Chapter 1

I heard the crack of my own skull before everything went blank.

I must have laid there for a minute? An hour? My heart stopped before I could find out. I was sure I died.

But somehow after, my limbs trembled. A hand tugging at my shoulder and a voice pulling me. “Tess! Dude, wake up.”

My head drummed. This can’t be real. I batted my lashes reducing my blurry vision and locking eyes with a strange face above me.

It was a lady. She bent over, stretching her arm out to pull my shoulder again. But I recoiled, shifting to the corner.

I sat up quickly, squishing my brows. Calm down Kendall, it's a dream.

“Where am I?” I glanced around, blinking at my surroundings. “Tess this isn’t—”

“Tess?” I interrupted her. My name was Kendall. “Who’re you and why’re you calling me Tess?” She studied me silently and shook her head, sighing.

“It’s me, Kristin. We share this dressing room.” She leaned over in a squat, placing her hand on my forehead. “This is probably the side effect of the pills.”

I shoved her hand off, and shuddered back. My brows drew up as I opened my mouth to ask another question but then something caught my attention. The hand I saw wasn’t mine.

Jumping up, I headed to the mirror ignoring the pain that spread through my body.

“What the—” I almost screamed, staring at the half naked woman in the mirror. Everything from my hair down to my body was different. I didn’t look like I was twenty five. I looked younger.

Kristin rolled her eyes. “Tess, I really don’t have time for this.”

I turned, ignoring her. “I’m late for my dance show. Where do I get a cab?”

“You already danced and performed badly—as always.” She wrapped her arm across her chest. “Cab? You’ve not left here for over three years.”

I stilled, my eyes drifting to the club logo on the wall. ‘Ricci Dynasty’ My body shook. I was alive but in a different body.

“If Darius found out you took the pills, you’d be dead before the day ends. We’re not allowed to take them during work periods, remember?”

“What pills?”

“The stimulant.” She chewed a piece of gum, frowning at me. “Can’t you remember? You took it to help impress Darius so he won’t have you locked up.” She put her hand into her bra, pulled a tablet then pressed it into my palm. Her voice lowered, “You took an overdose. Keep the tablet in case Darius suspects. It won’t cure you but It’ll hide the stimulant if he decides to run a test. He has a standby doctor for that.”

“An overdose?” I glanced at the tablet. “What would be the effect?”

“It slowly kills you. The last dancer who took it died after a week.” She shook her head, shifting her gaze to the door. “The only antidote is with Darius Ricci. He won’t release it unless you’re someone he’s involved with…sexually.” She flung her hand in exasperation.

Truly hilarious. Of course I was cursed, that’s the only way to explain being dead some minutes ago and suddenly coming back to life in a body that was going to die anyway.

My chest tightened. “I need to try. I’m sure I can make him change his mind.”

If impressing and getting in bed with a stranger would keep me alive, then I had no choice but to do it.

Her mouth dropped open, but no words came out instead she nodded and walked towards the door. Turning the door knob, it creaked loudly. “The coat. You can’t dance with it.”

Right. I stood quickly and yanked the coat off, flinging it to the chair.

We left the dressing room, took the elevator down past the gambling floor and a row of private rooms, until we reached the showroom.

The scent of smoke and money filled my nostrils. By the corner, a velvet striped curtain separated a VIP lounge from the rest of the floor. I glanced around, studying the small crowd—two bouncers by the entrance, two strippers and him.

Mafia. Darius Ricci. I knew it was him because his composure said it all.

He was dressed in a back suit. The first two buttons of his shirt weren’t hooked, showing off his tattooed chest and his tiny gold chain. His prominent dark eyes locked with mine and his face tightened. Regardless, he was really hot.

I bit my lips and gazed away, adrenaline flowing through my veins. Reluctantly I knelt down, placing my palms on my knees. “Please. Dar..Don Darius. Give another grace.”

One of the bouncers sneered at me before storming closer and grabbing my wrist. I winced, standing against my will.

Darius gave me a cold and hard stare, frightening me more. Maybe he wanted to throw me out himself. But then he exhaled, relaxing his face.

He raised his hand, gesturing to the bouncer to leave me—which he did instantly. Then slowly, he took a puff from his cigar and nodded once at me.

Letting out a slight yelp, I rubbed my wrist realizing the body I had transmigrated into wore the same bracelet which had led to my death. Now it made sense. My soul took over her body because we had the same bracelet on.

I had the attention of other strippers now. Some laughed. Some murmured. “She wants to prove herself? She’s a bad dancer.”

“She’s definitely getting kicked out today.”

“If I owned half of the business in this city like Don Darius, I’d have—”

Everyone had something to say. I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling dizzy as I recalled the last memory from my past life.

I was rushing to meet up for my dance audition when I saw an old woman trembling against the curb. I helped her cross, and continued my journey when I felt something around my wrist.

I gazed down, it was a bracelet. A jade.

She must have left it by mistake, I thought. I had to return it, I repeated. I didn’t look at the traffic signs and just when I hurried down the crosswalk, a horn blared. Screams echoed. I heard my own skull crack. Then…nothing.

“Quiet.” Darius’s hoarse voice roared, silencing everyone and bringing me to earth. “Start the song.”

I took a calming breath then climbed the stage. The lights in the VIP lounge were dimmed while the lights in the showroom remained on.

I traced my fingers on the pole then shut my eyes, letting go of all my fear and welcoming the memories from my dance class.

My body followed the music, rhythmically. When I opened them, I met the gaze of Darius unblinkingly staring at me. His back was leaned against the leather couch, as he casually tapped his fingers on his knee.

His eyes followed me round the stage, from when I swung round the silver pole to when I did a split and to every other dance move I displayed.

My legs wrapped round the pole and I moved my upper body in a sensuous way that made other strippers whisper.

When the music came to an end, loud applause echoed through the showroom.

But Darius remained still and that bothered me. He straightened his suit, ready to talk when a stripper wiggled her ass over to where he sat and bent, whispering something in his ear.

Then next, a bottle was handed to him. Not just any bottle. The one that contained the pills I took.

My knuckles went numb. I gripped onto the pole to steady myself.

Something flickered over his face. His eyes narrowed towards me, and he jerked up. “You used a stimulant?”