javier’s time with the carnival was up. But they had plans to be together soon. Plus, she hadn’t felt that pull of attraction toward another soul since Ignacio the weasel crushed her heart.
She squeezed the weasel in question’s wrist and jerked him forward. She led them away from the meal tent, down the back alley, and behind the ginormous metal cage that kept Estefan the ostrich from escaping and wreaking havoc. The bird had quite an affinity for sequins. And in a carnival full of costumed performers, letting him roam free simply wouldn’t do.
She released Ignacio with a shove.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped. She peered behind the cage. People lingered about. Someone might tell the ringmaster that the officer she’d gotten rid of was back. She lowered her tone. “Are you going to arrest me?”
“Arrest…” He shook his head and chuckled. “I nearly forgot you stole my badge.” His body tensed and the humor evaporated from his face. “The tin box—”
“Is in my possession.”
“You haven’t…Have you…” He gulped. “Did you open it?”
An incredulous laugh escaped her. “Do you think I have time to sit around and peek into your little mint box? I am in the Running to be the lead act of Carnival Fantástico. I have more important things to do with my life.”
“Like flirting with that boy,” he suggested.
She flung her hair back, revealing her neck and collarbone,her shoulder exposed. His eyes slipped over her skin and a gleeful, angry thrill ran through her. Ignacio had grown older and more muscular, but at least not everything had changed. He was still attracted to her.
“Flirting withlotsof them, actually. But that is none of your concern. What you should be worried about is the fact that the ringmaster does not take kindly to officers in his carnival. I’ve already gotten myself into a pinch because of you. So, whatever you’re up to, leave me out of it. And if you think for a second you can come here and arrest me for skipping town before my indenture to your father was up, you’ve got another thing coming. There isn’t a single chance in the king’s green—”
“I haven’t come here to arrest you, Dovie.”
A shock of pure heat bloomed over her cheeks at hearing that nickname.
“Don’t call me that,” she hissed.
He had the nerve to appear hurt.
“If you aren’t here to arrest me, then why are you following me like some lost pup?”
His jaw flexed. He crossed his arms. Arms that had become much more defined in their year apart.
Stop that, she reprimanded herself.You do not need to concern yourself with his arms.
“Have you ever thought that my being here has nothing to do with you?” he asked.
She scoffed haughtily. But her arrogance stalled. What if he wasn’t here for her? What if he couldn’t care less about her being here? That somehow felt worse.
“Then whyareyou here? Surely you aren’t at the carnival for a job. Looks like you’re following in your daddy’s footsteps by becoming a law keeper.” They’d had an argument about his future nearly twelve months ago to the day. She’d never forget it because it was the day after his birthday, which was on the twenty-first of March. And sheonlyknew that because her birthday was three days after his. Certainly not because she cared to remember anything abouthim.
“How little you know,” he said. “And you will continue to not know because you’ve lost those privileges.”
