“Damn, tiny tot, you look fearless up there. I didn’t know you did aerial strap performances,” Sebastian breathed in awe.
“Mr. Caruso, Myshka is more than fearless. Wait until I get her back into the studio. You haven’t seen anything yet.” Pasha rocked his shoulders against mine.
“Oh, we’re going to dance together again?” I teased, wanting nothing more. He winked, and I laughed.
Sebastian and Marcel had not only orchestrated our reunion but invited him to stay with us. That first night, we ended up staying up until 3 a.m. just talking. But when sleepiness crept in, I walked him to his room and hugged him, never wanting to let him go.
“Pasha, I’m sorry I lied before,” I mumbled.
“Eh, I’m just glad I was right. Promise you’ll never shut me out again, though. Even if not by blood, you’re my sister, and I’ll always want you in my life.”
I couldn’t make that promise, so I gripped him tighter. I shared something with him. Something I would never share with another living soul, ever. My best memories included him and my parents, and I wanted to hear all the stories. Especially knowing his recollections of our childhood were better than mine.
Chapter 11
Marcel
The Recent Abduction
Surprising her with Pashacouldn’t have gone any better. The way her face radiated was nothing less than stunning. Sebastian and I couldn’t get enough of them. She came alive in ways that reminded me of her demeanor from before.
She had been having so much fun with him over the last week; it made my heart happy to see her this way. Today, as I waited for Kinsley to meet me in the drawing room, Pasha joined me for a chat.
“So you weren’t sure she was Mischa at first?” I asked.
“Yes, I had to remind myself that I attended her funeral and that she was probably a look-alike. But then she sat down.” He laughed.
“You could tell by how she sat down?” I asked, rubbing the back of my head.
He nodded. “She used to do this thing the minute she sat down. She would bring her knees up to her chest, but the process was uniquely hers. First, she would wiggle her toes as she scrunched her nose up. Then she’d point her toes, bring her knees up, and sigh softly before laying her head on her knees as she watched or listened.”
I chuckled because she was forever doing that exact thing in our sessions.
“Once she danced, I knew for sure. I started dancing with her when she was four, but I’d known her since she was born. There are signature ways a dancer moves, and when you’re 100 percent reliant on trusting that partner, you get to know them with every moment you practice together. Much like lovers know one another’s caress.”
“Are we discussing a lover’s caress today, Dr. Marcel?” Kinsley had snuck in, startling me, and Pasha laughed.
“Speaking of that, I should probably check in with mine,” Pasha said with a blush. Kinsley gave him a stern look before hugging him.
“We’ll chat about this lover of yours later,” she said.
All this talk about lovers had me fidgeting. I would need to update the guys. They were due home by the end of the week. Kinsley and I had finally gotten through her backstory. Today’s conversation was going to be a more in-depth dive into the most recent abduction. She was adamant that the two were tied together. After she hugged Pasha one last time, he left, closing the door behind him.
“Have a seat.” I motioned for her to sit, then chuckled when she went through her signature move of resting her head on her knees.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, then laughed when I told her what Pasha had pointed out.
“Do I really do that? Now I’m going to have to pay attention.”
“You most certainly do. I can pull footage up of our sessions from when you were in Seattle. You wiggle, wrinkle, and then point. Come to think of it, you point your toes all the time.”
“Oh yes. Habit from hearingpoint your toesyelled at you every time you’re mid-flight during a leap, and the constant reminder that your toes need to be pointed every time your foot leaves the ground.”
“Interesting. Are you ready for today’s session? It might be a tough one for you because we need to discuss the details of your recent abduction.”
“What about it? Did they find his body?” Her question was tinged with apprehension.
“No, but I’d like to go over the details with a fine-tooth comb. The man you killed, I need you to describe him to me. Leave nothing out.”
