“Onstage?!” Nat said, moving closer to me.
“He tried to grab me.”
Jae crouched next to me, placing a hand on my knee. “Did the guy hit you? Did he hurt you?”
I shook my head. “No. Just…it all happened so fast.”
“Take your time. It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it,” Jae said, sitting next to me on the futon and wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
“No, I think I need to talk about it.”
I took a couple of deep breaths to steady my nerves.
“So, everything was going fine. I was just finishing my final routine—the floor section—and this guy jumped onstage. Just sprinted across like a lunatic and tackled me.”
Nat swore under her breath.
“I hit the floor hard, and he was looming over me with his hands on either side of my head—just staring down at me like he wasn’t all there.”
I swallowed hard.
“Then Carlos walked up. And he…shot him. Point blank. Right in the head.”
Nat gasped.
Jae’s arm tightened.
“His head—” I stuttered, shaking violently. “It exploded. Right in front of me. It got on me. In my hair.”
Jae pulled me into his arms.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered into his shoulder. “I—I couldn’t stop it.”
“Sweetie, you couldn’t have done anything,” he said.
“Carlos could have shot you too!” Nat snapped. “You were right under that guy. What the hell is wrong with him?”
I pulled back slightly. “Carlos dragged me backstage, dumped me on the dressing room floor, and told me if I said a word, he’d kill me. He said I’m lucky that I bring in good money. So as long as I keep everyone happy, I’ll be okay.”
“Lyla,” Nat said softly. “You get that you’re trapped now, right? They’re never letting you quit. You saw him murder someone. They’ll think you’re a liability.”
“I don’t think they see me like that. Carlos said I was good for business.”
Nat scoffed. “That’s even worse. You’d better make them think you’re all in. Smile. Work hard. Be their perfect little soldier. Then plan your exit out of this city fast—quietly. Because ifthey’re killing people without blinking? That’s mafia. Or worse, gangsters.”
“Well, I don’t want to just give up everything I’ve worked my whole life for. I want to stay, and I need that job. It’s the only thing I can do to earn enough money to pay the rent and live this close to all the theater jobs. Ihave towork at the club.”
Jae leaned in. “No, you don’t. We’ll figure something out. There are other jobs.”
I shook my head. “There really aren’t. Not that pay enough.”
Nat sighed. “Jesus, Lyla. You can’t stay there.”
“I don’t think I have a choice…now,” I said, focusing on the tea and hoping the trembling in my hands wasn’t too obvious.
They didn’t argue—because we all knew the type of men I worked for, knew what dreams cost in this city.
And right now, I was paying for my dreams in blood.
