Page 23 of The Diávolos: Part Two
“What?” he asks innocently. “You don’t seem to want to sit anymore, and I’mexhaustedby all this drama.” He pulls out a cigarette and lights it.
Hendrick walks over to him and knocks it out of his fingers. “What did I tell you about smoking here?”
“Hermano, it’s one measly cigarette. We’re in a big cave. Who cares?”
“I care,mamahuevo. I don’t even know how you can smoke that shit.”
Hendrick mutters something indecipherable and Sebastian bows his head.
“Don’t bringMamainto this,” he says in a murmur.
“Then don’t bring cigarettes here,” Hendrick answers, finality in his tone.
I watch the brothers squabble for a few moments before my gaze looks for Evan, and I find him leaning against a wall. “Now that you two idiots have finished bickering, can we get back to what’s most important?”
“Like why I’m here and why you kidnapped Gianis?” I ask, aggravated by his audacity.
“You’re getting feistier by the day, my angel. Your belovedbest friendwas caught coming off one of my ships. Turns out he’s been intercepting our shipments. Probably for your dear father. Gianis willingly let us bring him all the way to Antium from Cebrene, so I didnotkidnap him.” I narrow my eyes as he continues. “He won’t give up any information, so I figured a littlepersuasionwould do the trick.”
The smirk that appears on Evan’s face gives me goosebumps. What the hell is he planning?
“What do I have to do with this?”
“Oh,moró mou. You haveeverythingto do with this. If Gianis won’t tell me anything, I’ll force his hand by using the only weakness he has.” His lips curl up as he stares at me.
My eyes grow wide, my heart threatening to come out of my mouth.You’ve got to be kidding me.
Heat rises from the core of my being. My jaw clenches in a futile attempt to contain the waves of anger surging through me.
“Please, don’t collapse again,” Seba says from behind me. “Although, I wouldn’t mind if you fell on my lap.” He laughs, but I’m in no mood for his antics.
“Shut up, Sebastian,” I spit.
He raises his hand in defeat, a sly grin plastered on his face.
Evan wants touseme to extract information. Is he going to hurt me in front of Gianis to get him to spill?
As if reading my mind, Evander speaks up. “Don’t worry, baby. I won’t hurt you. The only person who will feel pain is Gianis.”
“Don’t touch him,” I blurt out, and that earns me a scowl from the devil himself.
He walks over to me, and I debate making a run for it, but there’s no way I can get out of this cave on my own. History says he’ll find me, anyway. He always does.
As theDiávolosgets closer, I start to feel the surge of energy that always hits me when he’s around. The untamable, uncontrollable static charge when in his presence. Immediately, I’m under his spell, and I can’t stop it.
I clench my fists, but can’t deny the spark that lingers beneath the surface. My rapid breaths and glare only echo the unspoken desire buried beneath layers of resentment.
Stopping a mere few inches away from my face, Evan lowers his head and brings his lips to mine, but doesn’t fully touch them. “Angelica.” The heat from his breath tickles my mouth, and I inhale sharply. “I don’t like being told what to do. Gianis will remain unharmed as long as he gives me some answers and you cooperate. Understood?”
I have no idea what I’m signing up for, but I need to keep Gianis safe. “Understood.”
“Good girl. Now, follow me downstairs.”
The brothers stay behind as Evan and I walk toward a door I hadn’t seen at the side of the cave. We stop in front of an elevator and he lifts his thumb to the keypad. “Get in,moró.”
I step in and huddle in the corner, nervous about what’s to come.
When we arrive at the bottom, I walk out behind Evander, down a hall, and through a large sliding door that is also activated by his thumb print.
