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Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 43
ONE MONTH LATERThough I’d known it wasn’t wise, I’d been unable to cut all ties back in Texas, and had reached out to Minx once I’d settled in L.A., even reaching out to Arizona. Then came the dilemma of Nathan.After everything was over, I’d powered up my phone and found my voicemail practically filled with his messages. With each one he left, I’d fought myself not to listen, instead, before weakness could overtake me, I’d hit the delete button and blocked his number. The temptation not to call him was still a daily struggle. I’d managed to find a job as an assistant for a private investigator. It differed from the hectic activity I’d become accustomed to at the agency and was nothing more than answering the phone and setting up appointments—but it filled in the empty hours. As the days continued to pass, I found I liked my boss. Linda Spelling had turned out not only to be a wonderful employer but a great friend. We spent almost every morning before work drinking decaffeinated c
Last Updated : 2025-04-24Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 44
After I had greeted him with a good to hear from you, Arizona had cleared his throat. “I’m not too sure you’ll feel that way after I tell you what I have to say.” From there, he’d launched into telling me how Nathan had come to see him the night I’d gone into witness protection. Demanding that he tell him where I was going. I groaned. “Oh, Jesus, tell me you didn’t.” Arizona gave a long sigh. “No, of course not. I didn’t know then. However, after the other night, he knows you’re in L.A.” “Arizona,” I wailed, “how could you? You promised you wouldn’t!” “Look here, Brianna, I ain’t said much, but dammit, this time I am, and you’re going to listen.”I remained silent but listening. After a few seconds Arizona continued, “He’s determined to find you, sweetheart. Do you remember what I told you about a man in love moving Heaven and Hell? Well, the earth has been under siege for a while now. And it seems he was a little confused. He thought you and I had been lovers. I set him straigh
Last Updated : 2025-04-24Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 45
Turning, I took a step and heard a pop and crack. To my horror, I saw the ceiling coming down at me. With a scream, I threw myself down beside the couch, riding it out there until the shaking stopped. When everything stopped rocking, I began to shift; however, I couldn’t as my legs had become pinned beneath what I could only assume were large chunks of the ceiling and support beams. The quake must have knocked the power out of the whole neighborhood, for the house had settled into a shroud of darkness. Not even the moon penetrated the blackness that now surrounded me and prevented me from seeing how much debris I lay beneath. I tried pushing at the heavy material to remove it from my legs. However, I had to stop as another contraction tore through me. Panting, I worked my way through the pain. When it had subsided, I pushed again at the debris, which held me, prisoner, beneath it.As I pushed and shoved, I became frantic. Fear skittered up my spine and claimed my mind. This couldn’
Last Updated : 2025-04-24Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 1
~BRIANNA~With a shift, I let my dress slip from my shoulders and fall to the floor, revealing the lingerie beneath. Nathan's eyes darkened, as closing the small distance between us, his lips claimed mine in a possessive kiss, his tongue tangling with mine, both hungry and tender. Then, slowly, oh so tantalizingly slowly, he backed me toward the bed, his kisses travelling down my neck, across my collarbone, before they moved lower still, his teeth grazing the sensitive tips of my nipples.Afterward, as he laid us on the bed, my moans joined the sound of fabric tearing as Nathan ripped my panties off. With a gasp, I arched off the bed, my arousal growing, further dampening my already swollen and wet folds. As his mouth found my center, I bit down my lip to keep from screaming out in pleasure. His tongue, a masterful artist, began stroking and teasing until I was writhing beneath him, begging for more. My nails dug into his shoulders, leaving half-moons on his skin as I felt myself c
Last Updated : 2025-04-04Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 2
As I grumbled to myself about full-of-themselves jerks, I followed Nathan to the bureau. Then, after parking, I fell into step beside him as we made our way toward the bureau. Our anger with each other wrapped around us like an afghan wrapped around a Grandma, and after entering the bullpen, he stalked off toward his office. I followed several steps behind, still grumbling. Man, his mood was black this morning, but mine was darker!Entering his office, I came to a stop, taking in the papers he was tossing with an uncaring attitude toward his desk from the filing cabinet. As he continued to toss papers, I watched as some hit the desk, while others fell to the floor. After a few seconds of demonstrating his foul mood, he looked up, barking at me. "Where the hell is the Aikins file?""You’re acting like a big baby," I snapped back, glowering at him as I crossed my arms over my chest. He wanted to be an ass...let's see who could be the biggest. Eyes rolling and a snarl curling his upper
Last Updated : 2025-04-04Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 3
Patience gained a whole new meaning, as with every faltering step, he'd pause, laughing, before we'd start again. Though our steps were slow, and I had to use a great deal of perseverance, I finally got him into my pickup, and by the time I got him to his house, he'd passed out in the seat, emitting little snores. Reaching out, I caressed his cheek, causing him to stir a little. But when he didn’t rouse fully, I ran my fingers across his cheek again. “Come on, wake up Nathan, I need you to help me get you inside."After a bunch of tugging, pulling, and outright cursing, I finally got him into the house. Now, as he sat on his bed, snoring again, I held him in a sitting position, struggling to get his shirt unbuttoned. When I finally freed the last button, he slit one eye open, peering at me blurrely, as he muttered, "I didn’t think you were ever coming back…I would have waited for you." Within seconds of the words leaving his mouth, he flopped backward on the bed, and started snorin
