Maze (The Ballerina Series #2)

MAZE

THE BALLERINA SERIES

BOOK 2

By

Ursula Sinclair

This book is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or
locales or persons, living or dead, or other status is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2013 by LaVerne Thompson
writing as Ursula Sinclair

All rights reserved, including the right
to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever known, not
known or hereafter invented, or stored in any storage or retrieval system, is
forbidden without written permission of the author. LaVerne Thompson.
[email protected]

First e-book edition 2013 Isisindc
Publishing, LLC

Lavernethompson.com

[email protected]

Editor- Lara
Parker

Cover
illustration by Dee Allen

http://Deeallencoverart.com

Cover Model- Colin Wayne

http://www.colinwayne.com/

Photographer- FuriousFotog

http://www.onefuriousfotog.com/

ISBN-
978-0-9859646-4-1
eprint

Dedication

To all those who take the time
and make the effort to perfect a craft you love. Those of us who benefit from
your devotion thank you.

Acknowledgement

To my beta readers Derna
and Whairigail, thank you for taking the time to make sure I got it right. And
to my editor Lara, you always go above and beyond. And next time you’ll have
more than a 48 hour turn around time. But I’m not promising.

Future

Maze

Have you ever killed
anyone?

My
breathing remained steady, my heart rate even, but the chemical rush from the
adrenaline had blood rushing to my head. The sound of our blades gliding off
each other was not a silent one, but the thunder and lightning ensured no one
would hear or be inclined to venture out into the downpour this night. We were
hemmed in on both sides by the brick walls of the buildings, with just enough
room to maneuver. The filthy alleyway only wide enough for a dump truck was
made even worse by the torrent of water washing over the soiled ground. Nothing
could clear the stench of death creeping around us.

I’d
deliberately chosen the time and this place for the confrontation. This was a
blind alleyway only one way in and one way out. Barely visible from the street
and there were no windows on the sides of the buildings. Just one door from the
back of the restaurant near the dumpster. On a night like this, the weather
also helped, we would be uninterrupted. No one would step out for a smoke. But
at the end of the night, the trash at the restaurant still had to go out.

Huge
fat drops of rain poured down from the heavens beating at me, soaking through
the clothes I wore. Trying to drive me away from the course I’d set. I ignored
it. My body was ready, waiting, my mind bent on one course. It was too late for
any other.

The
iron door opened to the right of the dumpster I hid beside, and my breath
paused for a moment—only one person could be behind it.

I
moved silently out from the shadows. As soon as he saw me, he dropped the trash
bags he carried and pulled a knife from his boot. He knew damn well why I was
there. I stepped toward him, compensating for the slippery ground with my
treaded boots but also my balance. I’d trained on many different terrains so
the flat alleyway posed no issue for me, but I couldn’t say the same about my
opponent. He’d already revealed his weakness to me by his crouching stance. His
balance would be off if he lunged on such a slick surface.

My
body ran cold at what I was about to do. I raised my own blade and beckoned him
forward. The glow from the outdoor lighting reflected in his dark hate-filled
eyes. We were about the same height and build and our goals were the same. But
from there we differed. Jai fought better than he ever had or ever would again
because he knew this time he battled for his life. As did I. But as my knife
parried and slashed opening flesh, I also fought to protect the one I loved.

So have I ever killed anyone?

I
walked away from the alley with that thought in my head, my heart still beat,
my blood still ran steadily within my veins. With each step the water turned
redder on the ground in front of me. Up until that moment my answer would have
been no, I’d never killed anyone. I knew I was capable of it. I’d been trained
in the different ways to take a life with my body and weapons since the age of
three. I also knew how to put someone down without serious injury. That’s what
I’d always done. But that was my past. Tonight I’d taken a life to protect
those I loved but also out of vengeance. Oh yes, there’s hate in my heart, but
there’s blood on my hands now too. While the rain might have washed the blade
of blood, no amount of rainwater would ever wash me clean. Not even the tears I
shed could cleanse my soul.

I
used the shadows in the alley to make my escape. No one saw me, yet my message
was clear for those it was meant for. The Triad wanted to bring on the dragon.
Well, he was here, and once let loose, there’s no retaining, no stopping. I
feared the killing wasn’t over. Not until I knew Ivy was safe. Even if it’s
only from myself. Because how would I face her when this was over? My body
remained cold at the thought. But at least she’d be alive.

Chapter One

Present

Ivy

Have
you ever heard the sound of a knife slicing through human flesh? It makes a
distinct noise I couldn’t get out of my head. Not even the roar of the crowd
was capable of drowning it from my mind. And the sight.

