14 Months 05: New Year

"Sophie, it's dangerous out here alone, you're not dressed to be out here! Please stay where I can see you," David said following close behind her but letting her do what she needed to do to get through this. She had paced the side of the road when she had panicked in the truck so he reasoned she just needed to walk for a few minutes before she could talk to him again. "Sophie, Darius only wants to keep you safe; he didn't know those men you danced with, and it worried him. He could have expressed it better, but he was worried about you, he would never deliberately hurt you or trap you. We all know not to do that to you."

"He wouldn't hurt me?" she let out in a loud sob through ragged breaths and held up her arm where the red imprints of his big fingers still showed around the swelling wrist which threatened to bruise badly.

"Fuck!" David said and lowered his head. He was out of his depth here without knowing exactly what had gone on before he arrived at their table. "Can I see your wrist, please? Do you need some ice for it?" he asked sincerely concerned that Darius had inadvertently hurt her. He couldn't believe Darius had done it on purpose. He wouldn't have.

"Frankie?" A man's voice called as Sophie paced further away from David. "Frankie!" he called again closing the distance between them.

"You're mistaken man," David moved quickly, getting to Sophie before the man and placing an arm around her to turn and guide her back to the hotel entrance.

"Stop!" The man said, moving into a light jog to get to them. "Frankie, I know it's you. Just stop for a minute!"

"I don't know who this Frankie is or what she is to you, but this is my girlfriend, and her name is not Frankie," David said menacingly. "If you don't stop hassling her, I'll make sure security hassles you." He could have handled the man himself, but he didn't want to do that in front of Sophie when she was already looking so vulnerable and upset.

"Oh," the man looked properly at Sophie now that she had turned around. "You look just like her, but I can see that you're much too young to actually be her. My apologies," the man frowned as if he was sure she was this other woman. Just like the man at the club had been the night her whole world had changed.

"You're not the first person to think I resembled someone else, what was her name again?" Sophie asked, digging her feet in when David tried to move her away back toward the entrance.

"You look just like Frankie Calabrese did at your age, but she would have to be around forty by now. It's uncanny though," he said and reached a hand out toward her as if to touch her and be sure she was real.

"Sorry," she said, stepping back, having gotten what she wanted, a name. "I've never heard the name before. I thought maybe you knew one of my sisters, people say I look like them, peas in a pod, which isn't really surprising. I hope you find the woman you're looking for." She turned then and went with David docilely. "Can we go up to the apartment so I can fix my make up? Will we have time before the next dance?" she asked as if she hadn't just had a breakdown and run away from the ballroom.

"You'll have to be quick," David said, checking his watch. "I'll call and see if Michael can stall the proceedings somehow."

"Michael?" she questioned. She could breathe normally now and felt some of her bravado returning. If she wanted the bonus money before she left Darius, she needed to win the dancing contest. The more money she had before she pulled the pin on the whole game and used the out clause, the better off she would be. She wouldn't have to be alone with Darius until they returned home later that night and if she called and told Susan about her wrist before they left on their flight. She would be there when they got home and separate her from Darius if that was what she wanted. Susan was the only person on her team that she had seen stand up to Darius in any way.

"Michel Mace. He is part of the ruling council and my mentor," David explained. "He will know what is happening and how long you might have to fix your makeup. It won't be more than a few minutes, though. Now that they were inside and he could see her wrist better in the light, he could see the red marks and the way she favoured it and winced when she did. "We should probably get Andrew to look at your wrist too. I'm not sure if Reed is here tonight, he would be the better option. Dancing with a damaged wrist probably won't be fun unless you get it wrapped to protect it."

David sent out rapid-fire texts to Michael and his brothers asking who was in charge of the first aid for the night and reassuring them that Sophie was fine, but her wrist had been damaged before they left the ballroom. He also let them know that a stranger had approached her on the street, thinking she was Frankie Calabrese. His phone pinged incessantly with responses, and by the time they returned to the ballroom, Reed along with all of his brothers were waiting for them at the door.

"A little overkill, don't you think?" Sophie asked, looking at the serious faces who greeted her entrance and pulled on the fake mask and persona she needed to get through the night.

