Page 14 of Beautiful Trauma

Father jabbed a finger at Dima. “Stay out of it.”

After tucking his head to his chest, Dima dutifully stepped back, leaving me raw and exposed to Father's wrath.

Since I knew it was best to keep my mouth shut, I waited for him to speak. After an excruciating silence, he said, “I need your services again.”

The mere mention of that word caused my stomach to churn. When I’d turned eighteen, my father had often used my looks for his own nefarious purposes. To gain information about enemies or potential traitors, he would have me doll up and seduce them. While they were under my spell, I would drug them and then clone their phone or computers.

While ridiculously demeaning and degrading, it was also dangerous. In those early years, I’d feared being cut off too much to say no or complain. I needed his dirty money for college.

But not anymore.

I furiously shook my head. “Absolutely not.”

Father’s eyes bulged wide. “You dare to tell your father, yourpahkanno?” he demanded.

“When it comes to seducing men for information, I do.”

“We need information about Dare, and you are going to get it for me by getting close to his brother, Kellan,” he snarled.

Although I should’ve shrank away from his rage, I demanded, “How can you continuously ask your own daughter to whore herself?”

Father rolled his eyes. “Save your theatrics. Besides a grope or two, no real harm has ever come to you.”

“But isn’t that enough not to ask it of me?”

“It is what is needed from you.”

“If it’s nothing, why have you never asked your perfect Annika to do it?”

“Mila,” Dima warned.

Father’s eyes narrowed. “How dare you question me and my authority?”

“Because it’s morally and ethically wrong what you ask of me! Especially when you don’t ask Annika.”

A cruel smile curved on Father’s lips. “Perhaps I should send Kira in your stead?”

Agony ricocheted through me at the thought of my nineteen-year-old sister taking my place. Even though I’d been forced at her age, I didn’t want the same thing for her. “No,” I whispered.

“Shall I call her?”

With my fists clenching at my sides, I shrieked, “No!”

“Good. I’m glad to hear your willingness.”

“So am I,” Dima echoed.

I whirled around to stare in horror at Dima. “How canyouask this of me?”

“If it were any other man, I wouldn’t allow you.” Ignoring Father’s sharp intake of breath, Dima continued speaking. “But Kellan Kavanaugh isn’t like the men in our world. He won’t hurt you, nor will he try to fuck you.”

“If that’s supposed to make me feel better, it doesn’t.”

“It should.” He gave me a pointed look. “It means I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to ensure your safety.”

“Unless he’s gay or impotent, you can’t promise that he won’t try to fuck me.”

Dima chuckled. “While he’s neither, I can assure you he won’t.”