Page 63 of Beautiful Sinner

“What?”

“I knew Viktor would be at your club that night because she told me of his plan. She told me because she didn’t want her brother to die but she also didn’t want me to die. She wants peace, just like I do. I’m tired of this fucking war. I’m tired of almost getting killed and having to kill and watch men be killed. So, I convinced you not to go that night and Viktor wasn’t able to hurt you.”

“But I wasn’t able to hurt him either!”

“He would have gotten the upper hand by showing up to your club without your knowledge and you know it. He would have killed you by all means.”

“So we can do the same at this wedding. Viktor won’t know we’re coming.”

“Unless Julia says something to him and then the second we arrive, we’re dead.”

Dante shakes his head. “No. Viktor doesn’t know because he’d be raining hellfire onto you if he knew about you and his sister. Which means he doesn’t know about you and his sister. Julia hasn’t told him, has she?”

“No,” I admit. “But she wants peace, Dante. She wants Connor dead, which aligns with what we want. We find Connor, kill him, and this way, Viktor loses another ally.”

“But Viktor continues to live.”

“Maybe we can make peace. Julia and I can go public with our relationship. We can force Viktor to make peace with us. No one else has to die except Connor.”

He scoffs. “You really think Viktor is going to just roll over and make peace when he finds out you’ve been seeing Julia behindhis back? His prized sister? No. The only way you get a chance to be with her is if Viktor is dead.”

“But you won’t trust the sister of your enemy. If you kill Viktor, you’ll be paranoid Julia will be coming for you and try to kill her and I can’t stand for that. I will not stand back and watch her be killed. I will protect her.”

“You would choose the enemy over me?”

“Dante, you married Nadia, who’s the sister-in-law to Erik Koslov, who was once your enemy. You chose everything to be with her. Aiden did the same with Elena. Finn did the same with Aria. Why can’t I do the same with Julia? This could be our chance for peace. We kill Connor, we weaken Viktor, and we offer him a peace deal. Julia and I marry.”

“He’ll never go for it,” Dante says.

“It’s better than a bloodbath. We have to try.”

“No. If we want to weaken Viktor, we attack that church this Saturday and there is nothing you can do to make me change my mind. The only way would be to kill me and do you want to kill me?Canyou kill me?”

“I am not going to kill you,” I mutter. “If I can’t stop you, then I’ll join you, but only to make sure Julia is not hurt in the process. Give me that, at least. You took Nadia by force and married her despite her being the enemy. Allow me the same with Julia.”

Dante wavers until he sighs and nods. “Fine. You’re right. I’d be a hypocrite. But you are going to help me kill Connor and if that means we also have to kill Viktor, then we’re killing Viktor.”

“Fine.” I’ll agree to it because I have no other choice when it comes to Dante. But I know in my gut that I’ll do everything in my power to save Julia and by extension Viktor.

Because if Viktor dies, then I’m not sure Julia will even want to be with me anymore and that thought is fucking heartbreaking.

Even if it means going against my boss and best friend.

Julia

Inessa helps me put on my wedding dress. “You look beautiful. Just perfect.”

Before I can stop myself, I break down into tears, ruining all of Inessa’s hard work on my makeup. Connor is still alive, which means that Matteo wasn’t able to kill him before today. My fate is sealed: Connor will become my husband.

It hurts more that Matteo wasn’t able to save me even though he promised. I’ve never had a man break his promises to me before.

“Julia,” Inessa gasps, dabbing at my face. “Why are you crying?”

“Matteo,” is all I can say.

She sighs. “I know you care for him. And I’m sorry you don’t get the chance to be with the man you really want to be with. You should tell Viktor.”

“On the day of my wedding to another man?”

---