I’d
never seen anything more barbaric. The fight before was nothing compared to
this, like a leisurely waltz to the mumbo. The fighters came together like
gladiators. They met in the middle of the stage, and engaged. One sword held
high the other lower, then sparks flared when the blades clashed. Sliding off
the edge of the other, both men spun away disengaging, then came together, arms
lifted and swords high to connect again. Four shafts of steel moved in a blur
before my eyes. One held in each hand, aimed first in one direction then
another in a seemingly chaotic manner but I knew each swing had been
calculated. It was hard, even for me, to follow the ebb and flow of their
movements. They happened so fast. The fighters’ feet moved in perfect
synchronicity to their hands. No part of their bodies remained still. Their
grunts, soft battle cries and the music of steel provided the tempo. Barbaric?
Yes, but artistry, beauty even existed in this. The duo danced; a very intimate
intricate dance that could end in death. The ultimate pas de deux. Where only
one of them walked away.

I
squeezed my eyes shut in a pointless attempt to stop what happened next, as
well as my tears. When the sword moved, for a moment, I thought I’d lost my own
life. But shutting my eyes stopped nothing. In helpless dread, I watched the
opposing fighter swing in an arch that should have opened up Maze’s guts and
spilled them at his feet. My body shuddered, desperate not to relive that
moment, the absolute fear my love would die before my eyes. But even hidden
behind my closed eyelids I could still see Maze standing there, awaiting death.
Then in a blink, he ducked and then straightened, slicing his blades across the
man’s knees. Blood flew everywhere. Some of it splashed on Maze. My eyes never
left him. His chest rose and fell, his skin covered in sweat and dots of blood.
Though the latter wasn’t his. Thank you, God. It wasn’t his.

After
the turnabout, I thought his gaze locked on to me. I couldn’t really tell
because the tears blocked my vision. I leaped to my feet in horror at what I’d
just witnessed, but through it all, I could see Maze standing tall and proud.
His swords at his sides. And God help me, I was glad his blood didn’t drip upon
the floor. Maze had not fallen.
Was that
wrong of me?
Knowing he’d just hurt someone to save his own life. I don’t
know. But I couldn’t stop the tears of joy from leaking out.

I
tried shutting my eyes tighter to block out the images replaying in an endless
loop in my thoughts and tried to keep my breathing even. I told my mind to keep
my body relaxed so Maze, who now lay in bed beside me, would not know of my
distress.

After
the fight he’d come to me, somersaulted over the heads of the crowd to land in
front of me, to whisper those three little words. Words that I’d been longing
to hear from him. “I love you.” Words that were more than sound but emotions
lying deep within every part of me for this man. Yet I found when he spoke
them, I couldn’t just then return the words to him. How could I think of love
after witnessing such a barbaric act? Stupid I know.

He
could have died and I would have been witness to it. I could do nothing in the
moment but wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. Even that was short
lived. Maze’s uncle and his bodyguards wasted no time getting us all out of
that place. Maze circled his arms around me, not letting me go. The feeling was
mutual. I snaked my arm around his waist and I wasn’t budging. Someone threw a
robe around Maze. We left through a rear exit and all plied into the limo,
waiting on the other side of the door, Dante included.

Once
in the car, I knew Dante and Mr. Tsang spoke and Maze answered but nothing
registered other than the warm body next to mine. We were taken straight back
to Maze’s uncle’s condo. Hours later we were still there but Tsang and his
bodyguards had long since departed and Dante had returned home.

I
smiled remembering the only thing I could smile about tonight. After Maze had
taken a shower and changed, he’d returned to the living room, Dante had stood
up and shaken his hand. It was funny to watch them together like that. Dante’s
blond green-eyed pale looks in contrast to Maze’s brown hair, gray eyes and
inked skin. But they were a feast for my eyes. It seemed two of my favorite
people in the world had made peace. That was the only thing I could smile about
right now. Not even afterwards when Maze made love to me and told me he loved
me again. I couldn’t even manage to say the same once again. Like an idiot all
I could do was kiss him, trying to tell him without the words, I loved him too.
I wasn’t sure what stopped me from saying them out loud. I just knew the phrase
wouldn’t come.

I
felt his arms tighten around me, pulling me closer to him, his warmth, his
heat, his fire. Drawing me away from my bleak thoughts of the last few hours. I
took a deep breath and wiped the tears from my face in an effort to hide them
from him.

Too
late.

