Whoa. Over the years, so many people had thanked me for being a Marine, for risking my life. But most of them had been American born. Hearing Pasha’s appreciation for the military choked me up. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was plotting something, though I was sure that my therapist and Isa would say that I was paranoid. “Thanks, man.”
“I wish I had your courage. When Bella was teen, her mom died. I didn’t help her. I was too scared of ruining my own career and pissed off at her for leaving me. I’m glad she has a man like you. I’ll be back in a few minutes with your food and drink.” He walked out the door leaving me to deal with the whiplash he’d just given me.
I sat in the empty room with its dirty carpet and tiny windows. Even just a few months ago, this isolation could’ve sent me into a complete panic attack. But I felt better, definitely not healed, but calm.
For the last month in rehab, I’d pondered living with a new reality. Looking toward the future instead dwelling on the past. Maybe I would enjoy sharing my story with people, inspiring them. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to be deemed a hero.
37
Bella
The tribute to Grady was tonight and my legs were restless. What had I been thinking? Of course he wouldn’t see it. The guy clearly hated my guts. I still hadn’t heard a word from him since I’d left him standing in the driveway of the cabin. I couldn’t believe how much of a fool I’d been.
But at least my luck was changing. With the money from this season, I’d actually be able to afford to finish college next semester.
Dancing under the Stars had changed so much from when I’d been on it. Now it was all about the drama—fake fights between the judges and dancers, showmances, and scandals. And the dancers were now treated as celebrities.
I emerged from the production trailer, shaking at the thought of reentering my own world. My skin sparkly, my dress sequined, my nerves shot. The sun blinded me, illuminating me in a beam, like maybe an alien would abduct me from this place. Maybe I hoped it would.
I walked toward the sound stage.
I was sure the public thought that this show was filmed on some glamorous set, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We were housed in a studio in the back of the lot that resembled a high school auditorium. The audience members were sandwiched into chairs around the stage, and the “ballroom” wasn’t even regulation size, which made it impossible to dance a decent waltz. Last time I’d danced here, the show had this amazing live band, true musicians to play our songs. Always warmed my heart and reminded me of my favorite competition, Blackpool in England—the only competition where we danced to live music. But the TV band had been fired, and we would now be forced to dance to crappy prerecorded songs. This decision was the result of the producers’ cheap iron fist and the sinking ratings of this show that had overextended its shelf life by five years.
Would Grady be watching me tonight? Somewhere silently connecting with me? My heart hurt. I was convinced he was avoiding me, but I held out hope he was somewhere getting the treatment he needed. I refused to give up hope on us until I could speak with him.
The haunting sounds of the show’s opening number played over the speakers. My time was here. One featured dance, one rumba, for Grady, for my fans, for me. My official goodbye to the ballroom. Last time, I’d just quit mid-season. This time, I’d do it right. Even if Grady wasn’t watching me live, he would be with me when I stepped onto the floor.
Pasha came behind me and squeezed my hand. “You look beautiful, Bella. You’re going to do great tonight.”
I gritted my teeth. Since we’d been back on set, he’d been overly nice to me, apologizing for how he’d behaved in Tahoe. And though he’d repeatedly asked me out, I’d told him that I was only interested in Grady. I had begged Benny to let me dance with another partner, but this was the only way he would allow me to do the spotlight. And I understood—to so many people in the ballroom world we were Pashabella. A championship couple. United through dance. They wanted to see us dance together, and this would be the last chance they had.
“And now, for the first time in four years, two-time Dancing under the Stars champion, Bella Applebaum, and her former partner, Pasha Gravilov.”
Pasha led me onto the floor, and the lights dimmed.
Last time, I’d danced had been for my mother. She’d sat in the front row of the show, her cheeks glowing from the incandescent lights. When I’d received a perfect ten, she’d beamed at me, so proud. I remember thinking she was so beautiful, her red dress clung to her curves, her long, black hair curled at the end.
I almost wished that had been my last memory of her.
The music began, “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. It was an acoustic version that had been reworked into a classic slow rumba, soothing, melodic. The perfect song for Grady.
Pasha pushed me into a back break and pulled me back into him. My head rested on his chest as my feet did swivels on the floor. My soul soared as he spun me out to fan. As my eyes grazed the audience, there in the limelight I saw Grady.
I almost stopped dancing. He looked so handsome, and completely out of his element. He was dressed in a fitted suit, his eye gleaming, and a rare smile on his face. I struggled to continue, but Pasha saved me, pulling me back into him, guiding my body into the movements, presenting me to the audience, showing me off to the only man who mattered.
This song, this dance evoked exactly how I felt about Grady. I loved him, I’d do anything for him. He was the most selfless, kind man I’d ever met. All I wanted was to be his.
Pasha gripped my thighs, throwing me into a split, acting as the perfect frame for my picture. When the music died down, the roar of the applause drowned me.
I looked back up to meet Grady’s stare. He was standing, clapping harder than anyone, his scars accented by the bright camera in his face. Ay dios mío! No! The camera director was focused on him. They probably intended to make it a clip for the show. How horrifying! I had no idea he’d be here.
