Page 10 of UnWholly Angels (Crestview Cardinals #1)

“Your days are numbered…he can’t save you any more than you can save yourself,” Rocco snapped.

Stopping just short of the doorway, he turned back to me with a Cheshire grin.

“If you ever threaten me again, Maya, I’ll lock you in your cage and parade you around as my personal circus act.

” He spat at the floor with the threat before walking out of the room.

Once he was out of earshot, I slowly crawled to the jersey, glass crunching under my fingers as I moved painfully across the carpet.

The smoke alarm blared in the hallway, but that wasn’t my focus.

The fabric twisted beneath my slender fingers, and a disgusting mix of blood and tears fell in droplets onto what remained.

“I’m sorry for leaving you,” I whispered into the darkness. It smelled like sulfur and ash, burning the baby hairs in my nose, but at that moment, all I wanted was to be in his arms again. “I should've told you who I was. I should have told you I needed help.”

Pushing myself to my feet, I let the fabric fall from my fingers before walking toward my vanity in a haze.

I stared at my reflection, hiccupping and allowing more tears to trail down my battered face, disgusted at the person I'd become.

There was no other choice if I wanted to live. It was time to get out of here.

Reaching into my drawer, I pulled out tweezers and held them up to my face, inspecting them.

I wanted to make sure they were sharp enough for what was about to happen.

Scanning the smooth surface of the vanity, I searched for something to bite down on.

Ripping this godforsaken tracker out would be painful, but I could handle it.

I had never wanted to be sliced and diced, to be turned into Rocco’s perfect little doll.

After the assault, I had learned to love my scars and would have been happy to keep them.

But when he found me, Rocco insisted I get plastic surgery to restore my beauty.

My nose was completely reshaped, scar removed, and you could barely see my freckles anymore.

Sometimes I wanted to dig my nails into my face and rip it off, but it stayed there like an iron mask, leaving me forever trapped in skin that didn’t feel like my own.

Taking a deep breath, I placed my arm on the vanity and began feeling along my skin.

My fingers poked and prodded, searching for the hard mass before finally finding the small piece of metal.

“There you are, you little shit,” I laughed to myself.

Using the sharp edges of the tweezers, I wasted no time digging into the sensitive flesh.

Blood pooled around the wound, and a painful squeak erupted from my throat, but I couldn't stop now. My leg shook anxiously, beating a rushed pattern into the floor. The searing pain almost caused me to pass out, my eyes rolling back from the intensity.

Finish this, Maya, you can do it.

Finally, the small, flexible shape sat between the claws of the tweezers.

I couldn’t believe how something so small could be so painful.

Red painted every inch of my arm and splattered against the white of the wood.

With an angry fist, I placed the tracker on the vanity and smashed it into pieces, finally separating Rocco from my body.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be long before he was notified.

I rose from my spot quickly and grabbed a small bag, knowing I’d have to run and wouldn’t be able to take my suitcase.

Making sure to throw my phone and charger into it, I added a few changes of clothes before pulling the strings closed.

Sweat dripped down my chest, mingling with the drying blood.

The thunderous sound of footsteps crept into my ears from down the hall as I took off for the stairs.

“Maya!”

Adrenaline rushed throughout my body; it was now or never.

Rocco knew now, and there would be no going back.

I wasn’t just running; my life depended on how fast I could go, and how far I could make it.

No one within a ten-mile radius would go against Rocco.

They needed what he had to offer: women and drugs.

Helping me would never be worth the risk.

Footsteps barreled down the hallway rapidly.

They were coming fast, and it would be impossible to outrun them.

This would need to be calculated; one wrong move and I’d be dead by dinner.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, my eyes hurriedly searched the room for a covert place to hide.

I hurled my body behind a few disgustingly expensive statues, bending my body into a tight ball.

My shaky breaths threatened to give away my location.

“I saw her run in here,” one of Rocco’s men said gruffly, knocking my handmade porcelain angels from the decorated table.

“She needs to pay for her indiscretions. He needs her phone, too. Who knows what’s been recorded,” another shot back, a low whistle rumbling from his lips. “Wait until he gets his hands on her.”

“Maybe we’ll get a taste before he ends her. You know it’s coming. He’s getting bored. Once he takes Kingston out, he has no use for her,” the other replied in a sinister tone that sent shivers down my spine.

The sight of a foot snaking between each of the statues caused my body to tense, and I held my breath. They were getting closer, and the thought of what punishment I would face if caught fueled my fight to get out safely. If Chloe could find a way to escape the abuse, so could I.

Peering slightly over the head of a weeping angel, I realized they were heading into the main dining area.

I quickly grabbed a branch from the Christmas tree I’d yet to take down.

