Page 44 of Beautiful Enemy

He comes and goes as he pleases. A part of me is always waiting for him to return. Why? I’m not sure. I just always feel a tightening in my gut when he’s around. Something almost like… excitement.

With nothing to do, I mostly lay in bed and rest. If I’m going to try and escape, I don’t want to tire myself out before. I need all the strength I can get.

Dante has shown that he is willing to go to extreme methods to torture Anya and Erik. He is nothing more than a villain.

The bedroom door opens and Dante saunters in.

I pull the blanket up to my chin to cover my naked chest.

“Cold?” he mocks.

“You took away my clothes.”

His eyes rake over me. It’s like he can see me through the blanket. Even under here, I’m not safe. “I know.”

“You frighten me,” I whisper, staring down at my lap.

Each of his footsteps are like a roar of thunder getting closer and closer to me. “I frighten a lot of people.”

“You cut off another woman’s finger. Why did you hurt her and not me?”

“You think I mutilated a random woman?”

“Didn’t you?” I glance up at him and quickly look away when I see his satisfied smirk.

“No. I cut the finger off an already dead woman from the morgue.”

“How is that any better? You mutilated a dead body.”

“Well, isn’t it better that I didn’t torture a living, breathing woman?” He sits down on the edge of the bed, boring his intense eyes into me.

“I mean…”

“Yes or no?”

“I guess that it’s better but it’s still wrong.”

“All is fair in love and war. Isn’t that what they say?” He leans in closer to me until our faces are barely an inch apart. I inhale sharply. Dante’s eyes roam over my face. I’m not sure if he’s seizing me up to kill me or eat me.

“Every time I see you,” he murmurs, “I’m reminded of how beautiful you are.”

I flush. “Why does that matter? I’m your prisoner.”

“It shouldn’t matter. But I’ve found that you’re in my mind a lot, Nadia. I don’t like that. You shouldn’t be up here.” He taps his temple.

“Then let me go if I’m upsetting you.”

“You’re so cute. You say it so sweetly. But I’m not letting you go. Not for anything.”

My heart beats faster and a heat settles in my core. None of it makes sense. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. “But I thought you wanted to kill Erik someday.”

“And? I don’t have to let you go to do that.”

“But I thought you only took me to hurt him and Anya. Once he’s gone, you don’t need me anymore.” Desperation claws up my throat. “Please, Dante. I can’t live in fear like this forever.”

“Oh, poor baby.” He cups my face in his hand. It’s surprisingly gentle. “But I live on fear. I consume it. Maybe I want you afraid.”

“If you did, you never would have brought me to this room.”

---