Destiny's Whisper (55 page)

“Chloe, I’ve never met a less greedy person in my life; you’re the most generous person I’ve ever known. You have a right to be loved and happy and, as much as you might think otherwise, I believe that’s your destiny,” Sergei stated softly.

“Why should destiny deem me worthy of being loved and granting my wish to do what I love? I’m nothing special, nothing important in the grand scheme of things. There are others so much more deserving,” Chloe whispered, tears filling her eyes.

Disbelief, frustration and anger filled Sergei as her painful whisper reached his ears and he sat up abruptly, reaching for her, grasping her by her upper arms and pulling her unresisting body toward him until she was sitting between his spread thighs, her legs draped over his right thigh. Angry ebony eyes blazed with fury into her deep sapphire blue, tear-filled gaze. “Don’t you ever believe you’re unworthy of being loved or cared for. You’ve every right to demand whatever you want and if you truly want it bad enough, you’ve a right to expect it’s possible to achieve it. You’re a survivor, Chloe, that in itself is a miracle.”

“Andrew hurt you. I couldn’t keep him from hurting you and it’s because of me that you’re sitting in this hospital bed now.”

“You didn’t put me here, Chloe. Andrew did.”

“If it hadn’t been for me, he never would have come after you,” she whispered, trying to pull from Sergei’s unrelenting grasp.

“Chloe? Chloe, listen to me,” Sergei begged urgently. “You saved my life. You stood up to the person who spent years beating you down mentally, harmed you physically, and despite the fact he had a knife, you kept him from killing me. You even had a free opportunity to end his miserable life but you didn’t take it. You stepped aside and let him live, something I’m not sure I would have had the strength to do,” Sergei stated softly.

“I wanted to kill him,” Chloe whispered faintly, her deep blue eyes shining brightly, her cheeks flushed and sparkling with tears. “When I saw him hurt you, I wanted to kill him.”

“But you didn’t.”

“But I wanted to,” she insisted.

“But you didn’t,” Sergei repeated calmly.

“And if I had?”

Sergei’s dark eyes held her shimmering blue gaze captive. “I would stand beside you forever, shouting your innocence, and telling people how wonderful you are over and over again until they got so tired of hearing me yammer on about you, they’d do anything to get me to shut up,” he stated deeply.

A watery smile curved her soft lips. “Really?”

“Really. I love you, Chloe, nothing will ever change that.” Sergei’s hand slid into her hair, his palm warm against her cheek. “You’re my life, Chloe, my reason for living. You’re the very air I breathe, you make the blood boil in my veins, and every beat of my heart chants your name. You are the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and the last thing before I go to sleep.”

“How can I be that important to you?”

“Chloe, you don’t realize the power you hold over me. You are my life! You hold my heart in your hands. You give me the courage to believe in the magic that love can bring. You share your compassion and humor and fears and dreams, certain I’ll hold them safely in trust and do nothing to ridicule them. You’ve shown me strength and courage in a way I’ve never seen before. You’ve taught me more about life and love than I would have ever thought possible, and yet, all it’s done is whet my appetite for more. I will never get enough of you Chloe Spenser. When Andrew hurt you with that knife, I would have willingly died to see you safe. When you didn’t run, when you had the opportunity to get to safety, I couldn’t believe it. I would never have believed someone could be so unselfish as to sacrifice themself for someone else. For a split second, I thought I’d never see you again. I don’t ever want to feel that way again, I don’t ever want to imagine my life without you. Promise me we’ll always be together.”

Chloe closed her eyes as her emotions ran rampant. Was she really hearing his softly spoken words correctly? Suddenly she felt like Cinderella at the ball, the handsome prince professing his love. And yet, for as long as she could remember, Sergei had always been her prince, albeit secretly. Pictures of him flashed through her memory, years of saved images deep within her heart, that had kept her safe and warm in moments of despair, promises to herself that someday they would find each other and live happily ever after. Was her heartfelt wish finally being granted? Did she dare to believe her wishes were coming true?

“Chloe?” Sergei’s deep voice called, his lips touched her temple softly, his breath a warm whisper in her ear.

From deep inside, she found the courage to lift her eyes to his, to face the truth she knew she would see in his eyes.

“Chloe, I love you. You are my destiny, my life, my hope,” he intoned deeply, lifting her hands to his lips and gently kissing each palm.

Chloe’s eyes grew wide, her breath hitched in her chest; her heart felt as if it would burst, as his gaze held hers captive.

