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His eyes are bulging. With any luck, he’ll have nightmares about his mother for a week. My work here is done.
“You’re a big talker,” he taunts. “But the day’s coming when you won’t be able to live with yourself. The world’s changing, and outside of the region, no one gives two shits about you.”
With one long stride, I’m in his face. “If youeverlay a finger on my mother, or anyone else I care about, I’ll kill you. But it won’t be quick. I’ll keep you suffering for alongtime. You’re good with hurting helpless women? We’ll see how big of a man you are when I dip you in acid, inch by inch, and strangle you with your small intestines when I get bored of your screams.”
I don’t even glance at my uncle before I walk out.
38
Daniela
When I get back to my room after dinner, there’s a cell phone on the nightstand. I should be thrilled, but as I approach it, my imagination starts to run wild.
Is this some kind of trick? A test of some sort? Victor didn’t mention he left a phone for me. Neither did Paula. Antonio hasn’t been here since yesterday morning—I haven’t seen him, anyway.
Nothing happens here without Antonio’s knowing. Certainly no one would give me a phone without his blessing.
I glance at the phone, but I don’t touch it. Not right away. Not before forcing myself into the bathroom to get ready for bed.
When the water is warm, I rub some cleansing gel into my face until it’s squeaky clean, and then I pat on some moisturizer. Yesterday and today were only marginally useful in understanding the comings and goings in that outside area, right below the window.
When we took a walk this morning, I managed to steer Paula out a side door that leads to the small area. No one was there at the time, and the information I gleaned was only a bit helpful, not like the treasure trove I got from searching the internet on Rafael’s phone while he was using the gym.That was a useful hour.
It seems that cargo freighters run from the port of Porto all the time. Not a big surprise. Many of those freighters carry passengers for a fee that’s far less than the cost of a plane ticket. If I’m lucky, I’ll find one that doesn’t require me to show a passport. Ships with lax rules are usually more expensive, and many of them involve characters and accommodations that are less savory than those that play by the rules.
It is what it is.The accommodations here are lovely, but the character with the big cock is pretty unsavory too. At least some of his behavior leans that way.
The first thing I need to do when I get out of here is to get a burner phone to contact Isabel, and then I need to sell my mother’s locket. It makes me sick to part with it, but there’s no choice.I need money to travel.
What’s less clear is how to get out of this fortress. Carlos’s or John’s truck seems like the best way out. But nothing is simple.
Carlos uses a soft cover to protect his truck bed. If I get locked inside, I can cut my way through the tarp to get out. The downside of sneaking into his truck is that he lives only a few miles away. I’ll still need to get to the city to get to the docks.How will I do that?
If I can manage to get into John’s truck on a Friday, I can get to the city. But his truck bed has a retractable cover, and I don’t know if I can cut my way out if I get locked inside. By law, those kinds of covers can be sold in the EU only if they have safety latches inside, like trunks. But not everyone follows the law. It’s a tough situation.
I learned more about truck beds and their covers from my internet search than I wanted to. However—
Oh my God.
That’s what the phone on the nightstand is about. I deleted the search history, but Antonio knows I used Rafael’s phone. He’s taunting me.
While I’m brushing my teeth, the phone rings.
Just ignore it.
But it’s difficult to ignore. Every shrill ring is a stark reminder of Antonio’s rage—and of the penalty he’ll exact for breaking his rules.
When I’m at wit’s end, the ringing stops.
Thank God.
I breathe a giant sigh of relief. It’s not as though I’m completely off the hook, but maybe for tonight I’ll get a reprieve.
After I change into a nightgown and crawl between the sheets with a book, the ringing starts again.
My pulse races as I stare at the phone. I can’t avoid him forever.
39
