My weekends were a combination of dancing, homework, and spending time with Lola. She’d taken to coming over on a Saturday afternoon after my dance session. Sometimes Brody came with her, sometimes Belle, but most of the time she came on her own. It hadn’t been planned, just something that kind of evolved over time. I was able to be open with Lola. I could tell her when I was having a bad day. I could tell her when I’d been plagued with nightmares the previous night. I could confide in her the same way I could with Asher.
And Asher.
Asher was still sleeping on the sofa. Time and time again I’d sat in the middle of his bed, trying to work myself up to walk down the stairs to tell him to come and get into bed with me…but I just couldn’t. I could never get my feet to work. I could never get my body to listen to what I thought I should have done. On the outside I may have looked okay—like I had all of my control back—but both Asher and I knew it wasn’t the truth. It was a facade I’d learned to put in place, but around him, I never had to have my guard up. And he was okay with it. At least, I thought he was.
I stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around my body, then headed into the bedroom. I didn’t have plans to go out today, so I brushed my hair and decided to let it air dry, then pulled on a pair of leggings and one of Asher’s T-shirts. They provided security but were also the comfiest things I’d ever worn.
I was just hanging the towel over the towel warmer in the bathroom when several knocks rang out. My heart raced for a second before I realized it was Lola. It was always my first reaction to panic, but I was starting to get better about it. I’d only wanted to hide for a split second instead of a couple of hours.
“Coming!” I shouted, then darted down the stairs. I leaned down and pushed the deadbolt on the bottom of the door aside, then the one at the top, and finally the two locks in the middle of the door. Asher had added extra security to his house, and although I knew it was to make me feel safer, neither he nor I mentioned it. It was simply something he did without us outwardly acknowledging it.
I pulled the door open with a smile on my face, but it soon dropped when I saw the two people standing in front of me. It wasn’t Lola, but it was a face I recognized. A face I would never forget from the night that haunted me.
“Hi, Elodie,” she greeted. “I don’t know if you remember me—”
“Jenette,” I croaked out. “You’re Jenette.”
“I am.” She held her hand out. “Also known as Officer Dellwater.” I glanced down at her hand, but my body was frozen in place. I hadn’t expected her to be on the other side of the door, and I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to react. Was I meant to ask her inside? Did I ask her why she was here? How did I do this? “This is a colleague of mine, Detective Oslo.” She waved her hand toward the plain-clothed detective. “Could we come in and talk?”
“I…” My gaze slide between the two of them. I trusted Jenette, but I had no idea who Detective Oslo was. And I hated to admit it but having a man I’d never met before in a confined space with me had my nerves on edge. He may have worked for the good guys, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t being irrational about things.
“We just want to update you on the case,” Detective Oslo said, his voice soft. “You can call someone to come and be with you if you’d prefer?” His kind brown eyes reminded me of Asher. “We can wait in the car until they turn up—”
“No.” I shook my head and pushed my shoulders back. I couldn’t shy away from this. I had to be able to be inside the house with someone without feeling like I was cornered. “It’s fine.” I stepped back. “Come in.” They both walked inside, and I closed the door behind me, hesitating to lock it like I normally did. If I needed to make a quick escape, I wouldn’t be able to, so for the sake of feeling like I could get out if I needed to, I only turned the middle two locks and not the top and bottom. “It’s just through there,” I told them both, pointing toward the door to the living room.
They moved through the doorway, and I halted for a second, needing to prepare myself for what they were going to say. I’d been given bits and pieces of information from Brody and the contacts he still had, but since making my statement, I hadn’t had any direct contact with the police.
I glanced at the front door one final time, closed my eyes briefly, then followed into the living room. They both stood in front of the sofa and I stepped behind the armchair, needing something between them and me. “Would you like a drink?”
“We’re good, thank you,” Detective Oslo said. “Can we sit?” I nodded, not sure I could get any more words out until they told me what they’d come to say. “We wanted to explain to you the process from here on out.”
“Brody said there’d be a trial?” I blurted out, thinking back to what he’d told me. The rape kit they’d taken at the hospital was the main portion of evidence, as well as the pictures and my statement. He also said the nurse who conducted it would most likely give a statement as well as the officers who had turned up that night. Would that include Jenette? Was she here because she’d been the one to take me to the hospital in the first place?
“Brody?” Detective Oslo asked, frowning at me and then Jenette.
“Brody Easton,” Jenette supplied for him. She smiled at me, then turned to face Detective Oslo. “Former head of the DEA office here.”
“Oh.” Detective Olso’s eyes widened and he slowly turned to face me. “Is Brody a friend of the family, or…?”
“He’s my boyfriend’s dad.” I felt my shoulders loosen the more I spoke. It was easier to talk about anything but what they were really here to tell me.
Detective Oslo blinked several times, almost as if I’d just told him he’d won a million dollars. Was he in shock? I frowned as I waited for him to say something else, and finally Jenette nudged him with her elbow. “Sorry.” He shook his head and cleared his throat. “I just…he was the reason I joined the force.” He chuckled as if he was reliving a memory. “My dad was one of his informants.” I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so kept my mouth shut, waiting for what else he was going to say. “Anyway.” He pushed his shoulders back, morphing into the detective who’d been standing at the front door moments ago. “We’re here to tell you about the case. The DA is taking it to trial. It’s set for May tenth.”
