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“But you are never, ever going to get away from me.”

A shiver went down my spine. He leaned back and smiled at me, tenderly cupping my face.
 

“Ever.”

He meant it.

Chan had been right.

Chapter Nine

Chandler

Another night. Another packed house. Another dance.

I was always a crowd pleaser. Usually I loved the attention. But tonight it felt hollow, empty.

For the first time in a long time I started wondering what was next. After dancing. I had to take care of Caro. I needed money to do that.

I’d saved quite a lot over the past five years of dancing.

Enough for a down payment on a house. Or a small business.

Maybe both. Not in Miami, but someplace cheaper. Quieter.

Someplace like home.

I’d always looked down on people who lived in small town America. I’d wanted excitement and flash, not contentment and stability.

White picket fences were not in the game plan.

With Caro in the picture though, it actually sounded nice. More than nice. It sounded amazing.

Who would have thought it? Me craving domestic bliss. I’d gone from wanting her in my bed, to wanting to share my life with her. Maybe that’s what I’d always wanted but I’d been afraid to wish for it. To dream I could be worthy.

Of course I had to convince her that I was the guy for the long haul.

That wasn’t going to be easy.

Nothing with Caro ever was.

I went through the group dance numbers mechanically. I barely heard the music or the crowd. I just let my body move to the beat.

By the time I got to my solo act I was ready to get out of there. I didn’t pull anyone on stage tonight. I just danced.

I closed my eyes and let the music take me over, let it drive me. I tried to recreate the night that Caro had been here with me on stage. It actually worked. I was grinding into the floor when I opened my eyes and looked up.

Caro’s big eyes were looking back at me.

It wasn’t just the fantasy I’d been indulging in.

She was really here. In the back of the theater near the door. The last place on Earth I’d expected to see her again.

I saw her, standing with Mike, one of our servers. Most of the guys who worked here were just killing time until they got a shot at the stage. That’s where the big money was.

And the glory.

Not to mention all the women.

Caro wasn’t here to watch me to perform though.

I could tell by the way she was holding her arms. Mike wasn’t hitting on her, which was unusual for Mike. He was standing watch.

He knew without asking that she was important to me. He could tell she was upset. I could tell it from all the way across the room.

I left the stage mid-song and ran around the theater to the front. I nodded to Mike and pulled her into the lobby. The show was almost over but at the moment, no one was out there but us.

“Caro?”

She looked up at me, her eyes full of tears.

“You were right.”

Rage filled me. She didn’t look hurt. She looked scared though. If he had dared to touch her…

“Did he hurt you Caro? Tell me!”

She shook her head no.
 

“He didn’t. But he threatened to. I told him- I wanted to postpone. He saw right through me. He- he- put his hands around my neck. He could have killed me Chan. I think he actually thought about it for a second.”

I wrapped her in my arms, holding her tight. I wanted to shield her. Absorb her pain. I would do anything to protect this woman.

Anything at all.

“I promise you I won’t let that happen. I’m sorry he scared you.”

“I’m the one who should be sorry. I- I should have listened to you, Chan.”

I shook my head and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. Let’s get you home and then we can talk.”

She nodded and I put my arm around her, bringing her to the back to get my stuff.
 
It felt so natural. My arm slid down her back to her tiny little waist and squeezed her reassuringly.

JC was pacing back and forth when I got to the dressing room.

“What the fuck, man?”

Chaz was on stage, working the crowd. I had kind of left them in the lurch. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except Caro and keeping her safe.

“Caro, sit down. I’ll be right there.”

I pulled JC aside. He owned the club and ran it with Chaz. He was a good guy. I gave him a level look.

“I need the week off.”

“Fuck man! You are our headliner!”

“I can’t explain. I’m sorry JC.”

He gave me a level look.

“Everything alright?”

“No.”

I looked over at Caro, sitting there. She looked so small and delicate.
 

“But it will be.”

