*****
Chase watched several expressions pass over Sabrina’s face as she seemed to slowly understand the point he was trying to make. He had a feeling that she’d grown attached enough to Liz and Jayson that the idea of Liz being hurt would open her heart to some empathy, and was relieved to see it working.
“What happened, Sabrina?” he asked gently.
Instantly, she looked down and bit her lip. He reached out and tipped her head up. “Remember how you were just feeling? Jayson is feeling that way about you right now.” As am I. She tried to shake her head, but Chase wouldn’t let her. “He is. He cares a great deal about you. So does Liz. They’re very worried about you. If you tell me what’s going on, I will do everything in my power to help you.”
He saw the hesitation in her eyes. He knew she wanted to tell him, but something held her back. It made his heart ache to see the fear in her eyes. “Can you tell me what will happen if you do tell me?” It was a roundabout way of getting information, but maybe if he could allay her fears of what might happen, he could get her to tell him what was going on.
Sabrina brought her knees to her chest and hugged them as she looked past him toward the window. He released her chin and she continued to be silent for a few more moments. He knew he had to be patient. She was on the verge of opening up, so he remained silent and still, not wanting to give her a chance to be distracted by him.
“The other dancers . . . ,” she whispered after several minutes of silence, tears filling her eyes. “He promised he’d stay away from them if I . . . If I kept my promise.”
Chase took a deep breath to keep himself calm. He had a suspicion of what was going on, just needing confirmation. “Aiden?”
Sabrina nodded.
More deep breaths. “What would he do to them?”
She hesitated again, opening and closing her mouth several times. “I can handle the kinds of things he likes,” she whispered. “They can’t.”
Chase’s heart started pounding in his chest. “What does he like?” He didn’t really want to know, but knew he needed to ask.
Sabrina shuddered, still staring out the window. “He likes to be rough.”
He swallowed. “So he told you if you did what you promised, he’d only do it to you and stay away from the other dancers?”
She nodded.
“What did he do to you?” he asked in a low voice.
“I can’t.”
Chase reached out and took one of her small hands in his. It was something he’d wanted to do for so long, albeit under completely different circumstances. “Sabrina, look at me.” He waited until her green gaze was focused on his face. “I swear to you, if you tell me what happened, he will not touch so much as a single hair on any of the other dancers’ heads.” He kept his voice soft, but he hoped the slight growl would reinforce his words. And he meant every word. He would kill Aiden before he let him touch Sabrina or anyone else again.
Her eyes widened and she pressed her lips together as tears filled her eyes. Then her lower lip began to tremble. “How can you promise such a thing?”
Chase winced at her use of the word promise. Did she blame him for her capture? Was that why she didn’t want to be around him? Because he’d failed to keep the promise he’d made to her that night on the yacht? “Sabrina . . .” He swallowed hard. “I know I didn’t find you after you were taken. I’m so sorry.” His voice cracked. “I tried everything I could to find you. I know I failed you then, but I will not do it again.” He set his jaw and prayed she’d believe him. Never before had he felt like such a failure as he did at that moment. No wonder she didn’t trust him. He looked down at the bed and closed his eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
A cool hand cupped his cheek. He looked up and saw her looking at him, her brows drawn together. She wasn’t hugging her legs to her chest anymore. “How could I possibly blame you for what happened to me?” she asked. “The memory of you kept me from going insane.” She gave him a tiny smile and his heart melted.
“Really?” he croaked.
She nodded “Really.”
He smiled. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered, squeezing her hand.
Sabrina looked away again and his heart fell.
“Please, tell me what happened with Aiden. I will make sure it never happens again.”
She stared at her quilt for a long time before she finally began telling him what had happened since she’d met Aiden. As she spoke, his anger grew. Chase was ready to rip off Aiden’s cock and choke him with it, especially after she told him what had happened the previous night. But he used every ounce of training and discipline to remain calm. He couldn’t let her think he was angry because his gut told him she would assume his anger was directed at her, and that was the last thing he wanted.
“Do you hate me?” she whispered when she finished.
He stood and sat on the bed next to her, cupping her cheek. “Why on earth would you think I hated you?”
“Because of what I did. Because I let him use me like that.”
Chase studied her face. Her eyes were wide. She was waiting for his judgment, but he had none to give. How could he after what she went through? “Sabrina, you are the most amazing woman I’ve ever had the privilege to know.” Her mouth dropped open. He wanted to encourage her, even as he corrected her. “You are so brave to have done that for the other dancers,” he whispered. She blinked rapidly. “But I wish you would have told someone so you didn’t get hurt. No one should treat you like that.” He stroked her cheek. “And you don’t have to do it anymore.” He was going to beat Aiden within an inch of his life and threaten to torture him to death if he ever treated another woman like he had Sabrina. “Do you believe me?”
Sabrina nodded. Chase sighed in relief.
“Will you do something for me?” he asked, standing. She nodded again. “I want you to go take a long shower, then crawl into bed and sleep for as long as you need to.”
She smiled slightly, even as relief showed on her face. “I think I can do that.”