"I'm just going to look at your wrist," Reed said, leading her over to a couch on the back wall. Sophie looked over her shoulder to see the six brothers all huddled together and talking quietly until Darius peeled off and came to sit beside her.

"I'm sorry, Angel. I don't know what happened. I would never intentionally hurt you," Darius murmured looking crushed as Reed wound a soft cotton bandage around her wrist and a small splint to support it as she danced the final dances.

"It's fine. I've had worse," Sophie dismissed his apology with a wave of her hand. "How long have I got to find a partner?" she asked surprising Darius by how shuttered she was in her dismissal of him and his apology.

All of the work he had done getting past her barriers so that she trusted him and cared for him as he cared for her was gone in that moment and as Byron said he only had himself to blame. He was devastated not by her attitude but that he had let her down in the worst way by hurting her and making her frightened of him. Something he had sworn he would never do. It didn't mean he would give her up or let her go. He would fight her every step of the way if she thought she could use the loophole to leave him over this. He would give her space this evening as the dancing went on, but when they got home, she would be his completely once again, he would make sure of it.

"Are you good to dance?" Asher asked, holding out his hand. "It's time."

"I am," she said determinedly and looked up at Asher, then looked past his shoulder to where Joe approached her with another man. "But I think I already have a dance partner if you will excuse me." She stood, noticing the shocked face of Asher and feeling Darius bristle behind her, as she smiled at Joe.

"Miss Ginger this is my partner Alexi, he noticed us when we tangoed and asked for an introduction," Joe introduced the man beside him in the same effeminate voice he had used with her earlier.

"Dance with me, and I will be the Fred to your Ginger," Alexi winked. "See if we can make Joe as jealous as he made me," he grinned.

"My boyfriend didn't much enjoy my dance with Joe either," she laughed knowing Darius was listening to everything she said. "I would love to dance with you, Fred!"

"Fred and Ginger coming through," Alexi called. "What's the Latin version of Fred and Ginger, I wonder?" he giggled, making Sophie laugh all the more.

"If my dance instructor can be believed its Riccardo and Yulia, but that doesn't have the same snappiness of Fred and Ginger," Sophie laughed as Alexi swept her onto the dance floor for a very sensual display of the Rumba. She found the freedom of no longer caring about Darius reaction freeing, and she made the most of Alexi's flirtations, knowing she was safe from any real advances from him.

Feeling hot and bothered from the sexiness of the Rumba Alexi had led her through Sophie was spun into another strangers' hands and the faster music of a Cha Cha Cha set the room alight with movement and spinning hip-shaking men and women. She barely caught her partner's name and by the end of the dance couldn't remember it as once again she didn't have time to think before another set of hands had pulled her to him for a Mambo.

Perspiring heavily, Sophie was happy to be walked back to her table despite her misgivings about how Darius would feel after the sensual version of the Rumba Alexi had danced with her. Even though he was gay and his partner was here, his moves had even made her hot and bothered by the end of the dance. She thanked her partner, not remembering his name and not wanting to admit it she turned to the table tentatively taking her seat beside Darius. Ignoring him as best she could, she picked up her glass of water and drank deeply.

Darius watched her silently. He had been determined not to react to her dancing as he had done and to give her the accolades she deserved. She was beautiful out there, and she was right. Her partners had only enhanced her beauty and desirability. She was head and shoulders above the other dancers in his eyes, and he was beyond devasted that he had caused her to put these walls up between them again. Gone was the cajoling little tease who had tried to soothe his anger earlier and in her place was an unemotional shell of the woman he knew. He scooted forward in his seat, leaning into her personal space and cursing as he saw her stiffen.

"Angel, you are amazing, and I should have listened to you and trusted you. I know you need actions rather than words," he picked up her hand and cradled her bruised wrist. "I can't tell you how sorry I am that I did this. It wasn't you that I was mad at but the situation. Byron blindsided me, and I lost control of the evening. I don't do well with that, and that's not an excuse, I shouldn't have acted the way I did regardless. I can't apologise enough. Please look at me." He watched as she turned her face to him; her expression unreadable for the first time since they had signed the contract and sealed their fate.