“Okay man, let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks JC.”

We shook hands and said goodbye.
 

I had a crazy feeling that I wouldn’t be back here again.

The crowd was dispersing by the time I led her outside to my ride. I handed her the spare helmet. She stared at it, then at me, then at the bike.

“Get on.”

“On… this?”

I smiled and nodded, realization dawning.

“First time?”

Her sweet little mouth opened.

“Yes.”

“Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe.”

She looked skeptical. Annoyed even. Disapproving, definitely. But not scared. That was an improvement.

“Here, let me help you.”

I lifted the helmet over head, tucking her hair back inside it. Then I buckled it under her chin. She stared at me the whole time.

I slide my jacket over her arms and zipped up the front.

There was something… very intimate about dressing her like this.

Even thought I’d much rather be undressing her.

Just like that: instaboner.

Focus, Chan!

I climbed on, eager to hide my arousal. I didn’t want to freak her out after what she’d just gone through. And I definitely did not want her to think all I wanted was sex. Even though I did want sex. It just wasn’t all I wanted.

I wanted everything.

She got on behind me and I tugged her forward, placing her arms around my waist. Her breasts brushed my back. Her cheek rested on my shoulder. I could feel her. Smell her. I just couldn’t touch her.

My hard on got even harder.

Holy hell she felt good.

“Hold on tight Princess.’

I started the engine and took off. I smiled to myself as her arms clenched around me. Now she was even closer, her thighs pressing against mine. If only I could turn around, this would be perfect.

I would drive backwards off a cliff for a chance to have those gorgeous legs of hers wrapped around me.

In no time we were at her apartment complex. Too soon. I still had no idea what to do about anything when I pulled her off the back of my bike.

She glanced me and froze.

“You okay?”

Her eyes were wide with fear as she stared over my shoulder.

“Chan? There’s someone standing there.”

I turned my head slowly to look.

She was right.

There was a man standing in front of her building. But not in the light. He was hidden in the shadows. There was another man on the corner, looking anything but casual. We had yet to attract their attention but it was just a matter of time.

There was no doubt in my mind that they were waiting for her.

“Slowly, get back on the bike. I’m taking you to my place.”

“No- that’s not a good idea. What if he’s following me?”

I swore under my breath. That was the last thing we needed. If they figured out that she had help they would be more on guard. As it was I hoped to sneak her out of town as soon as possible and regroup.

“Okay. A hotel?”

“Katey is staying at the Bella Donna.”

I nodded.

“That gives you an excuse to be there. Let’s go.”

We rolled out slowly, trying not to draw their eye. But if he was tracking her somehow- well, we had bigger problems.

I got us a room on the same floor as Katey’s and we went up. Caro went to see her friend but I stayed behind for a minute. I needed to call Joss.

And I didn’t want Caro to hear what I said.

Or the panic I was fighting to hide from her.

I explained the situation. As usual Joss was a man of few words. But those words sent ice through my veins.

“I’ll be right there. Ditch her phone. In a moving vehicle if you can.”

I ran down the hall and knocked on Katey’s door.

A surprised face opened the door.

“Hey Katey.”

She smiled at me. We’d grown up together too. But now wasn’t the time for niceties.

“Phone now!”

Caro was sitting on the bed across the room. Without hesitation she grabbed her bag and pulled out her phone. I gave her a reassuring wink as I took it and ran for the stairs. I was in the lobby in five minutes.

I looked around, thinking frantically.

There was a row of taxi’s and limos out front. I walked along the line, pretending to be on the phone. As one of the cabs pulled away, I tossed the phone into the open back window.

The driver kept going, without looking back.

Fucking A.

Carolina

A knock came on the door. I smiled weakly at Katey. We were both on edge, to say the least. Slowly, she went to open it.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me Katey.”

She slumped in relief.

It was Chan. As usual, a warm feeling flooded my body at the sight of him. He looked at me, his face serious.

