A Bedtime Story (15 page)

A
ll night Laura dreamed of the following
evening. She barely got any sleep from excitement.
The Swan Lake
, not just
any ballet, she was going to
The Swan Lake
. She wondered how he knew and
remembered mentioning something vague about it to Olga. She had spent her childhood
watching an old VHS tape her mother had left behind of the famous ballet. It was
performed by a world-renowned Russian troupe at the time. She had danced in her
living room imitating the graceful prima ballerina, albeit clumsily, more than once
breaking things, landing her in the cage. None of it mattered now. She was going to
watch it, in person. No more lines running through the screen against colors faded
to different shades of grey. She had closed her eyes and smiled from the images
playing in her head.
A red carpet, a white limousine, cameras everywhere, Kayne
and she would be greeted like royalty. All the women would envy her. Kayne
wouldn’t even notice them, because she would look gorgeous, not cute and pretty.
And Kayne would know it, seeing her for the woman she’d become, and he’d want
her above all else. He would hold her by her hand, lead her inside. He would act
protective of her as he always did, be in one of his lighthearted moods,
constantly smiling at her in his indulgent way, caressing her cheeks, kissing
her hand…
She fell asleep, a smile plastered on her face.

She spent the day outside. It was a beautiful sunny day. It seemed
as if the entire universe was conspiring with her, for once, on her side. She
smiled, finally finishing
The Kite Runner
. It was a great novel, she wondered
what took her so long to finish it. Another of Kayne’s gifts, she held it close to
her heart, kissing the cover. She remembered kissing him the night before and
blushed at the memory, though she couldn’t help smiling. She didn’t know what came
over her, but she didn’t regret it. She remembered his warning and brushed it off as
it fit so inconveniently with her
immediate contentment. She would
have let him take her, part of her wished he had. She wasn’t playing with fire; she
depended on it. She could only survive off its warmth, off its sole source of light
in never-ending obscurity. She would withstand its inevitable burns.

She got back to her room on light feet. Kayne had told her to be
ready by six thirty. It was only four, but she wanted to take her time preparing,
enjoying each step of the way. There was another gift-wrapped carton box on her bed,
which by now had become very familiar. She rushed to the bed, her heart leaping with
excitement.

Laura couldn’t help grinning dumbly and opened the box to find a
black satin gown, as majestic as she pictured in her wildest fantasies.

At six thirty sharp, she entered the living room, almost expecting
a corsage. Kayne was in a black suit, his back turned to her, he was looking out the
window. She shyly cleared her throat, and he turned around, smiling at her. He
walked to her, took her hand, and pulled it out, giving her the once-over.

“Beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She smiled brightly back at him, though she flushed,
lowering her gaze with modesty.

“I can’t make it tonight,” he said softly.

“Oh…” Her heart tightened in her chest, she felt as though someone
just kicked her in the ribs. She could still see the night in her mind as she had
pictured it, the renegade images now coiling around her lungs, suffocating her.

“Something’s come up,” he explained, looking intently into her
eyes, a certain melancholy creeping into his smile, though he would not apologize.
“Lucas will take you.”

She tried to smile.
She was still going
. He only said
he
couldn’t. She wanted to say more and project breezy indifference, but
the lump in her throat advised her to keep her answers very short. “Okay.”
He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, his expression
soft. “He’s waiting for you at the door.”

“Okay,” she barely managed to get out as she quickly turned from
him to head for the door, her eyes threatening to betray her very shaky
composure.

Kayne watched her leave. He was sorry, he had meant to go with her.
But Tanya called. She had an update on the Maxwell situation, and that took
precedence over anything else. He had maintained a good relationship with her or,
more likely, used her weakness for him to his advantage. Though she never let him
have her after that night, she made sure to remain in his entourage, always trying
to remind him of what he lost, what
he
gave up. Dimitri had no qualms about
sharing his whores, so Kayne had asked her to get close to Maxwell and report back
to him. He didn’t trust him; there was something about the man. Maxwell, it seemed,
was up to something. That didn’t surprise Kayne. What surprised him was how easily
he played into Tanya’s hands, but she was good, you had to hand it to her. She even
made you wonder who the whore was, with Maxwell following her around at gatherings
like a lapdog. Kayne shook his head with disdain.

