Chapter 21
WHEN I SAY DANCE…
brIAR
Now
It’s a little past noon by the time I wake up. After Lily and Remi left, I crawled back into bed, sleeping for hours, though I still feel as though I haven’t. That could be because of the anxiety weighing on me over Koen, Gio… and how everything hurts.
I’m peppered in bruises from head to toe, but it’s the burn on my neck and the whip marks on my back that bring tears to my eyes with every little movement. Wincing, I drag myself out of bed and change out of my now blood-soaked t-shirt.
Gathering up the bloody clothes and Koen’s sweatshirt, I throw my shredded top and sports bra away and dump the rest into an empty laundry basket before beginning the long trek down to the basement communal laundry room. Our apartment is on the fifth floor and there are no elevators.
As I load the clothes into the wash, the hair on the back of my neck rises and unease trickles through me. I glance around the small room but see nothing.
I’m alone.
Chalking it up to potential post-traumatic stress and an overwhelming need for more sleep, I head back upstairs.
I should probably eat, or figure out what to do about Giovanni.
He’s the biggest threat; I saw something I shouldn’t have at Wonderland and ended up in that warehouse because of it.
Just because I happened to escape doesn’t mean I’m safe from him.
He’s going to find out and he’s going to come for me, but I don’t have anywhere to run to, and I think I have $21. 63 in my bank account at the moment.
All I want to do is crawl back under my covers and hide there forever.
One more hour wouldn’t hurt…
Still, that feeling of unease doesn’t let up, only growing stronger after I climb back up to my floor. I pause outside of my door, looking over my shoulder, but see nothing out of the ordinary.
The hallway continues down past my door before taking a sharp left. I keep one eye on the shadowy corner as I slip my key into the lock, turning it carefully.
My door cracks open and that’s when they strike. Two men jump out from down the hall, running for me.
Shrieking, I bolt into my apartment, sliding on the hardwood as I try to slam the door shut behind me.
I’m not quick enough.
A steel-toed boot is shoved into the door jamb and it won’t close. I throw all of my weight into pushing them out, but I’m thrown back a second later when the other one charges the door.
The gun.
I meet the man’s gaze for a second before darting for the hallway in a mad dash to reach my bedroom. If I can lock him out then I can—
He catches me by my hair and I scream. A second later, there’s a gun in my face, courtesy of his friend.
“Ah-ah-ah, none of that now.”
My jaw snaps shut and I struggle in the hold of the first guy, but he’s released my hair in favor of my arms, and his grip is firm. I’m not going anywhere.
“Bella, Bella, Bella, what are we going to do with you?” Giovanni’s Italian drawl fills me with dread, and I fight with renewed passion when I see him waltzing in through the still wide-open front door like he owns the place.
“Remember when you told me you could be a good girl and keep your mouth shut?” he asks, shutting the door to my apartment behind him.
Despite the guy behind me having me locked down, I still struggle when Giovanni steps closer.
“I just want to talk.” Gio holds his hands up innocently before snapping his fingers and pointing to one of the dining room chairs. Obediently, the man with the gun pressed up against my cheeks drops it, holstering it before shoving me into the chair Giovanni pointed to.
Just as soon as I land, I try to spring back up, but Giovanni’s voice stops me again.
“Don’t make me tie you to it.” His voice holds a sharp warning, so, slowly, I sink back down. My eyes dart between the three of them, trying to watch all three at once, but my friend with the gun moves out of sight behind me, and the other goes to stand guard by the door.
Giovanni sighs loudly, taking a seat directly in front of me on the edge of the worn out coffee table, and looks me over. He takes out an expensive looking flask from his suit jacket’s pocket, taking a long swig before offering it to me.
I shake my head while twitching nervously in the chair, my eyes flicking to the clock. It’s almost two.
Lily and Remi will be home soon.
“Now, Bella,” Giovanni starts, and my gaze snaps to him. “It seems you are the only living witness to a raid that took place at one of my warehouses last night.”
I blink back at him in shock. The other girls—they’re dead?
He smiles, leaning forward in his chair. It’s a smile that’s meant to be reassuring, kind even—but his cool eyes give it away, his smile doesn’t touch them. “Now listen up. I’ll make you a deal, okay?” He looks at me expectantly this time, and I manage a slight dip of my chin in response.
“Good.” He grins at me and I have to bite back my glare. “Now you tell me everything you saw and heard last night, and I won’t kill you.” He leans back in his seat, still smiling at me.
I swallow hard.
“Did you see the men who attacked my warehouse last night?”
I nod.
“I need answers, Bella,” he reprimands sharply.
I choke out a “Yes.”
“How many of them were there?”
I hesitate for a moment before answering, “Four.”
“Good.” His shoulders relax a notch and I realize that was a test. He already knew how many there were.”
“Who were they?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did they look like?”
“They wore masks.”
“Did you hear any names? Did they call each other anything?”
“No.” The lie rolls off my tongue easily—too easily, but Giovanni doesn’t question it, continuing on.
“Accents?”
“No.”
I protect them. I don’t know why I do. It happens almost involuntarily, and once I’ve done it, there’s no taking it back.
Gio’s eyebrows rise, wanting more.
“I just heard gunshots, and shouting,” I tell him, careful to look him straight in the eye. Utilizing my acting training, the little tremble I allow to shake my voice seals the deal.
He leans back in his chair, studying me… thinking. “How is it you’re the only one who survived?”
My eyes widen in true surprise. Did they… Did the Irish kill the rest of the girls? I’m going to be sick.
“I ran.”
He waits for more.
“They shot Lorenzo and I—I just ran.”
He stares at me for a long while, and I have to resist the urge to look away, to check the clock. Until finally he says, “Okay,” and rises from his perch on the coffee table.
