“See you soon, kiska.”
Annette gave him a weak smile and slipped out of the private box. She didn’t go to the bathroom; instead, she just… left. Maybe she should have waited and done this at Dome during one of her visits with her sister, but she just didn’t see how she could get away from him there. He didn’t allow her free reign at the spa like he did when they traveled. He was always practically on top of her, hovering there.
But they were out of the country now, and that presented different obstacles. Like money. How the hell was she going to get home? It wasn’t as though she could call her sister to come get her. And there was no one she knew who she could ask to wire her plane fare. While Anton was giving Janette money, she didn’t think things had been set up in such a way where her sister could just wire her enough money to fly overseas. How fucking stupid.
Of course she could go to the police, but what then? Would this turn into some sort of international kidnapping case? What was the penalty for that? She couldn’t stay with him in that house anymore. She couldn’t be around Brian after… She just had to go. But she couldn’t stand the idea of Anton in prison, either.
Why couldn’t she stand the idea? She’d half-convinced herself she hated him, but this deep reluctance to turn him in to the authorities belied feelings she still wanted to lie to herself about. She wanted this to be neat and clean and simple. She wanted to hate him. He deserved to be hated. She’d carried a simmering rage hidden behind sultry smiles and perfect obedience for the past two weeks.
She wandered the city for hours, unsure of what to do or where to go. As time wore on, suddenly the idea that Anton might just leave the country without her was more frightening than the thought that he might track her down and punish her for running away. At least if she was punished, she would still have a warm bed to sleep in and food to eat. Maybe.
Then again, he could just flat out give her to Brian. She’d privately sworn to herself she would never trust Anton again, never let him inside her heart like that so he could break her.
Another hour passed, and she found herself with her face pressed up against a coffee and pastry shop like some poor street urchin begging for bread. Just go back. This was stupid.
But by now, the ballet was long over. Normally they would be going to the after party, wherever it had been arranged. She backed away from the glass and turned a corner, running right into Ivan Petrovsky of all people.
She couldn’t think about why he was out here in the night and not at the after party. All she could think to do was turn and run. Ivan chased her, his heavy footsteps pounding against the pavement. His strides were longer and stronger than hers. And faster. Damn he could move for an older guy. He was in better shape than she was.
It was only a matter of minutes before he’d cornered her in an alleyway not even two blocks from where she’d run into him.
“Stop running,” he said unnecessarily.
It was kind of hard to run when a large, strong male had you pinned against a stone wall.
“Let me go,” she said, still breathless from the futile run.
“Why? Anton is looking for you. We all were looking for you. He’s worried. Why are you wandering around Rome by yourself?”
Annette shook her head, the tears flowing all at once. “Please, I can’t go back.”
Ivan’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you can’t go back? Has he hurt you? Is he… hurting you?”
“I… it’s complicated. I just can’t go back.”
“You look cold and hungry,” Ivan said. “Let me buy you something to eat.”
Why would Anton have his friends search for her? Was he that sure she wouldn’t give him away? Did he think she’d give up on this running plan once she’d had some time to realize her total inability to survive in a foreign country without money… or to get home? A few more hours out in the streets, and she probably would have gone to the jet to wait for him and her inevitable punishment.
Ivan led her back to the coffee shop she’d had her face pressed against.
“Go get us a seat,” he said. Ivan was so used to giving orders both with the ballet and with subs that it didn’t seem to occur to him to ask her what she wanted. He was also smart enough to know that she was so hungry by this point, she wouldn’t run again when there was an offer of free food.
Annette found a table at the back and sat with her back to the wall so she could watch the door. What if Ivan was calling Anton? No. He’d shown concern that she might be in trouble. Ivan wasn’t playing the same game Anton was. He wouldn’t call her master unless he was sure of her safety… not until he talked with her.
Ivan was a good man. He had no idea the life Anton had fallen into or the circumstances of Annette being with him. He would be appalled if she told him the truth. And he would probably believe her. But she couldn’t bring herself to betray him even though she felt so deeply betrayed.
Fifteen minutes later, Ivan returned with food—some Italian parmesan-laced version of tomato bisque soup and a sandwich. And two glasses of water.
They ate quietly for a few minutes when he spoke again. “So, are you going to tell me why you can’t go back? What did he do to you? It must be something bad for you to flee in a foreign city with no money or passport.”
“I have my passport,” she said, feeling inside the bodice of her dress to make sure the little booklet was still securely in place.
Ivan raised an eyebrow. “I see. How were you planning to get back home?”
Annette shrugged. “I didn’t think that far. I just had to go.”
He nodded. Ivan didn’t bother her with any further questions, not even the most obvious of why it was so important that she leave right this very second when she was thousands of miles from her home. He focused instead on his food while Annette focused on hers.
When she was finished, she broached the question she’d been unable to ask on an emptier stomach, but now in a nice warm coffee shop with food in her belly, she felt brave enough to ask.
“Are you going to take me to him?”
“Of course not. You don’t want to be with him. He’s done something to upset or scare you. I could reassure you that I’ve known him forever, and that he’s a good man, that it’s probably just some misunderstanding, but it would mean nothing to you. You have your experience, whatever it is. And maybe I’m wrong. Maybe he is hurting you.”
“Are you going to tell him you saw me?”
“I’m not sure. But I am going to buy you a plane ticket home.”
Annette was sure she hadn’t heard him right, so she asked him to repeat what he’d just said. When he did, she still couldn’t believe it. But she couldn’t refuse him. As much as she wanted to say it was too much, too kind, she couldn’t accept it… she had to. She might have been stupid enough to run away in Rome without any money, but she wasn’t stupid enough to refuse the salvation Ivan offered.
He stood and offered a hand to help her stand. Such a gentleman. Then he led her out of the coffee shop to a waiting car. As they drove, she worried he’d been lying. Maybe he was taking her to Anton. Maybe he did know about her master’s crimes. Maybe they were going to the party where she’d be publicly punished for running.