Page 81 of Beautiful Revenge

“What problem?”

“Did you tell your brother that we lost Aria?”

Finn gives me a strange look as he answers. “I did.”

“Well, your brother decided to tell Dante that and Dante decided to attack my home. He’s pissed that you lost Aria to some crazy hitman. Since he can’t find you, I was the next best thing.”

I can hear the disapproval in Viktor’s voice.

“So… what?” Finn asks. “Did you get hurt? What happened?”

“No. I didn’t get hurt. Dante was reckless. He’s starting to lose it. He’s the one who got hurt.”

I gasp. Dante hurt? Oh god.

“Is he dead?” Finn asks.

“No. He managed to escape before I could kill him. But I know I wounded him. Bad. That’s what he gets for coming after me. Fucker. I thought you should know. He’s weakened right now,Finn. It’s the perfect time to kill him. Take him down. End this war and take power.”

Finn stares at me and I beg him with my eyes. If he kills Dante then…

“Ok, Viktor,” he says after a long moment. “I’ll find him. You should know that I got Aria back. I’m in control.”

“Good. But I still think you should return her. I don’t like you using her for your own agenda.”

“I’m not using her. She’s my wife. Now, I’ve got to go.” He hangs up and tosses his phone onto the bed and runs his hands down his face. “Fuck.”

“Do you think Dante is in a hospital?”

“He probably went to his private doctor.”

“Do you know who that is?”

He flashes me a look. “I do. If Dante was hurt bad, then that’s where he’d go.”

I grab his hand and he flinches slightly. “Finn, if you go there to kill him…”

“What? You’ll never forgive me?”

“That’s right. I’ll never forgive you for it. If you want me to truly care about you, then you won’t kill Dante.”

“But how am I supposed to gain power in this war if I don’t? Viktor wants him dead.”

“Fuck what Viktor wants.”

“No. I can’t do that, princess. Viktor has resources I need. I need him as a partner if I’m to have any power in New York. To have power, I need to kill Dante. It will weaken Erik enough so Viktor and I can take him down. Plain and simple.”

I rip my hand away from him. “But if you do that, then I’ll never be able to care for you. You’ll have to eventually kill me, Finn, because I will never stop trying to escape if you kill Dante. You’ll have to lock me up forever.”

“And?”

I blink. “You can’t be serious? You don’t want to do that. Not after what just happened with Sal. You’d seriously torture me forever?”

He looks away from me, unable to give me an answer. So, this is Finn conflicted. It’s comforting knowing that he has some sort of conscious.

“Finn,” I say more softly. “You’re full of so much anger. Why? Why are you doing this to yourself?”

“Because that’s the way I was raised,” he hisses. “I was raised by an asshole dad. I was raised to hate people.”

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