"Can you just let me concentrate on the dancing and deal with this later, please Darius?" she said quietly. "I just need to get through the final dances." Sophie turned away from him again and picked up her water to take another large drink. She could understand how out of control he would have felt having the rug pulled out from under him by someone he trusted, his mentor and father figure. He was a control freak and being out of control like that while she was arguing with him would have exacerbated the situation. It didn't change that fact that he had that side to his nature, and she wasn't sure she could trust him as completely as she had anymore.

"You are beautiful and so very sexy when you dance, you have nothing to worry about," he praised her. "I could never have danced with you like that." He said sadly thankful that she had not withdrawn her damaged wrist from him as he rubbed his thumb gently over her knuckles as they spoke. "I'm so proud of you and how you have handled yourself tonight. I want you to know one thing, and then I will leave it alone so you can concentrate," he said, drawing her eyes back to him with a gentle finger on her chin. "You are so much more to me than a contract or a game." He leaned forward, taking the chance she wouldn't shy away from him and gently brushed his lips over hers.

"So, things are looking better over there," David smirked across the table as he and Stella approached again. "How are you feeling, little witch?"

"I'm fine. Thank you, David. For everything," Sophie smiled softly at him. She was so grateful he had gone with her and allowed her just those few moments of fresh air even if the strange man who thought she looked like Frankie Calabrese accosted her.

"Everything?" Asher asked, swooping over her shoulder to pick her up and deposit her into his lap as he took her seat. "Tell me more, cookie," he chuckled. "You and Dave were gone for a while together."

Sophie quickly glanced at Darius, who had failed to let go of her hand during Asher's interruption and taking her chair. Not wanting to make matters worse before the end of the night she moved from Asher's lap to Darius feeling his whole body relax underneath her as she slid into place. She believed that he wouldn't do anything else to hurt her or make her uncomfortable within the ballroom in front of his friends.

"You don't think either David or I are going to answer that in front of Stella and Darius, do you?" Sophie raised an eyebrow at Asher, playing along with his teasing now that Darius seemed calmer and more at ease with his friends close by.

"Oh, we've already heard David's version of events," Asher grinned. "Somehow it didn't include 'everything'."

"Living vicariously through your brothers, Ash?" Sophie tilted her head and gave him a strange look as Darius attempted to muffle a chuckle behind her back. "My suggestion would be to find out what the story is with Zander and Mimi instead. I bet there is a lot more gossip in that partnership."

"I don't think Zander knows what's going on himself, but I have some theories. We'll discuss them on the flight home," he gave her a wink. "Best not to do it here with ears everywhere. Speaking of which have you found the time to talk to Rob, Dave?" Asher asked.

"What are you talking about?" Andre asked, staring at the large party all pulling up extra chairs to crowd the table he sat at with his partner Elise.

"Asher is trying to appear mysterious because he has a crush on Darius's girl," David chuckled lightly. "She's oblivious though so it is just a game to see who can confuse who the most."

"Well shit," Asher sighed. "Just because my kidnapping of her didn't quite work out as planned doesn't mean I have given up entirely."

"You kidnapped your brother's girl?" Andre asked curiosity warring with the mirth in his tone.

"Well yes, I mean look at the little Cookie, and did you see her dance that Mambo? Lucky the guy she was dancing with was gay, or I might have had to challenge him to a duel halfway through that dance if Darius hadn't kicked his ass first," Asher said seriously shaking his head and his hand as if it was too hot to touch.

"The little cookie, or little witch, or little angel, is Sophie, right? Just to be clear?" Samuel asked, joining in the conversation for the first time with a perfectly straight face.

"That depends on who you ask," Jayce who had just arrived at the growing gathering chuckled. "I believe Zander calls her Beautiful and I have heard Connor call her Princess."

"And you? What do you call her?" Rob asked.

"I haven't found a suitable nickname yet. I'm sure one will come to me eventually," Jayce said as if it was not important.

"Gentlemen, Ladies," Byron spoke as he entered the ever-growing circle of friends. "Please excuse Darius and Sophie for a few minutes, the council require them," he indicated the direction they should go and waited patiently for them to rise and follow him.

