I frowned.
We continued through the castle, and just as I thought we were heading upstairs, Gianni stopped and turned to me. “Before we go up, there’s something I want to show you outside. Perhaps. . .that will make our difficult discussion much easier.”
“O-kay.” I followed him out through a side door that featured this sprawling garden and. . .something else.
Hold on.
The sight that greeted me made me stop in my tracks.
In the center of the garden, a large structure was being built. Men and women appeared to be putting up a stage.
Gianni watched me. “Do you understand now?”
“Understand what?”
“They’re building you a stage.”
“So I can practice here?”
“And perform.”
“And perform. . .” I turned back to the stage. “What does that mean?”
“I know how much ballet means to you. From now on,thisis the only place you will dance.”
I put my view back on him and stared. “What?”
“This is where you will dance.”
“Why are you telling me where I will dance?”
“Because in the boutique today I swore you told the saleswoman that you would be in that ballet next week—”
“Because I will. I told you that last night—”
“And I said that we would discuss that today—”
“There’s nothing to discuss, Gianni.” So aggravated, I let go of his hand. “And. . .I don’t understand why you don’t get that.”
His expression hardened. “You’re still learning me, but you will find that I will be very possessive of you—”
“What does that have to do with ballet?”
“Other men can see you dance.” And then he gestured to the stage. “But here, you can dance as much as you want for me, and no one will die because of it.”
I stepped back from him. “Die?”
“Your ballet, the one where you are a Vampire Queen, I’ve seen videos of the rehearsals, men touch you—”
“How did you get footage of the rehearsals—”
“I can get whatever the fuck I want in this city, and you’re very lucky that I didn’t do what I wanted and have those men killed. I waited.”
This cold chill ran through me.
“I remained patient and calm.” He narrowed his eyes. “And now you belong to me.”
“My life will not change because—”