It was a stupid act of defiance to not clean up from the holidays, but now Rocco could lift a lazy finger and do it himself.

Working fast, I scraped the edge of the branch against the base of the statue, forming a small yet sharp point.

It would be the perfect form of protection and cause a small distraction to help me escape.

“Did you hear that?” one of them asked.

“Yeah, it sounded like it came from the other room.”

After a few heaving breaths, I shot up and sprinted toward the front door.

The branch swung loosely, and I was ready to pounce on anyone who got in my way.

My heart beat erratically as I rounded the corner and suddenly crashed into a hard body.

The impact sent me flying to the floor with a sharp pain that rippled through my body.

The branch fell from my hand, and I turned on my belly, sliding across the floor to reach it.

The smell of leather engulfed my nostrils as shiny black shoes approached my line of sight. “The boss requests your presence, Maya, and I wouldn’t keep him waiting. I’m really hoping you’ll come willingly,” a voice sounded from above me.

Carson had worked with Rocco for the last three years, but always looked out for me when he could.

Kneeling to my level, he held out his hand, urging me to go with him.

I could feel the empathy radiating from him, and his eyes held mine remorsefully.

In that moment, I had to make a decision, and I finally chose myself.

Please forgive me.

“I’m so sorry, Carson.”

His face twisted in confusion, and my fist closed around the splintered wood before jabbing it into the right side of his neck.

Using the pure will of survival, I dragged it across his neck to the other side.

He gurgled while trying to hold the wound closed, and I sobbed as his blood spilled on my silk nightgown.

Copper permeated my nostrils, and the taste of blood lit up my taste buds.

Determined to get to safety, a jacket was the last thing on my mind as I jumped to my feet.

Grabbing my untouched bag, I burst through the door and took off running into the snowy night.

My bare feet burned as I ran on the frozen ground, the howling wind pelting my face.

This wasn't just running to Riley. This was a point of no return, a fight for the freedom I'd always wanted. I knew I would need help, and even though Chloe would be at tonight’s game, the least I could do was try to call. Pulling my phone from my bag, I quickly pulled up her number and held the phone to my ear. Within seconds, her chipper voicemail message began to play. “Hey, this is Chloe. Leave a message and I’ll call you back.” Choking back a sob, I hung up and pulled open our texts.

My frozen, tingling hands tried to type, but I couldn’t form a coherent message.

Instead of continuing to waste time, I held my phone as tightly as my body would allow and took off again.

The sound of tires screeching to a halt behind me sent my senses into overdrive.

I immediately deviated, taking off into the forest that separated the line of houses from the local river.

Everything was hazy; I had no idea how long I ran for, but I found myself at the riverbank, trudging through rocks and ice.

I could tell the ground was cutting my feet, but I’d lost any feeling when I tried to call Chloe.

Stopping to catch my breath, I heard a low chuckle in the distance.

If there was any color left in my face, it was long gone now.

I ducked behind a tree and placed my hand over my face, trying to calm my ragged breathing. Rocco’s footsteps crunched heavily into the snow for some time before coming to an abrupt stop at my left.

“Gotcha.”

I bolted, listening to his low chuckles fade as I moved quickly through the trees. Rocco’s screaming could be heard in the distance as I ran, refusing to stop until it was safe.

“You think this is a game? Wait until I get my hands on you. He’s dead, Maya!

And you? Death will be the least of your worries when I drag you back!

” he threatened with malice. I knew if he ever got ahold of me again, he would make good on that promise.

If Rocco Vitale was anything, he was a man of his word.

I glanced at my surroundings; at this point, I wanted to give up, but I couldn’t.

I had to keep going. Chloe’s house was at least a fifteen-minute walk in the summer, and I was already hurting.

Tears streamed down my face, the mix of pain and fear immediately freezing against my cheeks.

My muscles were rigid from the cold, and my teeth chattered so hard I swore they would break at any minute.

After what seemed like hours, a laugh forced its way through my frozen lips as the quaint home came into view.

I finally climbed the steps and reached a frozen, shaky hand for the door before twisting the knob slowly.

It was locked. It was fucking locked . Anger and defeat raged through me as I slid down the door with a screech.

Maybe dying would be a good thing; it’s safe and warm.

Suddenly, a flash of bright white LED lights crept along the driveway.

My eyes burned, fear gripping my throat at the thought of being followed.

Rocco must have known where I would run to; he had always sworn to find me if I tried to leave.

But I refused to surrender. They’d have to take me back like this, half-dead with no fight left in me.

My eyelids were heavy, drooping as I stared at the approaching car.

Please let me make it.

I’m not ready to die yet.