Chapter 36

"What's wrong?" Dina stepped closer to him hoping that her body would bring him comfort.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Keith lied and lifted a hand to brush hers off of his arm. It was a feeble attempt at best. It was as if his mind was telling him to get away, but his body was resisting.

"I'm not buying that one." Dina joked lightly hoping it would snap him out of whatever it was he was currently suffering from.

"Don't. Just don't." Keith almost begged and sagged back against the wall.

"Don't what?" Dina leaned against the wall next to him and brought her hand up to his face. He'd let his head drop and she really needed to see his face.

"Just leave me alone." Keith tried again.

"Sorry. No can do." Dina kept her voice calm and steady. She could actually feel the panic washing off of him.

"Please." Keith didn't try anything more than that. It was if he wasn't capable of a full thought.

"I'm not going anywhere." Dina repeated the words she'd been saying to him when he'd wake up from his nightmares. "I love you."

Keith just groaned and pushed his head against the wall, his eyes closed.

"Drives you nuts, doesn't it?" Dina finally got his eyes to open and look at her. The panic was starting to recede.

"What's that?" He finally forced out. She noticed that his breathing was finally leveling out and becoming more normal.

"The fact that I say it. I love you. When you least expect it." Dina grinned at him.

"How can I least expect it, when you say it all the time?" Keith tried to bring things back to an even keel by joking with her.

"Ah, I see your point. Does that mean I'm becoming predictable?" Dina frowned in fake concern.

"A little." Keith even attempted a small smile with that comment.

"Hmmm….I'll have to consider that." Dina turned more fully into him and felt his left arm come up around her waist.

They stood there in companionable silence for a few minutes, when Dina pushed back slightly to look into his eyes. "I love you."

This time he laughed. He actually felt like laughing; it surprised him so soon after the panic attack had just passed.

"You're certifiable. I hope you know that." Keith leaned in to give her a kiss.

"True. But what can I say – hmmmm let's see – oh yes – I love you." Dina returned his kiss.

Keith brought his off hand up to her face to hold her mouth close while he deepened the kiss. As his mind allowed him to return to the present, his body responded to the very willing female in his arms. He pushed away from the wall and turned so that Dina was now between him and the wall.

His hands began to wander.

Dina sighed her approval.

"Not here." Keith remembered just before he lost all ability to think.

"Where the hell is the broom closet when you need it?" Dina said in frustration as Keith's mouth trailed down her neck. She forced her eyes open to search for any alternatives. "The balcony."

"Is that any more private?" Keith could feel a smile take over his lips as he bit down and gently tugged on her earlobe.

"It's dark outside." Dina offered by way of explanation as a shiver raced up her spine. Lord, what he could do to her with just his mouth.

xoxo

Just as Dina and Keith slipped out the balcony doors, Reuben exited his bedroom two doors up the hallway. He headed toward the noise downstairs.

He'd decided to tell at least Laurie that her mother would be showing up in Paris by late the next day or early the day after. Then he'd decide just how he wanted to tell Keith.

"Princess Genny?" Reuben could barely keep his jaw hinged shut at his surprise when he saw the young woman laughing at one of Steve's outrageous, yet mostly true, stories.

"Reuben!" Genny turned her beautiful smile on him. "Oh, it is good to see you."

"You too. What? How? When?" Reuben stumbled to a close.

"Official business. Heard about Keith's show from the daughters of France's Prime Minister. Ran into Laurie on purpose after the show." Genny jokingly answered each of his questions.

"So, where are all of your bodyguards?" Reuben made light of the fact that Genny often traveled with a larger entourage than Keith and certainly more bodyguards.

"Oh, they're around. Mostly outside would be my guess; though it wouldn't surprise me to know that some are inside." Genny glanced around to find two of her personal security personnel trying to blend into the background.

"So, where's Keith? He really should be here to visit with Genny." Laurie asked.

"I have no idea. Have you seen him yet?" Reuben nervously straightened his tie.

"He was here, but he left a short time ago saying he had to find you." Laurie explained.

"Well, I just came from my room. Maybe he's still looking for me. If you'll excuse me, I'll go and look for him." Reuben nodded politely to Genny and quickly turned to leave.

