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I sob and he laughs like a demon beside me. “Because I always get what I want, and I want it all. When facing death, people make interesting choices and I’m relying on your compassion to agree to my demands.”
He grips my face hard and forces me to look at Clarice, screaming and sobbing as she is secured to the altar and he hisses, “Watch. This is the good part.”
The hooded figures raise their candles and move around the altar. They begin a weird humming as they circle the screaming woman, dripping candle wax onto her naked skin, her screams echoing all around us.
“First, they torture her.” Mario says with glee. “Burn her skin and brand her with a hot poker. Have you ever inhaled the aroma of burning flesh, my beauty? It’s exhilarating.”
As if to prove his point, I stare in horror as one of the figures produces a burning hot poker and presses it hard against her left breast.
“Please, stop.” I sob as Clarice’s agonized scream pleads for mercy and Mario says roughly, “So you agree to my demands. Marry me and become my wife, ‘til death us do part.”
I watch a hooded figure step forward and thrust inside her, pumping furiously as he takes her against her will and I shout, “Enough, please let her go. I’ll do it.”
Mario’s low laugh fills me with dread as he says in a loud voice, “Cease the ceremony.”
The figures fall back and then turn to face us, still in a circle but facing outward instead. I note they are wearing the same mask and shiver inside. Who are they?
Clarice is sobbing and my voice breaks as I say, “Please release her. Let her leave and I’ll marry you.”
Mario raises his hand, and two hooded figures turn and release my friend and drag her away.
“How do I know you’ll let her go? I won’t marry you until I know she’s safe.”
Mario shakes his head, almost with disappointment, and growls, “You speak as if you have a choice, darling. You don’t.”
He steps forward and lowers my hood and delivers a fresh blow across my face, hissing, “I will beat you into submission every time you speak out of turn.”
He stares at me through crazed eyes and almost screams, “Everybody leave. Return in one hour’s time for the marriage ceremony.”
As they file silently away. it chills me to the bone to be left alone with this maniac and when he produces a bullwhip from inside his robe, my knees almost give out on me at the sadistic glint in his eye.
“But first we’ll have some fun. This is your chance to escape. You have a head start of fifteen minutes. There is one way out of the tunnels and the rest lead to eternal damnation. When I find you, I torture you, and when I’ve whipped you to the point of oblivion, you will give your soul to me for eternity.”
He steps back and pulls a lever on the wall, and I stare in astonishment as a trap door opens and I note stone steps leading down to a cold looking pit.
“Off you go, darling. I’ll see you soon.”
He pushes me roughly and I fall into the pit and as the trap door slams above my head, I know I’m in the biggest trouble of my life.
CHAPTER27
MATTEO
We reach the house, and I can tell why Mario chose it. It’s in the middle of nowhere and anyone could watch our approach for miles.
Once again, I sense it’s a trap and yet this time Diana isn’t going to get away with using me.
I keep her close and say darkly, “What’s your plan to get us inside?”
She laughs softly. “Wait and see.”
“I don’t trust you.” I state the obvious and she turns and holds her palm flat against my face and appears hurt.
“I suppose I deserve your mistrust, Matty, but this time I’m telling the truth. I want you to get Abigail away from Mario and I will do whatever it takes.”
The penny drops as I learn the real reason behind her request because Mario is the only person who matters in Diana’s life, even more than her own. It’s obvious she hates the idea of him marrying another woman and now I know what we’re dealing with, I can mentally prepare for that.
We will be safe all the time Mario has Abi, but then the gloves are off. It’s apparent Abi’s life is in danger and it’s not from the man holding her against her will. It’s Diana. I’m guessing she will take her moment to strike, and a stray bullet, or a quick slice of the knife, will be all it takes to rid her of her nemesis.
