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5. The Crows
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 6. Come Back Home
[LIZZY]“Lizzy?” A voice comes from behind and startles the daylights out of me. I turn around on my heels and relax when realize it’s only Mrs Wang from the neighbourhood.It’s been an hour since I reached Nightingale Street. I wanted to go across the road and ask millions of questions about Laura, Daniel and Joey but every time I tried to make a move, a cold fear whispered through me and everything inside me froze.What if they were still out there, hiding in the crowd, waiting to nab me while I’m making a fool of myself, knowing there’s nothing to be done now that all three of them are gone?I know how selfish it sounds to still worry about myself when the Daddario family died trying to protect me. But I don’t know what else to do, if not respect their wish to keep me safe. If I did anything stupid right now, Vector would win and Laura and Daniel's sacrifice would be in vain.And I can’t do that, no matter how much the thought of keeping my safety ahead of my need to grieve what I
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 7. No More Choices
[LIZZY] “I thought you were done with this…this life,” I murmured to Marcus as he opened the door of the car—into which they had bundled me and Joey after outsmarting us—and waited for me to get out. Instead of responding right away, as I had hoped, since I knew he still had some humanity left in him after his wife, Julie, convinced him to quit the mafia world and start anew, he simply stood with a blank expression on his face and waited for me to step out and keep moving. With an eye-roll to myself, I glanced down and noticed the five-year-old still sound asleep on my lap. Joey had his little face tucked into the crook of my neck while his arms slung loosely over his tummy. And just like that a sharp pang of guilt pierced my chest, leaving me breathless. The events of the night flashed before my eyes, and I couldn't stop the tears from falling. The explosion. The fire. The ashes hung in the air. The chaos outside their burning house. With all the awful memories came the realizat
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 8. Girl In The Photograph
[LIZZY]I was still in absolute shock by the time I stepped outside what seemed to be an office of sorts. A bit shaken up after the whole one-sided conversation as my legs mindlessly led me to wherever they saw fit.My brain was still unwilling to believe that the words he poured into my ear were actual and not a nightmare that had practically haunted me for years.I wasn’t dumb to believe I’d be able to avoid this confrontation forever. I knew it would happen sooner or later, and I’d be pulled back into this ruthless world where women had no alternative except to be obedient wives or whores they could keep on the side.But, hey, a girl can dream, right?And, even though the reality was always gnawing at me, I allowed myself to weave a dream that was never destined to happen.I dreamed of being free. A family to hold close. And a home to call my own.Something Venice couldn’t give me and Vector couldn’t promise to give either.I knew he was angry. But I was angrier back when I left. N
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 9. Best Buddies
[LIZZY]I was beyond annoyed by the time the three demon incarnations had finished with me. They not only forced me to sit through the most torturous longest hours I had ever known, but they also bleached my hair back to its natural color. Honey blonde.“What is the meaning of this?” I couldn’t help but ask as they finished the last touch-up and flipped off the hair dryer. I would be honest; the sound of the dryer was grating on my skin. Thank God, they put it off, else I would have lost my sanity and will to live altogether.Instead of tamping down my annoyance or curiosity, the obnoxious maid who seemed to be nursing some sort of grudge against my miserable existence shook her head and excused the two other maids of their duties.I waited as the two of them walked away before leaping from my chair and unleashing the most venomous glare I’d ever sent to anyone. They were so warm and fierce that I could feel my eyes and cheeks burning.“What’s the matter with you? Why are you acting a
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 10. Only One Job
