Page 128 of Cruel Promise

He drops his head, pretending to look contrite. “I know. But let me do something right by you. Please.”

“I can just tell Nikolai what you’ve said, and he’ll look into it himself. If my mom really is alive, he can take me to her.”

My father’s lips turn into an ugly sneer. “You think he doesn’t know? Your husband knows everything. He knows she’s alive.”

“Stop,” I snarl. It makes a few other students walking by glance at me with concern. “Stop getting into my head. I’m leaving.”

“Let me prove myself to you, Ava. Let me be the one to take you to her. Let me start to regain your trust.”

“Why do you even want it?” I know I should just walk away, but my dad has too hard of a hold on me. He always has, and he always will.

“Because I’m your father. And I have regrets for how I’ve treated you. Let this be the start. Please.”

I know I should leave right this instant. But my legs don’t move, giving my father room to approach me.

“Let me take you to her.”

“She’s really alive?” I whisper.

“She is.” And that’s when I see the gun in the waistband of his pants. He sees me seeing it and pulls it out, pressing it rightagainst my body so no one else can see. “If you scream, I’ll shoot.”

I gasp. “You bastard. You lied to me. She’s not alive. You just wanted to kidnap me again.”

“Truthfully, yes. I need the money, Ava. Now, come with me.” He pushes me forward, keeping the gun glued to my back. He walks me all the way to his car and forces me to get inside. We’ve done this song and dance before, and it’s just as terrible as last time.

“You’re evil,” I whisper as he drives us out of New Haven. “Pure evil.”

“I don’t really care. I need the money more than I need your approval.”

I don’t say another word to him the entire drive back to New York.

“The truth is, someone approached me,” he says. “They want you, and they’re willing to pay me a lot of money for you. So, that’s why we’re here.”

“Who wants me?” He doesn’t answer, but I get it when we pull up to Dimitri’s club. “Dimitri? Why does he want me?”

“I don’t ask questions. I just want to get paid.”

It dawns on me—Dimitri must want to use me against Nikolai. It’s sick. It’s honestly a smart idea. And I hate Dimitri for it.

My father forces me out of the car and into the club. It’s empty tonight. No clubgoers. No dancers. No drunk people. No loud music.

Just Dimitri standing in the middle of the dance floor, two guards flanking him. “You brought her. Good.”

The eager expression on my father is disgusting. “My money?”

“Right.” Dimitri snaps his fingers and one of the guards brings over a briefcase. My father is practically salivating as he opens it and sees the money before him. “That will be all.”

The guard who handed over the briefcase pulls out a gun and shoots my father in the head.

I scream as his body flops to the ground. The money spills out of the briefcase and onto the floor, getting drenched in his blood.

“He was annoying,” Dimitri says. “And I figured you didn’t care for him. I mean, he tried to sell you… how many times now?”

I stare at my dead father on the ground. He lied to me, he betrayed me, he hated me. I don’t feel sad. I’m just surprised that he’s finally gone.

Dimitri claps his hands together. “So, shall we bring Nikolai here so he can come to collect you?”

“What’s your plan?” I ask slowly, turning away from my father’s body. It reminds me too much of my mother’s body, and I can’t handle that.

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