Page 93 of Dance with Death

Even Delia, whom I’d consider a friend under appropriate circumstances, doesn’t seem capable of helping him understand. She had spent time with Vigo at the last quarterly meeting reviewing the contract of sale at the recommendation of the board. Undoubtedly, they had squandered their evening hours engaging in more interesting matters between the two of them. It was happening even now. Though Delia had pulled Vigo aside at the sight of Anya, one glance in their direction shows me that she’s too easily taken under Vigo’s spell.

Regardless, it’s not her place or her problem, and I don’t wish to make it so. I could let the board select a consequence for Vigo’s breach of contract, but that may result in an unfavorable outcome for Anya.

Apparently, I give a shit now.

I’ll deal with this myself.

Anya shoves her weak palms against my chest, hardly even registering as a push against my bulk, but I release her and let her step back.

I turn away from her and go to Vigo as Ezra pulls her into his arms. I don’t care that he does it, italmostseems reasonable at this point—given her state—that someone should hold her up so she doesn’t crumple to the floor and break a hip on the way down.

She’s fragile now.

She was never fragile in my care.

She was strong. She could take anything I did to her.

Now I fear she may tip over if I exhale too strongly.

I approach Vigo as he’s leaning in to whisper something against Delia’s ear. “I want to buy her back.”

They both freeze, holding their intimate position except for Vigo’s head that turns toward me. “Buy her back?”

“You heard me.”

Vigo kisses Delia on the cheek before pulling away and turning to face me squarely. “No.”

I sigh. “Name your price, Vigo.”

“No. I’m not selling her back to you. We’ve had this discussion before, and it’s done.”

I step forward, gritting my teeth with frustration. “Name. Your.Price.”

“Four million,” he says with a mocking smile.

I stifle a laugh. “I sold her to you for less than one and her value has depreciated in your care.” My upper lip snarls and my nostrils flare as Vigo crosses his arms over his chest, casting a sideways glance. “Fuck. I’ll give you two million.”

Vigo throws his head back and laughs. “You can’t be serious, Nikolai. Who in their right mind would pay that much for a talent slave who has lost her talent? For a woman who looks likethat…” He nods his head toward her and I glance.

Ezra holds her sweetly, his arms wrapped around her tightly as if he’s afraid to let her go.

He should be.

I observe her overly slender form, the brittleness of her body, and though I can’t argue with the look of her, I can argue the reason that she looks that way.

“She looks like that because ofyou,” I tell Vigo. “In my care, she was healthy. She had curves, desirable flesh. You’ve dissolved that flesh through starvation until nothing but bone is left.”

“And that is my right as her owner.”

I swipe a hand over my mouth, feeling the weight of my vengeance to have sold her to him in the first place sit down heavily across my shoulders.

“Three million,” I offer.

Vigo laughs. “I wouldn’t have sold her back to you for four million. I wouldn’t do it for five. The agitation this causes you is worth far more than any sum you could offer me. Consider that my final say on the matter. Anya is mine, and she will remain mine until the day she dies.”

My fists clench at my sides and I don’t even have to turn and look to know how Ezra catches on fire from this conversation. His adrenaline spike is visceral, and I feel it at my back, fueling my own.

“I’ll give you ten,” I say and it’s my final fucking offer, my final fuckingridiculousoffer to end this matter.

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