“Joss is here.”

I nodded and stood. Katey tried to follow us into the hallway but Chan stopped her.

“You stay here hon. The less you know, the better.”

Katey watched as we left.

“Lock the door behind you. Maybe watch a movie or take a bath. Try not to worry, okay?”

I stared at Chan in the hallway once the door was closed.

“Take a bath?”

He shrugged sheepishly.

“I thought that might relax her.”

I rolled my eyes at him. He was adorable. I stifled the urge to throw my arms around his neck and squeeze him.

Uh oh.

I forced myself to focus as we went back to his room. His friend Joss was waiting inside. He was… intimidating.

Tall, with dark hair and piercing eyes, Joss looked like a model. Other than the whole not smiling thing.

I had a weird feeling he didn’t smile much at all.

I looked back and forth from Joss to Chan and back again. They looked like two sides of the same coin. Tall, check. Gorgeous, check. Strong and fit, check. That’s where the resemblance ended though.

Chan was all sunshine and laughs. This guy was… not.

He looked moody as hell. Serious. And judging from those muscles and the gun he wore at his hip, I was glad he was on our side.

“You got rid of the phone?”

Chan nodded.
 

“Yeah, I tossed it in a cab as it was leaving.”

“Good. Hopefully they won’t backtrack to here.”

Joss turned to me.

“We got another girl out of town last night. Did Chan tell you?”

I shook my head, terror filling my gut.

“You can’t go home. And you can’t go to work. And you definitely can’t go through with the wedding.”

I nodded. I knew all that. But it was still awful to hear.

“What girl?”

They glanced at each other then back at me.

“I think you should sit down.”

I sat. Chan stared at me with a look of true sorrow. Like he knew Joss was about to tell me something devastating.

He was right.

“Max Herchou is part of a Russian crime syndicate.”

“But he’s Swedish…”

Joss shook his head.

“Half Swedish. Half Russian. His father was well connected.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means he runs drugs, women, you name it.”

“Women?”

“Women who are trafficked into this country and forced into prostitution.”

My mind went blank for a moment. Max? Prostitutes? It seemed like a stretch, even for him.

“He also extorts from several restaurants and clubs. Mostly strip clubs.”

I swallowed. This was worse than I thought. Much worse. But I could tell Joss was not making this up.

“He has a… preference. For small blond women.”

My hand went to my throat. Chan was beside me in a moment, his arm around me, steadying me.

“He doesn’t treat them well. He’s violent. It seems to be a part of his routine.”

“How many?”

The words came out in a voice I didn’t recognize. Hoarse. Reedy. Desperate.

Joss shook his head.

“I’m not sure. Dozens over the years. I tracked down several from the past few months.”

I stood up suddenly.

“I feel sick.”

I ran to the bathroom. I stared at the toilet for half a second before I vomited. There wasn’t much in my stomach thank the Lord.

I was embarrassed all the same.

I stared into the mirror at my flushed face. In the space of an hour, my eyes had changed. They were more knowing somehow. Older. Wiser.

Haunted.

I splashed cold water on my face and came out. I couldn’t hide from Chan forever. And oddly enough, I didn’t want to.

When I came out Chan was showing Joss out. They shook hands. Joss turned and nodded to me.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Joss-“

He turned to look at me.

“Thank you.”

He gave me the tiniest smile. He put his hand on Chan’s shoulder. And then he was gone.

Chan shut the door behind him and smiled at me.

“Room service?”

I nodded. It was weird, but I was absolutely famished.

“I guess running from thugs works up an appetite.”

“Why don’t you rinse off?”

I felt self-conscious suddenly. Even if I was thinking about him kissing me, being naked around a man was much farther than anything that had crossed my mind. Even if there was a door between us.

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

“I’ll go ask Katey to loan you something.”

Twenty minutes later I was clean and wearing a pretty cotton nightgown courtesy of my friend. My very mischievous friend.