Page 68 of Cruel Promise

Lifting the gun, I aim it at his head, forcing him to back away from the door as I push it open. He has a bandage around his leg from where he got shot, and he’s using crutches.

“I need to know,” I say. “I need to know where my mom is. Where’s her body?”

“I don’t know. I already told you.”

“How can you not know? You knew how to find us in New Haven. You ruined both hers and my life. You must know who took her body. So just tell me!”

He lifts one of the crutches and smacks it across my head before I can fire off a shot. The gun clatters to the floor as I fall, and pain zips through my head, feeling like I just got hit with … well, a crutch.

Father grabs the gun and aims it at me as I lie on the floor. “You don’t get to come in here and shout at me. Not after how I gave everything to you. But now that you’re back, I can make the most out of you.”

“No,” I groan, trying to sit up, but the pain in my head is too much.

“Yes. I know just the man, too. He likes women. Surely, he’ll pay a good price for you. Now, stand up.”

I do as he says, moving slowly as the pain recedes from my head.

He motions the gun toward the door. “Now, walk.”

I shuffle my feet out of his apartment, feeling like the stupidest person in the world. I had a gun on him, and he still managed to get the better of me.

It’s becoming increasingly clear my father is my weakness.

He forces me into his car and locks me inside before I can try escaping. Driving with one hand as his other hand holds the gun trained on me, he takes us to a club.

“Why are you doing this?” I ask.

“Because I need money, and you fetched me a good price before. You’ll do it again.”

I take a closer look at the club he pulled up to and almost laugh. I recognize this place. It’s Dimitri’s club. How ironic.

Father shoves the gun into my back as he makes me walk into the club so no one else can see it.

The loud crowd and even louder music is just as I remember. I also remember how Jason didn’t help me, how Dimitri betrayed me, and how I almost lost my life that night … until Nikolai saved me.

My heart flutters at that memory. I’m not even sure why.

“Who are you taking me to?” I ask.

“Him.” He nods to the second level. It takes me a moment to realize he’s motioning toward Dimitri. “I know he likes pretty women. I’ll just give you to him.”

We head up the stairs and reach Dimitri’s private booth. Once again, he’s surrounded by beautiful men and women.

He barely gives me or my father a second look.

“Dimitri Ivanov,” Father says. “I have a woman for you.”

Dimitri sighs and finally looks at us. Then his eyes alight with … amusement? “Ava, is that you? Sneaking out again, I take it.”

“How … how do you know her?” Father asks.

“She’s married to my business partner. And who, pray tell, are you, kind sir?”

I scoff at Dimitri’s nonchalant, jokester attitude. He doesn’t care about anyone other than himself.

“I’m her father.”

Dimitri’s eyes grow even wider. “No kidding! And what are you doing here?”

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