***

Lucas was dressed for the occasion. He smiled lightheartedly at
Laura as he offered his arm and helped her into the car. The entire night, he was
very attentive, constantly making sure she was okay and enjoying herself. He was
refined, cultured, and very pleasant company, inspiring ease and well-being. She
felt like she’d known him all her life, an old friend whose spot-on observations
never failed to amuse her.

Finally over her initial deception, once the ballet started, she
was submerged in the magic of the show. She realized what an unforgettable night it
truly was. She felt safe with Lucas like she did with Kayne, though with Lucas, she
didn’t feel the lingering menace that always kept her on edge around Kayne. It truly
was a magical evening. She rushed to her feet at the end of the
show
to join the standing ovation, clapping away and tearing up with emotion.

When they returned home, she was still glowing, the euphoria
lingering in her senses. She couldn’t go straight to bed, didn’t want to wait for
tomorrow to tell Kayne all about it. She wished to thank him again, for quite
possibly the best night in her miserable, short little life.

She ran into the kitchen and the living room, in and out excitedly,
finding him nowhere. She shrugged her shoulders, defeated at last.
He must still
be out
. She wondered what could have come up.
Work obviously
. Was he
out interrogating someone this very instant, while she stood in the empty house
looking for him in her black gown, still high off tutus, sorcerers, and spellbound
princesses?

A shrill laughter pierced through the air and into Laura’s
thoughts. Though having only heard it once, at the
party
, she could recognize
this high-pitched voice anywhere. Her face dropped. Was he
here
, with
Tanya
? Is that why he couldn’t go with her? She almost wished he was out
interrogating, whomever, she didn’t care.

Her heart pounding in her chest, she followed the echoes of the
hated sound, passed the west wing corridor and into the reception hall, slowly
lowering the handle of the right side double white door.

Kayne was sitting down on a massive couch, the top of his shirt
unbuttoned, and his hair messy. A woman in a black thong and heels was kneeling on
the floor between his legs. She was taking him in her mouth, her face hidden by her
long curly black hair, as her head bobbed up and down sensually. There were glasses
of alcohol and a half-empty bottle of whiskey on the table near them. Tanya sat next
to him on the couch, in a short tight black dress, her whole body turned toward him.
Her legs slightly apart, caused the dress to lift even further up her thighs. Her
hands were intertwined on his shoulder, her head resting on them. She was whispering
in his ear, smiling devilishly as he smirked,
looking straight ahead
while his hand rested on her inner thigh with intimate familiarity.

Laura gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth, her eyes horrified as
the two faces turned her way. Tanya’s eyes glistened with carnivorous thrill.
Kayne’s expression was predatory, his stare callous and condescending, his
alcohol-induced state reflected in his eyes.

Laura shook her head, her hand still covering her mouth. She took a
few steps back, then turned around. It was all a dream, she walked into a dream, a
horrible crazy dream she just wanted to wake up from. Her heart was pounding in her
chest, her mind racing with incoherent thoughts. More than the woman going down on
him, it was the image of him and Tanya that kept playing over and over again in her
head, keeping the constant pain shooting in her chest. He abandoned her for Tanya,
had pushed her away the night before when he could’ve had her. She remembered the
kiss she gave him, the fantasies she entertained.
Don’t be naive and dream up a
romance
, Mrs. Drugova’s words came back to her. She felt her heart shatter,
the pain, physical. She wondered how many times a soul could break apart before it
ceased being itself, becoming something else.

