Maze (The Ballerina Series #2) by Ursula Sinclair Read Free Book Online

then, and when you’re released, I’ll come and
get you.” Maze pulled out his cell and texted Terry.
    “Sounds
good. Now you two leave an old man to his sleep. Go have fun.”
    I
squeezed Joe’s hand but he gripped mine and pulled me closer to him, giving me
a kiss on my cheek. I beamed at him and straightened up. Maze wrapped his arm
around my waist and shook Joe’s hand, and then we left. The affection and love
these two men had for each other ran deep. It left a warm place in my heart. I
liked Joe and he seemed to have accepted me as being a part of Maze’s life. I
smiled thinking of Maze with my mom. I thought both of my parents would also
like Joe a lot. Especially after they found out about how Joe raised Maze like
a son after his mom died.
    Maze
told me the story one night while we just lay in bed and held each other. Yeah,
Joe was a special person.
    We
stepped onto the elevator and I circled my arms around Maze for the short ride.
I leaned against his shoulder and sighed.
    “What’s
the matter?” he asked.
    But
the elevator doors opened before I could answer, and in truth, I didn’t want to
begin this discussion here. I just shook my head.
    He
placed his arm around my shoulder and we walked outside. Terry had the car
sitting right at the entrance, and he stood at the door holding it open for us.
    I
smiled at him and got in.
    “How’s
Joe?” he asked.
    “Doing
well,” Maze replied. “He should be released in another day or so.”
    “Good
to hear.”
    Maze
got in and Terry shut the door.
    Maze
activated the privacy window separating us from Terry, ensuring our
conversation would not be overheard. After he sat back in the seat he placed
his arm around my shoulders again. “Now, tell me what’s wrong?”
    I
shifted away from him a little. “I’m not sure. Perhaps you need to tell me.”
    He
frowned. “Is this because I wouldn’t let you wait for me earlier? Cause
seriously that was nothing. I just don’t want those guys anywhere near you. The
less they know about you the better.”
    I
frowned now. I had no idea what he was talking about and told him so. “What
guys?” I asked. Then a light bulb went on. “Does this have something to do with
that fight in the alley? I thought that guy in the waiting room seemed
familiar.”
    He
sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. “In a way. They’re part of the
world I’ve walked away from, and I don’t want you anywhere near it. Okay?”
    “Maze,
what’s going on? Are you talking about underground fighting? What you did… Was
it illegal?” There’d I’d asked him. I didn’t want there to be secrets between
us. I loved him, and I wanted to understand him. I thought I did, he was trying
to protect me. But I needed him to know he could trust me. I’d never betray
him. But I also didn’t want him having anything to do with that side of his
life ever again either. I watched him cripple a man the other night. No, this
was no world for me, but Maze didn’t belong here either. No matter how much he
seemed to fit in. Maze fought when cornered.
    He
put his hand on the side of my face and I leaned into the caress. “I don’t
deserve you. I know that. But I swear, as long as there’s breath in my body, I
will spend every day loving you. Making you happy.” He moved his hand to grasp
mine like he needed the contact.
    Threading
our fingers together, he spoke again. “As much as I didn’t want you to, you saw
for yourself what I do is dangerous. And yes, it straddles the line. Hell, most
of the time it falls right into the other side. But I’ve always fought a clean
fight. I’ve never thrown one. The people who run these competitions wanted me
to throw the fight the other night.”
    “Oh
my God!” I gripped his hand tighter. In fact, I placed my other hand over our
joined hands. “But you won. So you didn’t go through with it. You did the right
thing.”
    Even
in the dimness of the car I still saw his slight smile. “Yeah, I did. I