Page 6 of Captive Vows
“Uh…”Now what do I do?I didn’t want to actually have to do anything with him. I didn’t want to get involved with anyone at all. If and when I did, it’d have to be someone who’d at least get a spark of interest burning in me. He didn’t. I was only trying to use him, and I only now saw how stupid that was.
I bit my lip and hesitated.
He rolled his eyes and retreated. An expression of annoyance crossed over his face. “Knock it off.”
“Huh?” He’d seemed so interested and now he was so instantly cold. “What?”
“Stop.” He shook his head, like he pitied me. “I’m not interested.”
I opened and closed my mouth, torn between relief that he wasn’t sincerely pursuing me or expecting anything from me and disappointment that I’d failed. I supposed I hadn’t. I wanted to get his attention, and I had. But not in the way I imagined it would go.
“You’re way too young for me.”
I furrowed my brow. I hadn’t actually wanted him, but did he really need to saythat? He was maybe a few years older than me. How did that count? How dare he make me feel inferior like that.
“I don’t know what kind of stupid game you’re trying to play, but take this piece of advice.” He stepped back again, eyeing me up and down with more disdain. “Don’t. Don’t play games with people in power who can call the shots.”
Fuck.
That sounded like a threat.
I frowned and moved back from him.
The last thing I needed was for him to spread word that I was trying to sleep with instructors to get ahead. Or not. Whatever.
My heart ached as it thumped fast. Panic crept over me, and I wished I could pressrewindon this whole incident. “No, I?—”
He shook his head and left, turning to look at me over his shoulder. “Forget it, kid.”
Kid?
Anger replaced the panic. How dare he call me akid? Like I was a joke, an immature idiot who’d never succeed.
Gripping the straps to my drawstring bag, I gritted my teeth and turned to leave. Humiliation warmed my cheeks. Fury quickened my breath and pushed me to flee.
I’m so stupid. Why did I think that would work?
Oliver’s words delivered a sharp blow as I hurried home. His mocking rejection was just another reminder of how powerless I was to go for my dreams. How hopeless I was to be a dancer and get into Juilliard.
I narrowed my eyes as I walked the familiar sidewalk, furious and frustrated with the world.
Frustrated with everyone in the world, too.
Especially men.
No man was good. Not my father. Not punk-ass Oliver.
No one.
Just like I had no one but myself to rely on for a decent future of any kind, with or without dance to brighten the dark days.
3
LUKA
Ididn’t need to go along with the men on this sting to see whether my instincts were correct about Miguel Lopez. Watching him be so nervous was all it took for me to have a good read on the man. I seldom erred with reading others.
However, the next day, I rode along with Ivan and Emil for the trap they’d arranged. While it might have been seen as overkill for me, the boss at the top, to accompany them, I wanted something to do.