[LIZZY]My mind had blown a million times over by the time I scrambled out of my frozen state of mind and followed him out. But when I found him nowhere in my sight, that was the point, when I really started to panic.“Joey!” I ran in and out of the rooms, into the kitchen, and out into the garden, calling for him. Nowhere. I couldn’t find him nowhere. Where the hell did he go? That too so fast?“Joey? Where are you baby?” The ground beneath my feet threatened to split and swallow me down, and the world around me spun as worst-case scenarios raced through my mind. I didn't want to believe Vector would harm a child, but after what I'd seen, after what he'd done to his parents, I wasn't so sure. Something told me he couldn't be trusted. Vector, like Vladmir Perazzo, the boss, had little tolerance to spare. I'd never seen him snap in real life—or kill, for that matter—but I knew what he was capable of. I knew he was the worst.Ignoring the weird looks I got from the guards standing at th
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 11. Off The Radar
[ONE WEEK LATER]* * *[XAVIER]“Crap!” the woman winced and mumbled several apologies in one breath. Her eyes met mine for a brief second, a touch of panic in them, before she dropped to her knees and started picking up all the papers that had fallen from her file when she bumped into me. “Ugh, why does this always happen to me?” She was talking to herself.I glanced at the time. Well, I was already running late. Maybe a little more wouldn’t hurt. Before I could change my mind, I crouched down and started scooping up the papers that had drifted out of her reach.She raised her head and her already big blue eyes widened even more. “Oh no no no no, please don’t. I can do it myself, really…”“It’s fine,” I told her with a modest smile, before stacking them all in one pile and handing them over to her. “Here you go.”“Thank you.”We both stood up, and she took a moment to slip all the papers back into the leather file before securing it with a zip. Her eyes met mine again, and something
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 12. Asking For Trouble
[VECTOR]"Vector, lo sai che non ti tradirò mai." The man spat out—literally spat out, with all the drool sprinkling in the air. I scrunched up my nose in disgust—because how could you not—and sighed deeply into my chest.[Vector, you know I will never betray you.]The truth was, I didn’t know.I had no idea who, when, or how someone close to me was going to stab me in the back. Trust had never been one of my strong suits. Especially when the worst betrayal had always come from those whom I trusted the most. Fortunately, I'd learned to swim my way through the treacherous seas. I'd come up with a way to ensure that no one had a knife or a bullet hidden behind their back that they might use to put me down.And two hours ago, Luciano Cresto failed me when he broke my trust by accepting money from an unknown account that I had no idea about. Now, there were a lot of questions on my mind. I could use this time to torture him until his disgusting mouth dropped all the names and jobs he was
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 13. Swoon-Worthy
[LIZZY]I know he told me not to run. I know he told me not to hide. But it’s as if I am programmed to do exactly what he told me not to do—or maybe it’s just the dread—because the moment the door crashes against the doorway and the lock clicks into place, I jump out of bed and stumble towards the door.I don’t even breathe.There is no place in the entire fucking mansion that I can think of as the safest place to hide, but I know the further away it is from him, the longer it will take him to track me down. And that’s the only plan I have for now. That’s the only plan that matters.I run down the stairs and pivot my legs towards the storeroom at the back. I know there is one. I have no idea what it’s meant to be, but it’s the only place that comes to my mind. Joey stumbled upon it two days ago, looking for a place to hide for the game we were playing. It’s as far and out of reach as it is possible, and it will probably take a lot of attempts for Vector to even think of this place. Co
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ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL Epilogue
[VECTOR] I never thought this day would ever come. Not before I met Lizzy Jones. It’s all been a whirlwind, my life, that is. From the day I was born to the day I lost everything, I lived a greater part of my life in absolute fear. Fear of not being trusted, fear of not being enough, fear of not being there for my sister when she went through the same painful incidents before she even understood the word pain. Lizzy says that what happened in the past was hardly my fault. That the fact I couldn’t protect my family was not my burden to bear. After all, wasn’t I a child myself? How would I have known what Sofia had planned for that night? What possibly could I have done to stop her and her freak boyfriend? The answer: Nothing. I couldn’t have done anything. Literally. But then why do I feel responsible? Is it just survivor’s guilt? Or is this a way for my brain to tell me that I was equally accountable for not being prepared for what I knew might happen if Sofia wasn’t stopped?
