Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 142939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
“Stop calling him my ex.” I turn the kitten over to hold her like a baby cradled in my arm. “Why did he take me?” Besides being shocked that Fernando is the Butcher, it's the one other thought that keeps racing through my mind.
“I don’t know. He's crazy. He’s the Butcher.”
“He’s not crazy.”
Angelica cocks her head to the side, looking at me as though I’m off my rocker too for defending him. “You’re really defensive of him.”
“It’s just hard.” I huff out a breath. “I cannot make my mind understand how my Fernando is the Butcher.”
“Your Fernando?”
“You know what I mean!”
“Nah, I don’t think I know what you mean.” She shakes her head. “I don’t want to freak you out, but I can only think of one reason he’d kidnap you. In fact”—she scrunches her nose—“when I was talking to you on the computer, he saw you. A second later, he was storming off. Now that I’m running through the timeline of events, I realize that he went straight for you.” Her words both surprise and confuse me more.
I’m still no closer to understanding why he kidnapped me. “How does someone so boldly walk into our father’s house and just take me?” That’s another thing I can’t wrap my mind around.
“Because he’s the Butcher, and he’s crazy. No one dares to mess with him because they know the consequences.”
“Stop calling him that!” I snap, making the kitten meow. Angelica’s eyes widen. I can't say I blame her. I’m not one prone to outbursts–of anger at least. Tears, sure. I put the kitten back down. It runs over to its mom and starts nursing.
“What else do you call him? I don’t know how he’s not dead. He waltzed in there and right out.”
“But why? You said there is only one reason you could think of.”
“He wants you.”
“No.” I shake my head. He did say he wouldn’t let anyone separate us. That things would go very bad if anyone tried, and I do believe he means anyone. “I suggested he marry me, and he didn’t jump at the idea. And it was me that asked him to kiss me. So your theory doesn’t make sense.”
“Let me get this straight. You asked a man that once microwaved someone’s eyeballs to marry you. Do I have that right?”
“Gross.” I gag. “Fernando would do no such thing.”
“Maybe not Fernando, but the Butcher would. Are you really not scared of him?”
“No,” I answer truthfully. “If anything, I’m scared for everyone else.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t leave.”
“Yes, you can. We’ll leave right now.” My sister gets to her feet.
I debate telling her what Fernando said, but I don’t want to make things escalate, and they surely will if I fill her in.
“It might be best if they stay here for now, Angel.” My sister glares over at her husband, who is standing by the door. I didn’t hear him come in. I don’t see Fernando.
Did he have a change of heart and leave? Oh, gosh, what if Antonio hurt or killed him? As soon as that thought enters my head, it leaves. I don’t think the Butcher would be so easily killed.
“Why would she stay here?” Angelica loops her arm into mine.
“No one knows about this place but the people here and Gilly.”
“So we’re staying here with her?”
Antonio shakes his head.
“No way, Antonio. You want to leave her with the Butcher?”
“He’s not going to hurt her. Clearly.”
Angelica looks at me. “What do you want?”
“To stay with Fernando.” Not only for my own safety, but I think maybe for theirs too.
Fernando might not hurt me, but now knowing he’s the Butcher, I have no idea what he might do if they did try to take me from here. I don’t know if I could reason with him. Ten minutes ago, I would have said yes. Now I’m not so sure I know him at all. It’s all so confusing.
Fernando steps into the house. My heart gives a flutter seeing him. He doesn’t meet my gaze. When I glance over at my sister, I see how she looks at him, and that hits me hard. Is that how everyone looks at him? Is he afraid now I will do the same?
“Bianca, maybe–”
“I’m staying.” I cut her off before she can finish, being assertive for once in my life. I might be hurt and mad at Fernando, but I think he is hurting too, and that only makes me hurt even more.
11
BUTCHER
Antonio and Angelica pull down the driveway, leaving Bianca and me alone in the house. She hurries back to our bedroom where the kittens are and plops onto the floor beside them.
I follow. There’s nothing else I can do. I get the feeling I’ll always follow her wherever she goes, even if she doesn’t want me to.
She strokes the mother cat on the top of her head as the kittens snuggle in a little pile of whiskers, feet, and fur.