Page 61 of Beautiful Beast

“I’ll figure it out.” I have no money to pay for a hotel for the night. I have no safehouse to take Nadia to.

There’s really only one place to go.

“I’m taking you to Erik’s.”

Nadia’s eyes bug out of her face. “What? But you hate him. You’re scared of him.”

How do I tell my sister I’m not exactly afraid of Erik like I once was? I still don’t trust him, but he’s not as frightening as I thought he’d be. There’s a … surprising softness to him at times. For a moment, when we spoke about my mom, I felt him warming up to me.

Just for a moment, though, and then it was over.

“I have nowhere else to take you. We’ll hide you there until I can get you money, and then we’ll sneak you out and take you somewhere else.”

“Maybe you should just take me home.”

“You got in the car with me. You chose to trust me. So, trust me.”

“… Ok.” She sounds so uncertain, and it hurts me to the core.

We arrive back at Erik’s house.

“Get in the back,” I tell her, “so the guard at the gate doesn’t see you.”

Nadia does as I say, and I drive up to the gate where Erik’s guard is stationed. “Hi. I’m back.”

Without a word, he opens the gate for me, and I drive up to the front door. Fortunately, Erik’s car isn’t here. I help Nadia out of the car, and we run into the house before the guard can look back and see her with me.

“This way.” I take her into one of the bedrooms on the first floor. “This way, if you walk around, hopefully Erik will be less likely to hear you.”

“But what if he does find me? What then, Anya? Will he hurt me?”

“No. No, I … don’t believe he will.” And I do believe it. Erik hasn’t given me any reason to believe he would beat Nadia.

Our father, on the other hand …

I know this is putting Nadia in danger with him, but I just have to hope my plan works, and I can get her to safety.

“Just stay in here for now. Do you have to use the bathroom?”

She shakes her head.

“Ok. Just sit on the bed and be quiet. If you hear anything, hide in the closet.”

“Anya, are we making the right decision doing this?”

If it means saving my sister or not, I know the answer in a heartbeat. “Yes.” Then I shut the door on her. “Lock it.”

After a moment, I hear the lock click into place.

Then I rush into the living room, turn on the TV, and calm my breathing, pretending I didn’t just kidnap my sister.

It takes over an hour for Erik to return home. And he’s not alone. My father and another man are with him.

“Where is she?” my father seethes, storming over to me and grabbing my hair. He pulls me from the couch to the floor. “Where is she?”

Erik’s footsteps are dominant as he stands next to my father. “Let her go, Sergei.” When my father doesn’t, Erik adds, “Now,” for good measure.

With a grumble, my father lets me go, and I flop to the ground.

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