Page 8

I processed the information she’d shared and couldn’t hold back the flame of jealousy that licked my anger to a new level. “Sergei is…?”

I could see that my tone was making her nervous. Her tell was when her eyelashes fluttered quickly. Gio and I thought we’d rid her of that a long time ago, yet here it was.

“He’s the old man who runs the company I dance for,” she answered, a bit smugly.

I nodded. “And you’re sure it’s not him?”

Niki frowned, seemed to think about it, then nodded firmly. “It’s not Sergei. He adores me, and I trust him completely.”

“What about another performer? There is a lot of jealousy in your industry.”

A cute little frown formed between her brows. She was the same, although thinner. Niki was so slim that if she hadn’t been all muscle, I would have thought she suffered from anorexia. But I knew what ballet dancers existed on. We’d fought her on it constantly in the past.

Not long after coming to our school, Niki auditioned for the performing arts program. Gio and I had sat in the back of the auditions. He had a lot of pull for a student and no one could keep him out of a place if he wanted to be there. Niki had done a dance performance that had us both hard in our pants. She was so sexy, and still was, even as slim as she was now. She was in incredible shape and all I wanted to do was run my hands over every curve. To keep my fingers from touching her, I tapped them against my thigh.

“Tell me about the people who are at the studio when you are at rehearsal.” I moved her off my lap, and while she gave me the rundown, I looked around the living space for any clue the cops may have missed. I’d interrupt her from time to time with questions, more to keep her focused than anything else. She seemed to think no one at the studio could have done it, but I wasn’t so sure.

“Why do you think the threat wasn’t from someone you worked with?”

She sighed and rubbed her thighs. “Because this is my last performance. I’m retiring after the show finishes its run. If this was a disgruntled dancer, they should be thrilled I’ll soon be out of their way.”

She had a point.

“Have you always lived here?”

“Oh gosh, no! For ages, I lived with three other dancers in a crowded flat. There was zero privacy there. A donor sponsored me and provided enough money annually for me to have my own flat, and transportation costs covered to and from work.”

“How long ago?”

“About eight months ago. Usually, we meet potential sponsors at galas after performances, but I’ve never met mine and have no idea who they are.”

That was probably the best place to start, although it made absolutely no sense. Why would someone reach out and assist a financially struggling ballerina, only to then make death threats? My search brought zero results, however. Whoever they were, I wasn’t ruling out that this was professional.

The flower scenarios had been going on for months and no one, not even security, had seen anything. Either they were Casper the Friendly Ghost, or this person had enough IT skills to make themselves vanish.

“Tell me you took a photo of the note.”

Niki handed me her phone and I scanned over the words, trying to keep a lid on my anger. I didn’t want to scare her any more than she already was, but there was no way she could stay here alone, and I couldn’t stay here with her. I had clubs I was responsible for back home. Obligations that couldn’t be ignored. Whoever this person was, they were either so tightly wrapped in the company that no one would suspect them, or they were a professional. Despite wishing it was the former, my gut told me this was the work of someone who knew exactly what they were doing.

Regardless of this person’s intention, I would ensure they never hurt my girl again.

My girl? I chastised myself. How could I look at her as mine when she’d left without a trace, breaking mine and Gio’s hearts? I would help her, but I would keep my heart under lock and key.

Niki absently worried at her lower lip with her teeth. It took me back to when she came to school with bruises on her body, and we’d confronted her. She’d done the same thing with her lip. I took her hands in mine with a gentleness I didn’t feel but knew I needed to offer her.

“Don’t worry, tesorina, I will protect you.”

She released her lip, her large eyes glazed over, as she gazed at me with an all-too-familiar hunger. How I wished we were meeting under different circumstances.

“I need you to pack everything you need for a few months.”

“Months!” she yelled in complete panic. “I have a show in six weeks, Marko! I can’t just leave!” She jumped to her feet and stomped through the limited space mumbling under her breath about making the wrong call and who does he think he is anyway?

I’d had enough, and whirled her around, holding her upper arms in a firm grip. “This isn’t some game, Niki! Someone wants you dead. Do you understand? Are you willing to die for your career? Because if you don’t take this threat seriously, that is exactly what’s going to happen.” I couldn’t help giving her a little shake to emphasize the importance of my words.

Tears quickly filled her beautiful almond eyes and slid down her cheeks. “I don’t want to die, that’s why I called you.”

I’d always hated seeing her cry and now was no different. I tugged her against me, and she buried her face against my diaphragm, clinging to me like her life depended on it.