Page 130 of Beautiful Beast

“Need I remind you Nadia is only seventeen? She’s a minor. I can get you arrested for this.”

“But you won’t because if you called the police on me, it would just put a target on your own back. You know this, Sergei. As Bratva men, we never get the police involved. So, your threat is empty. Nadia will live here. We’re done working together. I’m going to take down Dante tonight on my own.”

“No. You don’t get to just decide to end things when you married my daughter and kidnapped my other daughter. I have a say in this.”

“You really don’t. Not after how you’ve treated them.”

He rocks back on his heel, laughing without any humor. “That’s rich, coming from you. The king of torture. You weren’t kind to Anya when you first married. Don’t lecture me, boy, on doing what’s right.”

Erik stands up taller and towers over my father. “I am not a boy, and I will not have you speak to me this way.”

“It’s ok,” comes Nadia’s soft voice from behind us.

I whirl around and see my sister standing by the stairs, her chin raised and determination in her eyes. I’ve rarely ever seen her look this brave.

“Let me talk to him,” she says, stepping closer to our father. Slowly, Erik backs out of the way. I tense. If my father so much as lays a hand on Nadia, I’ll hurt him. I won’t hesitate to.

“We’re leaving now,” our father says, already turning away like he just expects her to do as he says.

“No.” Nadia’s voice is clear and strong.

“What did you say?” He turns back to her with a glare. “Nadia, don’t play games. You’re coming back home. Now.”

“No. I’m going to stay with Anya and Erik. They’ll keep me safe. I don’t think you can.”

“I’ve kept you safe all your life.”

“Only because Anya took the beatings for me. If she hadn’t, I don’t think I’d be alive right now. You can’t keep me safe, not when you’re the reason both Anya and me have hurt for most of our lives. I don’t want to see you again.”

“You’re still betrothed to Viktor Smirnov. Erik and I made that deal with him together. You don’t get to just end it.”

“I’m not ending it,” she says. “I know my duty. But my duty doesn’t have to include you. I’m staying, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

I go to stand by Nadia’s side. “You heard her. Leave.”

His face contorts into something evil and vile and pure ugly. “You always hated me, didn’t you?”

“I mean, you beat me almost every day, yeah. You tend to hate the man who does that to you. Nadia is staying with me. And if that eats you up inside, well, you’re just going to have to learn to deal with it. You didn’t lose us because we’re evil daughters. You lost us because you’re a terrible father. Remember that.” I slam the door in his face, and, my god, does it feel amazing.

“I’m proud of you,” I tell Nadia.

“And I’m proud of you,” she says in return.

Another loud knock on the door makes us both jump.

“Oh, for god’s sake,” I mutter, ripping the door open. “Can’t you just get the hint?”

I freeze when I see who’s on the other side.

It’s not my father.

It’s Dante.

My father is being held on his knees by Aiden with a gun to his head.

Erik storms forward and pushes Nadia and me behind him. “Run!”

Nadia takes my hand, pulls me away from Erik, and forces me to run toward the kitchen.

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