In Peace Lies Havoc (Midnight Mayhem #1)(33)

The crowd is roaring with praise. Oh good. They totally support this.

I try not to look panicked. I don’t want to give them any more power than they already have, and something tells me that if they knew they had my fear, they’d only use it as a snack.

I don’t want to look anywhere, so I straighten my shoulders, close my eyes, and take my mind back to the place where it always goes when I need to be surrounded by something dark. To remind myself why I’m so lucky to be bathing in this light. The Shadow.

Killian’s voice comes through my ear. “Do you want this? Or are we all wrong to think you can handle it?”

I lick my lips, bringing my hand to the back of his neck. Right now, I still have the power. I can feel it. He hasn’t told me what to do; he’s merely asked me a question. I can do this, but only if it’s on my terms. I yank his head into my space, whispering into his hair, “Play ‘Breathe’ by Mako, and don’t fucking use your juju on me. I’ll do whatever the fuck I’m supposed to do without it.”

He pauses, and then leans back, bringing the mic to his mouth, repeating my song choice. It starts, and I begin slowly dancing around them, focusing on Killian. I force his face to mine. When I feel his lips close, he pushes me backward until I’m falling onto a lap. The electricity that explodes around me is a dead giveaway that it’s King’s lap I’m on.

I moan softly, not wanting to be here right now. Killian is easy because there’s no big bang. No feelings. No… King.

He doesn’t touch me, so I turn in his lap, straddling him. Running my fingers through my hair, I roll my body over him, reaching behind his head to untie the bandana that’s covering his mouth. What’s with the bandanas? His eyes drift to the crowd slightly before coming back to mine.

King is still not touching me, so I turn in his lap, ready to go to Kyrin, when he grips onto the back of my shorts and tugs me back down.

Kyrin, who has stayed in the background throughout the whole thing, hooks his finger around the belt loop of my shorts and yanks me into him. He leans down and whispers into my ear, “Is that all you’ve got? Gotta say, I’m pretty disappointed.”

My stomach sinks. I hate disappointing people, and I’m well aware that this feeling probably stems from feeling as though I’ve always failed my parents.

Angry and annoyed, I turn in his grasp, reach up on my tippy toes, and bring my mouth to his. I stare right through him. “You don’t know the first thing about me.”

“Pretty sure we know everything about you.”

“Carousel” by Melanie Martinez stars playing loudly, igniting my reckless soul.

Fine.

Another arm grips around my waist, and I turn in King’s grasp. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s almost like there’s a battle happening on the floor, and I don’t know if it has anything to do with me or not.

Kingston squeezes me into his chest. I grind my ass against his crotch, dropping to the floor. When Kyrin goes to step backward, I reach for the waistband of his pants and yank him forward. Kyrin is strong, but he doesn’t fight me, stepping so close that my face is directly in front of his crotch.

To the beat of the song, I wave my torso around as my fingers inch up to his zipper. I reach for it, just as King yanks my head back by my long hair. I’m staring up at him upside down when his jaw clenches.

“What?” I smirk. “I thought this was Midnight Mayhem?” I’m bluffing. I had no idea prior to tonight what the fuck this group did.

King bares his teeth, hissing, before shoving my face away from him and into Kyrin’s crotch.

Asshole.

I yank Kyrin’s pants down and his cock springs free. I don’t have any want or need, just anger. I grip his long, thick shaft in my hand and tug on it lightly. I lick my lips, and Kyrin steps backward, his face coming to mine. “You really want to suck my dick, Little Bird?”

I smile up at him sweetly. “Yes.” I have no idea.

He shoves his thumb into my mouth, pressing it down onto my tongue. “My cock is worth dying over?”

I shrug. “Don’t care.” The song changes, but I’m lost. I turn my head around to see Maya walking in with no shirt on and holding a plate of what looks like weed. She’s wearing no bra—her tits out—and has on tiny basketball shorts. A red bandana is tied around the front of her head, her long straight hair falling down to her butt.

She winks at me again and then blazes a joint, sucking on it. I watch as she lowers herself to Val, who is waiting. Maya blows a cloud of smoke into Val’s mouth, and then slowly licks her from her chin to the tip of her nose.

Jesus fuck!

I shake off my nerves and stand, gaining false confidence from Maya and Val and whoever else is in here now. I get it. This crew is fucked up. I have to learn how to swim, or I’m going to drown.

The cage slowly lifts, and Maya slips down behind me, her hand going to King. I squash the jealousy that roars in my chest as best I can, but when he touches the back of her thigh, the jealousy knocks the breath out of me. I feel as though I’m choking on air.

Maya turns over her shoulder, her lips touching my ear. “Go with it, Dove. Would you rather me or Val?”

She has a good point.

King grabs her by the hair and yanks her to her feet, just as Kyrin spins me around by my hips, his fingers digging into my bones.