Overture (Rain Dance, Book 1) (Rain Dance Series) (49 page)

     
It was already
after three by the time we arrived at the Luxadigm. Both of our arms were
filled when we entered the building. I had managed to find a floor lamp that
would light up the ceiling quite nicely, and Douglas was kind enough to carry
the box it came in, along with the bags of paint. I held the bags containing
another pack of bottled water, some snacks, paper towels, light bulbs, an
extension cord, and another pillow. It was busy when we entered. Most people
ignored us, but there were a small few who stared. We greeted Samantha and Zach
before heading up.

     
When we exited
the elevator, I saw that Ethan was standing with Henry and some other unknown
man near Patricia's desk. They appeared to be in a deep conversation and I
thought it best to leave them to it. But as soon as Henry spotted us, he waved
and called out. "Hey, Doug. Daphne, how are you?" He smiled brightly
at me.

     
"Very
well, thank you." I tried to sound normal, but I didn't like that I was
within hearing range of four other people.

     
"What's
all this?" Henry scanned over the bags with curious eyes.

     
"Tools," I replied simply. My eyes darted over to Ethan, who
was looking back at me with a slight frown. When I tried to smile at him, it
deepened. Quickly, I looked away and finally got a full glimpse of the third
man. His hair was a warm, honey-blonde - long, thick, and wavy with natural
highlights. It looked healthier than my own, that's for sure, though he kept it
tied back to keep up with his businessman appearance. His skin was perfectly
tanned and he wore wire-frame glasses. It was hard to tell what color his eyes
were…somewhere between gray and green. He looked back at me with a curious,
unsmiling expression. I wasn't into blondes, but it was obvious that this man
was something else.

     
Henry spoke
first. "It's the hair, isn't it? We were just talking about it. It's too
much." He turned to look at the man. "Every single time! He drops by
and all of the girls on my team - hell, even some of guys - get so distracted
that they actually start slacking off on work."

     
I flushed,
realizing that I was staring. "I'm sorry. I just have a habit of
studying…interesting looking people." I would not call another man
beautiful to his face while in Ethan's presence.

     
"Coming
from the artist, I'll consider it the finest of compliments," the man
finally spoke.

     
I smiled - he
had an accent, too.

     
"And the
accent! Can't you tone it down a little?" Henry continued. "At least
when you're on my floor."

     
"I am that
I am, is what I am."

     
"What the
hell does that even
mean
, Pierre? Stop it with those weird phrases
already."

     
My smile
faltered at the delayed realization.
Pierre.
This was the man who knew
too much.
Dearest heavens…take me away. Take me away - far, far away.
Swallowing, I put on my friendly-face mask. "It was nice to meet you. Have
a good day, guys." After giving a slight bow of my head, I headed towards
my safe haven with Douglas following not far behind.

     
"You can
leave those right there," I said to him when we reached the door. He set
the box and the bags down carefully.

     
"Sure you
won't be needing anything else?"

     
"No, not
at all. Thank you very much for helping me out."

     
He nodded,
saluted me with a cheeky grin, and then went on his merry way.
How many
hearts has he broken with that smile?

     
As soon as I
started unpackaging my lamp, I began to feel better. It was like opening up a
present. I pulled out the pieces one by one and put them together. A few
minutes later, it became a usable source of light. I was rummaging through the
bags for the extension cord when there came a knock at the door.

     
"It's
me," Ethan called from the other side.

     
"Are you
looking away?" I asked.

     
"Yes."

     
I inched open
the door and peeked out. When I saw that Ethan's back was turned, I quickly
slipped out and shut the door behind me. As he turned around to face me, he
slowly moved backwards until he stood in the doorway of the break room. Saying
nothing, he held the door open with his arm and waited for me to enter. I
walked past him, going straight to the center of the room where I heard him
shut the door behind me.

     
"…So, how
about th-"

     
As soon as I'd
turned to speak to him, he grabbed me by the arms and kissed me. Hard. Because
I wasn't expecting it, it took a moment for me to relax into it. As soon as my
mouth gave way, his tongue was in me, tasting and devouring. He moved his hands
from my arms up to the sides of my face. I couldn't move at all - not that I
wanted to. Eventually, he had to pull away so we could catch our breaths.

     
"W-What
was that for?" I gasped.

     
"You think
he's
interesting
, do you?"

     
Oh.
"Can you blame me?"

     
"And when
the fuck did you become best buds with Henry?" He scowled at me.

     
"…Are you
jealous again?"

     
"Just
answer the question."

     
I backed away,
smirking. "Really? Meanwhile, I have to put up with Karina. Well, don't
worry. Pierre is certainly an interesting specimen, but he's not at all my
type. And I bumped into Henry yesterday and said hi."

     
Ethan exhaled
softly and ran a hand through his hair. "When have you ever had to
put
up
with Karina?"

     
I turned to
look out the window. The clouds were gathering in groups now. "Good point.
I don't bother giving her that kind of time since I already have you. So, is
that all you wanted to ask me about?"

