hey
guys, Dana hear again. Ive been pestered so much to do a sequel to Soyeux
Danse, so I have! i hope you like it, please don’t hesitate to tell me
what you think, good or bad, as all comments are well received
Chapter
1
Anita’s P.O.V
I had just stepped out of my house and was locking my door, when my phone started to ring. I put my keys in my other hand and dug my hand into my jacket pocket to get it out. I flipped the bottom open and almost shouted in to the mouth piece;
“Hello?”
“Hey, Anita, its Edward” Fantastic. Just what I needed.
“Hi, Edward, what’s up?”. I tried to sound happy to hear from him. He never brought good news.
I was walking down my drive, towards my birthday present off Jean-Claude. A brand spanking new Peugeot CC. It was black, with cream leather interior. I loved it!
“Ive just received a phone call about your boy friend” Edwards voice pulled me back to earth.
I stopped dead in my tracks. Hear we go...
“What type of phone call?” I asked in a sarcastic tone. Maybe that would make him spill.
“I’ve been offered 2 million dollars to capture Jean-Claude alive. Well, alive as he started out any way....” he finished.
I had just put my keys in the car door. My mouth was hanging open. I think a fly flew in and flew out and I didn’t blink.
“Anita?.....Anita, you still there?” I closed my mouth. I got angry.
“So, how long do we have before you arrive with a cage?” I asked. I leaned against the car.
He laughed, the smug son of a bitch that he was. Well, it was more of a chuckle than a laugh.
“I haven't taken the contract, Anita. I’m flying in to find out what the hell is going on. This one is a funny one and I dont trust it” he finished. He sounded worried. I had to ask.
“Are you flying in to protect Jean-Claude” A slight smile forming on my lips. The one vampire he had always wanted to kill, he was now flying in to town to protect him. Talk about irony.
He was silent for so long on the other end of the phone, I thought he’d died of shock. I called his name.
“Edward?”
“Thats partly it, Anita. You’ve caught me out. But it also mean I get to use some of my newest toys, and kill things” That I believed.
“Can I just ask, Edward, Why are you protecting him?” I had to know. To my surprise, he answered straight away, as though he had been expecting this question form me.
“You forget, Anita, I was there helping trying to find you. I seen a different side to the vampire. I’m not saying I trust all of them.....but maybe, just maybe, I trust Jean-Claude. I slept at the circus, with all of them, and I didn’t feel in danger once” I was dumbstruck as Edward finished his speech. I pulled my self back together.
“So, when can I expect to see you?” I asked him.
“Where are you living?” He asked, as though he already knew the answer. He only had it half right.
“I am moving into the circus, so I’m staying in between the two places” I was smiling. Though, why I was smiling with the news I’d just had, I didn’t know.
Edward bust out laughing. I took this opportunity to open my car and slide into it. I waited while Edward tried to stop himself laughing.
“O.K, O.K, O.K, Anita. I will phone and tell you tomorrow what time my flight lands. You can come and pick me up, k?” he said. I wasn’t smiling now.
“Fine, see you tomorrow, Edward” We hung up.
I put my keys in the ignition and started to turn the key, then stopped. Someone was after one of us again. I am getting bloody sick of this. The worst thing was, I felt like it was all my fault.
I took my jacket off and dropped that, along with my keys, cell phone and small bag on to the passenger seat and looked out of the window at my house. I didn’t even like the house. I’d had to move out of an apartment I loved because I was worried my neighbours would get killed.
For some reason, I’d just realised that, I was dangerous, not just because of the gun, but because of who I was. It was dangerous to know me, to be around me. I felt like this contract was my fault. Jean-Claude would probably be safer if he didn’t know me. Alot of people would be safer.
I felt like the whole world was against me. What had I done that was sooo bad? I had problem after problem thrown at me. I dont’ think I’ll be able to cope for much longer if I don’t have any let up.
I leaned my arms on the steering wheel and cried. Was it worth it? Mine and Jean-Claude’s relationship, was us both getting hurt worth the bother? The answer was, to me, yes. I loved him. I’d finally found the one, and we were being ripped apart, or at least that was how it seemed.
Jean-Claude’s P.O.V
I walked out of the circus, into the spring/summer heat. Ma petite and I were going dancing tonight. I’d finally won and persuaded her to let me teach her how to dance. She wasn’t that bad, but needed a little help.
I laughed to myself and smiled, breathing in the air. It had been nearly seven months since Alejandro tried to take her away form me. Since he lost us our baby. We still were none the wiser to weather she could conceive again. I didn’t care if she could or couldn’t. I had her in my arms and in my bed. That was all I needed.