Chase beamed at her. He knew demi-Immortals needed sleep in order to heal. She would feel much better if she got a good night’s sleep. “Good girl.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
She nodded and smiled even more, making his heart swell in his chest.
“Thank you for telling me what happened.”
*****
Sabrina watched Chase walk out of her bedroom. She felt lighter. And safer than she had in a long time. Doubts about what she’d done threatened to creep in, but the relief she felt outweighed those. She stood and started gathering her things for a shower, then walked out of her room toward the bathroom. Chase, Jayson, and another man she didn’t know stood in the kitchen talking, but stopped when they saw her. Jayson beamed at her and she smiled back before disappearing into the bathroom.
She was exhausted and couldn’t think straight anymore. The shower and sleep beckoned.
Chapter Thirty-Three
As he walked back into the living room, Chase was torn between delight that Sabrina opened up to him and anger at what Aiden had done.
“That took a while,” Ethan commented. “Everything okay?”
Chase nodded. “She talked to me.” He beamed briefly, then began to tell them what he’d learned, only pausing when Sabrina peeked into the room on her way to the bathroom. By the end of the story, both men were riled up. Jayson looked furious. Ethan’s fists were clenched, which told Chase he was ready to fight.
“We have to tell Martin!” Jayson exclaimed, reaching for his phone.
Chase reached out to stop him. “I was going to go over and talk to him about it in person.” His eyes narrowed. “And then, believe me, I will speak directly to Aiden.”
“Speak?” Ethan growled.
Chase glanced at his friend. Et
han was a very laid-back guy. Not a lot got him riled up. Texas born and bred, he took everything in stride and rarely showed excessive emotions. Chase saw the fire burning in his eyes now, though. He glanced at Jayson. “We’ll take care of it, Jayson.”
“She’s my friend, too,” he protested. “I’ve watched the whole fucking thing while you weren’t here.”
“Do you really want to see what we do to guys like him?” Chase asked, eyebrow raised. Chase and Ethan were the unofficial protectors of the dancers. A few years ago, one of the corps dancers had been raped as she walked home. They’d hunted the attacker down and took care of him.
Jayson hesitated. “Are you going to kill him?”
“No.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Depends on how much convincing he needs to realize his wrongs.”
Beating up a movie star probably wasn’t the best idea in the world, but Chase was ready to do whatever it took to get him out of Boston and away from Sabrina.
*****
“That’s why she was acting the way she was, Martin. She was exhausted.”
Chase had watched Martin’s face as he explained what had been going on with Sabrina for the last week and a half. Many expressions had crossed the older man’s face, but anger was the most prominent one. Chase’s training was the only thing that kept him planted in the chair, rather than demanding Aiden’s address and ripping the man apart. Ethan sat silently next to him, ready and willing to help Chase out with that task.
Martin leaned back in his chair, frowning. “I wish I’d known what was going on,” he said after a few minutes of silence. “How could I have missed this?”
“How did her former ballet director miss it? I think she’s been thoroughly trained to not let anyone know what is going on in her life. Even Jayson and Liz had no idea. Claims of tiredness can cover a lot.”
“I feel awful.” Martin sighed. “I feel like I’ve failed her. She escaped an awful place back home, only to end up in a similar situation here. And right under my nose.”
“Did you know Aiden was an abusive asshole?”
“Not at all. I always consider the reputations of the guests I bring in. Yes, he makes his rounds wherever he goes, but that’s normal for someone of his caliber.” He rolled his eyes. “The dancers get around, too, even if only with the donors.”
Chase cleared his throat, knowing what Martin was implying. He’d gone out with his fair share of dancers over the years. How could he not? He was Jayson’s best friend and was around them a lot. They practically threw themselves at him whenever he was around. “I’ve always made it clear that I wasn’t looking for a relationship,” he mumbled.
Martin chuckled. “I know. They don’t always listen, so I can’t fault you for that.” He tilted his head. “I suspect there will be no more random ballerinas in your life anymore, though, eh?”
Chase couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face. Ethan chuckled. He scowled at his friend, then shrugged. “I think we’re off to a good start with her talking to me this afternoon.”
Martin nodded. “Good. She obviously needs someone like you who can watch out for her.” He shook his head. “I still—” He sighed. “Aiden was doing a great job. I have to find a replacement. I won’t let him stay.”
Chase nodded. “I’m sorry this happened. If you can find the replacement, I’ll gladly take care of the son of a bitch.”
“Don’t maim him too badly,” Martin warned. “You don’t want the publicity that would come along with it.”
Martin had a point. If Chase beat him as much as he wanted to, the media would be all over this, and lots of things could go wrong if that happened. Exposure like that wouldn’t be good for his career, not to mention if someone from Sabrina’s past saw her.
He glanced at Ethan. “Maybe just a good threatening?”
Ethan frowned and nodded. “Probably best.”
Chase looked at Martin. “You want to fire him while I’m here? I’ll make sure he leaves and never returns.”
Martin nodded. “With pleasure.”
