Then I felt that feeling deep in my gut, that swirling and clenching—a warning that something was very wrong. I was staring at the first row in the balcony section when my eyes caught a familiar woman with dark-brown hair and brilliant brown eyes—eyes that I’d stared into a hundred times while falling deeply in love. Realization hit me like lightning striking my chest.
What the fuck?
I did a double take and blinked a few times as I tried to process what I was seeing. It couldn’t be Kai. Kai was performing tonight. Wasn’t she? My heart sank.
Dread filled me like a ton of lead, soaking into my pores and my veins.
If Kai was in the balcony, then who the hell was dancing as Grace below me?
My heart took off, pounding double time, and I glanced down at the stage, trying to catch a glimpse of the cast. Jake was there, holding his hand out for Kai to take it. But clearly, Kai wasn’t the one who accepted it. Instead, long, slim nails slid into his, and I swallowed the acid that had pushed up my throat at the familiarity of that hand.
Claudette, the original Grace, was dancing as if she owned the stage. Never in my life had I been more certain that she did not. Once upon a time, I might have wanted to believe that Claudette was my Grace, but it had always been Kai even when I didn’t know she existed.
I looked toward the balcony again, hoping to meet Kai’s eyes. Maybe then I could figure out what the hell was going on. Had she opted out? Was she in pain? Maybe the doctor had cleared her too soon. But then why hadn’t she told me?
My mind raced as I remembered my evening before I’d run to the theater. I hadn’t stopped to check my phone because I didn’t even have it on me. The only person I ever contacted on that thing was Kai, and we were always together. I’d left my phone in my room.
My hands were still moving, playing a song I’d played thousands of times. I became a robot for the rest of the show, my mind still wandering as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on.
As soon as the show was over, I jogged down the steps, only to be greeted by a somber-looking Jimmy. “Jimmy? You okay?”
He didn’t acknowledge my question. Instead, he took in a deep breath and let it out, his eyes gripping mine. “Dirk wants to speak with you. He’s in his cabin.” Then Jimmy handed me an index card with Dirk’s room number on it and, without another word, walked away.
Dirk opened his cabin door and immediately stepped to the side to let me in, a stoic look on his face. With a sweeping gaze, I took in his room—well, “suite” was a better term for the spacious setup. He had a kitchenette, a full bar, a couch and television, a wide entrance to an even wider balcony, and a door that, I assumed, led to a bedroom.
“Interesting use of production budget,” I said.
After the door shut behind me, Dirk strolled by to a living area overlooking a curved window. “The crew cabins were all taken.”
By his tone, he didn’t see the irony of his purchase. A cabin like this averaged ten grand a week, yet he’d probably paid it off for the duration of the contract. Seven months, thirty-five weeks—three hundred fifty thousand dollars.
“Right” was all I managed to squeeze out, my fury compounding in my chest. “You wanted to see me?” I was eager to find Kai.
Dick reached for a cut-glass decanter filled with an amber liquor I guessed was a fancy brand of bourbon, and he lifted his eyebrows at me. “A drink first?”
I would normally decline any offer from the man, but something was telling me I would need the potent liquid. With a simple nod, I took a seat on the couch across from him while he poured then dropped three ice cubes into each glass.
When he handed my drink to me, I held it in my hands for a few seconds, inhaling the sweet and woodsy scent while Dirk sipped his slowly.
“It’s Bourbon Wood. One of the best modern Australian whiskies money can buy.” He winked and tipped his glass like we were old friends smoking cigars and shooting the shit.
I swirled the liquid gold in my mouth, well aware of the brand and the price tag attached. I didn’t need to take a sip to feel the burn. Dirk was doing a fine job of that himself.
“More well-spent production dollars, I presume.”
Dirk chuckled. “Lighten up, boy. Then again, I suppose that’s hard to do when your girlfriend just got the boot.”
A fire licked through me. “The boot? What are you talking about?”
He raised a brow. “She didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what? I’ve been playing all night. I didn’t see Claudette was the one out there until nearly the end.”
Dirk nodded, a hint of a smirk pushing up his cheeks. “I suppose Kai’s packing her things now. I’m afraid we’ll be saying goodbye to your girlfriend tomorrow. She has potential, but she’s just not the right fit for us at this time.”
I slammed the glass down and stood, praying to God that the man was screwing with me. “You’re trying to rile me.”
Dirk shook his head. “I assure you this is all very real.”
I blew out a breath and shook my head. “That’s not your decision to make.”
“Actually,” Dirk said. “It is my decision to make. You promised to never skip out on a show, and if you did, the casting decisions were mine. We agreed.” He shrugged like I’d given him no choice. “Can you imagine if we didn’t have an understudy for you last night? We would have been especially screwed.”
“But I did,” I said through my teeth. My gut swirled with disgust at the man, who was purely evil. “And Kai had an accident. I wasn’t going to leave her.”
Dirk tossed back a swallow and set his glass down. “Completely understand. Which reminds me. How is Kai doing after her… accident?”
I narrowed my eyes, knowing full well Dirk didn’t give a shit about Kai’s well-being. “She’s doing great. Feeling better than ever. She was ready to perform tonight.”
“Is that right?” He mumbled the words like he was annoyed. “I heard her accident was caused by a panic attack? Is that right? That wouldn’t have anything to do with her late father, would it?”
My jaw dropped and practically hit the floor. “How would you know anything about her father?”
Dirk laughed, a deep, villainous chuckle that had me reeling. “Her friend Wayne was very forthcoming with information yesterday. I simply expressed my concern, and I got to learn all about young Kai and the tragic disappearance of her father. Such an event must be traumatizing for anyone. Especially for a woman who, twenty years later, accepted a position living at sea for seven months. Imagine my surprise when Wayne informed me that you had to convince her to come onboard.”
Rage roared in my chest. “I won’t deny any of that. But you can look at the medical crew’s notes to know that Kai slipped on rainwater after a wave crashed into the tender boat yesterday. She wasn’t suffering from a panic attack when she fell. Her history is none of your business.”
Dirk raised his brows. “Of course it’s my business. I employ the girl, don’t I? I have a right to know if she is facing issues that could impact her ability to perform. The last thing we need is some trauma victim triggered on stage if the weather gets a little rough.”