Chapter 3

Three

Jess wiped the last of her stage makeup off. Her skin appreciated the opportunity to breathe after being coated with the thick cosmetics.

“A few of us have decided on going to the bar across the street for our celebratory drinks. You’re gonna join us, right? You said you would earlier.” Kaley asked from her perch on the stool beside her.

“I’m not sure now.” As tired as she was, she also wanted to spend time with her fellow dancers. Who knew when—or if—she’d see them again? At the end of each season and tour, contracts were handed out and sometimes they weren’t given to people who’d danced their hearts out and deserved one. But the idea of going to a noisy bar didn’t appeal to her, regardless of saying earlier that she would.

“Come on, you know you want to,” her bestie teased.

Before Jess could respond, one of the theatre staff appeared. His name was Timon, and he wore a friendly smile. “Excuse me. Are you Jessica Killian?”

A shiver of fear coasted over her skin, causing the fine hairs on her arms to stand to attention. “I am. Why?”

“There’s a gentleman at the backstage door, asking if you could spare him a few moments.”

Kaley squeezed Jess’s hand. “Do you know who it is?” her friend asked.

She was glad that Kaley could speak for her, because at this moment, Jess was frozen by the memories of the previous time someone had asked to see her after a show and where that had led. The scar on her arm throbbed in time with her heartbeat.

“He didn’t give me his name. But he had a ticket. I can tell him you’d rather not see him if you’d prefer.”

Jess couldn’t fault Timon, and the way he could tell she was a little freaked out by the attention.

“It’s not him,” Kaley murmured.

“I know,” she said. While she may believe that, part of her worried that somehow, someway, Bartholomew had escaped the confines of his prison cell and was standing at the door, waiting for her.

Was that why she’d felt that weird static in the air before she took the stage?

That something inevitable was going to happen?

“I’ll tell him you’re unavailable. You don’t have to do something you’re not comfortable with,” Timon said.

“No, it’s fine,” Jess said, determined not to let her past cloud her actions. She tightened her grip on Kaley’s hand. “You’ll come with me?”

Even if she was in control of the situation, she wasn’t going to be silly about it and take an unnecessary risk. She was going to have her friend beside her the whole time she spoke to this person.

Kaley nodded. “Of course I will.”

Jess smiled up at Timon. “Tell whoever it is I’ll be there in a few minutes. I still need to pack up my things.”

“Certainly. And I want to assure you that I will be close by, should you need anything.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

Timon nodded before leaving the dressing room. The second the door shut behind him, Jess slumped in her chair. “You know it used to be a thrill when audience members asked to meet me.”

“And it still is. You know if anything had changed with Bartholomew, you would’ve been notified, right?”

“Yeah, I do.” She trailed a finger down her one of her scars, remembering the pain of her flesh being sliced open. Her screams echoing in her ears. How she’d found the strength to run away from him still shocked Jess. Adrenaline had been pumping through her system, giving her power she didn’t normally possess.

She’d stumbled out of the building, blood streaming down her arm, with Bartholomew chasing her, yelling for her to stop or he’d kill her.

Fortunately, someone from above had been looking out for Jess, because as she’d turned the corner, there were two policemen coming out of a café. She’d launched herself at them and it’d taken them a mere second to assess the situation before one of them took off after her stalker, who was hightailing it in the opposite direction after dropping the weapon he’d been carrying.

The rest had been a blur, but she’d recovered and had survived the trial with the help of the woman standing beside her and some of her other dance friends.

Keeping it all from her parents had been the hardest thing in the world, but she’d done it and had closed that particular chapter of her life.

Or so she’d thought. Jess had convinced herself she was over it all, but clearly, the mention of someone wanting to meet her had brought it rushing back.

“Come on, let’s get changed. Then we can see who this person is and go drink the rest of the night away. No way are you not coming out now.”

“Fine. And, yeah, sounds good.” Although the last thing Jess was going to do was drink excessively. Once had been enough to realize drinking too much led to a different type of heartache.

Damn, she was having a one-person pity party, something she never did.

So, what if she’d had a couple of bad encounters? Well, one was worse than the other, but she was still here.

Still breathing.

Still dancing.

Still living.

What Jess was going to do was exactly what Kaley had said they were going to do. She was going to have a good time with her friends. Then she’d head to her parents’ for a visit while she waited for the new contract she believed she was entitled to.

A few minutes later, she hoisted her bag on her shoulder and waited for Kaley. Her friend was wiping down the tabletop.

“You know there are people employed to do that,” she said, arching an eyebrow.

Her friend shrugged. “I know, but I can’t leave it messy. You know that.”

“I do. It’s one of the many quirks I love about you.”

“Just like I love you for all your quirks,” Kaley countered.

Jess sniffed, giving off a good impression of being offended. “I don’t have any of those.”

