Chasing Terpsichore (Muses Across Time) Page 6

  Standing up, she walked back to the kitchen bench and picked up her glass of water. “I appreciate the thought, but really, it’s not necessary. I’m quite capable of looking after myself.”

  He stood and followed her into the kitchen. “I’m sure you are, but get used to me hanging around. I have no intention of leaving you alone until we get this thing worked out.”

  She raised her glass to her lips and sipped the cool water. “What about the person you have spying on me?”

  “An ex-cop who owed me a favour. He’s been keeping an eye on you since this morning. It’s that mannequin that has me worried. The person behind that has a very sick mind. Are you sure there isn’t some old boyfriend out there?”

  She turned away, her head down. “No. No old boyfriends. I haven’t had time since I came to Sydney. I’ve been too busy getting my dance studio established.” Not like my old life when men idolised me and it was party, party, party all the time.

  “What about the dancing at The Cave?”

  “I do that for my own pleasure. It’s a casual arrangement I have with the manager. Whenever the mood takes me, I just show up.”

  “None of the patrons have become a nuisance? Followed you home?”

  “No one, until that spoilt brat the other day.”

  “Either way, I want you to come and stay with me until we work out what’s happening.”

  The mouthful of water she’d just sipped sprayed out and dribbled down her face. She ripped a few sheets of paper towel off the bench, then patted her mouth and the front of her shirt in between coughs. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “I never kid.”

  No way. She couldn’t put him in danger that way. Now she knew who she was up against, it didn’t matter that she wanted to be with him, his safety was the priority now. There was no way she could let him get involved.

  “I’m sorry, James, but I can’t do that. I have a business to run and you have a law practice. Neither of us can afford to put everything on hold. It’s completely out of the question.”

  She had tried dealing with her problems without magic. However, now she had her powers back it was time to use them. James would be pissed off if he knew she was doing this, but there wasn’t any other way she could see to keep him safe. She closed her eyes and concentrated. You will trust Corey to look after herself.

  With a puzzled look on his face James slowly walked away, his voice a flat monotone when he spoke. “I suppose I should trust you to look after yourself.”

  Good. It’s working.

  She opened the door and gestured for him to go. You will leave now, and you will go back to your office.

  James slowly ambled out as if reluctant to go, but finding no reason to stay. “I guess I should get back to work. I left in the middle of an important meeting.”

  He did? “Thanks for coming over, James. As you can see, I’m fine. It was just a freak accident.” Don’t phone Corey because you will be too busy for at least the next two weeks.

  “I’ll give you a call sometime.”

  Corey plastered a smile on her face, even though she ached at the possibility of never seeing him again. Whatever the outcome, he was inside her soul now and no one would ever take his place. “Sure thing.”

  She stepped back and grasped the door handle. The gentle touch of his hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks.

  “I can’t leave without first doing this.” He cupped her face and kissed her. Smiling, he pulled back and turned away, walking towards his car. Corey touched her tingling lips as she watched him drive away, one small tear sliding down her cheek. Please stay safe.

  Chapter Four

  The phone rang as James entered his office. He cursed, hoping like hell it wasn’t anything important. He had a mountain of work to catch up on, so why the fuck did he spend so much time worrying about Corey? She’d been around the traps. She knew the score and how to look after herself. She certainly didn’t need him.

  He threw his mobile phone down on the partners’ desk and sat down before snatching the desk phone from its cradle. “Barrington.”

  “Jimmy boy, I’ve been trying to find you.”

  “Dave. I’m glad you called. I was just about to call you.”

  “Glad I saved you the trouble. I wanted to bring you up to speed with the investigation.”

  “You didn’t find anything, did you? I thought as—”

  Dave cut him off. “No, that isn’t it. I’ve got a lead on the car that almost ran your girlfriend down.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Dave. It was just a coincidence. Must have been a kid joyriding.”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  “Had to be. It was some kid in a stolen car, not used to driving, and the car got out of control.”

  “Nup. It’s not that. Your girlfriend is obviously a deliberate target.”

  James stood up, his grip on the phone tightening. “What do you mean?”

  “We found the car abandoned.”

  “So?”

  “It had a picture of your girlfriend in it, with her studio address on the back. It was definitely no accident.”

  Running his fingers through his hair, he moved back to the desk. “So have you questioned any witnesses? Do you have her under surveillance?”

  “We would if we could find her.”

  It took a few seconds for the implication to sink in. A strong belief of how it was all a coincidence warred with his natural instincts to protect her, and the persistent gut feeling that something was very wrong. His brain hurt and the urge to throw up increased with every passing second. The gut feeling won. She was in danger and he’d left her alone, unguarded.

  Idiot!

  “Fuck. You lost her? Bloody great detectives you are. Shit!”

  “Fair go, mate. A minute ago you told me to drop the whole thing. After you arrived at her studio, I figured she was safe for a while, so I went back to the station and started tracking down the car. I got half of the plate from the coffee shop owner, plus he was pretty sure of the make and model, so it wasn’t long before we found the car. By the time we found the evidence and went back to question her, she’d gone.”

