“Does that happen a lot?” Kingston asked.
“Most dancers can dance through the pain of minor injuries, but sometimes you have to take time off. And it sucks.” I finished lacing up and stood, hoping that would give Kingston the signal that it was time for him to go. It didn’t.
One of Kingston’s buddies came in the studio with us. “You gonna learn how to dance, King?”
Kingston laughed. “Fuck off, Ali. I already got moves you can’t compete with.” He shimmied across the dance floor, and I rolled my eyes.
“Why don’t you guys do a little bit of a workout with me?” I suggested sweetly. I wouldn’t mind making them suffer through rounds of pliés and relevés.
Ali leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “Let’s see you prance like a ballerina, King.”
I smiled at Kingston. “Developing your thigh muscles is important for hockey players, right?”
I was satisfied when I saw a flash of curiosity in Kingston’s eyes, and he followed me to the barre. I demonstrated a demi plié once in front of him and was surprised when he watched me intently but didn’t make any smart comments. I helped position his feet and corrected his posture before I let him try it. He made a face after attempting to get it right a few more times.
“I’d rather do squats,” he complained.
I chuckled, but after he wrapped me in a bear hug, squeezed the life out of me, and then messed up my bun, he left the room without issues. I hated to say it, but Kingston was starting to become almost tolerable. I was learning more about him and getting used to the way he spoke without having a filter. Yeah, he could be offensive sometimes, but he was always honest, and I never had to guess what he was thinking - unlike his dark-haired brother. I glanced over in Maverik’s direction to see that he was watching me in the mirror. That wasn’t a surprise. I tried to banish all the guys from my thoughts and get back to what was important.
I only had ten minutes of peace before Maverik materialized in my studio.
“Are you here to interrogate me about my day with your father?” I asked with some extra snark in my voice.
“I already heard all about it,” Maverik said casually as he leaned against the wall.
“Whatever,” I said with a shrug.
“We need to talk,” Maverik told me seriously.
I took a drink of water so I could have a moment to think about my response. The smart thing to do would be to play nice with him, but I was way past that.
“Are you going to accuse me of sleeping with your brother again? Or maybe your dad?”
Maverik’s gaze never wavered from my own. “What do you know about the guy who attacked you outside the office?”
“Attacked?” I scoffed. “He took a selfie with me.”
Maverik rolled his eyes. “Please tell me you aren’t that naïve.”
“I’m not stupid,” I huffed at him. “Are you here to tell me that I should be grateful security intervened? That he would have dragged me off into the bushes to rape me?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “You need to realize that not everyone is as bad as you think they are. He might have had an ulterior motive, but it was probably something stupid, like trying to get my phone number. Not every guy out there thinks I’m completely hideous, you know.”
Maverik chuckled, but there was an edge of darkness to it. “You need to wake up and realize that the only good you see in some people is purely your imagination. You can’t bury your head in the sand and pretend there isn’t evil in this world. You can’t trust most people, even if they do say all the right things.”
“Are we talking about my mom now?” I asked sarcastically. “Because I already know she’s a snake – I’ll never trust anything she says.”
Maverik’s eyes softened for just a second, and I wondered what thought had crossed his mind so briefly. “I’m here to talk about my dad,” he said quietly. “Your mom is messed up in some shit that I don’t want anywhere near my family.”
My brow furrowed. “Like what?”
Maverik looked at me thoughtfully. “I know you were worrying about the mafia following you when you were in NY.”
“What?” I spluttered. The only person I had talked to about that was Ryan. I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“You spoke with Ryan?” I asked in a whisper.
Ryan and I had been best friends for over ten years. He’d never betray my trust to a guy he knew I hated. A guy who I thought we both hated.
“What did you do?” I asked angrily. “Did you threaten him? Hurt him?”
Maverik just watched me calmly. “I didn’t need to. All it took was a duffle bag full of money. I’m surprised he never told you - it was quite some time ago.”
My legs started to shake, and I sat down on the floor. “I don’t believe you.”
“I highly recommend choosing your confidants more carefully,” Maverik told me with the slightest hint of pity in his voice.
His pity just made me angry, and I glared at him. “I want you to stay away from Ryan.”
“My father can’t get mixed up in mafia shit,” Maverik warned me as he crouched beside me. “He’s a terrible father, but he’s changing the world for the better. He can’t afford to have the shadow of criminal activity threaten the progress that he’s made.”
“Or threaten your billion-dollar inheritance?” I said sharply.
Maverik’s eyes shuttered, and he stood. “Think about it. You’re either with me or against me.”