She walked to the front door, her feet carrying her of their own
accord. She heard voices calling her, they’d seemed to be coming from another world.
She kept walking, out of the front door and onto the paved lane. The gates were
open; they were never open. She kept walking, past the open gates and the security
men. Though looking at her, none tried to stop her. She walked into the street. The
moonlight was shining brightly, illuminating her way. She removed her heels,
carrying them in her hands. She kept walking, in her evening gown, bare feet on the
asphalt. Cars passed by, honking. She kept walking.

***

Kayne’s cellphone rang.

“Sir, Miss Spencer is heading toward the front gate.” Lucas waited
for instructions.

“Is she still wearing the bracelet?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Let her.”

Kayne hung up and pushed the whore off him. Tanya’s face was
glowing as she feigned concern, not even bothering to restrain her delighted smirk.
“Oh, what’s wrong? Did the little bird fly away?” Kayne shot her a cool warning
stare in response, turned around, and walked away. “You know the way out,” he threw
back, his voice hard.

***

Laura kept walking, numb, her mind blank. She didn’t know how long
she’d been walking for. She didn’t know where she was heading.

***

Kayne met up with Lucas in the office upstairs. Laura couldn’t
possibly know that at the very moment, her chip-encrusted bracelet was popping up as
a little red spot on their monitoring system.

“Where is she headed?” Kayne asked coolly.

“Nowhere in particular, I think. She seems to be just walking along
the highway. Could be dangerous, sir. Are you sure you don’t want me to retrieve
her?”

“No.” His reply was instant. “I want to see where she goes. Have
Kiev follow her. Only intervene if she gets close to a police station.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kiev, a slim dark-eyed man with a crooked nose, was also part of
the security team. Proudly from Kiev, he took the name of his home city for his own
when he left the motherland. He was well into his fifties now. Though fit as they
come, his body and posture still reflected the military training received during his
early years back in his homeland. He specialized in interrogation
techniques and executions no one else wanted to perform. He had been with the
family for as long as Kayne could remember. He was very loyal to the Malkins, had
helped Lev, and Kayne after him, get rid of unwanted obstacles and ensure their
position in the Organization. Kiev wasn’t a sadist, just an unblinking soldier.
Kayne could trust him to follow instructions.

***

Laura saw the flashing red neon of the open sign at a shabby local
bar and headed straight toward its wooden door. There were only men at the tables, a
few waitresses past their prime, donned outfits suggesting they refused to
acknowledge it. They all stared at her in an awkward moment of silence. She didn’t
realize the absurdity of the situation as she walked straight to the counter on her
dirty, bloodied bare feet and her dusty expensive gown.

“A whiskey, straight up please,” she asked the barman, as he openly
checked her out with curiosity.

He lifted his brow, kept playing with the dirty towel on his
shoulder. At last, he obliged, pouring her a glass, which he set in front of her.
She threw her head back and downed it in one shot. She felt a head rush, the burn in
her throat, the slow numbing of her senses. She smiled, smacking the glass back on
the counter.

“Can I have another please?”

“Sure, three dollars for the first, unless you want to open a tab?”
He eyed her suspiciously.

“Oh…” She had no money. How silly… it hadn’t even crossed her mind;
such an everyday worry. When did one of those cross her mind last?

A man approached her and stopped by her side.

“May I?” He offered her a charming smile. He didn’t wait for her
answer and gave the man his credit card. “Two more please.”

She kept staring ahead, refusing to acknowledge him. When the
barman brought the other round, the man reached for both
glasses
before she had a chance to take hers. He handed her the glass, forcing interaction,
and raised his own to clink it with hers. “To beautiful mysterious ladies appearing
out of nowhere.”

She didn’t return his smile. Looking at him, she cocked her head
and sized him up. He was kind of good looking. Brownish hair, beautiful green eyes,
but his teeth were crooked. They weren’t yellow or nasty, just crooked.
Kayne’s
teeth are perfect
, she thought. They both swallowed the drink in one shot.
She finally smiled at him, gripping the counter as she felt herself getting
light-headed. “And she smiles…” he teased.

***

“She’s at a bar, sir. Kiev is in the parking lot. She’s been inside
for over twenty minutes.”