  What had possessed me to leave her? “Did you try her home?”

  “Well, duh. Of course we did. She wasn’t there either. I thought she might be with you.”

  She should be with me, but I left her alone.

  “I left her half an hour ago. She was fine.”

  “And you have no idea where she might be?”

  He had an idea, but after this stuff-up, there was no way he wasn’t getting involved himself. “No, not really. I don’t know her very well.”

  A loud snort sounded through the handset. “Yeah, right. Like you two haven’t been fucking ever since you met.”

  “I’m her solicitor, Dave.” Although this was true, why did he feel it was hell of a lot more than that?

  “Like that’s going to stop you.”

  Ignoring the ribbing he slipped his keys back in his pocket and picked up his mobile. “You’d better get moving on finding her. I’ll let you know if I hear anything, and I expect you to do the same.”

  “Bloody hell, James. You have to give me more to work with. You must have some idea where she might have gone.”

  “No, but I’ll let you know if I find anything. Thanks for calling, Davo. I owe you one.”

  “And I plan on collecting big time.”

  “You do that.” His brain worked overtime as he carelessly dropped the handset back into the cradle of the console.

  His mind replayed the last twenty-four hours. A mutilated effigy of Corey had been found hanging from her rafters. He’d humoured her by taking her out to dinner instead of doing what his first instinct had told him to do, and reporting it to the police. They’d had amazing sex, then he’d pulled back and left without even saying goodbye. Today someone had tried to run her down, and he’d turned up guns blazing, trying to tell her what to do.

  She must h
ate his guts. Jeezus, he hated himself.

  He didn’t understand that abrupt turnabout where he’d gone and left her unprotected. He searched his mind for a clue as to what had happened. He knew without a doubt that he’d gone there determined to whisk her off somewhere safe until the police had found whoever was doing this but something had happened to make him change his mind. There was no way he would have done that willingly. How did she do it? Come to think of it, what had made him go there the night before? Nothing made sense from the minute he’d met that woman, but by God, he’d never felt more alive, or, as of this moment, more scared shitless.

  * * * *

  The Cave was not exactly what he had expected. Plush, velvet seats lined booths situated against the walls, and chairs in the front of the stage barricaded by a wrought iron railing. The stage was set well back from the patrons, and although the dancers weren’t completely nude, a couple of them had strategically placed patches of sequins that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

  James scanned the dimly lit room and zeroed in on a raised cage to one side. The height of the platform made it impossible for anyone to reach the dancer moving and sliding up against the shimmering pole at the centre. Cigar smoke irritated his nose as he strode across the room hoping it was Corey up in that cage. It was as she’d described to him, right down to the height of the cage above the audience. Seductive music pounded out of speakers that surrounded the room, adding to the deafening thump of a subwoofer. His pulse nervously thrummed in time to the rhythm. Edging closer, he stared at the blonde woman with the sexy, supple body moving to the music, circling her long, shapely legs around the pole above the crowd. There was no mistaking that body, she was magnificent. Sensuality oozed from every pore of her satiny skin. Somehow, she had managed to take a raw and basic dance and turn it into an artistic masterpiece. His dick hardened, proving that where Corey was concerned, he had little control. The chemistry between them was too strong, like an invisible thread reeling him in, little by little.

  Leaning against the wall, he contented himself by watching her until the dance was over. He might as well enjoy the view while he could. She’d be finished in a few minutes, and he intended to move her to a safe place. This time he wouldn’t let whatever mind games she used dissuade him from his purpose. Nothing short of a nuclear explosion would stop him from keeping her safe this time.

  The music faded before he could approach the platform and he watched Corey climb down the iron stairs at the rear of the cage and disappear behind the velvet curtains that separated the performers from the audience. Picking up speed, he jumped the iron railing, then threw open the curtains as he reached the backstage area. The bright lights contrasted with the dimness of the club and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. A series of doors lined the corridor, which led to the rear of the club. He opened the first one, but one of the muscle shirt-clad bouncers stood in his way, an immovable object the size of half a mountain.

  “Get the fuck out of here, shithead. This is a private dressing room,” he said.

  Trying to look past the giant in front of him, James raised his voice as the music resumed. “I’m looking for Corey. I need to speak to her urgently.”

  “You and every other randy dude in town. Now piss off.”

  “I’m afraid I must insist. It’s a matter of life and death.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s what they all say.” The giant placed his enormous hands against his chest and pushed, effortlessly shoving James across to the opposite wall as the door slammed in front of him.

  He jumped up and pounded. “Hey, I have to speak to Corey. Now! It’s really important.”

  Realising he wouldn’t find her that way he looked around and decided to check out the other rooms. However, before he could even take one step, two more bouncers arrived and headed right for him.

  Fuck!

  Retreat seemed like the best course of action at this stage, so he backed up and headed into the club. There had to be another way to get past the muscle and find Corey. As he headed for the front door, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and tried Corey’s phone again, only to shove it back when she still didn’t pick up.

