Page 19 of Last One Standing
I pulled away. “Pika, when we run, wewillhave to hide. I can’t do this anymore. We don’t have protection, and whatever money I’ve stashed away will keep us fed and warm. I can’t hire protection.” I took his face in my hands. “My dream now is for you to fulfill yours. I’ll do whatever I can to make that happen.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” Pika’s voice was so small.
“Thinking about what?”
He moved away from my grip and wouldn’t meet my eyes. “After Leo invited Angel and his brothers, I think they are,he told me they helped him out. So, I asked around and got nowhere fast. I hit walls and everything.”
“Okay…”
“So I went to Leo.” He held his hand up, stopping me from telling him how dumb that was. “No, I explained someone needed help and wondered if he knew how to go about asking them.”
My eyes widened. “The diner. You knew who he was the second you saw him, didn’t you? It’s why you invited him tonight.”
“I didn’t plan that. Leo actually told me to go to Saintly Sweets to talk to them. I knew who they were—yeah, I watched your show that week, saw them on the balcony. When he showed up at the diner, I thought it was an opportunity.”
I grabbed another cloth and went back to removing my makeup. “And what were you going to say to Angel tonight?”
“I was going to ask him for help. I get a good feeling about him. I really believe he can help us.”
With my makeup off, I stood and turned so Pika could unzip my dress. “Pika, I got us in this mess by asking Brick and his MC to help us. I’m not going to lean on another group of men.”
“They’re different.” He stood and helped me out of my dress. “I know it.”
I closed my eyes for a beat. “It’s not safe.”
“It’s never safe, Kona. We need to take a chance, though.”
I gripped his arms and stared into his hopeful eyes. “Leo told you how to find them, Saintly Sweets, so now we know. Let me do a little bit of digging on them before we throw ourselves at their mercy, okay?”
I could tell he hated that idea, but he’d listen to me. “Yeah, okay, Kona.”
“Great. Now let me finish getting changed. Go on out there and talk to them like you don’t want their help. I’ll be out there in a few.”
“Sure.”
Once he left the dressing room, I shut the door and slid down to the floor. My life was a mess, and my fifteen-year-old brother wanted to help. It was his life too, but I was so afraid that if it got back to Brick that Pika was asking someone other than the MC for help, it would get ugly.
I’d defend him with my life. Pika knew where my stash was, and I hoped if it ever came to that, he’d take the money and run and not do something stupid like try to avenge me.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ANGEL
A lotof the performers had come out and talked to us. Even Leo had stopped by to say he was happy we’d come back. The only person who hadn’t greeted anyone was Kona. Pika walked onto the floor fifteen minutes ago, and I overheard someone asking where “Anita” was, and Pika said he was having a costume issue. I wasn’t buying it.
Three of the Dead Kings were leaning against the bar, watching each and every person. If any of them recognized me from the other night, I couldn’t tell.
“There you are!” Ima Cummings—whose name was Russell, I’d found out—declared as soon as Kona stepped onto the floor.
“Sorry, everyone, I had some issues. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.” His smile appeared genuine, but I didn’t know him well enough to be one hundred percent sure that was his real smile.
Phoenix was so happy, I swore his face would split in two. After Kona went to each person, he finally stopped in front of me and Phoenix.
“So glad you could make it. Did you enjoy the show?” he asked.
“Oh, my God, it was brilliant. When you sang ‘Lilac Wine,’ I almost cried. You’re so incredibly talented.”
Kona chuckled lightly. “That’s very sweet of you to say. You’re a ballet dancer, though, right?”