Her bestie rolled her eyes as she collected her bag. “Sure, you don’t. Come on. I think we’ve left who was waiting for you for long enough. Maybe they got tired of waiting and left.”

She could only hope, but she didn’t think luck was going to be on her side. If it was, then Bartholomew would never have gotten close to her.

Finn glanced at his watch. He’d been waiting for a while for Jess to come out. The guy he’d asked to get a message to her had returned, advising that she’d be out shortly.

Then he’d proceeded to glare at Finn, as if he were a piece of gum someone had shoved beneath a theatre chair.

He didn’t know the guy. Didn’t know what he’d done to offend him. But Finn could have the guy shaking in his boots if he knew who he was sending his death glare to. Not that he’d do anything. Finn was trained to be able to kill with his bare hands, but he was also a healer. The need to make sure a person didn’t suffer was as much a part of him as the killer was now.

He was a contradiction, and he had no problems with being so.

“Looks like she’s not coming after all.” The guy smirked.

“Maybe. Maybe not. I know how long it takes for dancers to get rid of their stage makeup. Change. Etcetera.” Before things changed, he’d gone to many of Jess’s dance performances. It took a while for her to join them after the final dance.

Not to mention, knowing Jess, she was probably catching up with friends. She loved dance, but she loved being around fellow dancers, too. As she’d been with this company since she’d graduated from Julliard, she had probably made many friends.

Finn’s phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it. It was probably Oak, asking where he was. He’d answer him when he was ready. His friend had seen too much, and the longer he was able to put off the inquisition Oak was sure to give him, the better.

The door opened and a woman with blonde hair walked out.

Finn recognized her as one of the dancers. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the flash of dark hair behind her.

It might’ve been a few years since he’d seen Jess, but the color of her hair wasn’t something he could ever forget. Not that it was distinctive, it was just—Jess.

“Jess,” he breathed and stepped toward her. His heart hammered loud enough for everyone to hear it.

“Finn? Wh—” Jess craned her neck around the corridor, as if expecting to see someone else.

Did she think he’d come with his parents?

“You know him?” the guy that’d been standing guard asked.

She nodded. “I do. It’s been a while.”

Finn itched to haul her into his arms. There’d been a flash of fear in her eyes when she’d seen him approaching.

Was she afraid of him?

Why?

Okay, it wasn’t as if their last meeting had been all sweetness and light. The opposite. It’d been hot and heavy, and he’d gone and walked away. Hadn’t bothered to talk to her.

Dislike, he could understand seeing in her eyes, but fear? No, he didn’t like the idea that she was scared of him.

An awkward silence fell around the small group, and Finn wished that it was just him and Jess. That they didn’t have an audience.

Unfortunately, they did and, after all of his training, after everything he’d endured to be a SEAL, he wasn’t going to let a little discomfort or awkwardness prevent him from talking to Jess. “You were fantastic on stage, Jess. Amazing.”

He took another step toward her, and this time, she didn’t step back.

“Thank you. It’s good to see you. I didn’t expect you to be in town.”

Finn shrugged, trying not to feel slighted that she hadn’t asked his mom if he was around. Not that he told his mom every time he went on a mission—although she would know because he’d always sent his dad a message. That way he could break the news to Finn’s mom that he was off doing something dangerous. She still hadn’t forgiven him for deciding to become a SEAL. She was proud, but also constantly worried. He loved her for it, but he did find it a little stifling.

“Can I take you out to get something to eat?” Finn asked when the conversation lagged again.

Well, truthfully, the last few minutes had been nothing but uncomfortable. Maybe he should just give up and go to meet Oak.

“Thanks, but I have to pass. It’s our last performance, and it’s tradition that we all get together and have a celebratory party.”

If he didn’t already know Jess was lying, the way her friend’s head whipped around suddenly would’ve given her away.

Finn had always been able to tell when Jess wasn’t telling the truth—her eyes would dart to the left quickly before returning to look at the person she was lying to. Also, her cheek twitched a little. The movements were subtle, but he’d seen her lie to her dad when she was a kid. When she’d tried it on Aunt Poppy, she’d either call Jess out on it or let it pass.

Like he was going to do, right now.

There was no way he was going to force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. Even though it cut him to the bone that she didn’t want to be near him.

He deserved this reaction. He’d been a jerk to her that night.

Finn smiled softly, shoving his hands in his pockets so he didn’t give into the temptation to reach out and pull her in for a hug. In the past, it wouldn’t have been an issue. In fact, it would’ve been natural. But after the kiss they’d shared, things were different.

“Have a great time. It was really good to see you, Jess. Give your mom a hug from me when you see her.” He held her gaze for a few more seconds before he turned and walked away, wishing that things could’ve been different.

Wishing she was walking beside him instead of standing by the door.

Wishing that he hadn’t been an ass that night four years ago.