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Heat radiates from Nora’s front nearly pressed flush to my back as I enter the room. The door clicks closed, and it’s the only noise in the room as she quickly moves to the corner. I make quick work of clearing the room, while Nora remains exactly where I placed her. She silently takes me in as I navigate around the small room.
I always lock the adjoining door when we leave because I don’t want him to find a connection between the two of us.
It’s safer for her.
I unlock the adjoining door and run into my room, scanning it quickly. All clear. In a flash, I grab a bag and stand in front of Nora again. “Do you want to help me with the flowers?”
She needs something to focus on, and knowing her, she wants to help catch this guy in any way she can. I don’t normally let clients help, but for her, I can make an exception.
I feel more uneasy than normal when she’s fretting or scared. I don’t know why, and I’ve tried to not dwell on it. I’m here to protect her, and if lines get blurred, that only puts her in more danger. I need to stay clear-headed and focused.
She nods confidently. “Can I do it?” Her nerves from earlier seem to settle, and they’re replaced with a fire for revenge.
I hide my smile, but pride blooms deep in my chest. There she is.
Chapter 12
Nora
“What do you mean, Alex? I can’t not do the show tonight. Tonight is the finale!” Confusion and worry swim ferociously in my gut, but it won’t stop me. I won’t be the dancer who leaves my partner out to dry like that, and I won’t do it to the audience coming to see us tonight.
“Exactly! We’ve had a brilliant series here. Let your stand-in finish the show. What if this guy shows up tonight?” His volume rivals mine, and that only pisses me off more.
“AND? We want to catch this guy! Not run and hide at the earliest threat!” I yell right back.
“Whoa, whoa. Let’s all take a step back and talk about a plan instead of just yelling at each other.” SJ finally steps in when our volume threatens to spill past the thin hotel walls.
I cross my arms angrily over my chest. “He’s the one yelling,” I mumble under my breath as I pull a hand away long enough to jut my thumb toward Alex before crossing my arms again.
SJ chuckles, then mumbles something that sounds an awful like, “He isn’t the only one, cupcake.”
I huff in response. “He isn’t being reasonable. There’s no reason I can’t dance tonight, right?” I spin my ring as nerves flare in my belly at the thought. If SJ doesn’t agree, then that’s just a bigger fight I have on my hands.
When SJ first started, he promised I could keep dancing, and I pray he holds true to his word now.
“Of course. I can keep you safe, and we shouldn’t give any outward appearance that we’re rattled. That could cause a reaction from him we don’t want. Right now, he’s deluded himself into believing you have a relationship of some kind. He thinks you want this. Changing behaviors that he expects from you might squash that fantasy, which would make him angry and potentially violent.” SJ looks at Alex. “We proceed like everything is normal. It’s the safest option and gives us the best opportunity to lure him out.”
“But…” Alex interrupts.
SJ shakes his head. “It’s my job to keep her safe, and I will. I made a promise I intend to keep.” SJ’s soulful, deep chocolate brown eyes meet mine and hold me captive.
“What do you mean by it could cause him to get potentially violent?” Alex asks.
SJ breaks his intense stare first, and my heart flutters at the loss of his eyes on me. It’s intoxicating and scary at the same time. Each time our eyes connect, I get sucked in. I’m unable to think or breathe as I wait to see what happens next.
“If he suspects she’s avoiding him, it could agitate him or cause him to overreact. It could be anything from worse ‘gifts,’ like dead or skinned animals to show his distaste for her aversion to him, or he could outright try to take or hurt her. We’re playing a game Nora didn’t sign up to play. One where we don’t know the rules, how to win, or who our opponent is. Until we do, the best course of action here is to wait and learn. Play by the only rules we know: psychology. The psychological pattern rarely changes, even if their individual choices to show affection or punishment vary from one person to the next. We need more intel to know the game we’re playing and what his rules are.”
Emily, who sits in the corner of my hotel room, snorts, causing all of us to swing our gaze her way. She’s been sitting quietly watching my brief exchange with Alex with a silly smirk on her face. She thinks it’s funny when we fight. I think it’s annoying as hell.
“We’re playing a sick game of Whac-A-Mole with a broken ass stick as the whacker,” Emily states matter-of-factly.
“Thanks, Em,” I say sarcastically. This is what my life has been reduced to. Baffling analogies and sick games I don’t want to play.
I make sure I look directly at SJ when I speak next because I don’t care what Alex thinks or wants, and Em will support me no matter what. However, I find myself wanting SJ’s approval for more reasons than one.
“I want to dance, SJ. Whatever we need to do to make sure I can finish the show tonight and head to Washington in the morning, I’m on board with. If the plans don’t involve those two things, I’m out.”
“Nora! You’re being unreasonable!” Alex’s frustration fills the room, and it’s downright suffocating.