Pasha quickly led me off the floor, away from Grady, and gave me a kiss on the top of my hair.
“You were amazing, Bellichka. Are you sure you don’t want to compete together with me one more time?”
“Positive. But thank you, I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“You need to go back to your dressing room. I think you have a surprise waiting.”
He knew? Had Grady contacted him to get on set? Maybe Pasha had set this up as a way to apologize to me?
After making my way through the maze backstage, I ran to my trailer, anxious to jump into Grady’s arms. I pushed past security and saw the door to my trailer ajar. He must’ve run in first.
“Grady?”
My trailer seemed empty. I heard running water in the shower. Maybe Grady was waiting for me to join him? I couldn’t wait to rub my hands all over his rock solid body, kiss his face, tell him how much I’d missed him.
But when I opened the bathroom door, no one was there.
And the shower was on.
What in the world?
The loud slam of my trailer door chilled me.
I stepped out of the bathroom, praying to be reunited with Grady, but instead Pasha was standing in front of the door, holding a gun.
I screamed, but he pointed the gun at my head.
“You’re mine, Bellichka. All mine. You ruined our partnership, you ruined my life. We spent years training and you tossed me aside. All I ever wanted was you. Now you’re going to pay. No way are you going to choose a monster over me.”
38
Grady
The crowd was heavy and the room was stuffed with equipment. A few reporters came at me, but I blew them off. The only person I wanted to see was Isa.
Watching her dance, in her element, made me truly appreciate her beauty. But more than that, I was overwhelmed that she had dedicated a dance to me. I now believed what she’d told me all along—she wasn’t repulsed by me; she was in awe of me. Though Pasha’s slimy hands on my wom
an repulsed me, I knew in my heart that I was the only man on her mind.
I’d be reunited with my woman in minutes. The anticipation of wrapping my arms around her, this time vowing to never let her go, invigorated me. I walked out of the set toward the dressing trailers, when I heard a scream.
It was Isa.
Fuck.
I bolted toward the dressing trailers. Which one was hers? The others were labeled but there were some that were unmarked. I didn’t have time to waste. I kicked down the door of the first one—no sign of Isa. I sprinted to the next one, busting in, but again, my girl wasn’t there.
“Isa!” I called out, hoping she would respond.
But I heard nothing but the silence of the night. Which meant only one thing.
She couldn’t speak.
Three more trailers broken into and I still hadn’t found her. I finally came to one at the corner of the lot. One swift kick and I’d hit the jackpot.
I’d found my girl.
Pasha was on top of Isa, his dick pressed against her thigh, one hand rubbing her breast, one hand holding a gun. Her body was stark naked, stripped for this pervert.
Hell no!
Bile rose in my throat. I was going to kill this guy.
“Grady, be careful! He has a gun!”
My own gun was in the glove compartment of my truck. But I didn’t need a gun. I wasn’t afraid of this motherfucker. I’d seen combat. I’d fought with the real enemies. And I’d won.
“Get the fuck off her; this is your only warning.”
The asshole laughed, fucking laughed, at me. He stood up—his pencil thin dick waving at me.
“What are you going to do, freak? Fight me?” His eyes seemed to be a darker shade of blue and his pupils were dilated.
“Yup. What does shooting me accomplish? You go to jail and never see Isa again. Put down the gun and let’s have a fair fight. The better man wins.”
I glared at Isa, praying she could read my mind. I needed her to remain calm until I could unarm this psycho.
His gun was now pointed toward my chest.
“I am not going to fight together with you, you monster. Turn around and walk out of here so I can have my way with my girl. Or you can stay and watch, if that is your thing.” He turned to Isa. “It didn’t have to be like this. All I ever want is to be pleasing to you.”
I mouthed, “Go with it,” to Isa.
She touched his waist. “You are. Let me show you how much I want you, how much I always wanted you.”
“You mean it?”
“Yes, Pashka. It’s always been you. Since we were kids, I dreamed of this day. You know how much I wanted you.” She caressed his hand and kissed him on the lips, and his grip on the gun looked shaky.
This had gone on long enough. I ran toward him and lunged at his neck, pulling him off of Isa.
Isa grabbed the gun and pointed it at Pasha.
Cocking my arm back, I punched him square in the face, knocking him out cold.
As Pasha slumped to the floor, I secured the weapon from Isa.
“Did he hurt you?” I wrapped my arms around her, her body shivering.
“No, he just touched me. Scared me. You got here in time.” Her voice cracked. “This is all my fault. Pasha, going on the show. How did I not see this coming? I just want to go away with you. You’re all I have.”
In this fucked-up moment, her words provided me comfort. She was still my girl. “Hey, listen to me. This is not your fault. That guy was clearly a psycho. I’m never going to leave you again, baby. I’ve got you. I love you.”
Isa was shaking, her body cold to my touch. I helped Isa dress, called 911, and within minutes, police cars had surrounded the trailer, with studio security finally deciding to show up. Useless fuckers.
We were hauled down to the station to give our statements, and after what seemed like hours of questioning, Isa and I were finally free to go. Together.
“I don’t want to be alone tonight. Or ever. Can I stay with you?”