I searched through the marks, to try and find her. She was picking me up outside of Guilty Pleasures in about 10 minuets. I found her sitting in her new car, the one I brought her for her birthday, crying.
She wasn’t just crying, but sobbing. she couldn’t seem to stop. This was not like
Ma petite. I took to the air and was by her house, on her drive, in seconds. I started to walk towards the car, making sure the gravel crunched under foot, so that she would know I was hear.
I opened the passenger car door, moved everything on the seat in to the back and slid in. I closed the door and looked at her. She had her head turned away form me, as though trying to hide the fact that she was crying. She was wearing and outfit I had purchased for her.
It was a silk corset, that tied up at the back. It was cream with Japanese patterns embroidered in gold on it. It was quite a low cut. It fitted her perfectly. She was wearing the trousers I’d brought her, too. They were black silk trousers, which had splits in them, up to the calves.
To my surprise, she was wearing black, leather sandals. They were very elegant. Tied round the ankles, a platform heal. With her hair down and straight, she was beautiful and to perfection.
She must have felt my gaze, because she turned to look at me. I took her face in between my hands and smiled at her. I wiped her tears away with my hand.
“What ever is the matter, ma petite?” I didn’t smile when I said the last. To do that would have been crude.
She chocked a laugh and started to dab at the tears on her face. Trying not to smudge the small amount of make-up.
“Everything we’ve been through. You saving me, me saving you, us fighting to stay together. Has it all been worth it? Is it worth it?” she asked, giving me her full attention.
Oh no. She was breaking up with me again. I thought things were going so well. Maybe I was just deluding myself. Maybe we would never be happy.
“I’m not splitting up with you” she said rather quickly after I’d thought the last. She carried on
“I don’t want to split up, but has it been worth it? Everyone we’ve lost, the wounds we’ve had..... I’m tired of fighting the world” She finished, shaking her head.
I already had my answer.
“I would move hell and earth, walk through fire, and take on the whole world to reach your side, ma petite” And I would, it was all true.
She smiled and her face lit up.
“What ever is the matter ma petite? what has happened?” I asked her frowning.
“I’ve just had a phone call from Edward” I felt my face drop. I couldn’t help it. Nothing good happened when he was around.
“What does monsieur de mort want?” I asked
“He has been offered 2 million dollars to capture you alive” She said, looking at me. What? Who on earth would want me alive? Dead, I can understand because there are a few vampires who would like to see dead, too. But, why alive?
It couldn't be for my council seat, because I would have to be dead, and be killed in front of a horde of witnesses. I looked out of the window, so that ma petite wouldn’t see my face, but then turned back. She might take it as rejection.
She carried on.
“He hasn’t taken it. He’s flying up hear tomorrow to try to find out what going on” She said, fresh tears falling down her face.
“What are we going to do?” She asked
Her nose was turning slightly red. I smiled. We would enjoy this evening, I would make sure we would. Ma petite hadn't been feeling too well, lately. She was very tired all of the time. I wanted her to enjoy this evening as much as she could. She had been having to cancel dates because she was over tired. I had an idea.
“We are going to go out, go dancing. Have a fantastic time, Then go back to the circus and perform the wicked dance before dawn, I promise it” I said, my smile truing more into a grin with every word.
She smiled then laughed. We kissed on the lips, and then she started the car. It was quite a warm night. I had another idea.
“Shall we have the top down?” I asked her. I loved this car, but I was a little frightened of learning how to drive anything but a horse, so I brought ma petite one.
“Why not?” She said.
As we pulled out of the drive, the top started to fold back from us. Yes, I would make this one of Anita’s best nights of her life! I would worry about everything else later. My human servant’s happiness took priority.
Chapter
2
Anita’s P.O.V
I’m sitting behind my desk at work. I’ve got paper work to do, the worst part of the job. As I like to say, its a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it. The announcer came to life, a second before Mary’s voice floated through the air.
“Anita, Mr. Forrester on line one for you”
I pressed the button that let me speak to Mary.
“Thanks, Mary” The number one started to flash in my phone. I pressed it and picked up the receiver.
“Hi Edward” I spoke into the
“Hey, Anita. I’ve made some phone calls..” He said. I prompted him.
“Yes...And..?”
“I can’t find anything. They contacted me directly by a phone call. Somehow, they’ve managed to keep there number TOTALY unlisted. I just can’t find anything” He said.
