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“Still on our side then.”
A flash of anger hits me. “What do you mean by that?”
“I just mean that the last time we spoke, you wanted me to forgive Dante and now he showed up to kill Erik tonight. You got in his way. That means you’re on our side. Not Finn’s. I’m glad. If you actually liked him, it would have made everything that much more complicated.”
“I do like him.” I don’t know why I say it. To spare Finn’s life perhaps?
Dante goes still. “You can’t like him. He kidnapped you.”
“And you kidnapped Nadia before you two fell in love. Don’t be a hypocrite.”
“Are you saying that youloveFinn?” The incredulousness in his voice tells me everything I need to know.
“I didn’t say I’m in love with him. I just… didn’t want him to die, ok? He’s technically my husband, you know.”
“And he won’t be for long. Not when I kill him. Then we can find you a suitable husband after that.”
I scoff. “One that will benefit you and Erik, I assume?”
“Yes. Is that a problem? You always knew you would marry someone that would benefit my position in life. Don’t act like that’s changed.”
“I never said it did. But I have changed. I was kidnapped, Dante. I was taken by an insane hitman who tortured me. Finn saved my life from him.”
“I thought it was Finn you were talking about.”
“Sal Alvin. He hurt me and Finn saved my life. That has to account for something.”
“Not when he kidnapped you. I can’t forgive him for that.”
“You fucking hypocrite,” I seethe.
“Ok, that’s enough,” Nadia interrupts. “Let’s just get you to the hospital. Ok?”
I slump into my seat. Sometimes Dante feels more like an annoying older brother than my dad’s boss.
We get to the hospital and I’m taken into a room where a doctor and a nurse fix my cut for me. It’s easy and fast and I’m fine.
I come into the waiting room where Dante and Nadia, Erik and Anya and their daughter, and Aiden and Elena are. Elena is heavily visibly pregnant now. I wonder what Finn thinks of his brother becoming a dad one day.
Even Matteo is there, looking distractingly handsome. I used to have a little crush on him when I was younger – before Finn entered my life.
“Good. Let’s talk,” Erik says. “There’s a private room we can use.” He takes us to a small staff lounge with no staff in it. Guess Erik pulled some strings. A man like him gets everything he wants in life. I’ve grown up with men like that. Dante is one of them.
Even Finn is one of them.
“Now,” Erik says, “what did you mean when you said you and Finn when to meet Dante?”
I look at Dante. “You didn’t tell him?”
“Of course not.”
“It would make you look bad,” I say, then laugh. “Of course it would. Because you couldn’t kill Finn either when you had the chance.”
“What is she talking about?” Erik asks.
Nadia rubs Dante’s arm and he sighs. “Finn and Aria came to see me last week when I was recovering from the attack on Viktor. Matteo was there with me.”
Erik whirls around on Matteo. “And you didn’t kill Finn then?”