“I want you to…”

Dani burst through the door, practically squealing in excitement, ignored the pain in her swollen jaw, and dashed across the room to the bed, rattling the bed rail in glee, ignoring the Sergei’s dark look and Chloe’s flushed face. “You won, you won, you won! The Gold medal’s yours!” Dani stated excitedly.

“We already knew that, Dani,” Sergei growled in frustration, frowning when he felt Chloe slip from his hands and scoot carefully off the bed.

Dani scrunched her nose at her brother. “That was unofficially. You’re now the official winners, and what’s more, they’re going to hold off on the presentation ceremony until tomorrow night, when the two of you can accept it.”

“They’re doing that for us? Why?” Chloe asked in disbelief.

“Because you’re worth it, that’s why. The way everybody’s talking about you two, you would think you were the next pair to rival Gordeeva and Grinkov. I even heard someone say they thought you were better than mom and dad! Can you believe it?”

“That’ll be the day,” Sergei scoffed.

Chloe could only shake her head in stunned silence.

“Don’t believe me then, I’m only telling you what I heard,” Dani stated with a shrug.

“Speaking of Mom and Dad. Where are they?” Sergei asked.

“Still with Hunter and the police downstairs; they should be up shortly to take your official statements.”

“They can’t wait until tomorrow morning to take them?” Sergei asked darkly, shifting uncomfortably against the pillows and grimacing as pain shot through his leg.

“I want this over; the sooner the better,” Chloe stated firmly, running her hands through her hair, her deep breath a shaky sigh.

Dani took her dear friend’s hands. “It will be, Chloe. Hunter’s seeing to it, every ‘I’ will be dotted, every ‘t’ crossed. You should see him; he’s like a man possessed making sure the charges stick against Andrew this time,” Dani stated confidently.

“What are they bringing him up on?” Sergei asked darkly, watching Chloe closely.

“From what I’ve heard, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, breaking a restraining order, trespassing, and I don’t know how many other piddly-squat things. Hunter intends to see him put away for a long while.” Dani said seriously.

“What about his father?”

Dani shrugged. “I haven’t seen hide nor hair of the man. In fact, I haven’t even heard his name being thrown around. I think he’s finally come to the conclusion that his son’s a nut-case and bailing his skinny butt out, yet again, isn’t going to cut it this time. Some other lawyer from Manning Senior’s firm has been the one dealing with Hunter.”

“I hope they get him the help he needs,” Chloe answered softly.

“Regardless, his skating career is over. The U.S.F.S.A. is already making noise about pulling his membership, although that particular issue really isn’t one since the doctors say his knee is gone.”

“I can’t believe I did that to him,” Chloe murmured, shaking her head in disgust at herself.

“Chloe, he was about to kill Sergei, and then he could just have easily turned the knife on you. In that split second, you did what had to be done,” Dani stated firmly.

Chloe could only shrug, unsure whether to believe what everyone kept telling her or hate herself for causing Andrew a career ending injury. “Maybe.”

“There’s no
maybe
about it!” Dani growled in exasperation. How was she ever going to get it through Chloe’s thick skull she’d had no choice? It had come down to either stopping Andrew or losing Sergei? Casting a pleading look at her brother, she demanded, “Sergei, explain it to her!”

Sergei could only shrug; his own frustration slowly giving way to the pain medication that was suddenly making him sleepy. “I’ve tried, but she’s just as stubborn as you are. I may as well be beating my head against a brick wall for all you girls listen to me.” His sentence dragged off at the end, his speech slurring just little.

Chloe cast a glance his way, watched him fight off sleep as his eyelids close and then open with a jerk as he struggled to remain conscious. “You call me stubborn? Give it up and go to sleep, Rocmanov,” Chloe encouraged, moving to the head of the bed, one hand reaching out to glide softly across his cheek and into his hair, her long fingers weaving sensuously into the dark strands, soft as silk.

“I’m not tired,” he mumbled, his eyes closing against the onslaught of her gentle touch.

“Liar,” she countered

“We need to talk,” Sergei murmured sleepily, his eyes fluttering open; the ebony depths glazed and bottomless.

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Chloe promised, leaning over and kissing him gently. “Good night, baby,” she whispered in his ear, rubbing her cheek against his, a small smile gracing her lips as she felt the roughness of his growing beard against her skin. If things had turned out differently, she might never again have had the opportunity to feel his scratchy beard against her skin, such a simple thing, but something she knew she would have missed forever.

