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She took a deep breath then walked toward the couch. I turned to study her, surprised how casual she seemed in her shorts and tank top, her red hair pulled into a ponytail. As she curled her legs under her, sitting Indian style, I leaned against the window, shutting out the bright lights, hopes and dreams that had suddenly been irrevocably shattered.
“It’s not about tolerating anything, Stephanie. I love Kirill. I fell in love with him minutes after he opened the door the night I met him. He was larger than life, his body filling the doorframe, his muscles glistening in sweat. While I knew he was dangerous before I knocked on his door, the moment my eyes roamed his delicious body, I was hooked. Call me crazy. Call me stupid. I didn’t care. Then when he kissed me, well…” She fanned her reddening face, the light in her eyes likely what had been in mine after the first night Alexei had seduced me.
“Alexei is a beautiful man, but I can’t allow that to cloud my judgment.”
She took a sip of wine, contemplating what I was saying. “Do you love him?”
“It’s not a matter of whether I love him, Candy. That’s not the way life works. My job is… or it was important to me. Now, my guess is the only people who’ll hire me will be an ambulance chaser service.”
“Why, because some pretty tasty pictures showed up of the passion you two shared?”
My face immediately flushed. “The implications are scandalous.”
“So what? I’ve known you for a few hours, but I can tell you can take the heat. Don’t you think critics have been pretty unkind over the last few months to me only because I’m sleeping with a savage?” She laughed, shaking her head. “I think my favorite line was ‘while Candy Lancaster is a brilliant actress, the fact she’s sleeping with a predator doesn’t bode well for her performance or her sense of moral compass.’”
I sputtered, almost choking on a sip of wine. “You’re kidding me.”
“I wish I were. I actually have that framed in my dressing room on Broadway.”
“Oh, my God. You’re that Candy Lancaster. I should have recognized you. You are brilliant.”
“But crazy. Right?”
“If you are then I fell down the rabbit hole, soon to be sucked into hell.”
Candy rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so melodramatic. Answer the question. Do. You. Love. Him?”
I thought about it and only had the energy to nod.
“Then as my mama always told me, love can conquer all. Evil. Hardship. Tragedy. As long as the two of you have love in your heart, then you’ll both be healed.”
“Your mother might have been a wise woman, but she didn’t understand the world of the New York justice system.”
“Nonsense, but only you know if your love is worth going through sacrifices.”
“That was an easy question for you to answer?” I asked, clearly able to tell how hard she’d fallen for the man.
“When I wasn’t with him for a couple months, every night he crept into my dreams. Every night. I finally had to admit to myself that I couldn’t live another day without him in it. If all you can think about is Alexei, then you have your answer.”
God. I wished it was that simple.
“Maybe. Aren’t you terrified every night he goes towork?”
She shrugged. “At first it was horrible, but then I realized that anyone could get hit by a car or a train or have a heart attack. That’s why you must enjoy every day, every minute. Together. My family isn’t happy with me, but I’m an adult. This is my life. Besides, my extended family in New York doesn’t exactly follow the letter of the law.”
I’d learned she was a member of the Walsh family, a distant cousin who’d initially been under their protection. Somehow, I couldn’t see them at family gatherings.
“Alexei will come back to you because that’s what he needs to do,” she added.
In truth, that’s almost all I’d been able to think about.
Then there was Gregory’s treachery.
I remained against the glass, trying to enjoy the wine even though my nerves remained on edge. I wasn’t a patient woman. Not hearing anything was worse than knowing. When I flitted my eyes toward the television, I narrowed my eyes as Gregory’s picture flashed across the screen.
“Would you turn that up?” I asked as I walked closer.
Candy did then moved beside me. “What is it?”
