Page 59 of Beautiful Beast

Another guard answers the door after I knock. George. The one who I tried to run from when I went wedding dress shopping.

“Anya, what are you doing here?”

“I just want to see my sister, George. I promise nothing will happen. I just need to know she’s ok.” I lean in closer to him. “You know what my father did to me for years. You saw it with your own eyes. My bruises. I just need to make sure he’s not doing the same to Nadia.”

George sighs deeply before letting me into the house. That’s the one thing with these men—they’re paid by my father, but they have a soft spot for my sister and me.

I rush to her room and knock on the door. After a moment, Nadia answers. “Anya? Oh my god.”

I pull her into a fierce hug, and she returns it.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m saving you,” I say into her hair.

She pulls back. “What?”

“Come on. We have to go. I don’t know how long Father will be at work today. Erik told me they’re meeting at Ivan Romanov’s house, which means we have at least an hour before he returns home. If you want to be free, Nadia, then we need to go right now.”

“But … how? You weren’t able to save me before. What’s changed?”

I flinch slightly. Nothing really has changed, but now, I’m even more desperate. “I’ve tried to come to terms with you marrying Viktor, but I just can’t. I know you, Nadia. I know you’ll go along with it and put on a smile and pretend to be happy while you’re dying inside. But this is our chance to get you somewhere safe. Erik gave me a car. We can just hit the road and not look back.”

“Do you have any money? Any place for us to go?”

My smile falters. “Not really. But we can figure that out. We have to, Nadia. How many chances are we going to get? And answer me honestly. Do you want to marry Viktor? Truly?”

“No,” she says, hanging her head low.

“Then, let’s go. Let’s go right now. We can find jobs as waitresses and make some money. I don’t know. But we can do this together.”

“Erik won’t let you go. You know that.”

“Then fine. I’ll return to him. But let me at least get you somewhere safe. I can send you money.”

“What money? Our father has money. Your husband has money. You don’t have money.”

“Just let me help you, Nadia. Please. Let me try.”

“I don’t want to get you into trouble.”

“You won’t! Come on, Nadia. I’m desperate. I can’t sit still knowing I didn’t try everything to save you. So, let me try. Please. Please, Nadia.”

Nadia looks over her shoulder at her bedroom, then slowly nods. When she looks back at me, I see determination in her eyes.

“Ok. I’ll let you try.”

“Then we need to get out of here. Now.”

“How are we going to do that?”

“I have a car. We get in it, and we go.”

“But Father’s guards will just follow us,” she says, biting her lip. “Anya, I’m not sure this is a good idea. You don’t have a plan.”

“I know I don’t. But I have to do whatever I can to save you.”

“Maybe saving me means letting me go.”

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