Page 70 of Beautiful Enemy

But does he deserve to die?

I don’t know everything Dante has done in his life. Maybe he does deserve to die for things he’s done in the past but he doesn’t deserve to die for the things he’s done to me. Despite kidnapping me, he hasn’t hurt me. Instead, he actually tried to save my life when he got me out of that cold basement.

I think Dante has the capacity for some goodness and it’s that goodness I see that is the reason I’m going to help him.

Because I’m not just doing this to save my own life. I’m also doing this because I just don’t want to see Dante die.

The museum we’re in becomes a maze as we take another corner and another corner and another corner.

“Where’s the exit?” I whisper while struggling to keep Dante’s weight off me.

“I don’t know but it won’t take long for Erik to find us.”

“And then we’ll be right back to where we started. You threatening to kill me and putting my life in danger.”

“And yet, you’re trying to help me,” he murmurs. “Why?”

“Let’s not talk about that now.”

“It’s not because you care, is it?”

I look at Dante sharply. “I don’t care. Now, let’s move.”

“I’m not sure I believe you,” he says, laughing to himself.

“How can you laugh at a time like this? You’re bleeding out. You…” It’s then that I realize Dante is leaving a literal blood trail behind him, putting out a signal to Erik to come and find us.

“We have to stop your bleeding,” I say.

He looks down at the blood trail and curses. “You’re right. Help me down.” Dante sits on the ground with a grunt, then tears off a piece of his shirt. “Here. Wrap it around me.”

I push aside his remaining shirt and find the stab wound. Blood continues to drip out of it. It’s a disgusting sight. It’s also a terrifying one.

“You could die with this,” I say.

“I know, Nadia,” he responds flatly.

“I’m just saying.”

As I wrap the shirt around his wound, Dante skims his fingers down my cheek. “Are you worried about me? Truly?”

“I just don’t want to die. I tried to run and you caught me. Even weakened, you’re still stronger than I am.”

“So, it’s purely practical.”

I can’t say yes because it’s not purely practical what I’m feeling but I can’t tell Dante that. He doesn’t get to know that he already has a hold on me.

“There.” I finish tying off the wound. Dante grunts in pain.

“You could be a bit more careful, baby.”

“I’m not your baby.”

“It seems like in a life or death situation, you become like your sister. You sound just like her right now.”

“Is that a compliment or not?”

“It’s both.”

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