Dancing with Deception (23 page)

“I’m sorry.”

Her quiet words stopped him. “For what?”

“I don’t know how I feel. I’ve never had this before.”

He wrapped his arm around her at the waist and brought her down on her side next to him. “I figured that out about eight seconds ago. I’m sorry for moving too fast.”

“And here I thought everything was slow on Avery.”

He smiled and kissed her hair. “Most things. How slow do you need things to be?” He remembered the day before they’d made love the first time how she’d asked him to be patient. He hadn’t listened to her then. He knew he had to now.

“I’ll be patient,” he told her before she could answer his question. “And if it’s any consolation, my family loves you too.”

“I know they do.”

“Jess told you what happened to her. Did she tell you everything?”

“Yes.”

He was pleased when she cuddled into him as she always did. He went back to playing with her hair. “That’s more than she’s told us. She’s talked to Mom, but some things are probably better left not knowing.”

“Yes. I’m glad she told me. She’s come a long way.”

He tightened his hold around her
,
thankful still. “Now she has.”

“She told me what happened, how she felt. But how did you handle it?”

The same feelings he’d felt then were rising to the surface now. Helplessness, anger. A deep, primal need to find the bastard who hurt his little sister and kill him.

“We looked for him. Dad, Colin, and I. He’s damn lucky the police found him first.” He slid his hand down to her hip. “He was our friend and we were supposed to be watching her. She tell you that?”

“She doesn’t blame you.”

That she saw that, staggered him. “I should have seen him for the scum he was.”

“You should also see how none of that was anyone’s fault except for the scum.” Her voice became brisk. He felt the coolness of her fingers cup his cheek. The combination soothed him. “Sometimes people blame themselves because then they feel they can do something about it. You did everything you could for her. She appreciates that.”

“It broke her.”

“No, Gideon. No, it didn’t. She isn’t broken. She’s going to be just fine.” She kissed him then, long and silkily. He sunk into it and into the luxury of it. “You’re all going to be just fine.”

“It’s always there. It sneaks up on us sometimes, smacks us in the face. But we get through it.”

“You have each other. Jess has all of you. She’s lucky.”

“And who did you have, Rebecca?”

Her saw her eyes widen a little in surprise. He turned the conversation back around to her because the other was useless. Until that piece of shit got out of prison, there wasn’t anything to talk about. Her, on the other hand; he needed to know about her.

“It wasn’t so bad. I had friends, my dance instructors.”

“Rebecca, no child should feel unloved. You can’t tell me you and your mother was ever close.” Taking her chin, he brought her gaze back to his. “Tell me.”

He’d said that before, and she’d told him pieces. Now he wanted—needed—everything.

“No, we were never close. Not even a little. She pushed me away completely when my father left. But even before that, I was just… there.” Her breath left on a sigh. “I used to think they had to have loved me when I was a baby. Before I could turn them away, they had to have cared a little.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He sat up bringing her with him. “Are you telling me you think they don’t love you because of something you did?”

“Well, yes.”

“What was that thing you said about blame?”

“It doesn’t apply here.”

“The hell it doesn’t. Rebecca, you didn’t do a thing. Couldn’t have. Your parents are selfish people who had no business raising you.” His chest hurt when he saw her eyes fill. They were beautiful, like the irises his mother loved to plant after a rainfall. But he loathed the pain he saw in them. “You never had anyone? A pet, a relative?”

She shook her head. “Neither one of my parents were speaking to their family. I never asked for a pet because—”

“Why, Rebecca?” He slid his arms up around her and brought her down to where her head rested on his shoulder.

“What if it didn’t love me either? I don’t think I could have stood it.”

“You’re not unlovable.” He tightened his hold on her trembling body. “I loved you from the first.”

She snorted and he was pleased to be back on even ground again. “No, you didn’t.”

“Sure I did. Any woman who can take a running
sprawl onto a moving boat, then
cuss me out better than half the sailors I know would steal my heart.”

“You were mad.”

“You kneed me in my—”

“I know,” she giggled. “I’m sorry.”

He liked the sound of her laughter. It soothed and lifted his spirits. He couldn’t stop the grin even if he wanted to. “Prove it.”

“Prove it? Well, all right.” Her lips molded to his, teasing at first and then deepening. With a sound of pleasure humming in his throat, he pulled her against him and plundered. She broke the kiss, breathless. “I guess I’ll have to kiss it and make it better.”

And it was better.

Chapter Thirteen

“Demi-pilé, grands jetés. Good. Demi-pilé.”

The dancers executed the moves with the grace and efficiency they’d sweated for these past months. Every eye was on Niko. Every ballerina’s posture was rigid. Niko barked out the movements, and the ballerinas performed them without question.

Rebecca was very aware that stormy eyes studied her through the two-way mirror. She felt him watching her as the little hairs on the back of her neck prickled. It was a testament of both her skill and determination that she didn’t falter or miss a step.

When class was over, Niko dismissed the ballerinas with a stern warning that the opening show was only three weeks away. One ounce, he had promised ominously; if they gained one ounce before then they would be bench pressing
him
until it was gone again. Rebecca thought of the homemade bubble-up pizza Rose had made for dinner the night before and nearly groaned. She would run like crazy before the next weigh in.

“Why do you look so guilty?”

Rebecca nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Niko from beside her. “I didn’t do anything.”
Chocolate chip cookies
, her conscience mocked. She gritted her teeth.

