“Thank you, Mr. Bond. Sadly, it is not over at all. He will be waiting for me when I return.” I wiped my face with my sleeve. “And he will be angrier than just now.”
“I can help you, if you want my help.” Bond patted the bench seat next to him. “How long has he been mistreating you?”
“I have been with the troupe for a ten years. He has always been awful to everyone.” I sat next to him. “Thank you for your help.”
“I’m available to help you get away from him. All you have to do is ask.” Bond stood. “Come on, your friends are waiting for you.”
“My friends?” I looked up at him. “I do not have friends. I only have co-dancers and we are all miserable.”
“Not the dancers, the Hawthornes, and they are great friends to have.” He nodded for me to follow him. “Think about what I said.”
Murphy was waiting when we turned the corner. Murphy ran up to me and grabbed me in an embrace. I didn’t understand this kind of affection. I’d never had it, not even from my parents.
“Murphy, what is happening?” I stepped out of her embrace.
“We have been noticing how badly Yury treats you and the others. I, for one, was very worried about you tonight.” Murphy still held my hands. “Let us help you.”
“Who is this ‘us’?” I looked from Bond to Murphy. “You cannot help me when I must go back to the troupe. He will be waiting.”
“Ah, Sabrina, I see you have met Mr. Bond.” Victoria Hawthorne came from behind the curtain with Cota. “He is a very good person to know.”
I looked around the small space at four sets of eyes watching me. I was positive they had no idea what kind of trouble I was about to be in because of their interference. I had no choice but to return to the hotel and take what was coming from Yury.
“Sabrina, I think perhaps it’s time for you to think hard about what you want,” Victoria said. “Just say the word and we can take you away from this where he will never get to you again.”
“If I do that then all my years of training to be a lead dancer was for nothing.” I looked to the floor to hide my tears. “My family will feel disgraced. They will not want me back.”
“Do you want to go back?”
“Not really, but it Is my homeland and, besides, I have nowhere else.” I jumped when a door slammed. “He has come back for me.”
Yury had in fact come back. He was throwing things and yelling for me.
“Victoria, you and Murphy will take Sabrina out the front to your limo when I give you a signal.” Bond said. “Cota, you will make sure they make it to the car.”
“I can stay here to help you,” Cota replied.
“I appreciate that, son, but I don’t need any help and it would be best if you weren’t involved.” Bond took his coat off then gave the signal to Victoria then looked back to Cota. “Go on. I’ll be fine.”
Before I could say anything, I was being hurried along through the VIP room full of guests and out the front door. Cota and Murphy jumped in the car with me and, like that, we were driving away.
ChapterSixteen
COTA
We sat in silence in the limo. The driver whisked us away like something out of a movie. I found myself wanting to do it again, but the reality of the situation thankfully stopped me from making that request.
Wouldn’t that be ridiculous to ask to do it again?
I took a side glance at the two girls. Murphy was chewing on her fingernail and Sabrina stared straight ahead. We were all startled out of our thoughts when my cell rang into the quiet. It was Aunt Victoria.
“Where are we going?’ I asked into my cell.
“Bond thinks you should get to the penthouse. They will be looking for her,” she said. “I need to stay here since Murphy left.”
“Okay, we’ll be at my penthouse. We’ll wait there.” I disconnected the call.
“What did she say?” Murphy looked out the window. “I should have stayed to close out the night.”