He
turned me so I lay on my back and raised himself up on his elbow to look down
at me. It was dark outside, but there was enough ambient light from the
streetlights near the windows to filter into the room for him to see the
evidence of my tears. He kissed my eyelids, then my mouth.

“God,
Ivy, please don’t cry. I can’t take your tears. What’s wrong? Is this because
of the fight or because I told you I love you?”

My
heart clenched and I cried even harder. He held me tighter in his arms, and
helplessly I embraced him. It dawned on me. I could have lost him tonight. When
I finally calmed down enough that I thought I could speak, I told him so. “I
can’t lose anyone else I care about,” I whispered against his collarbone. I’d
already lost my best friend Shelly in a stupid accident. I refused to lose Maze
just because he chose such a dangerous way to live his life.

He
kissed my forehead. “You won’t lose me.”

“How
can you say that? After what I saw tonight…” I shook my head. The terror of the
night still held me in its grip. “I can’t do that again, Maze. I just can’t.
You could have died tonight.” The scene from hours ago flashed once again
across my consciousness. I didn’t think I’d lose the visions anytime soon. I
was sure Maze had crippled the man, but the guy would have killed him. I
shuddered.

Maze
sighed and leaned away from me. He raised his hand and brushed the hair away
from my face, before giving me a quick kiss. “And you won’t have to,” he said.

“What
does that mean?”

“That
was my last fight. I’m retiring.”

At
last, the weight sitting on my chest from the time Maze stepped onto that stage
dissolved. Like the words to the song that had been on the radio a moment ago,
Maze’s words blew it away.

“You
are? Are you sure?” Why did I say that? I didn’t want him to fight anymore. I
didn’t want him to risk his life or his limbs. I wanted him safe, whole. I
wanted him with me. But it was selfish. I knew how much his sport meant to him,
as much as dance did to me. I might be forced to give up something I’ve lived
for and worked toward all my life. How could I ask him to give up what he did?
I wasn’t sure what the right thing to do was for either of us. But if he wanted
to retire, I wasn’t going to talk him out of it. Was that selfish? Yes, but I
had no problem with that if it meant he would be safe.

“Yes,
I am,” he said. “I’m going to begin training the next round of fighters at the
gym where I’ve been working out. Uncle Tsang owns it, and tonight, he signed
the building and the business over to me.”

“What!”

He
just smiled.

“So
is that why only you and your uncle went into the den? This was the quick
business he had to discuss with you?” After Maze and Dante had made peace,
Tsang had taken Maze aside. They hadn’t been gone long. But Dante only wanted
to talk about how badass my boyfriend was. I only wanted to forget. “Did you
know about this before… Before the fight?” I questioned.

“No.
I was shocked he’d do such a thing. But in truth not surprised. He’s always
looked out for me.”

I
smiled but tears continued to roll down my face. They were happy ones this
time. “So this is legit? No more of these dangerous fights? You won’t need a
bodyguard or anything like your uncle?”

He
smiled and shook his head, while rubbing my tears away. “No more fights. And
I’ve never needed a bodyguard.”

I
wasn’t an idiot, but I guessed his uncle’s business dealings weren’t quite
legit and neither were these fights. I needed to know this venture he was
entering was real though.

“No
more violence like what I saw tonight?” I’d asked.

“Well
I’d still get into the ring but as a trainer, no more professional fights. That
was my last one.”

I
blinked and grinned. “So this is real?”

He
leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “As real as that. Now please, for me,
stop crying. Everything will be fine.” He wiped the remaining tears off my face
with his thumb.

“Maze.”
I sat up and turned until I was on my knees beside him, kissing him all over
his face. “I lo— Care about you so much. I just couldn’t… I can’t watch
you get hurt.”

“Never
again, babe. I promise.”

I
had to let my fear go. I had to trust him. Trust us. There was only one thing,
well, maybe two left to do. I raised my hands and placed them on either side of
his beautiful face, looked into his swirling storm-colored eyes. I could have
lost him forever tonight. I found what I searched for in the depths of his
gaze, and gave him the words he needed from me.

“I
love you.”

He
smiled and lightning seemed to flash in his orbs. “And I you,” he said before
placing his mouth over mine, claiming me again as only he could. His body
covered mine, and I opened myself up to him, spreading my legs for him. It was
only a little while before he filled me; his entry took my breath away. Wrapped
in his arms, his love consumed me. I raised my legs and clamped them around his
waist so he could go deeper. He didn’t disappoint, and if I could carry him
safe inside me always I would.