Darius placed a hand on Sophie's lower back as he guided her through the ballroom to a backstage area where performers at other events would change or stay during a performance. Sophie imagined if a singer were with the band, this would be where they would hang out between sets. Sophie wasn't surprised to see Zander and Mimi within the room with Henry and another man who looked just like the man who had been sitting at their table all night except that his clothes were different, less formal.

"Sophie, this is Aaron Parker, and I believe you met Henry earlier this evening?" Byron started by introducing the two other men in the room.

"I think I am sitting with your twin brother tonight," Sophie said directly to Aaron still surprised by the likeness between the two men.

"Really? I have a twin somewhere out there? How interesting," he chuckled.

"He might be a fraction more attractive now that you mention it, but that is the power of a tuxedo on women such as myself. I'm sure you have a good personality, though," Sophie laughed at his look of chagrin and turned her attention to Mimi. "Hello again," she said.

"Hello, Sophie. I'm sorry for pushing you the last time we met," Mimi said oozing fake sincerity and looking carefully contrite as she gazed down at Sophie's shoes and then at Henry.

"Are you?" Sophie tilted her head, willing the woman to look her in the eyes rather than at her feet or Henry. "Seems to me you are apologising to Henry rather than me. It doesn't matter either way. I forgave you the night it happened and moved on. I'm sorry if you thought I was holding a grudge, truthfully I haven't given you a seconds thought," Sophie shrugged as if it was no big deal. "Honestly, I'd be happier if you apologised to Zander, he was the one you embarrassed and left high and dry." Mimi finally looked at her gaping like a goldfish pulled out of its bowl.

"So, you would have no issue with Mimi returning to the challenge?" Henry asked.

"She already has returned. She was here tonight with her partner, Zander, wasn't she? Why ask me now when the decision was already made?" Sophie asked. She had been through a lot tonight, and she was damned if she was going to show weakness in front of Mimi who thought she was an easy target already. So, she channelled Rita Hayworth and encased herself in the character of Gilda.

"Mimi has requested a handicap much like golfers are given in their game because she wasn't able to spend the time she needed with Zander before the ball tonight," Henry explained. "Should Darius allow her this boon, we would like to know if you are comfortable competing in challenges with Mimi again."

"I don't understand," Sophie frowned.

"My answer is no regardless. Mimi had access to a dance instructor during her treatment, didn't she?" Darius said interrupting Sophie's conversation with Henry and looked between the men. He found it was Aaron who nodded in answer to his question. "Then, she is at no disadvantage. All of the girls are still getting used to their new living arrangements and making the best of their individual situations without the help of a personal counsellor. If anything, Mimi was in a better position than the other women in the challenge, and if she didn't take advantage of that, then she is a bigger fool than I already thought her to be."

"Zander?" Sophie said softly. "Do you want her back? Darius will compromise if it is something you want. You know that, don't you?" She asked the big barbarian of a man still feeling bad that she had caused all of this drama by embarrassing Mimi at the Jazz club.

"Even with a handicap I don't believe she would accrue enough points to move from the bottom of the point tally ladder," Zander sighed hating that with everything else going on tonight Darius and his little Angel had been brought into his drama. Henry had spoken to him about the dangers of sending Mimi back to where she came from and needing her to be safe for a little longer, and he had agreed to take her back under the condition that Darius and Sophie agreed to the reinstatement. "It wouldn't be fair to the other women including Sophie, to give Mimi points she hasn't earned the same way they did and what of the girl who is removed in her place, if you give her this second chance?"

A glass flew across the room when he finished speaking and shattered against the wall behind his head. All heads swivelled to where Mimi stood seething and unrepentant. Picking up another glass, she readied to throw it, but the men had all moved to grab her as she howled like a banshee.

"Do you even know who I am? I am not some street corner prostitute! I am Mimi Venetta, and I am better than any of those stupid bitches out there," she screeched her arms flailing breaking the glass in her hand as she was subdued. Seeing the blood in her hand, the men backed off slightly and Aaron moved in speaking softly to her in a calming voice.