Page 105 of Beautiful Sinner

“Thank god.” She pulls me into a deep hug and I almost break down and cry. It feels so good to have someone other thanMatteo in my corner. I’m not on a tiny island by myself. I have people who care about me. Who want to make this right.

“So, how are we going to do this?” I ask when we pull apart.

“I thought we could call Viktor. Facetime him. Let him see that we’re together. Let him talk to you. You need to talk to him and this is your best chance.”

“Ok.” My heart pounds at the idea of finally talking to my brother since Matteo took me away. We briefly talked at the hospital but it wasn’t a real conversation. It was a few quick words in the heat of a war.

Before my finger can touch Viktor’s number, a loud, “Hey!” makes me jump and I look up. Matteo is walking right towards us.

“Did you tell him where we are?” Inessa asks.

“Yes,” I admit. “I had to let him know in case anything else went wrong.”

Matteo approaches us and glares down at Inessa. “I told you not to come here. Viktor or Connor could have followed you.”

“I wasn’t followed this time. I made sure. I just wanted to give Julia the opportunity to talk to Viktor. She needs to.”

“You need to go home now, Inessa. Before your husband shows up and makes everything worse.”

“Please,” I beg. “I want to talk to Viktor. I need to. This might be my only way. I can’t go to Viktor in person. He could lock me up. But if I could just call him with Inessa here, he’ll see that I’m ok.”

“No. I’m sorry, Julia. It’s too big a risk. We need to get out of this park now. Connor knows about it. He could attack any moment. Come on.” Matteo tugs me away from Inessa but I rip my arm free.

“Are you going to be just like my brother?”

He frowns. “What?”

“Viktor locked me up for most of my life. Not literally but he kept me sheltered because he wanted to protect me. Are you going to do the same? Keep me in our little house forever because it’s safer?”

“Yes.”

“Matteo, we can’t run from this forever and you know it. I have to talk to Viktor. I have to get him to see sense.”

“Not when Connor is out there, hunting us down. Not when Viktor will shoot me the second he gets. I am getting you to safety, Julia, and I will not feel bad for it. I almost lost you just after we got married. I’m not risking anything like that again.”

“Just let her talk to Viktor,” Inessa says.

“No. It’s too dangerous. He could trace your phone if he hasn’t already. Come on, Julia. Please. For your safety.”

“Don’t lock me up too,” I tell him and push Viktor’s number at the same time. He grabs the phone from me and smashes it to the ground. Both Inessa and I gasp.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to control you like this but I have to keep you safe. Bringing Viktor here will only bring Connor here and someone will get hurt. You know this. It’s why you always warned me about your brother’s plans. I am doing this for us, Julia.”

“But keeping me away from Viktor is only going to make things worse.”

“No. If he can’t find us, he can’t break us apart. Let’s go.” He holds out my hand for me to take and just a few hours ago, I wouldn’t have hesitated. But now…

“Go with him,” Inessa says. “He is right. Connor or Viktor could be on their way here. I’ll try to talk to Viktor again. I’ll make him see reason, Julia. And someday, he’ll understand. I promise you that.”

It’s all I can hope for right now. So I take Matteo’s hand and let him pull me away from Inessa and the park and my one chance at telling Viktor how I feel.

“What were you thinking?” Matteo demands when we’re back in the house. “You could have been hurt!”

“I’m not sorry. I need to talk to Viktor and you know I’m right. I need to end this war. I need to make him see reason.”

“I am trying to protect you! I’ve been trying this whole time.”

“My brother is not a danger to me,” I shout back.