Page 26 of Sacred Sin

I could tell him everything.

I could tell him why I’d really left.

Tell him about the fear. The impossible choice. The secret I’d carried for twelve years.

For one reckless moment, I wanted to.

I wanted him to know that there had never been anyone else. That every road I’d taken had somehow led me back to him and Marko.

But the truth wouldn’t heal anything.

The truth would only open old wounds and drag us back to a place I’d spent years trying to forget.

I swallowed hard.

No.

Some things were better left buried. “I left because I met someone else.”

I knew my answer was not what he expected, and it was a lie. There was never anyone else, could never be anyone but he and Marko, but I wasn’t ready to speak the truth and the idea of me wanting to be with another man would put an end to the questioning.

This moment, this truth, would close the life I’d known, and most likely kill all hope I’d carried in my heart that one day they’d forgive me, and we’d start again. The Vitale men were all Doms and held onto what they felt was theirs. By perpetuating a lie about another man, I would be closing the chapter on the life I’d known with them, the life I wanted to rekindle, because I very much doubted Gio would forgive me leaving them for another.

But at least I’d kept them from going to war and possibly dying. Letting them think I’d cheated on them and been into someone else may forever destroy anything salvageable between us, but it was better than the alternative.

Chapter 10

Marko

I’d been busy for hours getting the ballet company settled in one of the Vitale hotels. We’d all just arrived at the I-Rock theater. The corps were making immediate use of the changing wing below the stage to throw on their practice garb and get ready for rehearsal. Meanwhile, Sergei, the facility manager, and I were touring the theater and setting up our men at various posts and entrances.

My phone’s ringtone startled me and I frowned at the screen before answering. Gio.

“Tell me you didn’t know.” He spoke before I could get out a greeting or ask what he wanted, but his words made no sense. He sounded wounded… what was he on about?

“Know what? Has this got something to do with Niki?”

He paused and his clipped response told me he had indeed learned something.

“I’m making Amergio her driver and moving the soldiers’ responsibilities to make Remo her personal guard. Send him to me so the two of them can escort her to you.”

“I thought you were bringing her, and what do you mean ‘did I know’?”

He sighed. “I’m gonna take that as a no. I’ll tell you later at the club. In the meantime, get her detail set up and ensure she has a guard at her dressing room around the clock.”

I was about to ask why when he cut the call.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket with a frown, not sure what had happened, or what any of it meant. All I knew was something had raised his hackles and this sudden change regarding Niki meant he was segregating himself from the situation and didn’t want to share why, not even with me.

An hour later Niki entered the theater. Her smile was locked in place, but her eyes told another story. Whatever had happened, she was wrung out, exhausted from her confrontation with Gio and avoiding eye contact with me.

Right on her heels was Remo, a huge enforcer that had been part of Vincent Vitale’s detail before he’d passed. He was the same age as Romeo and had been part of the Vitale’s inner circle since his teen years. His huge frame was almost comical next to the tiny ballerina, but the others appeared intimidated, except several of the male dancers who appeared to be discussing the size of his penis.

“Dancers,” I muttered under my breath.

Remo followed Niki to the front of the stage, his eyes constantly roaming for danger as she and Sergei spoke. When it came time for rehearsal, the two of them disappeared backstage along with Han, to get changed. Half an hour later, Niki and Han took the stage to practice a duet.

Without an audience to perform for, you could see the animosity between the two lead dancers. Han had been on my suspect list since the beginning, but there was no evidence to prove he had anything to do with the threats Niki had been receiving. He’d been with her when most of the so-called accidents occurred. Despite coming off as a total prick and a complete show-off, it was unlikely he was the threat looming over Niki.