He sounded disappointed. I guess Edward had to be beaten sometime, in something. It was just my bloody luck that it would happen when I needed the help. What was my middle name? Unlucky?
“O.k Edward. What time is your flight?” I asked him, suppressing a yawn. God, what was the matter with me.
“Well, the flight lands in St. Louis at about 10o’clock tonight. Where do you want me to meet you?” He asked, innocently.
“I was thinking more along the lines of I pick you up. I’ll be waiting for you in your flight departure lounge” I told him yawning.
“O.k, Anita, that is if your awake” He said, half laughing.
I laughed. He was probably right. If I didn’t have to do all of this damned paper work, I would still be in bed now.
“I’ll be there” I told him
“Until tonight” and he hung up, no good-bye.
Oh well, it wasn’t like I cared.
I pulled the work back in front of me. I would have blamed going out last night on my being tired, but I never suffered with tiredness. I could go for hours with out sleep, and I wouldn't be as bad as I was at the moment. I was sleeping more and more.
I suppose
a quick nap would make me feel batter and function better. I laid my arms
on the desk and then my head on top of them. It wouldn’t hurt to take a
quick nap, at least I hoped it wouldn’t.
************************************
I was dreaming. Someone was behind me. There was no scenery, nothing but blackness. I turned round. I could hear something, but I couldn’t make out what it was. I walked in the direction of the voice.
“Anita”
The voice was whispering my name.
“Who’s this?” I called back.
“You will know soon enough, my beautiful one, You will know soon enough” It whispered back.
It felt like wind was touching my face, but this wind had specific movement to it. It was like the wind lived. I could smell something, some sort of after shave.
“Anita” Another voice was saying.
I was being shook by someone. The wind was going now but the smell was driving me mad! It wasn’t as if it was a nice smell.
“Anita!” My name was shouted down my ear,
I sat up too fat and it sent my head spinning. Bert was standing over me, hand on his hips. So thats what the smell was. He didn’t look angry, he looked worried. I didn’t know why, he didn’t normally care about me, just as long as I was brining in the money.
“What’s wrong, Anita?”. He asked, hands still on his hips.
“Nothing, why?” I asked, trying not to sound as tired as I actually felt.
His face completely changed, he looked like he’d seen a ghost. I frowned and a second after I felt liquid run from my nose. My nose was bleeding. I put my finger up to my nose to stop the flow of blood.
“Go home, Anita, you don’t look well. Go to your first two zombie raisings, I’ll divide the rest. It’s not like business is booming” He said.
I looked at Bert. He had softened towards us all when I had gotten back to work. He knew I had a badge and that I could quit and leave him high and dry. I nodded and pulled my black blazer from the back of the chair.
“Don’t come back to the office until you feel well enough” I nodded and walked out.
I took a quick trip to the ladies staff room to grab some tissue and clean up a bit then left. I was going to go home and go to bed and really catch up in my sleep. It was 1o’clock. I could have about 6 and half hours sleep then I would have to start to get ready to go and pick up Edward. I’ve got an idea. Take Jean-Claude, too. I’m sure Jean-Claude would want to see Edward. I dialled the circus.
A recognised voice answered the phone on the fourth or so ring.
“Circus of the damned, Stephan speaking, how can I help?” I smiled.
“Stephan, it’s Anita. Can you tell Jean-Claude I’ll pick him up from Guilty Pleasures at about 9:30 tonight? We’re going to pick Edward up from the airport” I told Stephan. Jean-Claude would be up by about 4o’clock.
“Sure, Anita, I’ll tell him. Anything else?” I did have one question for him.
“Yeah, when’s the wedding?”
He laughed, He should have known he couldn’t keep things secret, especially from me. I found out all.
“I should have known. Its a December wedding. Vivian wants to have it in the snowy months so she can match the snow” He told me.
I laughed. It sounded like something Vivian would want.
“O.k. Stephan, I’ll see you soon”
“Bye” We both hung up.
I started my car and pulled out of the parking lot of our office block. I intended to sleep all day. Well, it sounded alright to me
Chapter
3
Jean-Claude's P.O.V
It is now 8:55. Ma petite is normally early. I’m not to worried, though. Ma petite can take care of herself. I absolutely hate doing the books and takings. It is the worst part about owning your own business. Oh, well. It has to be done.
I felt Nathaniel approach before he knocked on the door. For some reason, through ma petite’s bind to the leopards, I could sense their arrival almost as good as she could.
He knocked on the door.
“Come in, Nathaniel” I called through the door. He came in wearing black jeans and a white dress shirt, with the two middle buttons undone, so that he could flash off his deeply tanned chest.