I mentally did the math in my head. We were already toward the end of January, so that meant it was only four months away. Four months until I’d have to confront Knox. Four months until all of this would be over—hopefully. “Okay.” I gripped on to the back of the armchair, digging my fingers into the soft leather. “Do I need to do anything?”
“The DA wants you to testify. She thinks the jury needs to hear what happened directly from you—”
“But,” Jenette interrupted, narrowing her eyes at the detective. “If you don’t think you can do it, they think they have enough evidence for a conviction.”
“I’ll do it,” I said without hesitation. I didn’t even need to think about it. If I was going to confront Knox, I was going to do it like this, in a controlled environment, where I’d be the one in control and not him.
“You can think it over,” Jenette said. “You don’t have to make the decision right now.”
“Will the case be stronger if I testify?”
“Yes,” Detective Oslo replied right away.
“Then I’ll do it.” I pulled in a sharp breath and placed my hand on my chest, trying to calm my racing heart. It’d be the final step I’d need to take. The last thing I’d need to do so this would all be over. “What happens now?”
“The DA will be in touch with you to set up a meeting. She’ll want to prepare you for what will happen on the day.” They both stood from the sofa and Detective Oslo continued, “In the meantime, the conditions of Knox’s bail remain in place. If he comes near you, you can call me directly.” Detective Oslo passed me his card. “Save that number in your cell so you can reach me anytime. I’m in charge of your case, so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to
call me.”
I stared down at the card, reading the number several times, then nodded. “Okay.” There was a second of awkward silence, then they walked out of the living room and to the front door. Jenette stared at the locks, reached out and undid them, then smiled back at me. She didn’t need to say anything to know why there were so many, and I didn’t need to explain. It was an unspoken understanding not many people comprehended.
“Take care of yourself, Elodie,” Jenette said as she exited the house.
“I will,” I murmured, following behind them. As soon as they were both outside, I closed the door, put all the locks back in place, and pressed my back against the door. I felt like I was exhausted but also full of energy all at the same time. I hadn’t expected that to happen, but I should have known they’d turn up. No matter how much I tried to take the steps to move forward, there would always be the final one: seeing Knox in court.
But as I leaned against the door, I realized there was something else I needed to do before that. Each hurdle I’d jumped over got me closer to the finish line: coming back to town, going outside alone, driving my car, dancing in the studio. But there were still other things I hadn’t faced yet.
I hadn’t gone back into Pink Feather. I hadn’t plucked up the courage to let Asher touch me like he did before all of this. And as soon as I thought those two things, I knew what I had to do. I’d held myself back. I’d focused on just making it through another day. But now I was faced with the final thing I had to do—I had to confront what was the scariest.
All it would take were a few texts and a couple of hours organizing, but I had to do it. For me, and for Asher.
ASHER
Elodie: Meet me at Pink Feather at 5.
I frowned down at the message and looked at the time in the corner of my screen. 2:47 p.m. The message had come through almost two hours ago, but I hadn’t seen it because I’d been tattooing my second client for the day. And now that I’d had a free thirty minutes until my last client of the day, I’d managed to check my cell.
Asher: Why? Is everything okay?
It was only seconds until I had a reply back.
Elodie: Everything is perfect. See you at 5.
I wasn’t sure what to say back to that. We hadn’t talked about her returning to work because I hadn’t realized it was an option in her mind. But now I was confronted with the reality that she could go back to dancing at Pink Feather. I wouldn’t stop her—I’d never stop her doing anything she wanted to do—but that didn’t mean I liked the fact she was taking her clothes off for other people to look at her. I was conflicted, not knowing how to feel about it. I wanted her to feel the strength it took to be able to get up on that stage, but I wanted to be the only person she did it for. I wanted to be the only man who got to see the way her curves moved to the beat of the music. I wanted to be the only one who got to stare at her silky-smooth skin knowing I’d get to touch it.
Fuck. I couldn’t stop thinking about how she’d look on the stage. We hadn’t done more than kiss since we’d been at the lake house, not that I was complaining because I knew she needed to take her time. She had to do things at her own pace, but that didn’t mean I hadn’t imagined touching her in every single way possible.
“You okay, boss?” Mav called, and I whipped my head up to face him where he was cleaning up my station and getting it ready for my next client. His brow was raised, waiting for me to answer him.
“Yeah. All good.” I pushed my cell back into the front pocket of my jeans and tried to concentrate on what I needed to do for the next couple of hours. I printed off several sizes of the tattoo I’d drawn, and once the client had arrived, he chose the size he wanted, and then I got to work.