Within the hour, Aiden strode into Martin’s office. Chase and Ethan leaned along the side wall and watched impassively as the actor settled into the chair across from the ballet director. Aiden looked both men up and down without interest, then turned back to Martin. “What’s going on?”
Martin leaned back in his chair casually and tented his fingers. “I understand that you and Sabrina are seeing each other.”
Aiden’s eyebrows twitched before his face smoothed into an expression of bored curiosity. “Did she tell you that?”
“No.” Martin kept his face polite, but let the silence stretch on until Aiden spoke again.
The actor rolled his eyes. “The first night we met, she approached me and I agreed to have dinner with her.” He shrugged. “One thing led to another . . . I told her I wasn’t interested in a relationship and she seemed okay with it. We’ve gone out a few times, but that’s it. If she thinks this is some sort of long-term thing, I’m not sure where she got that idea. I’ve been honest from the start.”
Chase felt his blood pressure increase at his words, but kept his demeanor and expression blank. Men like this usually walked into their own traps. It was just a matter of guiding them toward the hole.
“So, she approached you?” Martin asked.
Aiden nodded.
“You didn’t offer her a ride home after rehearsal?”
Aiden looked thoughtful. “Maybe I did. I don’t really remember.”
Martin frowned. “Do you know why she’s been so tired this week?”
Aiden laughed. “How would I know that?”
“She wasn’t with you?”
He shrugged. “Maybe a night or two.”
Ethan tensed slightly. Chase could tell his friend detested the guy as much as he did. It really was too bad he was an actor. It would be a delight to rid him of the arrogance displayed all over his face. But he couldn’t risk the exposure.
“Who are these guys?” Aiden asked in a quiet voice, nodding toward where Chase and Ethan stood.
Martin tilted his head. “They came to me with an interesting story about you and Sabrina. I just wanted to find out the truth.”
“What did you hear?” Aiden asked, lifting his chin in utter arrogance.
Chase looked at Martin for approval before speaking. “That you had entered into some sort of ‘arrangement’ of sexual slavery with her. In return, you’d stay away from the other dancers.”
Aiden’s face paled slightly before he found his composure. “Hey, I can’t help it if she likes the kinky stuff.”
Chase straightened to his full height and glowered at the other man. “So you’re saying this was all her idea?”
Aiden’s face paled a bit more. His fear made Chase smile internally. “Well, no . . . I mean, she offered—”
“Did you intimidate her into it?”
“Why? What did she tell you?”
Martin reached for his cell phone and looked apologetic. “I’m sorry. I have to take this.” He stood an exited the room. Aiden turned his head and watched him leave, his mouth hanging open. When the door closed, he turned back to Chase and Ethan, blinking and swallowing.
Chase smiled, but not kindly. “It doesn’t matter what she told me. It only matters what you tell me.” He clenched his fists and stepped forward. Ethan straightened from his casual stance against the wall, changing instantly from laid-back Ethan to I’ll-kill-you Ethan. It was quite dramatic.
Chase circled around him and sat on the edge of the chair next to him. “Tell you what. If you tell me the truth, I’ll consider going easy on you.”
Aiden’s face was as pale as milk, showing light-brown freckles that normally remained hidden. Then he began talking. It was mostly what Chase had learned from Sabrina, though Aiden
watered it down somewhat, probably out of self-preservation.
“I didn’t want to,” Aiden choked at the end. “I had to.”
Chase stared at the man. “What?” he asked sharply.
Aiden looked at him, his eyes wide. “I don’t know why. I just had to do it. I didn’t want to.”
Chase frowned, his eyes narrowed. “I don’t understand.”
“I had to do it.”
“Did someone make you?”
Aiden looked confused for a moment. Chase looked up at Ethan, who also looked confused. What the hell is going on?
Aiden closed his eyes, almost as if he were in pain. “Someone . . .” He winced, then groaned, burying his face in his hands. “I don’t know,” he said, his voice muffled. “I just had to do it.” He looked up at Chase, his eyes red, wide, and full of confusion. “I don’t know.”
Chase looked up at Ethan, who shook his head and raised his eyebrows. Then he studied Aiden. The man looked sincerely confused. That didn’t matter right now, though. “You need to leave Boston, tonight, and never return. If I hear that you are anywhere near Sabrina again . . .” Chase grabbed Aiden’s collar and gave him an icy stare. He lowered his voice. “I will kill you. Very slowly and very painfully.”
Aiden nodded, almost hysterically, as he backed his chair away, flipping it over as he stood. He tripped over the chair and hit the door frame before managing to leave the office.
As the actor disappeared, Chase let out a breath and looked at Ethan.
“What the hell was that about?” Ethan asked, righting the chair and sitting down in it.
“I have no idea,” Chase said, shaking his head. “Maybe I should ask Richard about it tonight.”
“I thought you didn’t want to go.”
“I don’t. I just want to sleep in my own bed for more than a handful of hours. But weird shit is kind of Richard’s specialty. Maybe he’ll have some insight.”
Martin returned a few minutes later. “Aiden was very apologetic as he left, but also quite distressed,” he said, sitting down in his chair. “What did you do?”
Master of My Heart Page 24