“We will practice ropes again tomorrow.”

“I’m not sure—”

“Don’t you want the lead?”

“Yes,” she said ardently. “It’s just hard for me to get here now. I’m staying on an Island south of Pelee for a while.”

“You want to shack up with boyfriend, it is no business to me. You want to slack off with ropes, it’s your neck. But I will not tolerate my show being ruined because you slip and fall on your ass.” His Russian accent thickened little by little as he lectured, hinting the anger beneath the civility.

“I’m not going to ruin your show, Niko. I’ll be here.” Somehow.

“Good, then. This is your man?”

Rebecca turned to see Gideon come into the studio room. “Niko, this is Gideon,” she said by way of explanation. She put a warning look in her eyes and knew Niko understood because he was holding back his grin.

“Pleased to meet you as long as you don’t interfere with my dancer.”

“Same goes.” Gideon shook his hand before wrapping his arm around Rebecca. 

“You are coming to the show?” he asked Gideon

“Niko,” she cut him off, not wanting to hear the answer. She didn’t think she could handle it if he said he wasn’t interested. “We need to get going.” She gathered her bag and blocked out the conversation between her lover and her dance instructor and headed to the door.

Gideon caught her arm on the stairs and slowed her. “What gives?”

“We need to get going. It’s ten blocks to the dock and it’s late. He wants me to come back and practice tomorrow. If it’s easier, I can grab a hotel for tonight.”

“Rebecca, stop.”

She did, and turned to face him impatiently. “What?”

“We’re not in a hurry, it’s only eight blocks, and you’re not getting a hotel.”

She blew out a frustrated breath. That calm, easy tone of his didn’t soothe her. “All right. I’m still tired, and it’s late.”

He started walking again, took her hand in his. “You don’t want me to come to your show?”

“If you want.”

“But what do
you
want?”

It didn’t come easy for her, needing him. She knew if she told him what she wanted and he shrugged her off, she’d be crushed. He’d stopped on the sidewalk again and he was looking at her, waiting for her to tell him what she wanted.

“I want you to come.” She held his gaze, but couldn’t read it. The air in her lungs was building pressure. She fought the urge to place a hand to her chest to ease the pain.

“All right.”

She blew the breath out and they continued walking. “Thanks. Your family can all come, too. I’ll get you tickets.”

“Niko already has.”

“What?”

“Niko told me he’d send the tickets back with me tomorrow.” She stopped walking again and he sighed then did the same. “What?”

“How did Niko know you needed more than one?”

“Because he asked me how many I needed. I told him six. Critter’ll wanna come, too.” He took her hand, propelling her forward again. “He’s been begging me to bring him to a rehearsal, but fuck if I will,” he murmured to himself.

“They’ll want to come? Your family.”

“Sure.”

What would it be like, she wondered as they walked down the darkened street, to dance on the stage for someone in the audience? She’d always had her own dreams to inspire her. Would she dance just a little better knowing there was someone in the crowd for her? Or would she be nervous?

The giddy, happy feeling in her heart put a spring in her step. She smiled over at Gideon, who had been smiling at her. Her smile faded slowly when she felt him tense beside her. Before she could ask what was wrong he squeezed her fingers and told her to keep walking under his breath.

Her heart beat faster but it was no longer attributable to the delight she’d felt. For a moment, she had forgotten about the danger they were in. About the danger she’d put him in. He rounded the corner and they began to run. The gym bag she’d been carrying whipped in the wind they created, pounded lightly against her side.

“Bastards followed us,” he said by way of explanation. The words came out in huffs of breath. She kept quiet, saving air.

They reached the next corner and rounded it without slowing down. Her calves were beginning to cramp, pushing her to run harder. She didn’t think Gideon would be able to carry her and get away, himself. Sheer will kept her legs pumping.

“In here.”

Rebecca dove behind the bush he had indicated and worked on catching her breath. “Did we lose them?”

“I think so. I don’t see anyone.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed. “Colin, it’s me. We’re being followed. I’ll bet the island they’re waiting at the fucking dock. Yes, but hurry. In a bush. We’ll lay low.” He peeked at Rebecca. “We’ll make it.”

Rebecca waited for him to close his phone. “What’s going on?”

“Colin and Critter are going to meet us at the next dock. We’re going to have to get there without being seen. You’re a runner, so we should be fine.” While he spoke, he slipped his phone back in his pocket, took her gym bag and secured it over his shoulder.

“How long do we have before they get there?”

“An hour. We’ll find a place to hide there. If I knew how many there were, what weapons they have- if any- I would try to deal with them myself.”

Her stomach clenched. “No, we’ll run until we can get more help.”

“Ready?”

She nodded. After another check down the street, Gideon pulled her out of the bush and they ran toward the next dock.

It’d taken them almost forty minutes to reach the dock on the west side of the city. They’d alternated between running and walking because Gideon could tell it was painful for Rebecca. Her calves were probably screaming from just having endured a two-hour dance class.

He hadn’t spotted anyone else since seeing the two goons several blocks before. He hadn’t been mistaken either. When they had rounded the first corner, the men following them had started running. He had made eye contact with one of them and had let them know that he was aware of who they were.

The next corner they had rounded had been in the opposite direction of the dock. The goons had more than likely followed the route to the boat, assuming they would try to escape that way. They may have even stopped chasing them if they’d had backup waiting at the boat.