Last Updated : 2025-04-04Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 4
That evening, as the sun began dipping toward the horizon, I sat huddled in the middle of the floor of my living room, memories filling my mind…~December 24th 2009-six years earlier~When I'd finally managed to fall asleep, it had been late. My head, it seemed, had only just hit the pillow, before a pounding on the front door startled me awake. Rolling off the bed, I hit the floor on my knees with a yelp before I managed to scramble to my feet. Using an arm to swipe at the hank of hair hanging in my face, I glanced through blurry eyes at the clock on my bedside table. What the fuck? It wasn't even quite six in the morning yet, and some jackass was trying to beat the damn door down.Stumbling my way out of my bedroom and down the stairwell, I grumbled none too quietly that whoever the motherfucker was, they had better have a damn good reason for waking me up at the ass-crack of dawn.Finally, having woven my way across the floor of the entrance hall like a drunk, I came to a stop befo
Last Updated : 2025-04-04Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 5
Sucking in a breath and roughly pushing me away again, Nathan raked agitated fingers through the natural messy tangle of his hair, making it even messier. He gave a low growl, before hissing, “Because I'm bad news baby and because you have no idea what the fuck is good for you. No idea of the fucking things I've done…things I’m going to continue doing. No idea of the fucking things I've been through, or have fucking chosen to do. You have no fucking idea of who the hell I really am…and moreover, YOU DON’T FUCKING WANT TO!“Who are you trying to make believe that bullshit Nathan…you or me? I’ve seen your good side and your dark side, so, I’d say I know you pretty damn well!” I hissed.Nathan snorted, before sneering, “No, you don’t! And as for you seeing my dark side—hardly—you don't know a fucking thing about my dark side…the secrets I hold, and furthermore, you don’t want to, I can assure you of that! Believe me, baby, when I say, you have no clue who I am. Truth to tell, I’m pretty
Last Updated : 2025-04-04
Latest chapter
Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 45
Turning, I took a step and heard a pop and crack. To my horror, I saw the ceiling coming down at me. With a scream, I threw myself down beside the couch, riding it out there until the shaking stopped. When everything stopped rocking, I began to shift; however, I couldn’t as my legs had become pinned beneath what I could only assume were large chunks of the ceiling and support beams. The quake must have knocked the power out of the whole neighborhood, for the house had settled into a shroud of darkness. Not even the moon penetrated the blackness that now surrounded me and prevented me from seeing how much debris I lay beneath. I tried pushing at the heavy material to remove it from my legs. However, I had to stop as another contraction tore through me. Panting, I worked my way through the pain. When it had subsided, I pushed again at the debris, which held me, prisoner, beneath it.As I pushed and shoved, I became frantic. Fear skittered up my spine and claimed my mind. This couldn’
Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 44
After I had greeted him with a good to hear from you, Arizona had cleared his throat. “I’m not too sure you’ll feel that way after I tell you what I have to say.” From there, he’d launched into telling me how Nathan had come to see him the night I’d gone into witness protection. Demanding that he tell him where I was going. I groaned. “Oh, Jesus, tell me you didn’t.” Arizona gave a long sigh. “No, of course not. I didn’t know then. However, after the other night, he knows you’re in L.A.” “Arizona,” I wailed, “how could you? You promised you wouldn’t!” “Look here, Brianna, I ain’t said much, but dammit, this time I am, and you’re going to listen.”I remained silent but listening. After a few seconds Arizona continued, “He’s determined to find you, sweetheart. Do you remember what I told you about a man in love moving Heaven and Hell? Well, the earth has been under siege for a while now. And it seems he was a little confused. He thought you and I had been lovers. I set him straigh
Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 43
ONE MONTH LATERThough I’d known it wasn’t wise, I’d been unable to cut all ties back in Texas, and had reached out to Minx once I’d settled in L.A., even reaching out to Arizona. Then came the dilemma of Nathan.After everything was over, I’d powered up my phone and found my voicemail practically filled with his messages. With each one he left, I’d fought myself not to listen, instead, before weakness could overtake me, I’d hit the delete button and blocked his number. The temptation not to call him was still a daily struggle. I’d managed to find a job as an assistant for a private investigator. It differed from the hectic activity I’d become accustomed to at the agency and was nothing more than answering the phone and setting up appointments—but it filled in the empty hours. As the days continued to pass, I found I liked my boss. Linda Spelling had turned out not only to be a wonderful employer but a great friend. We spent almost every morning before work drinking decaffeinated c
Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 42
