17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Nikolai
“What do you think you’re doing?” I ask Svetlana after she opens her front door. The brownstone in the middle of the city. She’s clearly doing well for herself after her husband’s death.
“Nik. You came over.” Her red smile is seductive. It’s one that used to make my cock stir and now all I feel is revulsion.
“Don’t act cute,” I snap. “You embarrassed me and my wife at my own charity event. What were you hoping would happen?”
She shrugs. “I was hoping it would embarrass both of you. Just like how you embarrassed me.”
“How did I embarrass you?”
“You told me it was over between us. It was embarrassing, I’ll admit. I didn’t like that.”
“So you took your revenge.” I huff. “Be careful, Svetlana. I have killed people for less than this.”
Her eyes widen. “Are you actually going to kill me?”
“I’m tempted to. Leave me and my wife alone,” I growl. “She has her final performance coming up and I don’t want you to ruin that. Stay out of our lives. I mean it. Or I will make you regret it.”
The look of fury in her eyes only makes me more annoyed. What right does she have to be angry? “You and that bitch deserve each other. I hope she gets what’s coming for her.”
I frown. “What do you mean by that?”
Svetlana only gives me her seductive smile again. “No reason.”
“If you act up again, Svetlana, you will not be around for much longer. Consider this a courtesy call. Only because of our history.”
She places her hand over her heart as she pouts. “I’m honored.”
I grumble under my breath as I leave. Svetlana is a problem but not enough for me to kill her. She didn’t attack Lana – only embarrassed her. I’ll let her live… for now.
I go to my restaurant to attend to work matters. More people owe me money. Dimitri gives me a nod as I slide into my back booth. It’s so strange not having Lev here. He’s in hiding still and I haven’t been able to find him despite sending out men to look every day. Where the fuck is he?
“Send the first person in,” I tell Dimitri. He heads to the kitchen where all of my clients wait and comes back out with… Gregory. I sit up straighter. “Gregory. I wasn’t expecting you today. What are you doing here? Have a seat.”
He scoffs. “I will not have a seat. Not after what I saw.” His hands clench into fists. “You defiling my daughter. Embarrassing my family. We had a deal, Nikolai. Are you trying to ruin it?”
“It was a jealous ex of mine who did that. But it’s handled. And I have to ask, Gregory, by coming here, are you trying to ruin our deal?”
“I gave you my daughter for peace. You forced my hand and I wasn’t happy about it but I still did it. I expect a little respect in return.”
“And I have only offered you respect.”
“By fucking my daughter in a public space so anyone could record you two? That’s not respect. Lana’s final performance is coming up. My family was going to attend but now…” He shakes his head. “She’s an embarrassment. You made this happen.”
I tilt my head, looking Gregory over in his three piece suit.
So put together and yet bursting at the seams. “Your daughter has worked hard for this role. She wants her family at her final performance. Lana did nothing wrong. Don’t punish her for my actions.
Besides, this will all blow over. I had NDAs sent out to keep the guests at the event quiet.
This will not affect Lana’s life or mine or yours.
So let it go, Gregory. Don’t do something to ruin our peace deal. ”
“Fuck you,” he snarls. “This is all your fault.”
“Because I offered you peace and a chance to earn a lot more money? I know you’re a prideful man, Gregory.
I know you didn’t like that I forced your hand and made you give up Lana to me.
But it’s all happened. Let go of this anger inside of you.
It’s not benefiting anyone.” I stand up and tower over him.
I can tell how much it pains him to look up at me.
“Don’t punish your daughter. Come to the show.
She’s earned it. She deserves that at least. Especially for putting up with a father like you all her life. ”
“What does that mean?”
“One that is so quick to turn on her the moment she messes up. She has worked hard all her life. Don’t abandon her now. Even if I hate you for hitting her.”
Gregory sucks in a breath. “I gave everything for her. I even let her fail time and time again because she wanted to earn her roles on her own. She didn’t want me bribing anyone.
I respected that. But a father can only stand to watch his daughter embarrass him over and over again before he can’t stand it anymore. You went too far. She went too far.”
“It’s my fault. Your daughter wasn’t the one with experience. I was. I convinced her to have sex on that stage. Blame it on me. Not her. Come to the show. Watch her dance at least one more time. And then you can leave her life if you want.” She’ll be better for it. I know Lana will be.
