Love Is a Dangerous Dance novel · Chapter 10 of 24

Chapter 10: The Shoe

Alec left at midnight, with a fresh bandage and a gun in his belt.

He said Victor's accountant was moving the paper originals out of the Marlowe tonight.

He would be on the loading dock before the truck.

I asked to come.

He said no, and then he kissed me hard enough that I did not ask twice.

Roxy collected me from the street corner at one in the morning in her ancient hatchback.

She didn't say a word until we were on the bridge.

"You smell like a man," she said.

"I know."

"And like gun oil."

"I know."

"Is he at least hot?"

"Yes."

"Then I forgive you," Roxy said. "But if he gets you killed, I'm putting a hammer through his windshield."

I laughed until I cried.

Friday morning, a day before opening night, I walked into the company class with my hair in a bun and my chin up.

My body felt used and loose and strangely alive.

Class started at ten.

At nine fifty I went to fill my water bottle at the hallway tap.

Lena stood at the end of the corridor, beside the fire door.

She had her back to me.

In front of her stood the guard from my dressing room.

His eyes were red and swollen, and he walked with a limp that I recognized as my own work.

Lena handed him a white envelope.

He gave her a smaller one in return.

I did not think.

I walked the length of the hall, plucked the envelope out of her fingers and held it up.

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