Page 15 of Beautiful Enemy

“Well, now we’re going to get justice for that day. I’m going to torture Nadia Belov and it will drive her father mad. He’ll regret ever going after Aria.”

Elio rubs a hand along his neck, looking uncertain.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s just… I’ve been trying hard to work with Aria to get over that day. If she hears about all of this, it might make all of her progress regress.”

“Why does it still bother her? It was four years ago.”

“Because she was only twelve when it happened. A fucking kid. And what do you mean it was ‘four years ago?’ I don’t see you getting over anything that happened four years ago. Instead, you’re charging full steam ahead to your own destruction.”

“After I was almost killed, I lost everything. You know that. Now, I didn’t reach out often because I didn’t want you to be associated with me. I didn’t want that to hurt your family.”

When new Mafia players take over, they can sometimes hurt or even kill other Mafia families who were aligned with old Mafia leaders. Elio used to be like family to me. That’s why I took it hard when Sergei kidnapped Aria four years ago. He tried to use Aria to kill me.

It didn’t work since I’m still fucking standing.

“But now, I need your help,” I continue. “I need your help in making sure Erik never finds where I’m keeping Nadia. Now, I won’t tell you where for your own safety. I don’t want him using it against you or Aria. Who knows what he might do in his efforts to find his sister-in-law?”

“You’ve put my Aria at risk again,” he growls. “By kidnapping a Bratva woman, you’ve put a target on Aria’s back.”

“They won’t come for you. I’ll make sure of it.”

“How can you make sure, Dante? They easily stole Aria all those years ago. What’s stopping them from doing it again? Kidnapping girls is not the way to go. This will only end in disaster.”

“I want that family to hurt.” It’s not me who says it. It’s a young female voice. When I turn towards the stairs, I see a petite blonde girl standing there.

Aria.

“Go back upstairs,” Elio tells her.

“No.” She storms over to me. “I remember the man who took me. Sergei Belov. It’s his daughter you took?”

“You were listening?” Elio asks. “Of course you were.”

“Yes,” I answer Aria’s question while ignoring Elio.

“Good. I was an innocent brought into a war. It wasn’t fair. And I want that family to suffer for ever putting me through that. If this girl’s kidnapping causes her family pain like my kidnapping did to my father, then I want that to happen. I want the man who kidnapped me to feel fear like I did.”

“And he will. Sergei Belov will regret ever kidnapping you in the first place.”

“And Erik Koslov too. He threatened my father if I didn’t tell him where you were located. I don’t take threats against my family too kindly.”

“I can see that.” I look Aria over. It’s not in a sexual way. It’s in an observant way. She’s always been like family to me and at sixteen, she’s grown into a fierce girl. She has hate in her heart like I do. Good. We’re all going to need hate in our hearts to make it through this.

I can’t go soft. Hate will only harden me.

“Sergei and Erik will suffer,” I tell her. “I promise you that.”

“You swear?”

“I swear.”

The girl smiles.

Nadia

The basement is chilly. I can’t stop shivering as I stand here in my wedding dress. I don’t dare sit down on the mattress. It’s a new mattress at least. There’s no gross stains on it and looks like it has never been used. The thought that Dante went out and bought a mattress just for me makes something inside my stomach slither.

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