I was a little dishevelled by the time the gang arrived to take us to the circus, but I managed to fix my hair and smooth out my clothes before we left. King’s sister’s circus was called The Circus Spektakul?r and operated in a forested area just outside the city. It almost felt magical as we walked through the fairy-lit pathway that led to the tent, surrounded by tall trees and the night sky above. King greeted the girl on the ticket booth, whose name was Lola, and she appeared delighted to see him. I swear she would’ve pulled him through the window for a hug if it had been allowed.
The tent was packed and thanks to King’s connections we had fantastic ringside seats. Trev barely took his eyes off me the entire time and I couldn’t stop thinking about our quickie back at the apartment. Needing some sort of contact, I took his hand in mine and rested it on my thigh. His attention turned heated just as the house lights dimmed, signalling the start of the show.
We were treated to clowns and acrobats, lion tamers and stuntmen. I thought the Running on Air cast would fit right in with this lot, seeing as though they all shared a similar interest: risking their lives for the sake of their passion.
I bent close to Alexis, who was sitting on the other side of me, and asked, “Which ones are your friends?”
“King knows all of them, but one of his best friends is on next. He’s a fire breather,” she said, and winked with giddy excitement. “Just wait till you see.”
My brows shot up as King grumped, “I heard that.”
Alexis grinned happily. “I know you did.”
The ringmaster was King’s half-sister. It was bizarre because she was well into her sixties, with bright, dyed-red hair and a thick cockney accent. She was the last person I expected to be related to someone as urbane, well-spoken and obviously upper class as Oliver King.
“Damas y caballeros, I give you Jack McCabe,” she announced, and a slow rock song started to play. It had a thick, heavy bass line that seemed to compliment the tall, muscular man who stepped into the ring. He had long hair, eyes so dark you’d swear they could see right into your soul, and a body like an avenging angel. Now I understood Alexis’s giddy excitement. A chill came over me just looking at him.
He blew fire from his mouth like it was air. I trembled at the billowing flames and noticed the scarring that marred a portion of his shoulder and back. He held a torch in each hand, moving them dexterously around his body, making figure-eight shapes in the air. Next he drew the torch along his arm, creating a trail of flame on his skin. I swallowed and held Trev’s hand a little tighter.
He swore low under his breath, “Fucking hell. That’s got to hurt.”
I shook my head. “He must use something to protect his skin.”
“It’s a fireproof gel,” King informed us. “The same as stuntmen use in movies.”
“Ah, makes sense,” I said. “Your friend is incredible.”
King’s lips twitched. “He is, but don’t go saying that to his face. Jack’s not great with compliments.”
Alexis laughed. “Yeah, the best response you’ll get is a caveman grunt.”
I returned my attention to the stage, unable to take my eyes off the swirling flames. I was only distracted when Trev rubbed his thumb along the inside of my wrist, the small movement causing my muscles to tighten. I hated how hectic these last few days had been. I felt like I just wanted to lock us both away in a secret room so we could be completely alone. I wanted the chance to show him how much I’d missed him.
The past two years, a piece of my heart had been missing and now that I finally had it back I knew I wouldn’t ever let it go again.
My attention went back to the ring when the fire breather started to speak. It was kind of impossible to ignore his deep, masculine voice. He had a distinct Irish accent, and his gravelly tone set my pores tingling.
I shivered when Trev bent close to whisper, “My masculinity’s feeling a little threatened right now.”
I shot him an amused look. “Your masculinity’s made from graphene and we both know it.”
He chuckled and joked, “I’m not so sure. I could probably go gay for King’s bestie.”
“Again, please don’t say that to his face,” King added, leaning forward to look at us with a hilariously impassive expression.
“I’d like to welcome my brother to join me on stage,” said Jack the fire-breather. “He’s the newest addition to our circus and he might be familiar to some of you. Please give a round of applause for Jay Fields.”
“Hold up. Jay Fields?” Trev asked, shooting King a questioning look.
“That’s what he said, isn’t it?” King replied with a casually arched brow.
“You failed to inform us that one of the most famous illusionists in the world right now is in this circus?”
King shrugged. “Fame is neither here nor there.”
“He’s eternally unimpressed,” Alexis put in. “Don’t take it personally. Also, you’re just as famous as Jay, so—”
“Not in America,” Trev said.
“You’re an industrious young man. You’ll crack America one day,” King told him, like a father telling his son to chin up. Trev didn’t appear amused, which was thoroughly amusing to me.
The lights changed from white to red, and “The Monster” by Rihanna and Eminem started to play, cutting short our conversation. A tall, dark-haired guy—though not as dark as Jack—walked into the ring, and I recognised him instantly.
Jay’s fame had come quickly. Within the last few years he’d become just as well-known as David Blaine or I dunno, Penn and Teller. Just well . . . cooler. He had tattoos covering both his arms and possessed an affable wisdom that made you believe he knew exactly what you were going to say before you even said it.
The curtains that hung over the entrance to the ring worked as a blank canvas for what I could only describe as a performance art piece. It was like shadow theatre, or shadow theatre’s distant cousin. Jack blew flames from where he stood in the middle of the ring and they reflected off a projector screen to create a shadowy inferno against the curtains. I exhaled an impressed breath as Jay flipped cards into the air, dozens and dozens of them. The paper fizzled to ashes on contact with the flames, creating a shadow image of snow falling from the sky.
Jack threw another flame, and the shadow of his hand against the projector looked like a dragon breathing fire, just like the monster in the song lyrics. Then Jay miraculously produced two white doves out of thin air. Jack extinguished his flames as the doves flew overheard, their feathery wings a symbol of hope to crush the monster.
The beauty of the piece stunned me, and when I looked at Trev his attention was rapt. It was surreal to see him so impressed, since usually he was the one inspiring awe. There was something incredibly open about his face right then and I couldn’t help it. Without thinking I grabbed him by the shoulders, pulled his mouth to mine, and kissed him with everything I felt inside.
The music thundered around us, the audience clapping and expressing their delight at the brothers’ display, but all I could think about was Trev. I felt his groan vibrate through my chest and wrapped my arms tight around him.
We were both breathless when we broke apart, and Lee, who was sitting at the very end of our row, let out a rip-roaring whistle. I flushed as Trev gave him the finger.