She glanced away. “I thought I saw someone in the audience when I was backing off the stage. I miscalculated and backed into thin air.”
The fact that she wouldn’t meet his gaze told him she’d skimmed the surface of what happened. He didn’t know whether to push right then and there or to leave it until she was feeling more herself.
Her head must hurt pretty badly from hitting the floor. But perhaps if he tried once more…
“Who did you think you saw?”
Sylvia glanced at him before she sighed in resignation and turned to face him. “I’ve been getting notes from someone.”
Confusion filled his mind before it shifted to worry, fear, and then downright anger at her confession. He knew the emotions were clear on his face.
“I keep thinking that it’s this new guy who has started hanging out at the club because he’s always looking at me. Watching. But I don’t really know.”
Fucking hell!
“What has Yuri done to catch this fucker?” His free hand clenched into a fist against his thigh while he used everything in him to keep his hand holding Sylvia’s lax.
“I haven’t told him. I swore Talya to secrecy. I realize I should have told him straightaway. He probably would have gotten to the bottom of it by now. It’s just that I told myself the notes would stop. But they haven’t.”
“Yuri has security cameras around the place. We need to look at them…I also want to see the notes, Sylvia.”
“Okay,” she whispered in a voice full of tears. “I’m sorry. I should have told Yuri. I’d actually planned to talk to him tonight after my shift.” She shrugged and winced. “Just my luck. I left it too late.”
“You’re not going back there until the fucker has been caught. You hear me, Sylvia? I’m trying my fucking hardest to not go all caveman over you, but with this, I can’t have you going there and being in danger while you are. Do you understand?”
“I’ve no wish to go back there. I’ll just have to hope the cottage doesn?
??t get sold before I have the money.”
“I can’t say that I’m not happy you’re getting off the stage because it was like a claw in the gut knowing you danced half dressed for all those men.”
A slight tug on his hand had him leaning closer. When he did, Sylvia reached out and cupped his whisker-covered jaw. “Tonight, I imagined I was dancing for only you. It’s what got me through my routine.” She smiled. “One day I’d like to dance with only you in the audience.”
There was no avoiding the heat that swiftly appeared in his eyes at her confession. “I’d like that,” he said, his voice rough with lust.
He cleared his throat. “Talya, Yuri, and Bea are out in the waiting room. Zane is keeping Bea company.”
Pushing herself up on the hospital bed, Sylvia groaned and sighed when Eric helped her to get comfortable.
“Bea really likes Zane. I think she fears her ex hurting him someway if she lets him get close to her.” Sylvia murmured and it made his heart swell…even with the pain, she was still worried about the people in her life.
“That won’t happen.” He smiled. “I have them to thank for getting me here tonight.”
She raised a brow in question so he continued, “Bea called Zane while they waited for the paramedics. We missed you arriving here by minutes.”
“I hadn’t even thought to wonder how you ended up here.”
Eric kissed her hand, which he still held in his. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else when you needed me.” He laughed. “Enough of this mushy shit. We need to break you out of here.”
Standing, Eric pressed another brief kiss to her brow followed with a quick kiss on her knuckles. “I’m going to send Talya in to see you while I locate your doctor to release you.”
With great reluctance, Eric broke their connection and left the room. As he closed the door, he realized his hands had a slight tremor to them. Seeing Sylvia in the hospital bed had really brought home just how much he cared for her. He’d fooled himself that he could walk away from her, because there wasn’t anything on earth that could keep him away. It scared the shit out of him, but he was a man and he’d deal with it. He didn’t have any choice if he wanted Sylvia in his life.
Pushing the door open into the waiting room, he walked over to Talya who stood against the wall near the vending machine, again with Yuri offering her comfort.
Talya’s eyes landed on him and she straightened. “How is she?” Her hand reached out and was caught in Yuri’s larger one.
“She’ll be okay. I’m going to find the doctor to break her out of here, and then I’m taking her with me, Talya.”