Turning It on (Red Hot Russians) (24 page)

Then Cody was back. “Hotly contested, ladies and gentlemen, hotly contested. Now for our next and final number, we go from high style, to down and dirty. Presenting Tammy Bradford and the men of Team Red.”

The package began with shots of Omar and Ignacio playing soccer, and Hannah’s thoughts drifted to later tonight. Once she told Vlad that she had broken up with Jack, would it change anything between them? For her, it already had. Isla Cara was no longer about creating a memory. Instead, she hoped that it would be the beginning of something wonderful.

She jerked to attention as Vlad’s shadowed, unsmiling face filled the screen. It wasn’t the first time they’d shown him in an unflattering light, but there was something much more sinister about this.

“Tell us about your mother, Vlad,” said an offscreen Cynthia Bishop.

“She and her boyfriend were shot eight times each.”

Hannah tensed as the scene shifted to bleak, wintery images of a dingy high-rise apartment building. Police rolling out a stretcher, bearing a body under a white sheet. Pictures of a woman with the same smile as Vlad, and a man with thick eyebrows. A shot of Vlad in stony profile, also in black-and-white.

“I’m sure it wasn’t a surprise, considering that they were both involved in serious criminal activity,” Cynthia said, in accusing tone. “The man your mother dated for years was a convicted racketeer...and you hated him. Even though the police found no solid evidence, we all know who pulled the trigger, don’t we, Vlad?”

“Mob hit.” Defiant, he glared into the camera, but Hannah heard the soft quaver in his voice, and saw the haunted look in his eyes. “Anything else you want to know?”

“Oh my God,” she whispered softly, as the video abruptly ended and the room went black. Vlad’s last statement hung before the startled audience, the implication of guilt clear. She was about to spring from her seat and run to him, offering whatever comfort and support she could. Then came the sound of heavy rock guitars. A flash of canned flame. The curtains opened and there was Tammy, in black leather shorts and a bustier, fronting a pretend band of Omar and Ignacio on guitars, Vlad on bass and Aussie Will on drums, all wearing leather pants, vests and full KISS makeup.

The choreography was wild and energetic. There was leaping, there was grinding, there were make-believe guitar solos. All Tammy had to do was gyrate in the middle of the chaos. Each time the guys did a perfectly synchronized pelvic thrust on the “Calling Dr. Love” refrain the crowd erupted with screams.

Hannah found it impossible to enjoy the show. All she could think of was Vlad and how he must feel after having his tragic story revealed in such a way. She wanted to take him in her arms and be his strength, just as he had been hers when she felt broken and alone.

* * *

Vlad went through the motions of the dance, his expression blank. In the International Review, he’d learned to bury his feelings and he must do it now. But even as he masked his emotions, he couldn’t forget the awful images of Mama and Vasily Lukin, or the horrible implication of the spliced-together footage. It was true he’d hated the man, but he’d had nothing to do with killing him. The night they were killed, he’d been in Germany with the International Review. Ironically, that had saved his life.

They’d cut together stock footage of a random Eastern European apartment block with shots of bodies and police, and him—in the present day, no less—staring impassively, implying he’d watched the bodies being wheeled out when in truth, he hadn’t been there at all. Lies on top of lies. But what would Hannah think after seeing it? Would she still want anything to do with him? He thought of their plans for a special last night, the things he’d stashed in the boat before the show. All chosen to please her. Now, she probably wouldn’t even come. But he had to know for sure.

After the show, he returned to his room to change out of his costume, then made his way down to the dock, keeping to the shadows. He skirted the rear terrace when he spotted someone alone at a table, with a bottle and glass, staring out at the dark water.

Jack.

He made a pitiful sight, drowning his sorrows all by himself, but Vlad’s concern was for Hannah’s whereabouts. He reached the dock and touched the crucifix at his throat, praying she would come. When she did, his relief must have been visible.

“Did you think I wouldn’t?”

He shook his head. “After what you heard tonight—”

She cut him off. “It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Hannah, there’s so much I haven’t told you, but I swear, I didn’t kill them.”

“I know that.” She took his hand, and looked him in the eye. “Let’s go.”

