Page 103 of Beautiful Beast

“Because you’re his wife. Won’t he come for his wife?”

“You clearly don’t know my husband. There’s no love between us. He would rather you kill me than give up his life for me.”

Dante pokes my nose, making me flinch back. “I think you’re lying.”

The truth is, I’m not sure if I’m lying or not. I think Erik will come for me, but he’s also practical. He might just let me die if it means winning against Dante. And the fact that I’m not sure worries me. I have to put all my faith in a man I’m not sure is really there for me.

“Call him.” Dante hands me a phone. “Call him and tell him I have you and that he should meet me at this address.” He rattles it off so fast that I can barely make sense of it. “And once you’ve done that, you can wait here until I’ve killed Erik.”

“And then, what? Once Erik is dead, you’ll kill me, too?”

“Why not? I prefer your sister.”

My body goes rigid. “Don’t touch Nadia.”

“I heard she’s still a minor, so no worries. I’ll wait to take her as my own once she turns eighteen.”

“You’re sick.”

“And you’re my prisoner, so I don’t think it matters what you think. Call him.”

“No.” Even now, my rebellious streak refuses to leave me.

Dante only looks more amused. “You refuse?” He nods at Finn, who hits me in the stomach, making me bend over. “Still want to refuse?”

There’s no way I’m getting out of this. Erik will just have to show me if he’ll protect me or if he’ll only do what serves his own interests.

I call him.

He picks up on the first ring. “Nadia told me you needed space. Come back home now, Anya. I want to talk.”

“I can’t come home.”

“Why not?”

“Dante.”

Erik goes eerily quiet on the other line before he speaks. “What happened?”

“I went to a café, and these hitmen found me and brought me to Dante. He wants you to go to this address, and … I’m not sure. But if you don’t, I think he might torture me.”

“Give me the address.” Erik doesn’t even hesitate to ask. The fact that he doesn’t makes the tension in my gut ease.

I tell him it, and he tells me he’ll be there. “I won’t let him hurt you, Anya.”

“You care?”

“I care. I’m on my way.” He hangs up, and I give the phone back to Dante.

“He’ll be there.”

“Good. Aiden will stay here and keep an eye on you while Finn and I go say hello to your husband. Be a good girl, why don’t you?” He and Finn leave without another look at me.

Aiden nods toward the couch. “Stay there.”

“You won’t hit me like your brother did?”

“No. Just sit there.” Aiden stands before me, his hands on his waist, his fingers close to his gun. With no other option, I sit down and wait for Erik to rescue me.

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