Page 92 of The Diávolos: Part One
“I wish I never met you,” she spits.
I bring one of my hands to my chest, feigning offense as I clutch my shirt to my heart.
“Ouch. You hurt me, sweetheart,” I tease. It only makes her angrier. I don’t know why I’m being a dick right now, but it seems to be my go-to coping mechanism. Hurt whoever hurts you.
Angelica attempts to shove me away, but I’m an immovable brick wall in front of her. She snarls, frustrated that she can’t escape the cage I’ve created around her.
“You know what, you’re right. I don’t hate you. I hate myself for loving you,” she admits. That hits me somewhere in the chest. I almost believe her. I somehow convinced her to fall in love with me, but keeping the truth hidden was not in my favor.
“Angeloúdi mou,” I say, softly, as I caress her cheek. “I’ve failed you, and I’m deeply sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I made a mistake by keeping everything from you,” I continue as I kneel in front of her and intertwine our fingers together. “I’m not perfect, but you make me want to be a better man. Let me be better for you. Give me the chance to prove I am worthy.”
Angelica closes her eyes, and when she reopens them, tears fall down her face. I kiss the side of her cheek and catch a droplet, tasting the saltiness of the liquid. I use my thumb to wipe the wetness away.
“Ísai i psichí mou,” I tell her.You are my soul.
She sniffles and her eyes soften a bit, and her body seems to relax.
“I need you, Angelica.”
She surprises me and grabs my face, bringing our lips together in a tender kiss. I press my mouth harder onto hers to savor her. I’ve missed her so much it hurts. She lets go just as suddenly and pulls away. Her breathing is fast.
“Evan,se agapó.”I love you.
My heartbeat jolts. I smile. “And I love you, angel. Come home. Marry me and live with me, away from your father. I’ll protect you.”
Angelica shakes her head, and my heart sinks a little. “I love you, but I can’t trust you, Evan. I need time. I need to be away from allthat. From Cebrene, mybaba, Gianis, the mob, and from you. I left without saying goodbye because I’m a coward and knew that if I spoke to you first, I would stay. I can’t be around you if I want to heal. I need to do this on my own. Please understand,” she pleads.
I narrow my eyes and look deep into hers to see any signs of bluffing. I don’t. She’s being truthful, and the least I can do is give her space, but I don’t want to.
“I know this will be hard to do,” she acknowledges. “But in order for me to forgive you, I need this.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Angelica. I’ll give you time, but I’m going to stay in the city until you decide to come home with me.”
Angelica’s head tilts to the side and lines form between her eyebrows. “You’re staying in Antium City?” she asks.
“Yes. Dion and Xander will manage things for me while I’m gone. As long as it takes,” I confirm.
She opens her mouth several times before forming the words. “What if I stay here for months? Where are you going to live?” she asks, her voice full of confusion.
“Don’t worry about me, angel. I often do business with my counterparts in Anzio, so I have an apartment here. Like I said, I’m willing to wait. Take all the time you need, but I’ll be right here.”
She nods. I feel like I just cut out my heart and handed it to her on a silver platter. I know she’ll come back to me; she has to. But I’m worried she’ll start to believe we’re no good together. We are. She is the perfect potion created to heal my soul. I cup her face, give her a gentle kiss on the lips, and she doesn’t push me away. What I’m about to tell her next will change the course of her life. All my hard work investigating my uncle’s murder and her father’s plans has all come down to this.
“Before I go, there’s one more thing you need to know,” I say.
“Everyone is like a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.” – Mark Twain
Aheaviness settles in my chest at the thought of finding out another truth. I have no idea what it could be, but I’m not ready for it. I glance around the room, refusing to make eye contact with Evan, and I wrap my arms around myself. “What is it?” I ask him, nervously.
“Do you know what ‘The Sisterhood’ is?”
I’ve never heard of ‘The Sisterhood,’ but my body tenses at the mention of it. The name triggers a response in me that I don’t understand, and I freeze. I think back to conversations I’ve overheard from my father, but I don’t remember that name. It sounds somewhat familiar, but I can’t put my finger on why.
I shake my head. “No. What is it?” I ask with a sigh.
Evan sits next to me. He rests his elbows on his knees and joins his hands together, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before he continues.
“In my search to find out why your father murdered Ignatius, I went over some interesting documents found in my uncle’s office and laptop mentioning an organization called ‘The Sisterhood,’” he explains. “With the help of my men and team of hackers, I looked into the name on the dark web. We found details of an establishment, where they hold young girls and reform them into child brides and sexual slaves for the rich. The sisters are responsible for overseeing the children’s education and subject the insubordinate girls to harsh, physical punishment.”