My eyes follow him.
“So here’s how this is going to go.” He paces my living room. “You’re going to keep your pretty little mouth shut about me, what you witnessed at the club, and that whole mess at the warehouse.”
“I won’t say anything, I swear.” I stare up at him, meaning the words I say. Anything to walk away from this.
“Oh, I know you won’t. Because I know that you know we own the cops. And I know that you know we own you.”
A chill runs down my spine.
“And from now on, when I say jump… you ask how fucking high. You got that?” He leans in so close to my face, the scent of his menthols is hot on my cheek.
“And if you don’t…” Gio’s mouth twists into a dark smile before he holds his hand out to his right, someone from behind me puts something into it.
I jolt back at the sight of Rainbow Cupcake, Remi’s stuffed pink unicorn. It was in her room, on her pillow. I never even heard the guy leave the room.
Giovanni grins at the look of horror on my face as I look between Rainbow Cupcake and him. “And if you don’t, we’ll handle you and then we’ll take it out on her.”
My whole body shakes and I grip the seat of the chair so hard my knuckles go white.
“Do we understand each other, Briar?” He brushes the side of my cheek with the little pink unicorn.
“We do,” I bite out, looking him in the eye but hiding the murderous rage I feel burning in mine.
“Excellent.” Giovanni straightens, rebuttoning his suit before tossing Rainbow Cupcake at me. I catch it, gripping the stuffed animal tight.
He motions to his men to take their leave. He gets two steps before he stops again, looking me up and down while I grip the seat of my chair. A flicker of distaste in his expression.
“Take the rest of the week off. I can’t have you in my club, looking like that.”
I clench my jaw.
“See you next weekend, Bella.”
There’s no hiding the look of what must be absolute dread on my face when Lily and Remi walk through the door just about forty-five minutes later.
The second they walk in, I scoop Remi up into my arms and squeeze her to my chest.
“Mommy! Too tight!” Her voice is muffled from where she’s squished against my shoulder.
I relax my hold but keep her in my arms. “I’m sorry baby, Mommy just missed you so much. Did you have a good day?”
“Yes.” She nods, squirming in my hold, eager to escape.
Reluctantly, I set her back on the floor and she goes straight for her room and her toys.
The second she’s out of earshot, Lily whirls on me.
“What happened?”
“Giovanni stopped by.”
Her breath catches and I nod solemnly. “He—He brought some friends.”
“You didn’t—they didn’t?” Worry flashes in her eyes.
I shake my head sharply. “No. But he made it clear that he owns me now. I have to go back to the club next weekend.”
She pales, and she and I share the same thought. There’s no telling what he’ll make me do there going forward.
“You can’t.”
“I don’t think I have a choice. They threatened to hurt Remi…”
“Shit.”
“I’ve got to get her out of the city—we’ve got to get out of the city.” I’m panicked, but as many times as I’ve been over it, I can’t find a way out. “I need an exit strategy, and I need one fast.”
“You know I’m going home for two weeks over winter break. You guys can come with me!”
I chew my lip. “No. They’ll find me there.
If I’m going to get out from under Gio’s thumb, that means paying him what I owe.
” Fuck. I don’t even know where to start with that.
I’m barely making rent right now, and paying off Gio is going to cost some serious cash, and fuck, I’m forgetting about Remi’s meds.
Not to mention the winter showcase; rehearsals start on Monday.
I run my hands through my hair, feeling overwhelmed.
My heartbeat doubles, and I’m on the verge of a panic attack.
I don’t know which problem to tackle first.
Sensing the rising panic, Lily places two hands on my shoulders. “Breathe, B. Breathe.” I let out a shaky breath, not realizing I’d been holding it in.
What the fuck am I going to do?
“Okay,” Lily says once I’m breathing again.
Her Type A personality snaps into place and I see her formulating a plan in her hazel eyes.
“What if Remi comes home with me anyway? My parents have been begging to see her. She’ll be safe and out of the city for a couple of weeks, and you can work on getting the money together to either pay Giovanni off or run. ” She ends with a wince.
My frown deepens at the thought of being away from Remi for any period of time, but Giovanni’s unpredictable.
I don’t trust him. I would probably still be in the warehouse—or worse—if the Irish Devils hadn’t come along last night.
For all I know, he could throw me in another van the second I step foot back in Wonderland.
Paying off my debt to Giovanni is the quickest way to try and get out from under his thumb.
If I can pay it off fast, keep my mouth shut, then maybe he can forget this whole thing ever happened.
I’ll pick up as many shifts as I can between the studio and the club, pay off Giovanni, get Remi’s medication, and maybe… it’ll all be okay.
Lily looks at me with a question in her eyes. “And what about Koen?
My eyes snap to hers. “What about him?” Everything about Koen still screams danger to me. Would he help me if he knew what was going on? I’d have to tell him about Remi if I’m going to ask him to hide us. My hand shakes at the thought of it.
“Maybe—Maybe he could help. With Gio?”
I think about it. They’re obviously not friends, seeing as how Koen and his men killed all of Gio’s and tore apart his warehouse, but that doesn’t mean he’d help me. But Gio said I was the only one to survive last night. Did Koen kill the rest of the girls? Would he have killed me too if I stayed?
I shake my head. “We can’t trust him. Our best hope is that we stay off his radar while I try and get us out of Boston.”
“So I’ll take Remi to New York with me, and you’ll stay here?”
I shift uneasily on my feet, not wanting to be separated from either of them. “Are you sure that’s okay?”
“Yes, absolutely, even though I don’t like the thought of leaving you here alone…”
“It’s safer for you and Remi if you guys go. I’ll handle things here.” I nod, trying to look braver than I feel.