Page 41 of Beautiful Enemy

I’m still naked but the large blanket on the bed is covering me from Dante’s eyes. “I feel better. What happened?”

“You were sick. I think the cold from the basement got to you. Made you sick.”

“So you… brought me here?”

“Well, I don’t want you to die.” He’s seated partially in shadow so it’s hard to make out his expression. “I’ve said it before. You’re more useful to me alive then dead.”

“Well… thank you. I guess.”

“Don’t thank me, Nadia. I’m your kidnapper, remember?”

“I haven’t forgotten.” I duck my chin into my chest. Knowing I’m in a bed, almost naked, while Dante looks at me, is making me feel a little lightheaded.

“So, I had a chat with your brother-in-law.”

All my embarrassment is gone and I quickly look back up at him. “What?”

“And Viktor. Oh, and Ivan Romanov was there, which I found interesting. Like… does he even matter? But you know what I found the most interesting? Your father wasn’t there. We all met up to discuss a trade but Sergei wasn’t among them. I asked Erik and he said Sergei was busy. But a father, being too busy to meet up with the man who kidnapped his daughter? What’s that about?”

Dante’s words sting me right to my heart. I know why my father didn’t show. He doesn’t truly care about me. He’s only ever cared about himself.

“Care to tell me the one secret about your father you didn’t reveal before?”

“No.”

“Come on, Nadia. Your own father didn’t come to the meet-up. He doesn’t care about you. Why is that? Why would a father not love his own daughter?”

“You’d have to ask him.”

“I wanted to but he wasn’t there. And besides, I think you know why he didn’t show. I think you know why he beat Anya and kept you locked up. Why he hates you and your sister. Why?”

All the fight leaves my body. From being sick to being kidnapped to now this, I have nothing left.

“It’s just a rumor.”

Dante leans forward in his seat, his expression eager. “What is?”

“My father thought… Me and Anya don’t exactly look alike. She has red hair and I have brown hair. Our face shapes are a little different. We share a mother but…”

“You don’t share a father,” he says slowly. “Huh.”

“Like I said. It’s just a rumor. Nothing was ever proven. I don’t think my father ever did a test. But he’s resented both me and Anya for it. If our mother did have an affair, then… Well, it doesn’t look good for him. He takes pride in his, well, pride. Our mother ruined that. If she even did. Anya and I have talked about it before. We know genetics can be weird. It might not mean we have different fathers. Our mother is gone, so we can’t even ask her. But Anya and I are sisters and we always will be. That’s what matters.”

“How sweet. The love you have for her. I’m sure she’s freaking out right now. She thinks I sent you your finger.”

I frown. “My finger?”

“I sent another woman’s finger to your sister just to freak her out. Hope you didn’t mind.”

His words are too crazy for me even to process. “Wait… what?”

Dante only laughs as he gets up and leaves the room. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, so thank you. But I should let you rest some more. You still might be a little under the weather.” He shuts the bedroom door behind me and unsurprisingly, locks me inside.

There’s a lot I don’t understand but one thing I know for a fact: Dante just continues to confuse me more and more.

Chapter Eight

Anya

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