Finding light after darkness.

My attention returned to Jack. He blew another flame, this one bigger than any of the others, but instead of dying out it turned to ash that slowly trickled to the floor. I had no idea how Jay had managed to orchestrate all this, but it was absolutely incredible to watch. I heard something in the lyrics about a thunderstorm right before the sound of thunder rang out and I swear I felt the room shake. I knew I wasn’t imagining things when I looked around and saw everyone else was feeling it too.

Then, when a tornado was mentioned a deck of cards came flying out of Jay’s back pocket, swirling through the air before scattering on the floor. The spotlight landed on Jack again as he tilted his head back, took in a deep breath, then blew out, and I swear to God, real live smoke emerged in misty grey tendrils. I saw his chest go still, his breathing cease, and the smoke paused in mid-air. Several people behind me gasped. A second later Jack resumed breathing and the smoke started to move again, drifting out of his mouth and slowly fading away. Next Jay walked towards Jack as he pulled a packet of matches from his pocket, removing one and flicking it to Jack. Jack threw his hand up and deftly caught the match in his closed fist. When he opened it a gigantic flame erupted, eliciting a huge round of applause.

The song was coming to an end when smoke began to rise from the ground up, shrouding the stage in mystery. Lifting a torch to his mouth, Jack blew one final flame, and out of the fire flew Jay’s two white doves. I swear I was almost deafened by the applause that followed. Jay caught his birds in each hand and took a bow while Jack did the same. The audience broke into cheering, hooting and clapping, and then came the big finish. Jay gestured to the ceiling and we all looked up. My heart got caught in my throat when I saw the tiny little paper hot air balloons drifting down from up high.

One landed right in my lap and I marvelled at it before looking to Jack. He was staring directly at me, and in that moment I knew he’d put this part into the act just for me. I noticed something shiny inside the carriage of the balloon, and reached inside to find a small gold ring. Holding it in my hand, I noted that it twisted in a loop, forming the infinity symbol. Jack held his hand over his heart, gazing down at me, and I knew he’d put the ring in there specifically so that I’d find it. I had a feeling I knew what it meant, too. Infinity symbolised forever, and by giving me the ring Jack was telling me that’s what he wanted for us.

Swallowing my emotions, and believe me I was feeling a lot of them right then, I endeavoured to blink back the tears and slid the ring onto my finger. When Jack saw I was wearing it, his eyes blazed fiercely and I mouthed a thank you at him, the sound of my voice lost amid the cheers.

Time seemed to move in fast forward after that. The rest of the show played out, and before I knew it I was sitting backstage with Matilda, Jay and Jack enjoying some after show drinks. Jack kept my hand in his, smoothing his fingers over the ring, his eyes fixed on it like it gave him great pleasure to see me wearing it.

“You like it?” he murmured in my ear while Jay talked loudly about how well the show had gone.

“I don’t just like it, I love it,” I answered, turning my face and running my nose along the side of his jaw. “I’ll wear it always.” Jack’s chest rumbled low with his approval.

“You know, I’ve really enjoyed performing here in Vegas but I have to admit, I can’t fucking wait for a change of scenery. I have so many ideas for when we go on the road with the circus,” said Jay, pulling our attention away from one another.

“You have more ideas than you know what to do with,” Matilda said to him affectionately and he gave her a wink before knocking back a gulp of his beer.

“I’m also looking forward to spending more time with King. He’s a real intriguing one,” Jay went on and Jack nodded.

I personally couldn’t disagree, and I was a little jealous that Jay had managed to get close to Marina’s brother so quickly. It had taken weeks for him to warm up to me. Well, I guessed buying an alcoholic a load of booze would certainly endear you to him. Jay had all the best tactics. A few of the stage crew came to join us then, and we sat socialising for another hour or two. I smiled and made chit chat, but at the same time my mind remained on King.

I wondered what he would do for the next month. Would Marina let him stay with her, or would he be out on the streets, sleeping rough and drinking himself into a stupor? I worried that one of these days he was going to kill himself with it, and I didn’t want him to die. Despite all appearances to the contrary, there was something about him that struck me as incredibly vital, and deep inside I felt like he still had so much more to give to the world, or at least to somebody. I wanted to help him, but I had no idea where to begin…

The next morning I sat in the lounge of our suite, mindlessly browsing the internet as I tried to figure out a plan. First of all, I needed to find out who he really was and where he came from. I knew he was Marina’s half-brother and that he’d once lived a very different life, but that didn’t really tell me anything of worth.

So I turned my attention back to my newly purchased secondhand laptop and started my quest where most modern-day investigations begin. Bringing up the page, I levelled my curser on the little white box and typed two words into Google.

Oliver King.

Welcome to the City, London’s most prestigious square mile, where finance reigns and Oliver King is a rising prince.

I used to rule the world.

There might be wolves on Wall Street, but there are crocodiles in Canary Wharf. Some of us crave money. Some of us crave power.

I don’t need money and I don’t want power. I want to excel, to surpass the men who came before me. No cheating. No shortcuts. I want to know I did it all on my own merits.

The problem with achieving greatness, though, is that there’s always someone lurking in the shadows, waiting to steal it as soon as you turn your back. And believe me, there’s a lurker in my shadows, one who will destroy everything I hold dear.

Alexis is not just my employee, she’s my very best friend. My shining star. She makes me laugh when I have nothing to laugh about. When I need a good dose of reality, she gives it to me, no hesitation.

Perhaps I fell for her the very moment she walked into the interview, with her outspoken charm and vivacious personality. She cast all the others in shadow, and I knew that I had to have her in my life.

I never thought I could have it all and lose it so catastrophically. Never thought I would rise so high only to fall so low. All of my riches disintegrated, leaving me with nothing but rags. I needed saving. I needed her. The question was, would she ever come and find me? And if she did, would there be anything left to save?

L.H. Cosway’s next standalone romance, King of Hearts, will predominantly take place six years previous to the events of Hearts of Fire. It will be released in the summer of 2015.

ADD KING OF HEARTS TO GOODREADS.

 

Have you read Jay & Matilda’s story yet? Check out L.H. Cosway’s contemporary romance, Six of Hearts.

 

Step right up and meet Jay Fields: Illusionist. Mentalist. Trickster.

I think in triangles. You think in straight lines.

I show you a table and make you believe it’s a chair.

Smoke and mirrors, sleight of hand, misdirection. I trick and deceive.