Page 27 of Claiming Genevieve

Chris:I’ve given you every fucking thing you wanted. It’s a good thing you left before I kicked you out.

Chris:I wanted you because you were something special. All you are now is the same thing that I can get anywhere in New York. Fuck off.

And then,after a string of missed calls:

Chris:Look, I overreacted. We can talk this out.

Chris:I was upset because I got fuckingpunched,Genevieve. Just answer my calls.

Chris:We can talk this out. Just pick up your phone, baby.

Chris:I’m worried about you. Genevieve, just answer your phone, babe.

They went on and on,all in a similar vein. I ignored them all, instead calling Dahlia and asking if there was any way I could crash in her guest room. She said yes immediately, of course, without asking any questions, and said she’d come get me. I told her not to worry about it and told Rowan that if he wanted me to consider his offer, he’d have Rory take me and drop me off at Dahlia’s—without Rowan coming along.

He acquiesced without argument, for once, and Rory took me to the gorgeous brownstone that Dahlia and her husband, Alek, live in. I was greeted by both Dahlia and her new puppy, a ball of white Samoyed fluff that’s a cousin to Evelyn’s dog, Buttons.

Dahlia, thankfully, waited until I’d had a bath and changed into clean clothes to ask questions, but I saw her look at my bruising cheek the moment I walked in. I told her that I’d hurt it by tripping while trying to learn to use my crutches, and I felt like it burned my tongue to lie to her. I’ve never lied to her, or Evelyn, or any of my other friends in my entire life. But I couldn’t tell her the truth, just like I couldn’t tell Evelyn the truth, either, when she came over today so the three of us could talk, at my request.

If either of them knew, Dimitri and Alek would find out, too. And if Dimitri didn’t kill Chris with his own hands—or send someone to do it—Alek would. Dimitri is the more level-headed brother, the leader of the family and more sensible, but I’m not sure he wouldn’t put out a hit on Chris. And Alek?—

Dahlia’s husband is devastatingly handsome, and devastatingly brutal. He’s Dimitri’s right hand, his enforcer, and while Dimitri might put a hit out on Chris, Alek would go to his penthouse and make sure Chris died screaming for so much as laying a finger on me.

I’m furious that Chris hurt me, and still stunned that it happened at all. I feel like the shock of it hasn’t entirely worn off. But one thing I do know for certain is thatkillinghim for it feels like a step too far.

“So you and Chris split up,” Evelyn says slowly, repeating what I told Dahlia last night and told Evelyn when she came over today. “Because of the accident?” Her nose wrinkles. “That’s really shitty, Genevieve. You’re more than just a ballerina.”

“Not to him,” I say softly, and Rowan’s voice echoes in my head, sending a tremor down my spine.

Your dancing isn’t all you have to offer, lass. Far from it.

“Well, you can stay here as long as you need to,” Dahlia says decisively. “As long as you want. You don’t have to take whatever Rowan is offering you?—”

“I know I don’thaveto. But—” I bite my lip and look at Evelyn. She’s watching me with an expression that says she knows what I’m thinking, and that I’m not entirely crazy for thinking it.

“You met Rowan at that party? The one I designed a dress for?” Evelyn looks as if she’s working through something in her head.

I nod. “He was interested in the ballet. In becoming a patron—I thinkmypatron, specifically. Vincent pushed him a bit, pushed me, too. I told him I didn’t need the distraction before the showcase, that it was too much to deal with. Things weren’t good between Chris and me, but I thought I could deal with it all afterwards, that I?—”

I trail off, feeling that knot of pain behind my chest again, that feeling that I somehow fucked this all up.

“Now I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I say softly, looking down at my fingers, twisted together in my lap. “My whole life has been ballet. Since I was old enough to take classes, all I wanted was to be the best. I worked so hard for it, and?—”

“Youarethe best,” Dahlia says firmly, and I shake my head, feeling tears well up again.

“Iwas,” I whisper. “I’m not anymore. I’ll never be aprimaagain. Even if I go back to ballet, I’ll only ever be a shadow of what I used to be. It won’t be enough. I know it won’t be, and I have no idea what else I’m going to do with my life.”

“That doesn’t mean you have tomarrya man you barely know!” Dahlia exclaims. “Evelyn and I will take care of you. You know we will. You’re not going to be homeless while you’re healing, and?—”

“I know.” I manage a weak, watery smile. “Iknowyou’ll both do everything you can to help. But you have families of your own now. You’re both going to have babies soon. You have your own lives to worry about, and you can’t fix mine forever. I need to figure out what I’m going to do, sooner rather than later, and Rowan—” I take a slow breath. “Rowan has offered to help with that.”

Dahlia snorts. “It sounds like he’s not very reliable, if he’s this unfocused playboy that Dimitri is talking about?—”

“He answers to the other bosses as well now, though,” Evelyn says calmly. “Or he will, once he takes over. If he doesn’t keep his obligations to Genevieve, if he’s not a good husband to her—” She lets out a slow breath. “He’ll answer for it to Dimitri, for sure. Antony to a lesser degree, maybe. I’m not sure how much he’ll involve himself in Rowan’s affairs—he’s much more old-school than the others. But Dimitri won’t stand for Rowan not fulfilling his promises. If you have a contract with him—” Evelyn shrugs. “It will be honored.”

Dahlia’s eyes widen. “You’re not seriously considering—” She breaks off as Puff, the small puppy, wakes up from where he’s napping next to her feet and starts to bark, clearly agitated by the rising intensity of the conversation. She reaches down, picking up the ball of fluff, and puts the puppy in her lap as she keeps talking. “You can’t be encouraging Genevieve to do this, Evie.”

“Why not?” Evelyn bites her lip. “I married Dimitri for reasons that had nothing to do with love. Your marriage to Alek was the same, in the beginning,” she points out. “Youhatedhim, at first. But look at us now. We’re blissfully happy, with husbands who adore us and growing families, and everything we could want.”

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