Page 106 of Dance for Me
She’d talk to Braun about it—after she kicked his ass for dropping this bombshell on her unawares.
“I’ve never hated you, Bodie. Did I blame you for a while? Yeah, I did. While I was young and blind to the fact my own stupidity put me in front of a bus. Once I was older, smarter, and could see the bigger picture from that day? I’d be dead if you hadn’t pushed me. And if you’d tried to take me away from them, Abraham would have killed you. Diane was just itching for a reason to crush you under her boot.”
Well, that was apt, wasn’t it? Those damn biker boots had wreaked their fair share of damage on Bodie’s body. “Doesn’t matter. Maybe if I’d gone back to the fold, let them suck me into the business, they wouldn’t have done this to you.” Her words were muffled against Alicia’s neck, but as she said them, the weight on her shoulders began to lift.
Alicia snorted. “They’d have sucked you in, all right. Straight into prostitution and drug running. Abraham liked to shoot the girls up with crack, then give them a test drive before packing them up like mules with product and sending them out. Buy a baggie, get a free fuck. One way to get return customers. Do you think he wouldn’t have tried you out before pimping you to others?”
From behind her, Bodie heard her Dom snarl in outrage. The primal noise of a male defending his female sent her already tender pussy into spasms of delight.
“Bodie, I think we should get you and Alicia settled where you can sit down.” Braun interjected quietly, running his hand down her back. Tingles followed in its wake. “Can you stand?”
Um...that would be a no. Bodie struggled to push up, realizing Braun had noticed what she hadn’t in her endeavor to be near to her sister—she was squashing her into the chair. Hands hooked under her arms, picked her up.
Connie set her hand on Alicia’s shoulder. “Alicia, sweetheart, this is Braun Fitzpatrick. He owns Avalon, which makes him Liam’s boss. He’s also Bodie’s boyfriend.”
Thoughts of being given to a different man every night—several different men a night—in exchange for a hit of drugs sickened her. As Braun’s arms framed her, his fingers linking together over her scar, Bodie gripped his hands tightly. She knew her father would have done unspeakable things to her but hearing them from someone else—especially someone who knew him as well as she did—was terrifying.
It dawned on her how real it could have been if Abraham wasn’t dead.
How lucky she was her parents hadn’t knocked her out and kidnapped her that night, sending her into sexual slavery for their own gain. Suddenly, broken bones and scars didn’t seem too bad compared to that.
Even losing the ability to dance was bearable.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Alicia. It’s been too long in coming.” Braun kneaded Bodie’s stomach gently, resting his chin on her shoulder as though he sensed where her thoughts had gone and knew she needed support. “We’ve been rude, haven’t we? Manners forgotten in all the excitement. Would you like something to drink?”
Bodie leaned back against him, stealing some of his strength. Maybe she wasn’t as mad at him as she’d let him believe. This was a positive step; one she’d been hesitant to take. She didn’t know what she would have done if there’d been anything but love and acceptance in Alicia’s eyes.
Run, probably.
Well, hobbled for two steps, then fallen flat on her face in all likelihood.
Braun released her, bending to scoop up her crutches. She was beginning to hate the damn things even more than she already did. “Archie, two cokes please, and the usual for Connie and Liam.”
“Yes, Sir, I’ll bring them right over.”
“And one for yourself. You’re done for the night.” Braun kept the crutches in his hand, hooking his arm around Bodie’s waist and letting her use him instead as he led her back into the seating pit, with Connie and Liam following behind pushing Alicia.
Jasper, Loki, and Atticus all stood as the wheelchair approached the steps. Atticus and Loki stepped forward to lift the chair down as Braun made introductions. Once everyone was seated and Anarchy joined them, sliding into the group like a shadow to sit by Jasper’s feet, conversation returned.
Sitting on Braun’s lap, Bodie experienced a brief flush of embarrassment before she brushed it aside. Alicia was an adult and wouldn’t be shocked by the idea of her big sister cuddling up to a man. She wondered how much Connie had told Alicia about Avalon, about the lifestyle and the Masters who kept the place ticking over.
It certainly wasn’t something Bodie wanted to address quite yet.
As the night continued, topics ranged from what Bodie had spent the last decade doing to what Alicia wanted to achieve in the coming months. Home and job were her top priorities, although she assured them all she was happy with Connie.
The Masters were helpful, throwing in suggestions for jobs. Atticus mentioned the idea of going back to school, furthering her education. Reclaiming some of the rites of passage stolen from her when Abraham forbade her to leave the house and removed all her means of escape.
Alicia seemed to consider it, and so did Bodie.
Dance had been her everything, her all, for as long as she could remember. Through all the physical therapy sessions, her goal hadn’t been to just strengthen her leg and achieve a fraction of her previous fitness. No, she’d thrown herself into them to prove everyone wrong about losing the thing she thought she couldn’t live without.
Only now, there was something—someone—she really couldn’t live without.
Braun was the focal point of her existence. Master, lover, friend. Life with him was more rewarding than any dance, just as exhilarating and risky. When he was near her, she didn’t need a sound system to hear music. When he touched her, her blood pumped as energetically as it did after a grueling performance.
Maybe she should think about going to college, forging her own path now the way was clear. Coming home to him every night would always be the highlight of her day. Maybe...she hesitated to think it, what with the people she came from, but maybe he wanted kids. A family.
Bodie looked around the seating pit, at the circle of friends gathered around her. Friends who welcomed her sister into the heart of them as quickly and completely as they had done with her. She smiled, grateful for them in so many ways she couldn’t describe.