Page 65 of Beautiful Enemy

“Too busy to try and save your daughter? You should know something, Sergei. I just touched your daughter and made her come on my hand and she fucking loved it.”

My father snarls and lunges at Dante, who jumps back, laughing, and pulling me along with him. My father can’t stop his momentum and his fingers slice down my cheek instead of Dante’s.

Anya gasps. “Stop! I don’t want Nadia getting hurt.”

I can feel the sting in my cheek and when I touch it, my fingers come back red.

Dante looks between my face and my father. “You really are a bad father, aren’t you?”

“I didn’t mean to hurt her. I was aiming for you.”

“Were you, Sergei? Because I know your dirty little secret. I know how you used to hurt Nadia and Anya. I know what kind of man you are. You can’t pretend to be something you’re not.”

“Just let my sister go,” Anya says. “And you can leave this place unharmed.”

“Anya,” Erik warns.

“Erik,” she snaps back. “All I want is my sister safe. If that means letting Dante leave alive then so be it.”

“See, that’s going to be a problem,” Dante says, tightening his arms around me. It doesn’t hurt. I hate to admit it but it feels sort of good. “I have no intention of letting Nadia go.”

“You’ve hurt her. You just admitted to touching her. You’re assaulting her.” The pain in Anya’s voice punches me right in the gut.

“Have I assaulted you, Nadia? Be honest.”

I look right at my sister. Even with her mask on, I can see her eyes clearly and written in them is pure fear. For me.

I let Dante touch me. I let myself enjoy it and I never should have. I should have been thinking of Anya. For the first time in my life, I feel like a terrible sister.

“Nadia,” he says.

“I’m fine,” I say to Anya. “I’m ok.”

“Lies,” my father snarls.

“I’m ok,” I say again, only looking at my sister. “He hasn’t hurt me. I swear.”

“Are you just saying that for my benefit?” she asks. “Or do you really mean it?”

Of course she would think I was lying to spare her feelings of pain. My sister knows me too well.

“I’ll be ok,” I tell her. “Just let us leave.” I don’t want to risk Dante shooting up this room full of people and losing my sister in the process. If I can just get me and Dante out of here, then my family will be safe.

“I can’t do that,” Erik says. “I’m not letting Dante take you from this room.”

“I’ll be fine. You have to trust me. Anya. I’m braver than you give me credit for.”

“Listen to your sister,” Dante says. “Let us out of here.”

It dawns on me that Dante really wasn’t expecting Erik to be prepared for him to show. For the first time since meeting him, I’ve spotted a chink in Dante’s armor.

“No,” Anya whispers. “Don’t take my sister. Just leave her out of this.”

“You all seem to keep forgetting one little fact. The reason I kidnapped Nadia was because it would make for great comedy.”

“No one is laughing,” Erik says flatly.

“Well, I am.”

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