The silence that followed Zane’s announcement was filled with unspoken longing, a shared yearning for the simplicity of days gone by. But as the clock chimed the hour, reality crashed back in, and we both knew that we had to keep moving forward, no matter how much our hearts yearned for the comfort of the past."So, what's the plan?" I asked, breaking the silence.Zane took a swig of his iced tea before answering. "Well, we sit tight here for a bit. The feds are working on nailing the bastards that are after you. They're setting up a meeting, trying to draw them out.""How do they know where to look?" I questioned, fear gnawing at my stomach."They've got their ways," he said cryptically, his eyes holding a glint of something I couldn't quite decipher.I nodded, knowing better than to pry. "And what do we do in the meantime?""We wait," he said with a sigh. "But we won't be idle. We're going to use this time to get you ready, just in case things go sideways.""Ready for what?"He lean
Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 41
Zane led me to a blacked-out SUV, and as we drove away from the airport, I watched the lights of the city stretch out before us like a never-ending sea of stars."You okay?" Zane's voice was gentle, his hand briefly touching my arm before retreating to the steering wheel.I nodded, not trusting my voice. The lump in my throat was too big for words."We've got a safe house set up for you. It's not much, but it's home for now."Home. The word was foreign on my tongue. I had left my real home behind, trading it for a life in the shadows. But as we pulled into the quiet, nondescript neighborhood, I knew that for now, this was where I had to be.For the sake of my baby, and the love I had for Nathan, I had to play this game. I had to be strong, and I had to survive.As we pulled into the driveway of the safe house, Zane turned to me. "You can trust me, Brianna. I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe."I nodded again, my eyes misty with unshed tears. "Thank you."He helped me insid
Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 40
~NATHAN~Hearing Brianna say she was leaving had devastated me—her whispered words, “I love you,” had killed me.After she’d quit the call, I’d jumped in my pickup, and like a crazed man, I’d broken every goddamn speed limit law there was between her place and mine. I hadn’t given a flying fuck if a patrol car had pulled in behind me. They would have had to chase me to Brianna’s because I wasn’t slowing down for any motherfucker. Now, pulling in before her home, I gazed at it, shattered. It sat, silent and empty of her presence, echoing the bareness that now ripped through my soul. However, its solitude appearance didn’t stop me and shoving the pickup’s door open, I jumped out of the cab and ran up the steps of the porch. My feet never slowed until I stood before the front door. Grabbing the knob, I twisted, but it didn’t give beneath my fingers. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, its beat, erratic, broken. Raising a leg, I kicked at the door, the force behind the blow one
Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 39
Chief Peters’ expression was grim as he stepped inside, his eyes scanning over the two of us before settling on me. "Brianna, I need to talk to you. Is there some place we can talk...alone?"My heart stopped for a second, then thundered in my chest.Nathan nodded, giving me a look filled with reassurance, then disappeared into the other room.Peters closed the door behind him, and the weight of his gaze bore into me as I took a seat at the kitchen table."Brianna," he began, his tone firm but not unkind, "I've reviewed the evidence, and I believe your account of what happened with Cameron."Relief flooded through me, so intense it was almost painful. "Thank you, Chief," I whispered, my voice hoarse from holding back the tears."However," he continued, "this doesn't mean it's over. The investigation will continue, and we'll have to be prepared for any questions that may arise. The press will be all over this, and we need to keep our story straight."I nodded, my eyes never leaving his.
Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 38
At my words, Arizona's eyes snapped to mine, the color draining from his face. "You what?""I had to," I said, my voice shaking. "He was going to..." I couldn't finish the sentence, the memory too raw, too painful.Nathan stepped closer to me, his hand landing on my shoulder. "It was self-defense," he said firmly. "And we've already spoken to the local authorities."Arizona's gaze jumped from me to Nathan and then back to me, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief. "Bri, why the fuck didn't you call me?""Because..." I trailed off, not knowing how to explain the tangled web of emotions and fear that had led me to pull that trigger.↜↜ 🖤🖤↝↝I took a deep breath, my eyes pleading with Arizona to understand. "I can't really explain, I just need you to understand that, okay?"He studied me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he nodded. "Alright. But you're going to have to fill me in eventually."With a slow nod, I began to talk. As I recounted t
Echoes of Desire; Dance of Deception 37
The simplicity of Nathan’s words was almost heartbreaking. It was a promise that we would navigate this treacherous path side by side, but it didn't erase the fear of what that path might hold.We ate in silence, the only sounds the clinking of silverware against the plates. The food was tasteless, a mere formality to keep my strength up. Afterward, I washed the dishes, the rhythmic motion of the water and soap acting as a balm to my frayed nerves.When I finished, I turned to face him. "I'm going to take a shower," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Would you stay?"He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. "I'll be here."With trembling legs, I made my way to the bathroom. Stripping off my clothes, I stepped into the shower, the hot water a cocoon of false comfort.As I let the water cascade over me, the tears started again, mixing with the water and flowing down the drain. I didn't know how long I stood there, but it was long enough for the water to turn cold. Stepping out, I
