Page 109 of Beautiful Enemy

My father runs his hand down his shirt. He only ever does that when he’s embarrassed. “Of course. I just think it’s disgusting how she’s in bed with him. How he’s defiled her.”

“And that’s not her fault,” Viktor says.

“He seems to think it is,” Father says, nodding at Dante. “He claimed that my daughter came to him willingly.”

Dante doesn’t say a word, for which I’m grateful. Our eyes meet and he gives me a subtle nod. Even he knows that Viktor is my only chance to escape my father. He can’t risk pissing Viktor off by bragging about us.

This is Dante’s way to save me in an unsavable situation.

“And you believe the word ofhim?” Viktor sneers. “He kidnapped Nadia. Anything that has happened between them was all him. He forced himself upon her. That much is obvious.”

I’m not sure if Viktor truly believes what he’s saying or if he’s just trying to convince himself that I’m nothing but a victim. The truth is that I’m neither of the ways my father or Viktor see me.

I’m not a disgusting vulgar trollop as my father would have me think. But nor am I a complete victim. Yes, I was a victim when Dante kidnapped me.

But then I chose to return to him. I chose to give my body to him.

I am not a victim in that regard.

I am just a woman who found love in an unusual place.

My father makes a low sound in the back of his throat. “I’m not sure what to believe. Let’s just get them back to my house. And then we can discuss what to do next.”

Viktor’s eyes flick to mine. I plead silently for him to take me back to Anya. After a long beat, he speaks. “Ok. We’ll take Dante to your place. We can torture him there. But then I’m taking Nadia back home. She deserves to see her sister.”

“Fine,” Father says tightly.

“Fine.” With a sigh, Viktor turns to Dante and motions at him to get up. “You’re coming with us. No fighting. We have guns pointed at you. You have nowhere to run.”

Dante doesn’t say a word as he gets out of the bed. Both my father and Viktor sneer at the sight of his naked body.

“Get dressed,” Father says. “You are a disgusting animal to have defiled my daughter.”

“I defiled her all right. And she loved it.”

Viktor punches Dante in the face, sending him stumbling back. “You don’t get to talk about her like that. You just shut your mouth.”

Dante smirks as he gets dressed but to his credit, he stops talking.

“We should give Nadia some privacy to get dressed,” Viktor says to my father. He looks like he wants to object but decides to follow Viktor and Dante out of the room.

And then there was me.

All of this has gone terribly wrong. Dante was letting me go. I was going to return to Anya of my own accord. I was going to fight for peace.

And now all of that is gone because Viktor and my father found us first.

Slowly, I get dressed. Maybe if I can draw it out, I can somehow find a way to save Dante’s life. But then my clothes are on and I’m no closer to finding a solution.

Because there is no solution.

Dante kidnapped me and tortured my family for these past few weeks. He’s now going to pay the price for it.

They’re going to kill him.

I shuffle my feet into the living room, keeping my head ducked down. I don’t have to see what I already know: Dante hurt and captured while Viktor and my father look superior.

“Let’s go,” Father snaps.

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