“I hope I find a love like you two have someday.” Dani’s quiet voice had a reverent quality.

Chloe smiled at Dani’s words, but continued to look down at her beloved Sergei. “You do, Hunter just hasn’t given up running from it yet,” she countered quietly, finally turning to look at her life-long friend.

Dani had the grace to blush. “Am I that obvious?”

“Only to those who love you,” Chloe answered simply.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. They also postponed the exhibition programs until tomorrow night.”

“We can’t skate tomorrow night. Sergei’s off the ice for weeks.”

“Sergei can’t skate for weeks, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be on the ice, watching you skate,” Dani offered, her eyes sparkling and full of unspoken suggestions.

“What are you suggesting, Danielle Janae Rocmanov?”

“Isn’t it time you showed Sergei that program you keep practicing in secret?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Chloe stuttered, shaking her head back and forth.

“Don’t play games with me. Whittaker says it’s ready, I’ve seen you skate it and it’s time Sergei saw it too!” Dani insisted.

“It’s just a program I play around with, not one to be performed in public. It’s just for me.”

“And Sergei,” Dani stated, casting Chloe a stare that dared her to deny it.

“Yes, and Sergei,” Chloe acknowledged softly.

“It’s time he saw it, Chloe. Look at it as your gift to him,” Dani suggested quietly.

Chloe looked over her shoulder at Sergei, her lips curving of their own volition in a smile so filled with love it made Dani’s heart skip a beat. “You’re right. It’s time.”

Dani’s eyes filled with tears even as her smile beamed across her face.

CHAPTER 31 

“
R
eady to blow this pop-stand?” Aleksei’s cheerful voice proceeded him as he entered his son’s hospital room, took in his son’s scowl and knew the morning was off to a rocky start.

“Where’s Chloe?”

“Back at the hotel, hopefully still sleeping. She and Danielle were up half the night cooking up something that I’m sure will bode ill for someone!” Aleksei offered humorously.

“Terrific! I’m lying in a hospital bed, recovering from stab wounds, and my partner is having a slumber party with my sister. It just keeps getting better and better!” Sergei growled.

Aleksei’s eyebrow lifted in surprise, it wasn’t often he had the honor of seeing his son have a temper tantrum. Behaving this way could mean only one thing; he was so deeply in love with Chloe he couldn’t see straight. He didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or shake his head in commiseration. He knew how it felt to love someone so much you didn’t feel complete unless they were nearby. “I don’t know that I’d call it a slumber party. They were discussing the exhi

bition skate tonight.”

“We, aren’t skating!” Sergei barked, wincing as he moved his bandaged left leg and silently cursed Andrew to hell for the four hundredth time.

Aleksei only shrugged his broad shoulders. “I’m just telling you what I heard. Now, are you coming with me or do I leave you here?” his father asked. Stepping aside, he made room as a nurse arrived with a wheelchair.

“I’m not leaving here in that!” Sergei stated flatly, pointing to the offending wheelchair the nurse patiently stood holding.

“Then you’re not leaving, Mr. Rocmanov. Hospital policy states I wheel you out of here or you get yourself undressed and back in that bed until you are ready to be wheeled out. It doesn’t matter to me, one way or the other, but I do ask that you make up your mind quickly because I do have others who will happily sit in my rolling chair so they can end their little visit here!”

Aleksei smiled at the nurse, was reminded of the one who had cared for him so many years before and hadn’t put up with his belligerence or ego either, after he’d broken his leg mountain climbing. That nurse hadn’t found anything charming about Aleksei and she’d treated him like a recalcitrant two-year old. He still sent her a Christmas card each year. “Well?”

“I’m not happy about this!” Sergei growled, allowing the nurse and his father to assist him into the offending wheelchair.

“You haven’t been happy about much of anything since you woke up this morning, Mr. Rocmanov,” the nurse quipped, sending Aleksei a smile and brazen wink.

Aleksei tried to hide his chuckle behind a cough and received a scathing look from his son.

“Get me the hell out of here.” Sergei grumbled and did his best to ignore the easy small talk that his father and the nurse exchanged as they rolled him through the long corridors, down the elevator and out the lobby to the awaiting limousine.

The day didn’t get any better!