  After leaving through the front of the club, he scouted the laneway. He screwed up his nose, trying to mask the disgusting odours wafting about. The garbage containers reeked of rotting food and excrement and he struggled not to throw up. He found the gate at the end of the alley locked, but it opened readily enough with a shove from his shoulder. The back door of the club was in his sights when a young woman ran out of the building in obvious distress.

  James sprinted across the space, catching up with her as she tried to run towards the main street. She screamed as he closed the distance and caught up with her.

  “Get away from me.”

  He held onto her arm as she struggled to get away. “Hey, I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to ask you some questions.”

  “Get real,” she said as she pushed his hand off. “I just want to get the fuck out of here. Let me go.”

  “Please, just one question and I’ll leave you alone,” he said, stepping back and giving the girl some space. “I’m looking for Corey. Is she still inside?”

  The girl paled, her hands shaking as she picked at a piece of fluff on her coat.

  “Please, you have to tell me if you know anything. I have to find her, she’s in danger.”

  The girl lowered her head and stared at her feet. “It may be too late. He took her.”

  What? No!

  Her words were like a kick in the guts, pushing all the air out of his lungs so he could only manage a whisper. “Who took her?” He gripped her chin, raising her face. “What are you talking about?”

  Shaking her head, she tried to wriggle away, but he held fast.

  “Where is she?”

  A tiny tear trickled down the girl’s cheeks. “This old dude was waiting for her in her dressing room. I heard her yelling at him to go back to the hellhole he came from, but he just laughed at her.”

  “What happened after that?”

  She shifted from one foot to another. “If I tell you, you’ll think I’m crazy.”

  “Just tell me for God’s sake.”

  “It sounded like a storm, with the wind howling, and then it went quiet. I looked in to see if Corey was okay, but she was gone and the room was trashed. I know she didn’t leave through the door because she would have passed me.”

  Holy shit. He knew weird stuff was happening around Corey, but this was unbelievable. “Is there a window?”

  “You see that’s the thing. The windows are boarded up. There is no way to get out of that room except the door. You probably think I’m mad. But I’m not.”

  She wrenched herself free of his grasp and started to run off. “I’m outta here. This is just too weird.”

  His mind was in turmoil as she ran down the street. He slipped back inside, careful to avoid the bouncers, and found the room exactly as the girl had described. Upturned chairs, makeup and clothing strewn from one end of the room to the other. The shattered mirror left dozens of shards scattered all over the floor. Scanning the walls, he noted the wood blocking the windows and saw no visible means of escape. So what the fuck happened? He smashed his fist against the wall, before walking back to his car to regroup. Maybe Davo would have some ideas, because he sure as hell had run out.

  * * * *

  Corey woke slowly, her head throbbing like a symphony of drums. Forcing her eyes open, she groaned. Her nostrils twitched as the dank smell of sulphur overwhelmed her.

  Oh goddess, no!

  Her memory came back with a vengeance and she slumped back against the cold rock. Prometheus, the Titan traitor, had brought her here—the Underworld. How the heck would she escape? With all her heart she wished herself back with James. He was her destiny, but a side trip to hell made fulfilling it a tad difficult.

  She hugged her knees close to her chest as the cold seeped into her bones. Her powers were
useless here, so gaining her freedom meant she would have to rely on her wits and determination. Given that only mortals could escape the Underworld, her chances of achieving that were rather slim.

  A tear slid down her cheek as she thought of how she might never see James again. As a goddess, she took what people gave her without further thought, but James had taught her that giving of yourself was many times more rewarding. Never had she dreamed that the concept of giving one’s self—one’s soul—to a person could ever be a sane and logical thing to do. Until James, she’d never really understood why mortals left themselves open to the intense, emotional pain of unconditional love. But she was coming to the conclusion that the risk was worth it. She vowed to give more of herself if she ever got the chance again. She’d already given her heart to James, and if she never escaped, at least she had a beautiful memory.

  A flash of light pulled her back to the present as her enemy materialised. He had always had a flair for the dramatic, but no one ever took him seriously. He definitely had her attention now.

  “Prometheus. I could say I’m glad to see you, but that would be a lie.”

  His laugh made her cringe. “Terpsichore, I am immune to your insults. I stopped listening to your meaningless prattle aeons ago.”

  She stood up and crossed her arms as she walked away and showed him her back.

  “Fine. Send me back home then.”

  She sensed him staring at her, but there was no way she would turn around and give him the satisfaction of seeing how much he rattled her.

  “Revenge is sweet, my dear. Your dear father deserves to feel maximum pain.”

  She grimaced and faked a laugh. “Haven’t you heard? I’ve been banished by my father’s wife. There is no revenge in harming me.”

  “That may be true, but Zeus would never allow others to take what he considers his own. When he hears of my plans for his daughters, he will fall for my trap and I will finally have my revenge. Bringing you here to the place of my incarceration is merely the first step.