     
"No. I'm
sorry you had to bump into Pierre like that. I know it must have been
uncomfortable."

     
"It's
fine," I replied quickly. "I mean, yeah, for a minute there I wanted
the building to swallow me whole, but what can you do?" With a sigh, I
moved to face him again. "Sorry about my phone. I guess I forgot to charge
it."

     
"The next
time you forget, there'll be a penalty."

     
"I think
I've heard that before," I said wistfully, taking a seat on one of the
sofas.

     
"I'm
serious. Don't forget." Ethan's face was hard.

     
"...Okay."

     
He took the
seat across from me. "I knew you were alright, but that didn't stop me
from panicking." When he frowned at me, I was hit with déjà vu. I could
swear he wore the same exact expression just yesterday - when he'd been
seriously annoyed. "I don't like it…You shouldn't be out on your own.
Someone should always know where you are at all times."

     
I shrugged.
"Well, that's not possible, is it? You're just going to have to
deal."

     
Ethan leaned
forward with his elbows on his knees, his chin coming to rest against his
folded hands. "It is
very
possible, Daphne."

     
...
Daphne?
Shit
.

     
"Here me
out," he began calmly.

     
"No."

     
He ignored me.
"We don't know to what extent they were willing to get it done, but we do
know that someone wanted you dead. Chances are unlikely that they've let it go,
but the fact that they haven't found you yet either means that they're in no
rush, or that you're just really good at hiding. The last time you spoke with
Noel…did he mention if the woman was still after you?"

     
"…Yes."

 
    
"When was that and what exactly did he
say?"

     
I didn't really
want to talk about this now. "About a year ago. I was in Oregon at the
time. He wanted to make sure that I was still being careful. She had already
stopped trying to go after me specifically, but if I left her any links
regarding my whereabouts, she wouldn't hesitate in following through.
Apparently, she'd asked other people to keep an eye out for any traces of me.
But what are the chances of that actually happening? So long as I'm careful and
lie low, there isn't really too much to worry about."

     
"The fact
that she's with Wilhelm worries me. They operate everywhere, and it would only
take one person to recognize you. There's no way of knowing if or when it will
happen, but we can always be ready for it. There are people who can keep you
safe."

     
"No,"
I repeated.

     
"It would
put me at ease to know that you were protected."

     
"Ethan,
it's just not necessary."

     
There was a
long pause before he continued, "Daphne, coming in nearly everyday already
puts you at risk. You aren't lying low anymore. People here know your real
name. If you plan on staying here, she
will
find you sooner or
later."

     
It had never
even crossed my mind to continue staying here. Was I supposed to now? Just
because Ethan now knew everything and accepted me as I was? "...You can't
know that."

     
His gaze was
unwavering. "I won't risk the chance."

     
I sighed.
"What is it you want, exactly?"

     
"Someone
to keep an eye on you while you're not in this building or with me. Someone who
can drive you to and from - and also wherever else you might need to go."

     
"What,
like
The Bodyguard
? It will look suspicious if I have someone following
me."

     
"Definitely
not
like
The Bodyguard
," he
answered, rolling his eyes. "And it's their job to look inconspicuous."

     
"No."
It soon became a stare down as yet another battle of the wills took place.

     
"Tell me,
why exactly are you so opposed to the idea without even giving it a second
thought?" he asked after a minute.

     
"Because
it's a waste of resources." Before he could protest, I quickly continued,
"And it wouldn't make me feel safe. It would make me feel vulnerable. You
don't have to understand it, but I can't afford to depend on someone else when
it comes to my life. I need to rely on my own instincts. They've gotten me this
far. Unless you can prove to me that someone is out to get me right at this
very moment, the answer is no."

     
"…You're
being a bump, don't you think?"

     
"I'm being
rational. Look, can't you just…I don't know, track my phone or something?"

     
Ethan remained
quiet, a slight crease forming between his brows. I began to wonder…

     
"Douglas
found me pretty easily," I stated calmly. "Was he just lucky
or…?"

     
He stared at me
blankly for a few more seconds before finally answering, "I can't track
your phone if it's dead."

     
Fuck me.
"How
long?"

     
"It's not
like that," he sighed.

     
"It's not?
Because it sure as hell sounds like it is. Now tell me when."

     
"At the
beach house, while you were in the shower. I thought you would have figured it
out by now. Did you really not notice the new app on your phone? You can track
mine, too."

     
"Oh…"
I hadn't noticed. "But if I
do
get kidnapped or something, don't
you think they'll take care of my phone first?"

     
"Oh, they
definitely will. But that was only part of my reason for doing it. Remember,
you hopped on five buses and left the city. You can't blame me for being extra
cautious."

     
He thought I
would runaway. I couldn't blame him. "I told you that wouldn't happen
again."

     
"It
shouldn't have happened at all."

     
I pressed my
lips together. "…But lovely things came from it, didn't they?"

     
"…Yes." He became quiet for a moment. "You would let me
track you, though?"