“Jean-Claude, someone has just dropped this off at holy item declare desk” Nathaniel held out a very old looking envelope. He walked towards me, hand out stretched.
I had questions. For some reason, I didn’t like the look of this envelope. And, call it a hunch, I doubted weather I would like the look of what was held in it’s interior, either.
“What did the person look like who dropped it off?” I asked him. I stood up and walked round the desk. I leaned on the side of it, taking the envelope off Nathaniel.
“I’m not sure. I was told to just come and give it to you” Nathaniel said, backing away slightly, as though afraid I would kill the messenger.
“Thank you Nathaniel. That will be all, you may go” I said with a smile. No need to frighten the staff all of the time.
He nodded at exited the room, leaving me to walk back round my desk and sit down. I looked at the letter, as though it were poison. I started to open the envelope. You could tell that it had just been put together.
I lifted out the parchment. I hadn’t used parchment for years. I opened out the parchment and read what was inside. My heart stopped beating and I stopped breathing and read what was on the letter;
You had better watch your self, Jean-Claude, I’m finally coming for her in person, and there is nothing you can do about it.
I have watched you both for years. I thought that you would never win her affections, but you finally have and that means you have to go.
If you accept your loss straight away, you might survive, but if you fight, you will not. I have finally come to collect what is mine and there is nothing you can do.
Regards
Anonymous
Someone was after ma petite again. “Im finally coming for her in person”. What did that mean? I read and reread the letter what must have been 20 times. They hadn’t signed their name. My bet is that they had not revealed them selves to whom ever was on the holy item declaration desk.
I decided to search for ma petite, find out where she was. I couldn’t tell her about this. I would have to tell Nathaniel not to say anything, too. Not that he wouldn’t if ma petite asked.
Ma petite was still asleep. I looked at the clock on the wall. It was 9:00. She should have been awake now, if not already on her way. What was the matter with her lately?. She was always sleeping. I was beginning to get worried. All of this could be linked.
I whispered “Asher ” and seconds later he was at the door, knocking to come in.
“Jean-Claude, what’s the matter?” He knew me too well.
“I need you to go to ma petite and wake her. She is still sleeping. She is supposed to be taking us to the airport to pick up monsieur Edward” I told him, pretending to be busy so that I would not have to look him in the eye. He would know there was something wrong.
Of course, if I didn’t look up, he would know that there was something wrong anyway. I looked up at him, he was standing in front of me, his hands on his hips.
“Is that all?” He asked.
“Yes,
I have a little bit of business to attend to. If you could kindly wake
her and help her get ready, I will be ready when you get hear” I smiled.
He
shook has head, nodded at me and walked out, closing the door behind him.
Ma petite’s sudden illness had to be linked in with this. I had to get
to the bottom of this and fast.
Chapter
4
Asher’s P.O.V
I arrived at Anita’s house within a minuet of leaving Guilty Pleasures. I had the key to her house read in my hand. Both Jean-Claude and I had keys to Anita’s house. I opened the door and walked in. Most of the leopards were at a club tonight. Micah was with them, so things shouldn’t go too badly this time.
I walked to Anita’s bedroom and opened the door. The room was dark, but I could see everything in the room. Enough to know it was just us two there. Anita was lying on top of the covers, with just a sheet and her pyjamas protecting her form the world.
It was March now. The summer was coming, and although the heat did not bother me, I found summer the most pleasant of seasons
She was moving quite violently in her sleep. Tossing from side to side, as though trying to escape someone. I walked over to her and sat on the bed. Sweet was bedded heavily on her skin.
She started to scream, then started to cry. I couldn’t stand this any longer. I got on the bed and crawled round until I was by her. I pulled her into my lap to stop her struggling. She was crying and saying; ‘ leave me alone, what do you want .
“Anita!” I shouted to her, shaking her, trying to wake her up.
“Anita! Wake up!” I shouted again. I started to shake her again, not to roughly. Nothing was working.
She was still crying. I picked her up and walked out of the room. I needed room to manoeuvre. I placed her on the rug in front of the couch. She was still screaming and bucking against my arms. I shook her and shouted her name as loud as I could.
“ANITA !” I screamed it into her face.
She woke with a scream, then recognised me. What had frightened her so much? What on earth had happened? I didn't know weather to ask or not. I stared into her face as I held her arms. She reached up and put her arms around me neck.
“What was the matter, ma cherie ?” I asked her.
She started to relax a little.
“Oh God” She whispered”