Page 43 of Beautiful Enemy

“Aria.”

“Dante. Tell me. Have you tortured Sergei Belov yet? Erik Koslov? Are they dead?” The eagerness in her eyes is something unusual to see in a young Mafia girl. Most of them are kept so sheltered, they would never dream of saying anything like this. But Aria isn’t a normal Mafia girl. She’s been kidnapped before. She knows what fear is like.

“They’re not dead. I need to torture them a bit longer first.”

Her smile dims a little. “I want them dead for what they did to me. I want that girl dead. I want her father to know what it feels like to face the consequences of his actions.”

“Aria,” Elio says, aghast.

She shrugs. “It’s true.”

“I’m not going to kill Nadia. She’s too much fun to play with. And besides, it was her father who did the kidnapping. Not her.”

“She’s guilty by association,” she says, her eyes flashing with anger.

“Aren’t you the same? I kidnapped Nadia. Aren’t you guilty by association?”

“You’re not my father.”

“No. But I am a friend of your father’s. I’ve known you since you were a baby.” I lean back on the couch and pat the back of it. “I came here to tell you both that I’m going to bring Nadia over.”

Elio blinks. “Here?”

“Yes, here.”

“Why?”

“Because…” Because I almost killed her by keeping her down in that basement and I’m feeling weirdly fucking guilty about it. “Because the girl could get out. Socialize. Who better than one of my oldest friends and his daughter?”

“I don’t want that disgusting filth in my home,” Aria snarls. So much hate in such a tiny package.

“Too bad. I’m bringing her over in a couple of days.”

“Why a couple of days?” Elio asks.

“In case anyone’s watching your house. I want to be safe. This was just a courtesy call.” I stand up and pat Elio on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s walk to the door.”

We leave Aria in the living room to fume.

“You might want to get her anger reigned in,” I murmur. “I know she’s only sixteen but in a couple of years, she’ll be of marrying age. No Mafia man is going to want such an angry wife. Remember that.”

“It’s no different from you. You have so much anger inside of you, Dante, that you’ve plunged me back into a war I don’t want any part in. I’m not happy with you.”

“I’ll be honest. I don’t really care.” I flash a grin at Elio before leaving. He doesn’t have a say in my life. No one does.

I kidnapped Nadia because she was the perfect prisoner and now, I know I’m not going to let her go for anything.

I’m having too much fun with her.

Nadia

All I can think about is the worry Anya must be feeling thinking she received my finger in the mail. I have no way to tell her that Dante didn’t actually harm me. The only way would be to get out of here but that’s impossible. I have no clothes. Matteo is waiting outside the door.

I can hear him walking around and muttering to himself. I’m not sure he loves what Dante is doing to me. He seems to have a little bit of empathy. Maybe I can use that to my advantage.

Yet, I’m not an actor. What’s on my face is real. I can’t use my emotions to make Matteo feel bad and let me go. He’s a Mafia man. He’s steel just like the rest of them.

And then there’s Dante.

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