His eyes search mine for a long moment before he nods. “Fine. We’ll come to the last show. But then I’m done with you and my daughter. I will not be embarrassed any further.” He heads to the exit but when I speak, he pauses.
“And what about your other daughters? Will Lana be allowed to see them?”
He gives me a cold look. “No. I don’t want her bad influence on them.” He storms out of the restaurant.
I know how much it will hurt Lana to not see her sisters ever again. It’s something I decide to not tell her when I return home. She’s in the ballroom, rehearsing her dance steps, even though she’s already perfect. I don’t want Lana’s final performance to be ruined because of her father.
“That’s different choreography,” I comment.
She stops and looks at me in the mirror. “Camille is holding auditions for another ballet. Romeo and Juliet this time. Since Swan Lake is coming to an end soon, I would love another main role to sink my teeth into.”
I smile as I place my hand on her shoulders. She relaxes under my touch. That makes me proud. “I’m sure you’re going to do wonderfully. How are you doing… with everything?”
“You went to see Svetlana?”
“I did. I told her to back off. And if she tries anything again…” I let the sentence linger in the air. Lana knows what kind of man I am now. She has her own blood on her hands. We fully understand each other.
Lana nods, letting out a breath. “All right. As long as she stays out of our lives.”
“Your final performance is in two days. I can’t wait to see it. You’ve made me so proud, sweetheart.” I know I’m going to finally tell her that I love her on the night of her last show. I’ve been waiting for the right time and I believe that to be it.
“You’ve helped me get here. I never could have done it without you.”
“See? All you had to do was give in to my control?” I kiss her neck and cup her breast with one hand while my other hand cups her pussy. Her tights are barely visible. Hardly in the way.
Lana gasps and leans back against me. “Are you going to take me again?”
“I’m tempted to. I want to fuck you all over this house but I’ve had fun drawing things out.
I’ll take you again the night of the show, I promise.
” I absentmindedly rub her pussy and swipe my finger over her nipple.
Even with her shirt in the way, her nipple stands on display.
She moans softly, arching into me. “I need you to be perfect that night.”
“I want to be… for you.”
“Now,” I say, stepping back. She pouts. Fuck me. “Don’t make me put my cock in your mouth,” I warn. “Dance for me. I want to see what you’ve prepared.”
Lana takes in a shuddering breath before she moves.
There’s so much more passion in the way she dances than before.
All because I’ve awakened her body. Turned her into a woman from a little girl.
Lana needed to learn that she had this in her.
It makes my heart swell knowing I’m the one who did that for her.
She shows me the routine and it’s a beautiful sight. The yearning in her eyes. The gracefulness of her limbs. The passion in her steps. It’s all there.
Once she finishes, she takes her bow.
I tilt her chin up. “Perfection.”
Lana
My heart is pounding as I step into the dance studio. Auditions are today and tomorrow night is my final dance for Swan Lake. Everything is happening so fast. Fortunately, Nikolai handled Svetlana so I don’t have to worry about her.
I can’t help but look over my shoulder though when I enter the studio, my eyes searching for Lev.
He hasn’t shown his face in weeks. Maria’s murder hits me all over again and I push it down.
Ana crosses my mind and finally, so does Claudia.
All the ballerinas that have died because of me in some way.
I shudder. Now is not the time to worry. Nikolai has everything handled. I don’t need to worry about anything except my dancing.
The room is quieter. Now that Claudia and Ana and Maria are gone, the room is more somber. Ekaterina hasn’t shown back up since she saw Ana’s dead body. I hope she got out of town for her own sake and isn’t lying in a grave somewhere. I haven’t had the heart to ask Nikolai about her disappearance.
None of the girls bully me. It’s refreshing for once. But it’s also… disappointing. I thrived on the chaos and competition the other girls gave me and now that’s all… gone.
Camille enters, clapping her hands. “All right girls. Let’s begin.”
We hold auditions one after the other. I’m the final one. My legs are shaking as I stand before Camille. Hold it together, I remind myself. Give it your all.
I suck in a breath as the music begins and dance like my life depends on it.
I jump and spin and do every move with beauty and grace and passion.
I don’t aim for perfection. Perfection didn’t get me anywhere before.
Today, I aim for storytelling in my body.
I use the passion Nikolai has awoken inside of me and fuse it into the dance. I become one with it.