Page 67 of Beautiful Enemy

“Let her go and you can walk out of here,” Erik bargains.

“Ah! Not a chance. I’m hurt and bleeding. I’m too weak to fight. You know this. If I let Nadia go, then I have nothing. You can capture me. And that will lead to my death. So don’t pretend to bargain with me, Erik. It’s not going to work.”

“We can still leave,” I offer. “Just let us go and nothing bad needs to happen.”

“Listen to her,” Dante growls.

“Why should I? You have a fucking knife to her throat.”

“Just let her go,” Anya begs. Her eyes meet mine and there’s so much pain in her expression. I would do anything in my power to see my sister happy.

But that’s not going to happen when Dante has me.

Yet, the only way to make sure everyone makes it out alive is to leave with Dante.

“Let’s go,” I say to him. “Let’s just start walking. You don’t have to hurt me.”

“I just might. It’s time, Nadia. We’ve pretended for too long. It might be time to kill you and get you off my fucking mind.” His breath is hot on my ear.

I almost break down into tears but I keep them back at the last moment. The only reason I ever felt even remotely comfortable around Dante was the knowledge that he would never kill me.

Now that’s all changed.

I was a fool to have a small crush on him. I was naïve to ever let him touch me.

He’s my enemy and I can never forget it.

Dante tightens his hold on the knife and presses it firmer against my neck. A slight sting of pain goes over my skin and I wince.

“Don’t hurt her,” Anya says.

Dante ignores her. “So, Erik. What’s it going to be? You can try to shoot me in front of all these people but there’s too many witnesses. There’s also the risk that you might shoot Nadia too. Or you can let me walk out of here with her. No other options.”

“I am not letting you leave with her.” Erik’s eyes flick to Dante’s bleeding side. “You’ll bleed out eventually. When you get so weak, that’s when I’ll attack.”

I glance down to Dante’s side. It’s covered in so much blood. It’s sort of amazing that he’s still upright. “Dante, Erik is right. You’re going to bleed out. Either let me go and get yourself to safety or-,”

“You really care about my safety?” He gazes down at me with those dark eyes of his. “I know you don’t. You hate me just as much as they do. Don’t you? Admit it.”

My lips open but nothing comes out. When it finally does, all I can say is, “I… can’t. I’m not sure I do hate you.”

He frowns.

“Why would you say that?” Anya asks. “Of course you hate him. Nadia, he kidnapped you. He’s tortured you!”

My father lets out an annoyed huff. “She’s just like you, Anya. Too fucking stupid and naïve for her own good.”

I flinch. My father has always hurt me with his words and now is no exception. It still stings and it always will.

I look at my father more closely. The sneer on his lips. The frown between his eyebrows. The utter anger in his eyes. Anger directed not just at Dante but at me. He hates me. I know it deep down.

The only reason he wants me back is because his pride has been hurt.

If Dante lets me go, my father will snag his claws right back into me. Viktor will still want to marry me – I’m assuming. He might not though, now that Dante has touched me. A lot of Bratva men don’t want ‘spoiled goods.’

If I manage to escape Dante, my life will still be one prison because my father will make it so.

I know Anya and Erik will fight to keep me with them but the war with my father will never end.

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