"I'll go with you. Steve, you don't mind entertaining Genny for a while, do you?" Laurie didn't wait for an answer. She had guessed that Keith had lied about looking for Reuben, but now she was even more concerned by how nervous Reuben was acting. Something was going on and she needed to find out just exactly what that was.

As soon as they were out of the room, Laurie put her hand on Reuben's arm causing him to stop. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Reuben thought he'd covered his concern pretty well.

"I can read you like a book Reuben. Something's going on? What is it?" Laurie explained.

"In here." Reuben led her into an empty room and closed the door behind him. "I just got off the phone with your mother."

"Why did you call Mom?" Laurie had been concerned by Reuben's nervousness, but now was officially nervous herself.

"Laurie, sit down." Reuben moved her toward a chair.

"I don't want to sit down. What's wrong?"

"Olivia escaped from the sanitarium." Reuben said and watched Laurie practically fall into the chair she had so recently refused.

"How?" Laurie asked numbly.

"I don't know the details. I had called Millie yesterday and received confirmation tonight that she's disappeared." Reuben explained.

"What made you think she had gotten out?" Laurie was starting to put some facts together and suspected it was the reporter from the night before, but needed confirmation.

"The reporter from between last night's shows. She said she talked to a young woman who had sent her to ask Keith some questions. It was the description of that woman that made me think it might be Olivia." Reuben explained. The truth was that the reporter had never given him a description; it was the questions that gave away the identity of the person who'd asked them, but why worry Laurie about something he refused to talk about before he had all the facts.

"What was she supposed to ask Keith about?" Laurie caught that one quickly and Reuben didn't have a good lie made up.

"I'm not sure." Reuben started lamely but finished quickly. "She wouldn't tell me. Said she'd only talk to Keith."

"You said she broke into Keith's dressing room. Do you know if she got the chance to ask those questions?" Laurie pushed.

"Keith told me no." Reuben shrugged, basically admitting that he wasn't sure if he believed him or not.

"I don't like this. Not one bit." Laurie gave voice to what Reuben had been thinking all along. "Do you think Keith knows Olivia is free?"

Reuben nodded solemnly. "I think he does; though I'm not sure how."

"It would explain why he's been more than tense lately. I was trying to chalk it up to normal tour stress, but the nightmares, the sleeplessness, the shutting everyone out; it all adds up, doesn't it?" Laurie looked back on the last couple of weeks. They were different from the first few, but she'd never toured with Keith alone before. She'd thought things would be different, so every difference, she'd told herself was because it was no longer the family touring. She'd been talking herself out of worrying.

Oh, who was she kidding, she'd been worried through and through for quite some time.

"So, how are you going to tell Keith that Mom is coming?" Laurie threw at the nervously pacing Reuben.

"Any ideas?" Reuben looked at her hopefully.

"Just one. Wait until I'm far away before you mention it." Laurie threw him a weak smile.

xoxo

Dina was holding onto the ivy growing up the side of the house for dear life. Keith was presently on his knees in front of her pulling her panties off while he kissed her inner thigh under her short skirt. His mouth trailed upwards and her world tilted crazily while her knees began to buckle. She took a chance of letting go with one hand in order to tangle her fingers in his hair and hold him close. Keith's hands gripped her hips tightly and held her steady while his mouth drove her over the edge. She bit her lip to hold in a scream as her release burst through her.

She opened her eyes to find Keith standing in front of her and grinning like a fool. "You alright?"

"Oh yeah." Dina found her lips tilting in an answering smile. She pulled him forward with the hand that was somehow still tangled in his hair.

She let go of the ivy knowing that Keith's arms would hold her up and moved both hands back to the front of his jeans. She soon had him in her hands as she had earlier that evening. This time she refused to let anything interrupt them. She hitched her left leg up around his hips and guided him to her entrance. She tilted her head back to let out the moan of appreciation as he filled her. While she looked deeply into his eyes, she said slowly and succinctly on each downward stroke, "I…..love…..you".

Keith groaned and leaned forward to kiss her deeply before losing himself completely in her.

xoxo

He'd been checking out the exterior when he'd happened upon an amorous couple on the balcony. He quickly turned and went the other direction before deciding that 'amorous couple' might actually be a great cover.

He stalled for time to make sure he didn't see anything he didn't really want to see, and then finally made his way back around the corner of the balcony that ran along the top floor of the home.

