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Oh crap. I hope I won’t look stupid once he’s done.
Feeling anxious, I close my eyes and try not to cringe whenever I hear a snip.
After a while, Big Joe chuckles, “You can open your eyes.”
The first thing I see is all my hair lying on my lap and scattered over the floor.
Taking a deep breath, I lift my eyes to the mirror, and then my jaw drops.
Holy. Shit.
My hair looks darker, the strands wisping outward in all directions.
It’s a beautiful mess.
Kinda like me.
A slow smile spreads over my face. “Gosh. I love it.”
“I know you do. No one has ever left here unhappy,” he says, smiling at me in the mirror.
Dawn moves closer, a proud smile on her face. “You look beautiful, Jai.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, feeling a little emotional.
Dawn hugs Big Joe, then says, “There’s one more thing missing.” She digs in her bag, pulling out a black pencil. “This is eyeliner, sweetie,” she explains. “It will come off when you wash your face.”
“Okay.”
Dawn leans over me and moves the pencil around my eyes in quick strokes.
It doesn’t take long before she pulls away. “There you go, all beautified.”
My eyes find my reflection in the mirror, and slipping off the chair, I look at my complete transformation.
My eyes look bigger and no longer as innocent as they used to. Every curve of my body is accentuated by the outfit, and my hair feels and looks amazing.
I look like one of them now. A deviant.
Chapter 6
Jai
“It’s almost dinner time,” Dawn says. “Let’s go.”
“Thank you, Big Joe.” I give him a wave and follow Dawn out of the store.
When I step out onto the sidewalk and notice the sun is setting, I realize the time. “Crap.”
Dawn frowns at me. “What?”
“It’s late. Chance told me not to stay away too long.”
“Chance?” she asks, her eyes widening.
“My… trainer.” I don’t know what else to call him because he’s not my husband.
“You’re being trained by Chance?” Dawn looks uneasy. “From Idris’ ward?”
When I nod, she lets out a groan. “Shit. I was only expecting them next week.”
“Idris?” I ask. When she nods, I say, “He’s coming next week. Chance, Raze, and I left the ward early.”
Dawn lets out a relieved sigh, which has me frowning. “Why are you worried about Idris?”
She shakes her head, and taking my hand, she tugs me toward a big building where people gather around the entrance.
“It’s not so much that I’m worried,” she explains. “I have a thing for the asshole.” She rolls her eyes. “Don’t ask me why.”
“A thing?”
Dawn lets out a heavy breath. “I love him.”
“Like you want to marry him?” I ask for clarification.
She nods. “Yeah, but he’s married to his job and only sees me as an entertainer.”
I’ve only known Dawn for a couple of hours, and she’s so much more than an entertainer. “Idris is a monster. You deserve so much better than him.”
Dawn nods. “Try telling my heart that.”
Their dining hall is enormous. It’s already half-packed with people, and as I glance over the crowds, I don’t see Chance.
My eyes land on Warrick, though. He smiles at me, but I ignore him, looking away.
I take a seat at an empty bench with Dawn. Gerald soon joins us, a wide smile on his face. “Damn, babelicious. You look drop-dead gorgeous.”
I beam from the praise. “Thank you.”
Two more people join our table, but they don’t introduce themselves.
A minute later, Dawn says, “Come on. Let’s get food before the line gets too long.”
I follow Dawn and Gerald and grab a tray before we join the back of the line.
Gerald keeps smiling at me and touching my hair. “We performed a miracle.”
“We sure did,” Dawn agrees.
“Looking good, Jai,” Warrick says as he falls in line behind me.
I ignore him and keep my attention on Dawn and Gerald.
“Aww, come on,” he taunts. “No hard feelings. A fight is a fight.”
Dawn reaches for my arm, giving it a squeeze.
Warrick moves closer to my back, then I feel his fingers brush over my neck. Swinging around, I shove him away from me. “Don’t touch me, asshole.” I like the new word I learned from Dawn. It fits Warrick.
“Chance is Jai’s trainer,” Dawn says. “It doesn’t look like your face can handle another beating.”
Warrick shrugs. “No pain, no gain.”
“Oh, shit-a-brick,” Gerald whisper-shrieks.
Warrick is shoved so hard he falls on his butt, and a hand clamps around my arm. I’m yanked out of the line, and my eyes fly to Chance’s face. Seeing how angry he is, I quickly drop the tray and let him drag me out of the dining hall.
We’re quiet as we head to the park, and only when he’s pulled me into the lining of trees does he let go of my arm.
He takes a couple of steps away, then turns to look at me with so much rage I’m actually scared.