Sergei never saw Chloe, Dani, Whittaker or Dee, and when asked as to their whereabouts, received noncommittal grunts and obtuse answers. By the time his parents and Hunter were ready to leave for the arena, and the medal presentation ceremonies, Sergei had been contemplating ways to make everyone’s life miserable, and had put a few of his ideas into practice.

As the limousine pulled up to the arena, Sergei was amazed at the number of people who had returned to view the exhibition programs and medal ceremony; the crowds actually looked larger than they had the evening before.

“Capacity crowd,” his mother murmured, her smile encompassing everyone.

“It’s only an exhibition,” Sergei countered.

“Skating fans are faithful, the best in the world!” his mother answered simply, and exchanged a smile with his father.

“Whatever,” Sergei mumbled, and leaned his head back against the headrest, his dark eyes closing.

The medal presentation ceremony seemed to pass in a blur, surrounded by screaming fans, and the flash of cameras. It was only a minute before they called his and Chloe’s name that she appeared, and, suddenly, the next thing Sergei knew, he was wearing a gold medal around his neck, and she was gone again.

Frustrated, in pain and at the end of his patience, he finally exploded when his father pushed him into a wheelchair and started toward the entrance to the ice. “What the hell is going on and where the hell is Chloe?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Aleksei growled back, sending his son a dark look. “And then you can apologize to everyone for being such an asshole all day!”

In stunned silence, Sergei suddenly heard his and Chloe’s names announced over the loudspeaker and felt the wheelchair move forward, on to the ice, moving silently across the gleaming surface until he finally come to a stop center ice. Without a word, his father left him, surrounded by screaming fans as they chanted the pair’s names.

The lights dimmed, and the opening strains of familiar music filled the air. A single spotlight flamed to life, and Chloe, draped in her newly cleaned Scheherazade costume stood with in its bright glow, a vision in sapphire blue.

As I look into your eyes, I see all the reasons why, my life’s worth a thousand skies
…Marc Anthony’s emotion-filled voice sang gently as Chloe began her program.
You’re the simplest love I’ve known, and the purest one I’ll own, know you’ll never be alone
…Chloe skated for Sergei, alone, oblivious to the now silent thousands that watched her skate. Her arms reached for him, expressing her need, her desire, and her love.
My baby, you, are the reason I could fly. And cause of you, I don’t have to wonder why. Baby you, there’s no more just getting by. You’re the reason I feel so alive.
Chloe held him mesmerized as he watched her glide from a gorgeous spread eagle position into a lay-back spin he’d never seen her do. Her skating had always amazed him, but this time it held a magic, a beauty he’d never seen before, as if speaking gently to him.
Though these words I say are true, they still fail to capture you, as mere words can only do. How do I explain that smile and how, it turns my world around, keeping my feet on the ground
. Sergei’s heart stood still as he watched the love of his life skate for him, felt himself melting beneath her gaze, felt his soul connect with hers and skate the program with her. Closing his eyes, against the onslaught of emotion that threatened to swamp him, he could feel her in his arms, could feel the wind in their hair, the chill air in their lungs, their hearts beating as one, and the music pulsed around them
. I will soothe you if you fall, I’ll be right there if you call, you’re my greatest love of all
…When he opened his eyes, tears blurred his vision as he watched Chloe skate around him, sharing her deepest feelings with him the only way she felt truly comfortable, through the music and her skating.
My baby, you, are the reason I could fly.

And cause of you, I don’t have to wonder why. Baby you, there’s no more just getting by. You’re the reason I feel so alive.

And as the music whispered it’s final notes, Chloe slid to a stop, on her knees, before Sergei, her hands reaching up to brush the tears from his cheeks just before her lips claimed his in a searching kiss.

The crowd went wild, clapping and stamping and yelling loudly enough to make the entire arena shake, yet, Sergei and Chloe might as well have been alone for all the notice they paid the crowd.

“Nice program,” Sergei said, his voice a husky whisper.

“Glad you liked it.”

“I didn’t know you’d been working on a solo program.”

“It was never meant to be seen by anyone but you.”

Sergei looked around at the boisterous crowd. “I don’t think your plan worked.”

“Blame it on Dani. She convinced me it was time you saw it.”

Sergei nodded. “As much as I hate to admit it, she was right. I needed this today, it’s been a really crappy day.” he stated shakily.

“I heard,” Chloe countered. “Anything I can do to help make it better?”

Sergei closed his eyes as a rush of emotion swelled from his heart. “Oh, baby, you don’t know how much you’ve done for me already.”

