Page 13 of Dance with Death

She chokes out the words, “Ezra is my lover, not my pet.”

I sigh, letting out a harsh breath. For the first time I feel the irritation she always had with me. All the times I fought back with my words, all the times I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut, and she’d give me that look. I feel her side of it now.

But I also feel impressed.

Proud.

Happy that even when she’s facing an uncertain and violent future, she would use that word and call me her lover. But then I feel sick, sad, on the verge of heaving in shallow sobs of heartache for what’s happening to her…to us.

Nothing good can come from this situation.

Nikolai releases her with a snarl and she falls heavy to her feet. She loses balance, tilting awkwardly toward her injury, and crumples to the floor, catching herself sideways on her palms.

“I no longer wish to look at you,” he says, turning his back on her and circling around the desk to sit regally in his chair. He opens a drawer and pulls out a pen. “I gave you everything you needed to be happy, and you’ve done nothing but disappoint me. I know now that you were never worthy of being mine. You have been a lesson for me,rabynya.An expensive and time-consuming lesson. Women are best left to being whores and sluts, a hole to fuck and nothing more.”

He flips a page from the stack on his desk and scribbles on one of the papers. He flips a few more and scribbles again. “You’re no different. You’re just another slut who will spread her legs the first opportunity she’s given. I’m selling you to Vigo. Consider it your lifelong punishment for betraying me so brutally.”

He’s fucking selling her to Vigo Vittori.

Instead of thrashing and screaming, I’m stunned into silence. I’m so disturbed by this news that I can’t move.

I can’t breathe.

I can’t think.

I blink, once taking me to darkness and again bringing me back to reality. I blink back into existence and my gaze falls on Anya. Her sapphire blues are right there to meet me.

She’s still on the floor.

She hasn’t risen.

Her face hasn’t changed.

If anything, she looks accepting, as though she expected this news all along. I think we both had, but the reality feels as though a chisel has been slammed into a long crevice in my soul, finally splitting me, forcing me to break apart and rip right down the middle.

She holds me in her eyes as tears form in hers, making shimmering pools of blue. That’s the moment it hits me—I might never see my blue-eyed girl again. Adrenaline rockets through my veins, jolting me back to my livid, violent, fully aware self.

“Don’t you fuckingdare!” I flail, throwing myself viciously against my bindings. “Don’t youdarefucking sell her to that monster! I swear to God, I’ll kill you! I’ll kill all of you, you fucking monsters!”

Nikolai pushes to his feet, laying the pen down on top of the stack of paper. He tilts his head toward Vigo and side-steps out from behind the desk. Vigo stands from the armchair in the corner, taking his time to button his black suit jacket, brushing his hands down to smooth the fabric before crossing to the desk. He takes Nikolai’s place behind it and lifts the pen.

“No!” I scream. “Don’t you fucking sign that, you piece of shit! Sign that, and you sign your own goddamn death certificate. I’ll murder you and your entire fucking family!”

“There’s a long line of people who would like to end my family,” Vigo says casually, not even bothering to look up at me. “You’ll have to get in line.”

He scribbles on one page.

Then another.

He lays the pen down and reaches out to shake Nikolai’s hand. Their palms meet with a clap that bursts like lightning in my mind.

The deal is done.

“I think I’ve taken up enough of your time, Nikolai. I’ll be taking my new belonging home now.”

Home.

Fuck, where is he taking her?

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