Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
“Put these on. It’s fucking freezing here. Worse than Suicide Rock,” he says, holding the jeans out to me.
I take the jeans. “There are soldiers downstairs.” I don’t tell him how many.
“Like I said, out cold. Let’s go. Sun’s coming up.”
“Where?”
“A walk. On the beach. We’ll get some fresh air. Watch the new day begin. It’s good for the baby,” he adds.
“We should call Santos,” I start, licking my lips, my throat dry.
“Sure,” he says, producing his phone. “Except no cell service. What kind of town has no cell service?”
I’m about to suggest going to the rectory, but then I think about Father Michael. I’d be putting him in danger if we did that. If Caius even took me there to make the call, that is. I can’t risk his life because Caius is here to do damage. Tonight he’ll prove just how dangerous he is.
“Give me a minute. I’ll get changed and be right out,” I tell him.
He smiles, sits on the bed. “Just slip them on here.”
“It’ll just—”
“I said do it here.”
I pull on the jeans. Once they’re on, he stands and takes my hand. When I try to slip free, he tightens his grip.
“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
We walk down the stairs where the lights are on. I gasp when I see what’s in the living room. The thud I heard, I realize, wasn’t someone walking into furniture. It was a body. Val’s.
“Oh my God.”
He’s leaning against the wall like he’s sitting there except that his head has flopped forward. In his stomach is a hole through which he bled out. His hands are cupped around a knife on his lap. He must have pulled it out. Not that it mattered much.
“Fucking goon.” Caius shakes his head.
And the other man, the one on the couch. He hasn’t moved. Well, that’s not true. He’s been moved and I see now the stain of the dark red that has spread like a circle on the floral print couch.
“What did you do?” I cover my mouth.
“Don’t get sick on me now, Mama. Besides, it’s nothing compared to what my brother has done, and you’ve happily crawled into his bed. Come, Madelena.” Caius tugs me toward him. “Put on your boots.”
“Caius. Oh God…”
He pushes me down onto the bench and hands me a boot. I take it, and he gestures for me to put it on. I do. He hands me the other one. I notice the gun tucked into the back of his pants, seeing the handle of it around his side. I shift my gaze to the two dead soldiers, then up to his to find him watching me. He didn’t need a gun to do what he did to those two, trained, armed men. He certainly doesn’t need one to do the same to me.
“Caius? What’s happening?”
He looks at the coats hanging there and grabs mine. I notice he’s not wearing one. He’s in a button-down shirt and slacks. The shirt is black, and now I see the dark stains on it. Blood of the men he killed.
“What’s happening?” He hauls me to my feet and puts the coat on me. I slip my arms in and he zips me up, standing so close I have to crane my neck to look up at him. He’s as big as Santos, as powerfully built. Not to mention the gun. Not to mention his determination.
“What do you want, Caius?” I ask, wondering where the third soldier is. If he’s seeing this—if he’s watching us and biding his time.
“What do I want? This has nothing to do with what I want, just to be clear. It’s what needs to be. I don’t want to hurt you. I won’t enjoy it. I really won’t.”
“You don’t have to hurt me.”
“That’s the thing, I do. It’s either you or Santos—”
He’s interrupted then by a car pulling up outside, doors opening and closing.
I open my mouth to scream but he has his gun in his hand and it’s pointing to my belly before I can even take a full breath in.
“I’ll kill you right here. I’ll kill your fucking baby right here. Right fucking now!”
I put my hands over my stomach and shake my head.
“Be fucking quiet, you hear me? I have nothing to lose.”
I nod violently as a flashlight shines against the window. The drapes are drawn though, so there’s not much they can see. A knock comes on the door, and Caius looks from me to it then back.
“Ask who it is,” he tells me, and before they knock a second time, he cocks the pistol he’s holding to my stomach.
“Who is it?” I ask as calmly as I can.
“Police, ma’am. We were called about a disturbance.”
I look at Caius who only has to narrow his eyes for me to respond to the officers. “No. It’s fine. Just… It’s fine.”