Chloe nodded. “In that case, can I ask you one thing?”

Sergei looked at her expectantly.

“Would you marry me?” she asked softly, her blue eyes shining with joy, no hint of doubt or fear to be seen, the shadows gone, replaced by Sergei’s loving reflection.

Sergei’s smile slowly bloomed and he pursed his lips as he pondered her question. “I was wondering when you were going to get around to asking me?” he finally responded, a devilish look in his ebony eyes.

Chloe’s eyes glowed and a sultry laugh escaped her mouth. “I figured if I waited for you, we’d find ourselves in the same position Dee and Whittaker are, and that’s just not going to happen!”

“You’re right about that! I want the world to know that Chloe Spenser will soon be Chloe Spenser-Rocmanov!”

“Make that Chloe Rocmanov, and how soon?”

“What time is it now?” Sergei asked, on a laugh, glancing at his watch.

Chloe could only shake her head in wonderment, amazed at how much had happened in the last twenty-four hours and how her world had been turned upside down but was now twirling toward her destiny–and Sergei.

Dani watched Chloe skate for her brother from the wall next to the entrance to the ice, apart from her parents and Dee and Whit-taker, and, seemingly miles apart, from Hunter. Struggling to hold back tears, she cast a wistful glance toward the source of her pain, and her joy, her heart skipping a beat when his gaze met hers and held. For several seconds their eyes held each other’s captive, silently calling to one another, before Hunter broke the connection and returned his gaze to the ice. Dani closed her eyes, gathered herself and watched as the final moments of Chloe’s declaration of love for her brother played out on the ice.

As the crowd exploded into applause and cheering, Dani cast a sidelong glance at Hunter, watched him say something to her father, shake his hand and walk away from the area without a backward glance. In disbelief, she watched him walk away from her without a word.

Jordan watched the myriad of expressions that crossed her daughter’s face, and saw her chin lift determinedly as she fought against the tears that filled her deep green eyes. In silence, she joined her daughter, enfolding her in her arms and holding her close, silently sharing her heartbreak and cursing Hunter to hell and back for doing this to Dani.

In the span of four and a half minutes, one of Jordan’s children found their way to happiness and the other slid into heartbreak and sadness.

As usual, with the Rocmanov’s, it was all or nothing!

It was nearly midnight when the group returned to the hotel, sans Hunter. All of them felt exhausted, yet exhilarated, and talked about future competitions, except for Dani who remained uncharacteristically quiet, and subdued. It took Chloe only a single look to recognize Dani’s heartbroken demeanor and Jordan’s worried glances at her daughter only confirmed Chloe’s suspicions. It didn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out Dani’s sorrow was directly linked to the fact Hunter was no where to be seen. After seeing Sergei settled as comfortably as possible on one of the large couches, she made her way to Dani, who stood looking, but unseeing, out the large window at the twinkling lights of the city spread before her. “What a beautiful view,” Chloe offered softly, her blue eyes reflecting the view she saw.

“What?” Dani whispered, startled to find Chloe beside her.

“I said it’s a beautiful view,” she repeated, nodding toward the city.

Dani only shrugged slightly in answer.

“I take it Hunter’s busy making sure everything goes right in regards to Andrew?” Chloe asked softly.

Another small shrug.

“He didn’t tell you?”

Dani’s head shook back and forth, tears filling her green eyes.

“Did he say anything?”

“You’d have to ask Dad what he had to say,” Dani stated flatly.

Chloe frowned. “He didn’t say anything to you?” she asked softly in disbelief.

Again Dani’s head shook back and forth. “Not a
good bye
, not a
see you round
, not a
thank you
. He simply shook Dad’s hand and walked away.”

“I can’t believe it,” Chloe mumbled in amazement, confusion turning her eyes a cloudy blue.

“Believe it! The man’s a first-rate asshole! A barracuda! For Christ’s sake, he’s a
lawyer
! What was I thinking to even contemplate getting a little honesty out of someone who defends liars and murderers and rapists for a living? I must have been out of my fucking mind!” Dani hissed angrily, her green eyes filling with fire, her fists clenching in her anger.

Chloe’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. Never had she seen Dani so fired up, looking as if she’d happily strangle the source of her anger and take great joy in doing it. Never had she seen Dani’s emotions toward a man so intense. Unable to stop it, a smile curved her lips, and only added to Dani’s ire.