I kissed her on the forehead, and gently stroked her hair. “Of course, baby. I’m never letting you out of my sight.”
39
Grady
My first goal was to get somewhere we could be alone. Safe. Together. We checked into a nearby hotel and I hoped we could start putting this nightmare behind us…
Once in the room, she kept her distance from me and shifted on her feet. “I can’t believe you showed up. Where were you all this time? I called you, texted you, messaged you. Nothing.”
I was pleasantly surprised she’d been so persistent trying to get a hold of me, especially since I’d told her that I never wanted to see her again. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t contact you. I was in rehab. No phones, no internet.”
Her mouth gaped and her shoulders relaxed. “Really? Oh my God, Grady, I was hoping that’s where you were, but I didn’t believe you’d actually go. Do you feel any better?”
I walked over to her and held her waist, staring into her eyes. “Yeah, actually I do. It was rough, but some of the therapies made me feel better. Made me realize that I needed to go after what I wanted and not be stuck in the past. It helped to meet guys I could relate to on a deeper level, who understood what I was going through. Then I saw that you were going to dance for me on TV. So I left to come find you.”
Her hand reached up and caressed my skin. “Now I feel bad. Were you ready to leave? I can take you back there and wait for you until you’re done.”
“No. I’m good.” I cupped her cheeks in my hands and kissed her face. Just a loving kiss. Nothing more. She had been through enough today. “I don’t want to be away from you again.” For the first time, I saw her completely differently. She wasn’t a sex object to me anymore, she was a beautiful woman who I wanted to make happy.
I wrapped her in my arms and clutched her to my chest. “Let’s get some rest. I’m taking you somewhere special tomorrow.”
“Where?”
Had she already forgotten about the ball? “It’s a surprise.”
40
Isa
The next morning, he woke me before sunrise. “Let’s go.”
I glanced at my phone to check the time. “Now? It’s four in the morning. We’ve only slept a few hours.”
“Now, sleeping beauty.”
I yawned and sat up in bed, trying to focus. “I was hoping to spend all day in bed.” I’d missed him so much. I just wanted to make love to him all day, order room service, and watch some movies.
“Ha. Don’t tempt me. Get up, we’re going to be late.”
I hated surprises. “Late? For what?”
He had a devilish smirk on his face. “I told you, it’s a surprise.”
“Fine.” I didn’t know what he was up to but I reluctantly packed our bags, and we headed back to the truck. He drove on the freeway, and he pulled into LAX. Long-term parking.
“Grady, what’s going on?” My nerves were jittery.
“The ball? Remember? You promised.”
“You’re taking me to Hawaii?” I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten that the ball was today. I’d put it out of my mind after Tahoe. I was thrilled that we hadn’t missed it.
“Yup. Let’s go.”
Ay dios mío! I squealed and jumped into his arms. We kissed and his hands ran down my back, caressing my body. I wanted more but he placed me down, and we headed into the airport. My heart sang, and I couldn’t resist humming. Yesterday had been one of the scariest days of my life, the other being when my mom died, but twenty-four hours later I was happier than I’d ever been. My beast had returned to me.
Five hours later, and one too many mai tais, our plane touched down. My mouth was watering in anticipation of eating my weight in chocolate-covered macadamia nuts. But more than anything, I was eager to get Grady alone in the hotel.
We climbed into a taxi, but when we arrived at the hotel, Grady just took our bags and instructed me to wait.
A few minutes later, he returned. “Ala Moana,
please.”
“The mall? We just got here. Can’t we relax?”
“No. The ball’s tonight and you need a dress and heels. I didn’t think we’d make it, but I already have my blues ready—they were sent to the room.”
“Tonight? It’s two o’clock? I need to get my hair and makeup done.”
“I know this. Don’t worry, baby. I’ve got it taken care of. Let me spoil you.”
As we drove down to the mall, my head spun. Within twenty-four hours, I’d gone from wondering if I would ever see Grady again, to spotting him in the audience, to almost being raped by Pasha, to end up in Hawaii, about to attend a ball, and meet the President. And I couldn’t believe Grady had offered to take me on a shopping spree. No man had ever done anything this nice for me.
“Where to?” he asked.
I never spent money on clothes. I didn’t go anywhere, really, besides school. “You really don’t have to do this, Grady.”
He put his hand on my back. “Let’s go here.” He pointed at Bloomingdale’s.
We walked into the store and took the escalator to the second floor. An older sales clerk approached us, her eyes immediately focusing on Grady.
“Sergeant Grady Williams? It’s an honor. My son is a Marine. Thank you for your service, son.”
Whoa. We hadn’t been in public for more than a few minutes. Did this always happen to Grady? It was really starting to seem like it.
“Thank you, ma’am. My girlfriend is trying to find a dress for the Marine Corps Ball. Very formal. Could you help her?”
Girlfriend. First time he’d said it to anyone in public. I loved the way it sounded.
“Of course, I’d be honored.” She turned her attention to me. “Do you have any particular style or color in mind?”
I shrugged. “No, I’m not sure what’s in style.”
TRITON: A Navy SEAL Romance (Heroes Ever After Book 2) Page 29