He helped her down into the boat then climbed in beside her. The boat rocked slightly beneath their feet. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I’m sure.” She hesitated. “Do you?”

He leaned over and kissed her, the only thing in his world that felt right. “Yes, Hannah. It’s all I want to remember about tonight.”

He pushed the little boat away from the dock, and used a paddle to take them out a short distance before he started the engine. The calm, deserted water seemed to magnify the sound. He glanced back at the resort. Everyone was still at the party, or enjoying a private one. Isla Cara loomed ahead.

Hannah glanced back at the picnic basket stowed behind the front seat. “What did you bring?”

“Surprises.”

“Sounds risqué.”

He chuckled, softly. “Nothing risqué. Just things I know you like.”

She scooted closer on the seat, and brushed her cheek to his shoulder as he drove. He ached at the thought that after tomorrow night’s elimination, he would be gone. But he didn’t want his somber mood to ruin their final night together. He forced a smile as the warm, moist breeze washed over them, and he felt the soft pressure of her breast against his arm.

“I’m so happy that Chris won tonight,” Hannah said. “He did a great job, and I think it’s cool that you’ve become friends.”

“He’s a good guy. I hope Tammy starts to see that the grass is not always greener someplace else.”

“Like with Will?” she asked, a note of hope in her voice.

God, he hoped so. “Exactly.”

Blinking red-and-green beacons guided them to Isla Cara. He brought the boat in and tied it to the dock, while Hannah passed him the basket and blanket. From here, the distance to the mainland seemed much greater than the quarter-mile they had traveled. Clouds drifted over the moon, making it very dark, and Vlad’s unease returned. Maybe coming here hadn’t been the best idea. But Hannah slipped her hand into his, reminding him why they had.

He remembered the way to the ring of stones on the beach, and took wood from the pile beside it to build a small fire. Hannah spread out the blanket and he joined her. Together, they watched the little flames flicker into larger ones. He put his arm around her again, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. He brushed a kiss against her forehead, and when she looked over, he asked, “Would you like to see your surprises?”

“I’d love to.”

From the basket, he brought out all of her favorites from Resorte Siete Mares: a chilled bottle of the wine she ordered each night at The Smiling Shark, an excellent cheese they ate at one of the luaus, sliced mango and pineapple, miniature seafood salad sandwiches garnished with avocado.

“I tried to find some Pomegranate Nutra-Water, but there wasn’t any left,” he said as he poured two glasses of Pinot Grigio.

“That’s okay. I’d rather have the wine.” She took a bite of her sandwich. He loved seeing the delight on her face. “Delicious.”

“Thank you. I am very good at making sandwiches. Most times, people put on too much mustard or mayo and overwhelm everything else. Good bread is also key.”

“Skater, stripper, sandwich-maker. Who knew you had such diverse talents?”

“Don’t forget writer.”

“I won’t. And as soon as you’re ready to show me your book, I will read it start to finish and tell you what it needs.”

“Even if what it needs is to go in the trash?”

“I don’t think—”

He turned to look at her. “Promise me, Hannah.”

“I would never dream of discouraging you, but if I think you’d be better off putting it aside in favor of another project, I’ll tell you.”

Satisfied she would be honest, he nodded. Hannah finished her sandwich and ate some of the cheese and mango, though Vlad had no appetite and took none of the food. She wiped her fingers on a napkin and looked over, then placed her hand on the back of his neck, gently kneading the tense muscles beneath. He tilted his head back into her touch, soothed by the motion of her fingers at his nape and in his hair. “It was horrible to watch that, and even worse to think about what you must have been feeling,” she said.

“I was stupid to tell them about my mother. I should have known it would come back to haunt me, though I’d almost forgotten about the interview. It was before the show started. Now we are almost to the end, I was surprised they used it.” He took a deep breath and leaned forward, away from her comforting touch. “The only good thing is that I didn’t tell them any more...about my life before I came here.”

“Here, to the show?”

“No. Here, to United States.” He looked her in the eye. “It’s something you should know, too.”

He brought his knees to his chest and rested his elbows on them, staring out at the water. She kept her hand on his shoulder, though he didn’t look in her direction. “Whatever you want to tell me, it’s okay,” she said.

