Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
“Insane?” I add.
“I think Church more than most.” I close my eyes. You would have to be on a different level of crazy to be able to torture people. “Hey.” Riley nudges me, making me open my eyes back up. “My man is a little insane himself. There is a reason he and Church are closer than some of the others.”
“Where is your man?” I ask, exiting the closet. Riley follows behind me.
"He and Church are dealing with something." I stop, spinning around to face her.
“Something? As in my father?”
“Maybe?” She cringes, not wanting to admit that to me.
“Did they leave?”
“I don’t think they would leave us alone.” That means they are still here. That would also have to mean that my father is also here. I head for the door. I expect it to be locked, but it opens. He must have left it unlocked so that Riley could come up. "Angel." Riley chases after me as I descend the stairs. The warehouse door stands open as well. Nikolai's car is parked in front of it next to Abel's, but I don't see them anywhere.
"Where are they?"
"We most likely don't want to know." She grabs my hand, wanting to lead me back up the stairs, but I shake her hold off and start to look around. I stop when I find a set of underground concrete stairs. It's like someone dug up the earth just to make this basement. At the bottom, there is a metal door. "Angel, don't."
Maybe I should listen to her, but instead I go down them. When I try to open the door, it doesn't budge. I press my ear to it, but you can’t hear anything.
"They're in there, aren't they?"
"Probably." Riley stands behind me. We both let out a small scream and jump when we hear the loud click of a lock before the thick metal door starts to open.
"Shit," Nikolai mutters when he sees me, but I look past him, my eyes landing on Abel, who is standing over my father with a pair of pliers in his hand.
17
CHURCH
“Angel.” I drop the pliers. She stares at me. Her face is unreadable. Something I’m not used to. Her face usually shows all of her emotions, but right now there is nothing. Fear grips me. It’s a feeling I’m not used to.
“Angel,” Her father croaks out. I'm sure he's shocked to see his daughter standing there. I want to cut his eyes out so that he can never stare at her again. “Help me.” His voice cracks.
Angel takes a step back, running into Riley, whose face is scrunched in disgust. This isn’t something either of them needs to see.
“Come on.” Riley tries to pull at Angel to get her attention. I watch as tears fill my Angel’s eyes. Ones that I know I have caused. She finally lets Riley pull her up the stairs.
I fucking forgot to lock the upstairs doors after Riley had entered. I never forget anything. I follow after them. There is no way I will let her run from me. I know I should. She needs her space, but I can’t stop myself. Nikolai doesn't dare try to get in my way, either. He knows better.
I know the bay door is open. I’d left it that way because Matteo had said he was headed this way. He didn’t give me any details of why, but he wouldn’t pop in for no reason. Whatever he needs is important for him to pay a personal visit. Usually, he would just send Sergio if it were business as usual.
“Angel,” I call after her. She stops walking and turns to face me.
“I’m not running.” She whispers it out. “I know better.”
Fuck me. I stop walking.
She knows better? Those words rip at my insides. A torture of my own making.
“Are you going to kill him?”
“I mean, he doesn’t have to kill him if that bothers you, but he’s a dead man,” Nikolai answers.
“Shut the fuck up,” I bark at him.
“Abel?” Angel asks again, wanting me to answer.
“If you don’t want me to, I won't.” Her eyes widen.
“Don’t ask me that!” She shifts on her feet. I want to go to her, but I keep my feet planted. Her words of knowing better hold me in place. To my surprise, it’s Angel that moves toward me. She places her hands on my chest, staring up at me. “How long has he been down here? The whole time I’ve been here?”
"Yes." I won't lie to her. I have already hidden so much.
“Why are you doing that to him?”
“You know he’s not a good man.”
"Are you a good man, Abel?"
"The only man I care about being is yours." That's the truth. The rest doesn't matter. Good or bad is determined by people. It's merely an opinion. Nothing more. What I deem as bad, another may not.