Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can demand his life to save mine as some ransom. It won’t work,” I say.
I’m sure he must have figured that out already, I just feel I owe it to him to point it out. “He won’t come for me. Not only does he not love me like that, but I’m just a way of him making sure his legacy continues. I’m supposed to marry Dmitri and he’ll be leader. I’ll just be a breeding machine. That’s all I am. Don’t expect my father to come if you tell him you have me.”
Tristan walks around to me. He brushes his fingers over my jaw before he crouches down and takes both my hands into his.
“Your father loves you Isabella,” he states shocking me to the core.
My brows snap together. “No, he doesn’t love me. How can you hurt someone you love in all the ways he’s hurt me?”
“Believe me when I say you are the only thing that man loves in this world.” His gaze clings to mine. “All this time he’s kept you away from the underworld. Nobody knows about you. Nobody would and we only found out by chance. You wouldn’t believe the type of shit we had to go through to find you and it was no mere task to take you. A man would only place that type of protection on someone he loves.
“Telling him we have you is not ransom, it’s war. It’s a declaration that we’re ready to fight and we won’t give back the most precious thing to him until he gives himself up. That is what telling him does. We don’t know what that kind of fight it will bring and that’s why we hoped you knew where we could find him. Knowing where he is would place us one step ahead of the game. Especially when he thinks you escaped.”
All I can do is stare at him. Everything he said makes sense I just believed my father hated me for such a long time that it’s difficult to believe or accept anything else.
“I feel awful that I’m his daughter. I truly do. I just want to be free.”
“I… can’t set you free yet. Not yet. Having you is leverage we need, even if he doesn’t come to us on our terms. Having you gives us a window of chance. He’ll definitely want you back.”
“I don’t want to go back. I never want to see him again. I just want out of this dark world of death where he rules me with an iron fist. This isn’t me. I’m the wild child. The free spirit who wants to live. It’s not right to cage something wild.”
Something flashes in his eyes when I say that. It’s that pain again, but I can tell I’ve struck something inside him.
“I know. I promise I will set you free when the time comes. I promise to make sure you’re free to live the life you want. I just can’t do it now.”
I look away. Hearing that I still have to remain the captive wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear. But what did I expect?
I’m still needed for a plan. He still needs me to get to my father.
I’m still collateral damage.
And what are we?
“What about us? I know you’re not supposed to be with me.” Better if I say it than him.
He dips his head, a sign that he doesn’t know what to do in that respect either.
When he looks back up to me it’s with sad eyes.
“I should tell you that last night was the end. Last night I should have said the same, but something stops me every time.” He stands up and stares down at me.
I gaze at him waiting to hear the rest of what he has to say, but he doesn’t continue.
“Is that it?” I prod.
“No, but I think it’s the best thing I can tell you right now.” He pulls in a ragged breath. “Isabella what I need you to do is think about anything you can that will help me find your father. That’s what I need right now. If you meant what you said about wanting to tell us where he is then that’s what I need from you. But know this… the minute you tell me anything at all it means betrayal and he’ll know it could only come from you.”
With that he leaves.
I watch him go and allow his words of caution to sink in.