Page 16 of Beautiful Revenge

“Punishment for what? What have I done to you to deserve this?”

“Nothing,” he says so simply, it’s shocking. He begins to untie the rope around my ankles before I can even process it happening. The moment my ankles are free, I kick my foot towards his face.

I manage to land a hit to Finn’s surprise. To my surprise as well.

Finn jerks back. “There’s that fight I like so much. It will make it more fun to break you this way.”

“You bastard.”

“I’m just doing what needs to be done. Dante needs to be punished for siding with Erik fucking Koslov. Don’t you hate the Russians? A proud Mafia girl like yourself. There’s no way you’re friends with them.”

“I’m not,” I snap. But then I think of Nadia, Dante’s wife. How kind she’s been to me over the years. How kind her sister, Anya, has been. Anya is the wife of Erik and if the wife of the highest ranking Bratva man can be kind to me, then I shouldn’t hate the Russians as much as I do.

Except, I don’t hate those ones. I just didn’t want to marry one. There’s a difference.

Finn unties my wrists and I immediately rake my fingers down his cheek. He hisses. The sight of the red welts on his skin makes me proud. I did that.

He grabs my wrists and hauls me off the bed. I fight against him but he’s just too strong for me. I’ll never win. I was never taught how to defend myself in a situation like this. I just thought I’d always have men to protect me.

So where are they now?

Finn manages to rip my pants down in the scuffle. My underwear too.

The moment I feel the cool air hit my bare backside, I know I’m fucked. I can’t be naked in front of Finn. Who knows what he’ll do to me now? He said he wouldn’t rape me but I don’t believe him. He’s an evil, evil man.

Finn steps back and eyes me over. “Something’s missing. Ah. Got it.” Then his hands grab the bottom of my shirt and rips it off me. When he goes for my bra, I fight him with everything I’ve got. He deftly unhooks my bra and tosses it to the ground.

“That bra cost me three hundred dollars, you know.”

His eyes rake over my naked body.

I will not cover myself in front of him, even though that’s all I want to do. I will be strong. I will not show weakness.

“Shitty investment if you ask me,” he murmurs.

“Those leggings cost me a thousand dollars. And now you made me ruin them.”

“You mean they cost your daddy a thousand dollars. You haven’t worked a day in your life.”

“So? My dad’s money is also my money. And what do you know of hard work?”

He gets right in my face but doesn’t touch me. The urge to lean back is strong but I stay rooted in place. “I’ve had to work the majority of my life to survive.”

“Somehow, I doubt that.”

His face screws up into pure anger. It makes me laugh. “My father abused my mother every day for years. Hit her until she fucking bled.”

My laughter dies off and I stare at Finn in horror. He could just be making this up to scare me. But there’s an honesty in his eyes that makes me believe him.

“So me and my brother killed him when we were old enough.”

I gasp.

“I worked hard to protect my mom,” he continues. “I worked hard when I joined the Irish mob. I worked hard when I left it. I worked hard when I made my way in life doing what I’m good at: killing people. And I worked hard to kidnap you. I’ve been working hard to take down Dante and Erik. So talk to me like you know what hard work is. Don’t act like I don’t know what it means. If anyone knows, it’s me.”

“So you kill people for a living,” I say with as much derision as I can. “Big whoop. You’re a coward who hides behind his gun. Who gets off on hurting women smaller and weaker than him. You are nothing.”

All the rage leaves him and he steps back with a smirk on his face. “No woman has ever spoken to me the way you do. I have to admit, it’s refreshing.”

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