Page 28 of The Diávolos: Part Two
Angelica looks away, a defeated exhale escaping her lips. “Gianis is right, Evan. Even though we’re not together anymore, if mybababrings you down, I'll inevitably go down with you.”
The air suddenly thickens. As much as I yearn to have her, my angel is no longer mine or within my grasp. Her words only serve as a painful reminder of what I let slip through my fingers.
“Don’t you see, Evander? If your life is ruined, how will you take care of her? When you’ve lost your men, territory, and power, how will you ensure her safety?” Gianis challenges.
“I don’t need you to be a fucking knight in shining armor, Petrakis,” I snap. He’s starting to test my patience.
Angelica balls both fists at her sides. “I don’t need either of you taking care of me! I’ve been working so hard to be independent and strong for the past year. I don’t need your protection!” she spits, her nostrils flaring. “Either way, my father won’t keep doing any of that now that I’ve spoken to him.”
“Now that you’vewhat?” I ask, my brows arched high.
Angelica bites her bottom lip in an attempt to channel her nervousness. “Yeah. Well, euh…I called him the other day.”
“For what reason? I thought your goal was to stay as far away as possible from him. Isn’t that the reason you left Cebrene?”
“You’rethe reason I left Cebrene,” she snaps.
A heavy weight settles in the pit of my stomach, as if an invisible hand has reached in and squeezed tight, and I’m left exposed and raw. I know she’s upset for the way I treated her, for betraying her trust, but I didn’t expect to be themainreason she left.
Gianis sits awkwardly in the corner, not offering any consolation. I don’t blame him. He might as well be a fly on the wall.
As I process her words, I walk to the table of knives and glide my fingers along the blades.
It’s as if the room has suddenly grown colder, the air in my lungs replaced by an icy void.
“Evan…I—” Angelica stutters.
“No. It’s all good,” I interrupt, not wanting her to apologize because of guilt.
Angelica winces and her shoulders slump.
“Why did you contact your father after all this time?” I ask again, cutting to the chase.
Angelica watches me for a moment before answering. “Gianis suggested I change my approach when it came to looking for info pertaining to my mother. I wasn’t having a lot of success, so I figured the best way to do so was to get back into my father’s good graces.”
“Hmm. What a smart man you are, Gianis. Sending your little bird right into the hunter’s nest,” I mock.
“Shut the fuck up, Evander. You know the last thing I want is Peter interfering in Angelica’s life again, but it’s the only logical way.”
“You seriously believe that Peter won’t wonder why Angelica is contacting him out of the blue?” I deadpan. “He knows something is up now that she’s reappeared after a year.”
“He might question her intentions, but he wouldn’t shun his daughter for reaching out to him. All he’s wanted is for Angelica to be involved in the family business. He’ll take her under his wing and she’ll be able to get her answers.”
“Don’t you think it’s strange that he’s left her alone this whole time? When she ran away over five years ago, he constantly checked in with her grandparents and sent her money. This time, he’s all but cut her off.” I wish Angelica would’ve run this plan by me first, but I’m not her go-to person anymore.
A shadow of bitterness flashes across Angelica’s face. “Has my father asked you about me since I’ve been gone?” she asks Gianis.
“No,” he replies, eyeing her with concern.
“Something’s not right,” I reiterate.
“The last time I spoke to him, he had me contact his lawyer,” Gianis says. “But he wouldn’t tell me what for.”
Angelica furrows her brows, a puzzled and troubled expression on her face. “I should’ve known my father wasplanning something. It’s unlike him to go radio silent, but I just assumed he’d finally let me go.” She takes a deep breath, as if to ease the weight of the truth creeping in.
“In theory, getting closer to him isn’t a bad idea, but it’s a little too late to make amends. Peter always has a plan, Angelica. There’s only one way to solve this,” I say slowly.
“What?” Angelica asks.