A long moment passed, as he gathered his courage. Then, with his gaze still fixed on the water, he told her of his life in Arkhangelsk...and after. “Ivan was very angry when I joined the International Review. Said the company was mob-run and I was making same mistake as my mother, getting involved with shady people. But I didn’t listen. At first, it was fun. They flew us around on a private jet. Most of the other dancers were women, really hot women, so...” He shrugged, saying, “...you know.”

“You had a good time.”

“Except when I didn’t.” He took a breath and threaded his fingers through hers. The time had come to rip off the bandage. “They controlled everything we did, threatened us if we left or told anyone. The shows were about much more than dancing. You see, there were people willing to pay a lot of money to watch their private fantasies played out. Live, onstage, by us.”

“Sex shows?” Hannah’s voice was hardly more than a whisper.

He swallowed, as revulsion snaked across his shoulders. “I did things, Hannah. Had things done to me. Terrible things I want to forget, but can’t, because they really happened.”

“Oh, Vlad,” she whispered, blinking rapidly. She swiped her fingertips across the curve of her cheekbone. “How did you get away?”

“A rich man in Florida hired us for a party. It was just dancing nude at poolside, tame compared to some of what we had to do. People were nice. There were even women guests. One was the wife of a man very powerful in your government. She liked me, and when I told her I wanted to get away from the International Review, she offered to help. Provided I would do something for her.” Now, he turned to look her in the eye. “So I did.”

The words hung in the still night, and he tensed, waiting for her to say something. Slowly, she shook her head. “You did what you had to. None of what happened makes you anything less, nor does it reflect on you now.”

“It does though,” he said. “It’s kept me from moving on with my life, from being close to anyone. It destroyed my last connection to family. There have been so many compromises since. Even coming on this show and knowing I had to convince a woman to cheat with me so I could win money. On one hand, I want to be a good, honorable man, but on the other, I thought I was willing to do it.” He put his arm around her, drawing her close. “Fortunately, it looks like I won’t need to make that decision.”

Hannah wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his shoulder. Her soft curls tickled his cheek. “After the show, will you go back to your old life?”

“A part of me says no, but another part says yes. All depends which part is stronger. You get comfortable, people see you one way, and you see yourself that way. It’s hard to break from that.”

“But if it’s not what you want to be, you have to try anyway,” she said, desperate to convince him.

He slipped his hand into hers. “I don’t know if I can.”

“You’re always telling me to be confident—maybe you could use some of that yourself. You don’t have to try to become a good honorable man. You already are. And whatever you set your mind to do or to be, I believe you can.”

“I want to believe that, Hannah, so badly I do.” The warm night breeze ruffled her hair, blowing it across her face. Vlad reached up and brushed his finger across her cheek and sighed. He cared for her. No, it was more than that. He loved her. Of that, there was no longer any question. “This time, it was me who ruined our moment together. Not quite the memory you were after, and if Jack finds out you came here with me...?” His voice trailed off, unable to imagine a worse ending.

She shook her head. “That doesn’t matter anymore. I broke up with Jack tonight. I’ve come to see that he doesn’t love me the way I want to be loved. In trying to make him happy, I gave up too much of myself. My only regret is that I didn’t see it sooner.”

“We all have things we wish we could change.”

“One thing I wouldn’t change is coming here and meeting you. Or the way I feel when you kiss me.” She tilted her face in and upward, inviting him with a smile.

Vlad cupped his hand against her cheek, stunned at the warmth and desire in her gaze. He returned her smile with a small one of his own, and then leaned in to brush his lips across hers. Hannah opened her mouth to welcome him. It took him by surprise, that after everything, she would still want him, but Vlad let love and desire take over, pushing away doubt.

The taste of tart white wine and the alluring scent of her perfume filled his consciousness. Where she had once been shy and hesitant, Hannah now kissed like a woman who knew what she wanted and would not be denied. She plundered his mouth with eagerness that made blood rush to his groin. At last, they were free to be together, and even after he’d confided his deepest shame, she was responding with acceptance and passionate kisses, not condemnation. Hope filled his heart. Though he’d been with other women, for the first time in his life, Vlad was about to make love.