Club smelle

ey. It smelled of mahogany

e man behind the desk was round, sweatin

es lingering on the tight fabric of her suit. "You're

rper asked. Her voic

h wire. No net. Ten minutes. You fall, you die

waiver. It was basi

without a trem

e on i

st in shadow, three stories up. A single, thin steel cable

and tuxedos. They were baying for blood or e

ped onto th

ooked impo

cused on the rhythm of her own heart, a stea

teppe

pecialized shoes. The air up here wa

gan to

ep. Tw

wd went

she was dancing. She lifted her leg in a high extension, her spine arching.

vate box fronted by one-way gl

his glass. He wasn't watching the crowd

, the leather of

" he mu

epped out of the

oice a low rumble. "Look at the way the s

on't see

t a circus performer. That's someone wit

epared for the finale.

ire trembling benea

less. The world spun-lights,

n

gunshot echoed

platform sheared off. The wire went

rowd

he sudden drop threw her center

plum

The steel cable sliced into her palm, but she held on. She swung wild

nd blood dripped onto the carpet. He didn't even blink. He wa

cable slick. She used her core, swinging her legs up, hooking a knee over the

They thought it w

pping from her hand, leaving small

shadows of the curtains. Her chest was heaving.

re, grinning, holdi

oved it! The slip w

h her good hand. "It wasn't a to

her bleeding palm. She needed to get to t

in front of the exit. They we

ss Phoenix," one

Harper said, her muscl

r wants t

do privat

ot a re