Page 113 of Beautiful Sinner

They both drop their guns and run at each other at the same time. I dive out of the way right as they collide and start throwing punches and kicks. They’re going to kill one another. This isn’t some petty fight.

This is a fight to the death.

And I have no way to stop it.

Chapter Nineteen

Julia

Ican’t watch as the two men I love most in this world try to kill each other.

They refuse to listen. Viktor doesn’t understand how much I love Matteo and Matteo is hellbent on protecting me, even from Viktor.

I have to do something.

Viktor manages to punch Matteo so hard, he flops to the ground and he gets on top of him. The sight of Viktor punching Matteo over and over again makes my stomach sick.

“Stop!” I cry. “Stop!”

“Listen to her,” Inessa says. “Please, Viktor. Stop.”

But he’s done listening. His mission in life has been to protect me and in his mind, he’s doing that.

I can’t stand back as Matteo gets beaten to death.

Both of their guns are on the ground. Acting on instinct, I pick one up and hold it to Viktor’s head.

“Stop.”

Inessa gasps. “What are you doing?”

Viktor slowly stops punching Matteo and turns to look at me. His breathing is ragged and his knuckles are a bloody mess. “Julia?” There’s a hurt in his eyes I’ll never be able to forget. He thinks I’m betraying him again when I’m just trying to protect the man I love.

Matteo groans, letting me know that he is alive.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I tell Viktor. “But I need you to stop punching my husband. I need you to stop.”

“He’s the reason you pulled away from me. He’s the reason you betrayed me.”

“I never betrayed you!” My shout is sharp and shrill. Viktor’s eyes widen. “I love you, you idiot. You’re my brother. I will always love you. But I did not betray you. I just fell in love. Why can’t you give me that? Why can’t you put your pride aside and let me and Matteo be together? This is your chance to change everything and you’re ruining it. If you kill Matteo right now, I’ll never forgive you.”

“But you’d forgive him if he killed me?”

“No,” I answer truthfully. “I can’t love you both if you kill each other. I need you to get along. I need you to make peace, Viktor. You tried once before. You can do it again.”

“I’ve been disrespected too many times by Erik and Dante to work with them.”

I huff. “So, you’d put your pride above me? Above Inessa? Because you’ll lose me if you don’t. If you lock me up here, I will never forgive you. And then I would gladly betray you. Forreal. But falling in love with Matteo is not a betrayal to you. It was never deliberate. It just happened. Solistento me, Viktor. Please. Just stop. Put your pride aside and do what’s best for all of us.”

He looks between me and Matteo and his bloody knuckles. “I can’t do that.”

“Then I will shoot you if you attack Matteo one more time. Let him go, at least. And I’ll lower this gun. And I’ll stay here with you. But just know that I will hate you forever.”

Inessa gasps. “Julia.”

“I’m fighting for the man I love,” I say, keeping my eyes glued to Viktor’s. “Accept it or I will shoot you.”

“You won’t kill me. I’m your brother.”