My mind swirled with possibilities as to why Elodie wanted me to meet her at the strip club, but none of them made sense. The club didn’t open until seven, so why did she want me to meet her there at five? Was there a special early dance? Was she taking part in it if there was? I couldn’t wrap my head around it, not while I was tattooing, not while I was driving from the shop to Pink Feather, and not even when I pulled up outside and saw nothing but a lone motorcycle parked in front of the doors with Jax leaning against the seat.
I pulled into the first open spot and sauntered toward him, both apprehensive and excited about what was about to go down.
Jax raised his brows and crossed his arms over his chest. “Long time no see,” he greeted.
“I saw you yesterday,” I quipped back. He’d been coming around the shop less and less lately, but I had a feeling it was because of his new girlfriend—a girlfriend he’d yet to introduce us to. We hadn’t spoken about what had happened that night, but I knew he’d been to see Elodie before he’d come to see me, and I was okay with that. She was like a little sister to him. We’d picked up right where we’d left off, along with a few choice words and a promise that if Elodie wanted to get rid of a certain someone, he would make it happen no questions asked.
He shrugged and flung his leg over the seat of his bike. “I can go now that you’re here.”
“Why am I here?” I asked, halting in front of his bike as he turned the engine on. He made a motion as if he was zipping his lips and clipped his helmet in place. “Dick,” I grunted out.
“Door’s open. Might wanna lock it behind you, though.” He threw a key at me and winked as if he knew something I didn’t. What the hell was going on? “Staff starts coming in at six, so you’re gonna wanna be quick.”
“What?”
He revved his bike, knocked on the top of his helmet, then sped out of the lot, kicking up gravel as he went. I still didn’t have any idea what I was doing here, but I was determined to find out, so I pulled the door open and walked inside.
The lights were down but utter silence rang out. “Elodie?” I called out, the sound echoing, but after several seconds and no answer, I stepped forward, then remembered what Jax said about locking the door. My heart sped up as I locked it and pushed the key into my pocket with my cell.
Then music rang out into the club.
I halted in the middle of the room, my muscles locking into place. I knew that song. I knew the beats better than any other rhythm. It was the same song that had played when I’d first seen her on that stage all that time ago. My body knew what was about to happen before my brain did, but I still didn’t move from my spot, not until the light on the stage flashed and Elodie appeared.
Her steps were wobbly at first, but once she made it to the edge of the stage, her confidence was in full swing, her attention only on me as she curled her finger, beckoning me to come closer. I was a moth to a flame, helpless to stay away from her.
“Elodie,” I murmured as I stepped closer, but I wasn’t sure she could hear me over the music playing. I tried to keep my attention on her face, but the lure to stare at her body was too consuming. Her feet were bare, just like they always were, but the lace garters attached to stockings had my mouth salivating. They led up to a black lace thong, and finally a bralette which left little to the imagination. “Fuck.”
She crouched down in front of me, bringing her face level with mine. She closed the distance between us, and my cock hardened. “Come join me on stage,” she whispered, her breath fanning across my neck.
I shivered, feeling every hair on my body stand on end. “Sweetheart.” I reached for her, but she stood, not letting me touch her, and fuck if it didn’t make me want her even more. I hadn’t seen her like this for so long, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed it.
She bit down on her bottom lip, waiting for me, and I didn’t hesitate as I jumped up onto the stage. Her eyes widened at my move, but she soon concealed her surprise and pointed at the chair a couple of feet away. I moved toward it, not taking my gaze off her. She was addicting. Alluring. Captivating.
My body tingled as I sat down, and I swallowed as she took two steps toward me, each one moving to the rhythm of the music. The song changed, the beats slow, and she swayed her hips in time with t
hem. It was something so simple, but I’d never seen anything so damn sexy in my entire life.
Her hand reached down to one of her garters and she rolled it down her leg with the stocking, pushing her ass in the air and giving me the perfect view of her body. She repeated it on her other leg and discarded the garters and stockings on the stage, leaving just her lace bra and thong. I couldn’t look away as she danced close to me, then backed up several steps. She was teasing me with her body, but it was her eyes that held me in a trance. She was confident in each of her moves, and it was more attractive than any dance she could ever have done for me.
She pushed my legs open and stood between them, dropping a kiss on the side of my neck and then blowing on it. And it was that move that sealed the deal for me. I couldn’t take not touching her any longer, so I grasped her hips and yanked her against me.
“Fuck, sweetheart.” I swallowed, trying to hold everything back. I wanted to tell her how turned on I was. I wanted to slam my lips down onto hers. I wanted to—
“Take me home,” she whispered, her voice a breathy moan.
“Home?” I stared at her, making sure she meant what I thought she did. “Now?”
Her chest heaved, her pert nipples moving against the thin material of her bra. “Yeah.” She nodded as if she needed to push the point home. “Right now.”
I wrapped my arms around her waist and crushed her to my body as I stood. I didn’t wait for her to say another thing as I darted down the side steps of the stage, leaving the music playing over the system as I practically ran toward the main door.
Her laughter echoed around us, and I couldn’t help but grin at the sound. It had been so long since I’d heard the sound, and I knew then why she’d done this.
Deep Burn: (Asher & Elodie: Easton Family Saga) (Burned Duet Book 2) Page 16