Page 79 of The Diávolos: Part Two
The second step in our plan is complete. We now have all the information to kill Peter and his associates, while guaranteeing the support of the other families. In the meantime, my men will scour the streets of Cebrene and find every single one of Peter’s cockroaches and stomp on them until they’re nothing but piles of goo.
It’s time to evacuate before we’re caught. If the nun notices that Angelica is missing, she’ll surely send guards to find her.
“Follow me,” I tell Angelica as I lead her through the labyrinth passages beneath the Sisterhood. We’re in a race against time to escape undetected.
A sudden creaking noise freezes us in our tracks. I bring my finger to my lips to warn everyone to stay silent. It sounded like a distant echo, but it could be the footsteps of approaching guards.
Panic flickers in Angelica’s eyes.
I press her against the damp wall and extinguish my flashlight. The men follow suit.
As we stand there in the darkness, the rhythmic sound of boots grows louder. My breath catches in my throat, and I can feel the tension rising in the group. Those are definitely guards.
Their voices are hushed, but audible, and as they get closer, I hear one say, “Coast is clear in the East tunnel. How’s it looking in the West?”
A staticky message comes through his receiver. “All clear.”
I exchange a nervous glance with Angelica, her wide eyes reflecting my fear. Her hands reach for mine, interlacing our fingers. “I’ll never let anything happen to you, my angel,” I whisper into her ear.
She nods and squeezes my hand.
Time slows to a crawl as the guard’s heads snap in our direction just as they pass our hiding spot. My heartbeat races, and I slowly bring my hand to my gun. But then, the men continue their patrol without a second glance.Fuck, that was close.
Angelica releases a breath.
With the guards out of earshot, we resume our journey through the winding tunnels, the close call fueling our determination to escape, and we find our way out of the Sisterhood unscathed.
Once we’re safely in our cars, we quickly drive off the property. The car that Angelica used is still in the ground’s parking lot, but it’s unmarked, so there’s no risk of anyone linking it to us. Either way, this place isn’t going to exist soon.
Angelica reaches into her shirt and pulls out several pieces of paper from her bra.
“What are those?” I ask.
“Photos of me that I found in some albums. I also have some of my mother. I’m hoping they’ll help me with my missing memories,” she says, her tone filled with melancholy.
“I hope so too.”
When we get back to Saintville, I lead Angelica to our bedroom and seat her on our bed, gently stripping her out of her clothes. She’s in a complete daze but allows me to undress her.
“I saw a class filled with young girls, Evan. I can’t get the image out of my head,” she says, her voice faint. “I used to be one of them. They have no idea what they’re in for.” Her entire body is now trembling from the weight of this realization.
My fingers graze her soft skin as I pull off her pants and lift her shirt.
“They won’t be there for much longer. We’ll get them out,” I assure her.
“My father took me there. Even though he had no intention of selling me to a perverted old man, he still allowed me to be mistreated. How could he?”
Sitting in a bra and underwear, Angelica doesn’t even bother asking me why I’m disrobing her.
She stares down at her bare legs, but I raise her chin to meet my gaze. I can see conflicting emotions of anger and sadness in hers, the haunting memories threatening to consume her. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to take her there.Fuck.
“I’m sorry I took you back to that awful place, Angelica. I shouldn’t have exposed you to it so soon,” I say with regret. My heart squeezes in my chest at the frail look of her body on the bed.
“No. I needed to help. I wanted to see it for myself. I’d do anything to remember, Evan.” Desperation laces her tone.
Taking the photos she ripped out of the albums, she points herself out in one of them. In the picture, Angelica is wearing a blue dress. She hasn’t changed one bit.
“Look at my eyes, Evan. They’re tormented, empty. I lookdead.”
