Page 37 of Beautiful Enemy

“I know you do. And if I die to save Nadia, then at least I’ll be at rest and your sister will be safe.”

“We never got to start a family.”

“I’ll try to survive but I can’t promise it. I won’t lie to you like that.”

Without caring about the other men in the room, I grab Erik’s face and kiss him with all of my might. He kisses me back just as deeply.

“Save my sister. But try to come back to me.”

“I will. Now I just need to get Dante to agree to a meet.”

Dante

“Erik wants to meet you,” Finn tells me.

“And you know this… how?” I lounge on the couch in my apartment. It’s a place I rented that’s near the ranch house I stuffed Nadia into. I needed a place to get away from her since she’s been on my mind too much for comfort.

“He put a message out to his men who sent the message to some well-known Mafia hangouts. Word got back to me and now I’m telling you.”

“So, he got the finger and he’s getting desperate. He wants to kill me, that much is obvious but he’s going to offer a trade. His life for Nadia’s. Why else reach out?”

“I’m curious. Where did you get the finger?”

“A magician never reveals his secrets.” I pause. “The morgue.”

Finn’s laugh is dark, like his nature. “Of course. So, are you going to meet him?”

“It will be fun to mock him. Make him see that he’s failing. He’ll have no choice but to go crawling back to Anya, crying how he couldn’t save her sister. It will be sweet. So, yes, I’ll meet him. Send the word.”

“Of course. I’ve been itching for some bloodshed for a while.”

“If you’re so desperate to go kill someone, then go find a random Bratva man to do in. We need less of them in this world.”

“Will do.” Finn whistles to himself as he leaves.

My phone rings with an incoming call form Matteo. “Yes?”

“You need to get to the house. It’s Nadia.”

A flicker of worry shoots through me but I push it away. That’s ridiculous. I don’t care for the girl. She means nothing to me.

But my eyes find her wedding dress, draped over a chair in my living room, anyway. Thinking of her naked down in that basement is driving me fucking insane with want.

“What’s wrong?”

“She’s sick. A fever. She could die if we’re not careful.”

“You’ve been feeding her?”

“Yes. But, Dante…”

“What? Spit it out,” I growl, clenching my phone tighter.

“Are we taking things too far? The girl is innocent and yet, you keep hurting her. Maybe you should give her back.”

“And then what leverage would I have?”

“You could trade her for Erik. He’s the one you really want to torture.”

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