Page 49 of Hell Hath No Fury

So, when I say that I was slightly annoyed to find him gone, I mean nuclear-level pissed off.

Okay, maybe, just maybe, he did explain this to me, and in my sleep-deprived stupor, I missed it. But still, what kind of man woos the woman he loves and then jets off to another country the following morning?

It’s not until I’m sitting down for brunch with a few of the crew when it comes up that this may have been a last-minute trip set into motion by an unauthorized conversation.

“What do you mean he was in the basement?” I snap, my palms pressing into the table as I attempt to center myself.

Matt raises his brows at me, pressing his lips together as if he’s just now realizing the error of his statement. Then he shrugs and responds, “I don’t have any actual information on that, Lils. But he came out of the basement in a mood and went out the door muttering that he had some shit to take care of.”

“Oh, did he now?”

Matt continues to stare at me, likely knowing there’s nothing he can say right now that’s going to make me less pissed off.

He’s saved from having to reply when Antoinette walks into the room. She takes one look at me, glances at Matt, then back to me and asks, “What’s going on?”

I force myself to sit, ignoring my urge to throw something across the room. “Apparently, your good-for-nothing father decided to take a little trip to the basement and then afterward decided to jet off without any explanation.”

She gives me the same grimace that Matt had and then turns to Matt and asks, “Anyone go down there and find out what happened?”

Matt shakes his head, his hands coming up in front of him defensively. “Hell no. You told us to keep our asses out of the basement, so we keep our asses out of the basement.”

I sit there for a few moments fuming, and then I look to Antoinette, who’s still watching me. She nods and says, “Well, let’s go then.”

I’m on my feet before she stops speaking, and when Matt starts to rise, Antoinette turns to him and says, “Not you.”

He glares at her, and when he goes to speak, she puts a hand up, stopping him. “I know what you’re going to say, but it has to be just us in the room.” They stare at each other for a few long moments, and then Matt finally nods. She adds, “Pass it on to everyone else, but only if it comes up.”

Antoinette heads to the door, and I’m right behind her. We make our way through the kitchen and into the hallway thatleads to the basement. She reaches for the keypad, and I place my hand on her forearm, stopping her. “Are you sure you want to go down there?”

She lifts a shoulder dismissively and replies, “Can’t really put it off forever.”

“Yes, you can,” I respond firmly. “You never have to lay eyes on that man again if you don’t want to. You know I’ll handle it.”

She searches my gaze, a small smile curving her mouth. “I think I’m good. I’ve prepared myself for the fact that he will have zero remorse. He may even gloat.”

I snort as she puts in the code, and the door opens. We slowly make our way downstairs. “Well then, this should be fun.”

“Right?” she says with a laugh. “It’s been a while since we got to make the unapologetic apologize.”

“Do you think he’ll break?”

Antoinette shakes her head. “Not a chance.”

We make our way through the maze of rooms in the basement, eventually entering the one where Dmitri is being held. At first, he doesn’t move, eventually lifting his head when we’re standing in front of him. He glances at me, and then his eyes move to Antoinette, lighting up immediately. She raises a brow at him and says, “You look like shit.”

The motherfucker grins at her. “Well, I’ve been better. But I’ve also been far worse.”

“Are you saying that you’ve been on the cusp of torture and death many times in your life?” she asks dryly, her focus on her fingernails as if she’s bored.

His grin widens, and he nods. “Many.”

He glances at me, then back at Antoinette, and asks, “But never by anyone quite as attractive as you two.”

Antoinette crosses her arms over her chest and rolls her eyes. My lip curls, and I snort. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Stop that.” He turns his focus back to me, his eyes glinting with humor and Istare back, dread snaking through my guts along with a sense of familiarity as I look into his eyes. And then I whisper, “Are you a junior, Dmitri?”

The humor immediately falls from his face, and his lips twist in annoyance. “I don’t know about junior, but maybe third or fourth. We lost count after a while.”

“But are you the only one looking for retribution?”

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