Page 105 of Beautiful Revenge

“What do you mean?”

“He was…” My eyes find Erik. “He was going for him.”

Erik stands up straighter, still holding his arms around Anya and their daughter. “Of course he was. Finn will never stop. You know that, Dante. That’s why I tasked you to kill him so many times.”

“Enough,” Dante snaps. “Let’s not fight about that now. Finn is gone. Again. But we will find him and when we do, I will kill him.”

“No,” I gasp out.

That makes everyone in our immediate circle look at me in shock.

“What did you say?” Dante asks in a low voice.

“Don’t kill him. Remember when we came to you? Finn didn’t hurt you then. He could have. You were weak but he didn’t hurt you. Because of me.”

Erik tenses. “What is she talking about, Dante? When did Finn come to you?”

Dante looks around the crowded room. “Let’s go somewhere more private to talk. And we need to get Aria’s arm looked at.”

“He’s right,” Nadia says. “We need to get Aria to the hospital first and then we can talk.”

Erik nods once. “Ok. Let’s all go.” He turns to Anya. “I would ask you to stay but I know you won’t listen to me.”

“You’re right,” she says with a small smile. “I won’t. I’m coming with. I want to know what’s going on just as much as everyone else does.”

I go with Dante and Nadia in their car to the hospital. “Where’s my dad?”

“At his house,” Dante explains. “He didn’t feel like coming tonight.” There’s an unspoken part to his words.He didn’t come because you were gone.

My father must be missing me terribly.

“You need to call him and tell him I’m ok.”

“Nadia,” Dante says.

With a nod, Nadia pulls out her phone and calls my dad. “Here. You can talk to him.”

I take her phone with shaky hands and wait as the phone rings. My dad answers on the third ring.

“Yes?”

“Dad, it’s me.”

He’s quiet for a long moment before he gasps. “Aria? Where are you? Why do you have Nadia’s phone?”

“I’m with Nadia and Dante now. I’m on the way to the hospital. I’m fine,” I say before he can freak out. “I just got cut. We’ll meet you there.”

“Got cut? How?”

“Dad, I just need to get to the hospital. We’ll talk there.” I hang up before he can ask more.

“What was that about?” Dante asks, looking at me through the rearview mirror.

“What?”

“Why didn’t you tell him it was Finn who cut you?”

“Because it would just make him more upset. And Finn didn’t mean to cut me. He was trying to kill Erik and I got in the way.”

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