When he came around the corner, they were still there, but obviously finishing up as the man was playfully helping the young lady step back into her panties, though at the rate they were going, the sun would be up before they accomplished the feat. His hands wandered way too freely and nowhere near low enough for the girl to successfully step back into the garment. He decided to make his presence known. "Just a suggestion, but you'd have more success if you started by her feet."

"You have got to be kidding me." Keith had recognized the voice immediately and was not happy to be interrupted. Though, if he'd have thought about it, wherever Genny was, Valentine was sure to be in close proximity.

Dina for her part had stifled her scream into a small squeak and was quickly and efficiently pushing her skirt back down her legs and holding it there, effectively hiding her assets from Keith. Another thing to curse Valentine for; Keith had actually hoped to delay Dina's request to put her panties back on and entice her to their room instead. He'd have more fun and have avoided Genny for the night; effectively killing two birds with one stone.

"No kidding here. Just be thankful there are only ten of us tonight, instead of fifteen." Valentine couldn't stop himself from teasing the man who had crumpled the panties into his quickly tightening fist.

"What is he talking about?" Dina whispered as she pulled Keith up so that he could mostly hide her from the approaching man.

"Long story; I'll tell you later." Keith tried to reassure her that everything was alright with a look. "Valentine, what the hell are you doing lurking around in the dark?"

"Blunt. I like it." Valentine deadpanned.

"I really don't care if you like it or not." Keith fumed. He'd really had enough of this guy prying into his life. Keith was too mad at the moment to remember that the man had also stepped between him and a bullet. "You're trespassing."

"If the Princess is an invited guest, then legally you don't have a leg to stand on." Valentine answered evenly.

"Oh, forget it." Keith turned from the man and made to pull Dina into the house behind him.

"You might want to take the ivy out of your hair before you make an appearance downstairs." Valentine chided to their quickly retreating backs.

xoxo

Dina had to practically jog to keep up with Keith's angry stride. He was at the top of the staircase before she finally tugged him to a stop.

"What?" Keith's question came out a bit short even though she knew he wasn't angry with her.

"Nothing. I just thought we should probably take the crushed ivy out of your hair." Dina suggested as she reached up to start pulling the small pieces of greenery out of his mussed hair.

"Great, he had to be right too." Keith huffed but let her continue. As he watched her smile grow, he found it hard to hold onto his anger. He could feel his lips beginning to tilt in an answering smile. "Turn around, I think you've got some too."

"Thanks." Dina said once Keith told her he was done.

He turned to head back downstairs to rejoin the party.

"Ummm….Keith?" Dina gently pulled him back by his hand.

"Hmmm?" Keith threw her a curious glance.

"Could I have my panties back before we go downstairs?" She gave him her most serious look while the merriment was sparkling in her eyes.

Keith glanced down to see them still clutched in his other hand. He looked back to see the laughter in her eyes had tilted up her lips by this time and watched as she could no longer stop the laughter from coming out.

He pushed her back toward the wall and stopped it the only way he knew for sure would work. He kissed her.

"What? Are you two rabbits?" Valentine said as he walked down the hallway toward them and continued on down the staircase, not waiting for an answer.

Keith had stopped kissing her when he'd heard the comment and just leaned his forehead against Dina's. "If he hadn't stepped in front of a bullet for me, I think I just might want to kill him."

"I think you better explain that comment." Dina pushed him slightly away from her. "But, after I'm fully dressed again, alright?"

xoxo

"Shirley? Reuben." Reuben announced into the phone.

"I'm glad you called. My parents can't get here until tomorrow, so Danny and I can't leave until then." Shirley explained.

"Danny's coming?" Reuben found himself strangely pleased by that. Why he'd be happy that his arch nemesis would soon be within insult throwing distance he had no idea. Maybe it had something to do with his ability to take his mind off of more serious matters.

"Yes, he suggested I shouldn't travel alone and I think he just might be right. I'm so distracted right now that I think I might just get on the wrong plane and not realize it." Shirley explained with a quick, nervous laugh.

"Smart kid, but don't tell him I said that." Reuben quickly added the second part. "I'll call Trish and have the details worked out. She's a travel agent now, in case I forgot to tell you that. She already told me she'd be happy to drop the tickets at the house on her way home tonight. Does that work for you?"

Trish was back in the states and he'd called her as soon as he knew he needed help getting Shirley to France.

