2. Chapter Two #3
“I guess daddy doesn’t want his princess to hear what he doesn’t want her to hear,” Ekaterina mutters.
“Hear what?”
“Claudia is dead,” Ana spits out.
I stop and that gives Ana time to smack me again. I shove her back so hard she falls to the ground.
“Oh, that’s it. Hurt me like you hurt Claudia.”
I ignore her and turn to the other girls. “How did Claudia die?”
They all exchange looks like they think I’m pretending to be innocent when I truly don’t know anything.
“How did she die?” I ask in a harder tone.
“Like you don’t know!” Ana screams. She gets to her feet and runs at me again but finally, Camille enters the dance studio.
“Enough,” she says. “Stop it, Ana.”
Ana flushes and backs away from me but not without shooting a final glare in my direction.
“How did Claudia die?” I ask again.
Camille sighs. “I was told by her father that she had a complication when they had to do surgery on her foot. She didn’t survive it.”
My spine stiffens so much, it causes instant pain through my whole body. “I don’t understand. I mean… how could she not survive a surgery on her ankle?”
“Surgery always comes with risk. Claudia didn’t survive. We’ll hold a memorial for her this week. And girls, stop fighting. Obviously, none of this is Lana’s fault. So stop accusing each other. Now.” She claps her hands together. “Let’s dance.”
No rest for the wicked when it comes to Camille.
For the entire dance lesson, I can’t stop thinking about Claudia. My body moves through the motions. Camille keeps sending me disappointed looks, like she expects more of me.
Maria keeps trying to look at the cut on my neck. It’s a faint, little line, like it almost didn’t happen at all.
Once the class is over, I stumble to the car. Ivan asks me if I’m all right but I can’t answer him. Claudia didn’t survive the surgery on her ankle.
But that doesn’t make any sense. She was young and in great health. How could she not survive?
As Ivan drives out of the parking lot, I spy something. Well, someone.
Nikolai is here, in the parking lot, in his car. Watching me still.
I gasp and turn away from the window. I can’t help but remember him telling me that he would handle the situation I was in.
Did… did Nikolai…
No. No, there’s no way he’s responsible for Claudia’s death. Why would that even be a thing? Unless… Claudia was the one who paid that man to attack me. It makes sense. She never would have wanted me to take the lead role. She blamed me for her broken ankle.
No. I don’t know anything for a fact. I don’t know if Claudia was the one who hired that man to kill me and I don’t know if her death was caused by anything. It could have just been a tragic accident. Like Camille said, surgery always comes with risk.
So why is Nikolai here again? And why does my heart skip a beat whenever I see him?
“Stop the car,” I tell Ivan.
He glances at me in the rearview mirror but otherwise, does as I say. I storm out of the car; my feet crunching on the faint snow that came in overnight. Telling myself to be brave, I walk over to Nikolai’s car and knock on his window.
He gives me an amused look as he rolls the window down. “Hello, Lana.”
“Why are you here?”
“I came to see my prized dancer.”
“Your…” I shake my head. “I’m not yours.”
“Not yet.”
I shiver though I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not. “You came to see me again?”
“Yes. I am fascinated by you.”
“Did… did you ever find out who was responsible for the man who attacked me?”
“I did.” His cool tone is driving me insane.
“Well?”
He smirks. “I think it’s better you don’t know. The less you know, the less you can get in trouble.”
My hands clench into fists. “Tell me. I have the right to know. I’m not a little girl.”
His eyes rake over my body. Even through my large coat, I can feel him seeing every inch of me. “No. You’re not.”
“Tell me.”
“If you really want to know…”
“Yes. I want to know.”
Ivan approaches me. “Lana, we should go.”
I wave at him to walk away. “Tell me,” I say to Nikolai.
“Who’s this?” Nikolai asks, nodding at Ivan.
“My driver.”
“Your driver.” His eyes narrow. “Is he keeping his hands to himself?”
“He keeps his hands on the steering wheel. What are you implying?”
“Lana,” Ivan snaps.
I ignore him. “Tell me. Nikolai. Tell me.”
Nikolai’s eyes snap to mine the second I say his name. “It was your fellow ballerina. Claudia. Well, her father, I believe. She had him hire someone to kill you. A spoiled, little rich girl.”
I step back with a gasp. “You know for a fact that it was Claudia?”
“It wasn’t hard to find out. I’m good at following a trail. And like I told you: I’d handle it.”
“She’s dead,” I say flatly. “Claudia. She didn’t survive the surgery on her ankle.”
“I would be lying if I said I was upset. She hired someone to attack you. I don’t feel sad about the girl’s death.” The complete coldness in his voice is terrifying. It settles like a stone in my stomach.
“She died. That’s not right.”
He tilts his head to the side. “Are you actually telling me that you’re upset she’s dead? I’ve been keeping an eye on you this past month, Lana. I’ve seen how she treated you.”
“I…”
“Lana,” Ivan says.
“Be quiet, old man,” Nikolai snaps.
“Lana, we should go.” Ivan reaches for my arm but I jerk away. Nikolai watches every movement with his intense eyes that first captured my attention.
“Are you upset?” Nikolai asks.
“Did you kill her?” I whisper.
Nikolai gazes back at me calmly, like he doesn’t have any worries in this world. “No. I did not kill her.”
I let out a slow breath. “I should go.”
“You didn’t answer my question. Are you upset she’s dead?”
I turn my back to Nikolai but it feels like a mistake. Like turning your back to a predator cat who could strike at any moment. “Ivan, take me home.” My driver sighs in relief and hurries me back to our car.
Once I’m safely inside and Ivan is driving me away, I finally let myself admit my feelings.
Nikolai isn’t wrong. I am not upset Claudia died. She was a menace to me and one less person I have to worry about competing against. In fact… I’m glad she’s dead. I was only worried that Nikolai played a part in it but he said he didn’t kill her. I have no other choice but to take him at his word.
But he did confirm that Claudia was responsible for my attack and now she’s dead. That can’t be a coincidence. Not in the world of the mafia. And I know for a fact that Nikolai is a Bratva man. There’s no way he’s not after all of this.
I make it back home and hurry to my room before my family can ask me any questions. I just need a moment of respite.
But I don’t get it. Not when I hear the front door ring and not when I hear my father answer.
And not when I hear the sound of Nikolai’s voice. In my home.