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My dad trembles in his chair, unable to meet the man’s gaze. “Viktor,” he croaks, his voice barely audible. “Please, give me more time. I can get the money, I just need?—”
“Time is a luxury you no longer have,” Viktor interrupts, his tone icy cold, like a frigid wasteland where you’re destined to die from frostbite if you’re not torn apart by a polar bear first.
He shifts his gaze to me, and a shiver runs down my spine. “And who might this be?”
“This is my daughter, Sage,” my dad says, his voice shaking. “Please, she has nothing to do with this.”
Viktor’s eyes narrow as he studies me, a faint, predatory smile pulling the corners of his mouth up. “On the contrary, Mr. Thompson. I think she haseverythingto do with this. You told me you could liquidate your business, collect your assets, andsell your house, but you never mentioned having a daughter. How old is she?”
“Twenty-three,” I respond for my terrified dad. “I’m twenty-three, and I’d like to know what you’ve done to my dad. Are you the one who is taking advantage of him during poker nights?”
Viktor looks at my dad and chuckles. “Is that what you’ve been telling her? Really? Poker nights? That’s cute.”
I look toward my dad, but he refuses to make eye contact with me. He’s hunched over in his chair, trembling like he fears for his life. Has he been lying to me?
Either way, I don’t think it’s fair to come here and terrorize him over gambling debts. Anyone who takes advantage of a broken man like that is as wicked as they come, and doesn’t deserve any of the money they won. Besides, I wouldn’t expect a man like Viktor to play fair. I can see in his eyes that he’s clever and ruthless, hardly the type to let another man win.
“I’ll be taking Sage,” Viktor announces, taking a long step toward me.
I jump back, letting out a gasp. “No, you most certainly won’t.”
“Sage, please,” my dad mutters.
I shoot him a vicious look. “Please what? Go with Viktor? Are you serious?”
My dad still refuses to make eye contact with me. He’s ashamed of himself, but he sees a way out through giving me to the Viktor. How can someone do that to their own flesh and blood? How can he trade me to save himself?
“I will let Sage make the choice,” Viktor says, a smirk dancing across his lips. “Marry me, or I will kill your father.” He pulls a silver revolver from his suit jacket and points it at my dad. His finger is already on the trigger, ready to blow him into the afterlife.
“No!” I scream, my heart racing as I watch the color drain from my dad’s face.
“Sage, please,” my dad begs, his voice shaking. “Just do what he says. Please.”
I feel a wave of betrayal wash over me, mixing with the fear and desperation already sitting deep in my gut. He’s been lying to me, hiding the extent of his troubles, and now he’s ready to sacrifice me to save himself. The realization hits me like a brick wall, but I don’t think I can watch him die for it.
And Viktor could be lying. This could be a trick. I can’t side with a stranger over my dad, especially not one who is threatening to take everything away from us.
Tears blur my vision, but I refuse to let them fall. The room feels like it’s closing in on me, the walls moving closer as Viktor’s gaze burns through me, waiting for my decision.
“I don’t want to die, Sage,” my father whispers, his voice filled with a pathetic, self-serving plea. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise I’ll make this right.”
“You can’t make it right,” Viktor says, his voice deep and reprimanding. “You’ve dug yourself into such a deep hole that someone else has to get you out. You have nothing to show for the twenty-million dollars you owe. Your business is worth only a fraction of the price you must pay, but I’m willing to settle if Sage agrees to my terms.”
I look at Viktor, his expression calm, the revolver steady in his hand. He’s watching me with a mixture of amusement and something else, something darker and more intense. There’s a cruel satisfaction in his eyes, knowing that he’s already won. His hand was aces before the cards were even dealt.
My mind races, searching for a way out, but there’s nothing I can do. If I refuse, Viktor will pull the trigger and kill my dad in front of me.
And despite the pain I feel from his betrayal, I can’t let that happen. My moral obligation is to save him, no matter how undeserving he is, and it overrides my own fear and resentment.
Would mom have wanted me to make this choice? I’ll never know.
I suck in a deep breath, pulling my shoulders back and meeting Viktor’s cold eyes with my own. “Fine,” I say, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. “I’ll marry you. Just don’t hurt him.”
Viktor’s smile widens, his teeth shining like expensive pearls in the low light. He lowers his revolver, tucking it back into his jacket and patting the spot where it’s hidden. “You’ve made the right choice, Sage. I’d rather not take your father’s life, no matter how much a fool he is. What would I gain?”
My stomach sinks so low that it feels like it’s going to fall through me onto the floor. My mouth is so dry that when I open it to speak, I can’t get the words out.
Not that I would know what to say, anyway. I’m stunned by the sharp turn my evening has taken. One minute, I’m in my bedroom, scrolling through posts online, and the next, I’m beingstolen from my family by a towering beast with a Russian accent and not a hint of empathy in his frigid stare.