"Oh, yes that would be perfect." Shirley remembered the girl fondly from the time she'd spent at the house while Keith was missing. She hadn't seen her since, but had gotten infrequent updates from Reuben as to her attempts to find a new career; travel agent was a new one on her. "Have you told them I'm coming?"

"I told Laurie. I never did find Keith." Reuben said before realizing that not being able to find Keith might worry Shirley. He quickly added. "But, Dina was conspicuously missing too, so…"

"I get the picture. How are you going to tell him?" Shirley didn't need details, but she did want to know how Reuben planned to tell him. She knew he'd think they were babying him and he was likely right. He was her baby – twenty-one or not.

"I was thinking of letting you tell him when you got here? Is that alright with you?" Reuben joked and then smiled when he heard her laughter over the line. It had been the effect he was going for. He was hoping to cajole her out of her worry and it appeared to have worked; at least for a few seconds.

"It might be interesting to see his face." Shirley wondered if he'd be angry, surprised, happy or a combination of all of them.

"Oh, one more thing. When I went looking for Laurie, I found another 'blast from the past'." Reuben figured he might as well make sure she had all of the facts. Well, all of the facts he intended on sharing with anyone until he could confirm the others.

"Who?" Shirley asked with what could almost be called dread.

"Princess Genny." Reuben said baldly.

"Oh, my, that is a surprise. What was Keith's response?" Shirley asked.

"Well, I'm not quite sure. Genny ran into him by herself and he had plenty of time to prepare himself for their second face to face when Laurie was there. She still said he seemed a bit agitated by it." Reuben explained.

"Agitated?" Shirley queried.

"It was something Genny mentioned to Laurie; that he seemed closed off to her. That he was hiding his feelings behind some kind of wall." Reuben tried to paraphrase.

"Oh, no. That means he's shutting down again." Shirley wished she could sprout wings and leave right then and there.

"Maybe, maybe not." Reuben tried throwing her a life line. "He seems to be opening up more and more to Dina. Maybe he's just making sure he doesn't give anything away when he's in public. You know, it's hard for him to have all of this going on around him and still put on his public face."

"I'm so glad he has her along with him on this tour." Shirley was happy Dina was there for him. She just wished she knew the girl a little better. But then again, Laurie had known her for years and she had nothing but good things to say about her. And, of course, Keith liked her; maybe more than liked her. She guessed she should trust her children.

xoxo

"Manuel, you'll never guess." Carlotta could barely contain her excitement.

"Not if you don't tell me. I'm not a mind reader." Manuel huffed into the phone. His 'star' reporter had jetted off to Switzerland on his dime. She better come up with the story or he'd regret sending her on a wild goose chase.

"There was a child born a little over two years ago….on April 12th no less. It was a boy and he was put up for adoption." Carlotta ran down the list of information on her note pad.

"Alright, fine. Who're listed as the parents?" Manuel felt like he was pulling teeth.

"That's just it, the documents are sealed. I can't get in to see them." Carlotta lamented.

"Am I hearing you right? You're going to let a little thing like a sealed document stop you from getting the information you need?" Manuel was surprised she'd given up so easily.

"Well, there's one way to get them, but…." Carlotta led off.

"But, what?" Manuel barked.

"I need some money to grease the skids, so to speak." Carlotta tried to put it as delicately as possible.

"Get it from the girl who asked you to find the information for her." Manuel suggested.

"She contacts me, not the other way around. Besides, she basically told me she wouldn't pay for anything but complete information." Carlotta had the feeling that her chances were slipping out the window. Her boss would never part with the kind of funds she figured she'd need to pry the information from the conscientious courthouse worker.

"Figure it out." Manuel said before slamming the phone down.

Carlotta winced as the sound pierced her eardrum. She gently set the phone back in the cradle. What to do?

She knew she couldn't bribe the guy, not on her salary. She didn't have enough money to get someone to tell her the time of day much less confidential information.

She racked her brain for ideas – get him drunk, get him in a compromising position and blackmail him, have him called away and sneak into the locked room, knock him out and suffer the consequences later. Everything she came up with had either serious flaws or major jail time associated with it.

She was so deep in thought; she jumped when her phone rang.

"Hello?" Carlotta said into the receiver.

"How much do you think you'll need?" Manuel's gruff question came floating over the line.