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 93. Promise For Sure
[LIZZY]“This is awkward,” Laura mumbles under her breath, but maybe not so quietly to herself because I end up hearing every single word of it.“You don’t say,” I shrug, and I watch as the corner of her mouth twitches.She looks away and sighs, as if what we’re doing seems to be physically affecting her. I can’t really blame her, can I? When Xavier and Hazel showed up this morning, wanting Joey and me to come with them so they could see off this woman who pretended to have our best interests for five long years, I didn’t have many noble thoughts about it. Definitely not kind enough to think she deserved a heartfelt goodbye.But that would be the mean and hurtful side of me talking. Because if it weren’t for her, Joey would still be wandering around, scratching his head and trying to figure out how Vector suddenly turned out to be his father—the man he couldn’t share me with at all, the man he wanted to punish for making me cry alone.“I didn’t mean any of the things I said to you, if
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 92. Being Addictive
[LIZZY]“This is nice,” I say as Tony and I sit outside one of the street cafes near the stream after a very silent and awkward dinner.I have no idea what I was thinking when I agreed to come with him. Maybe I assumed he would want to talk about things that he should have a long time ago—all those days he remained absent in our lives—that he would like to give an explanation for it. That he would finally reveal the big reason for him to walk away from our lives the way he did. That I would truly know, for the first time, what drove him away and turned him so cold and crude towards me when I came to see him all the way from Venice to the US.Too bad, I have got nothing so far.During the entire dinner, all we talked about was food, Joey, and his weird obsession with fire. And now that the dinner is finished, and he has run out of all the random conversation starters, we find ourselves back to quietly sweeping our gazes around.I take another long and loud sip of my coffee, wondering w
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 91. Job Done
[VECTOR]“What the fuck are you doing here?” Marcus looks stunned to see me, his brows furrowed deeply, flaring his nostrils as if he’s this close to grabbing a gun and aiming for my good knee.Well, maybe I do deserve that. Lizzy did warn me this was a bad idea.Not that I regret it one bit.Marcus and I have worked together for a very long time. We were even together that night, the night that boat exploded, and left us with the kind of scars that would take long to heal—his longer than mine. While I busted a knee and got several burns on the back, Marcus lost his right arm and got half of his face fucked up, including one eye.Let’s just say, I feel slightly responsible for what happened—felt obligated to pay him a visit despite everyone telling me to stay in the room and rest for long hours.It’s not like I’m trying to be difficult, or I don’t respect the care I’m getting even though I have done very little to deserve it. But after Lizzy asked me, with those doe eyes of hers, if w
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 90. Smart Boy
[LIZZY]I wring my hands for the hundredth time, trying to shake off the nervous jitters.After a week of contemplation, Vector and I finally agreed on how to reveal the truth to Joey about his real parentage.Honestly, I can’t believe I allowed my life to become so complicated. What was I even thinking? What was I so damn afraid of? Looking back at everything that happened in the past few months, it’s obvious I have been worrying for literally nothing. Vector never did any of the things I imagined he would once he got a hold of me. He didn’t hurt me, make me suffer, or punish me in any way. In fact, if there’s anything he did, it was to love me more intensely and passionately. Never did he ever try to hurt me, at least not purposefully. He did express his anger in the beginning, but now that I think of it, more than anger, it was hurt that he tried to mask as temper.I was terrified to even think about what he would do if he learned I kept such a huge secret from him. That I had been
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 89. Forget & Forgive
[One Week Later][LAURA/ERICA]“What are you doing here?” I ask, bored, although for this tough exterior that I’m putting on so fucking gracefully, I should get a damn Oscar for it.Then again, even if I did get nominated for an award, and had to choose between kicking some butts and wearing a sparkly, twinkly or some sort of shimmery thing ever over myself, I would rather just stick with what I do best, and we all know what that is.Except for my last encounter with the Perazzo brothers didn’t go as well as I planned.But, most of the time, they rarely do. That’s why this job is so darn tough and risky because, most of the time, the bad guys are one step ahead. They usually are. You can’t expect them to be playing poker when we storm their hideout. Nope, they’re always ready for the worst. And when the cops do catch them off guard, we don’t get a warm welcome with tea and cookies. No, they rain a hail of bullets on us.Perhaps that’s the reason there’s a saying about the best-laid pl
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 88. Only Mine
[VECTOR]I was ten when my sister Emma was born. She was this small, delicate thing that I was too scared to even touch. Her big doe eyes were like pools of laughter and innocence that spilled from her mouth every time she giggled and thrashed her little arms around, wanting attention, wanting someone to hold her, carry her around, keep her squeezed against their touch.She used to love it when our mother used to talk to her, holding a long and silly conversation while little Emma babbled away, God knows what. But that hardly mattered when I was too busy wiping sweat off my palms, wondering if I would finally get to hold her.Mom wanted me to not shy away, always telling me that I was supposed to protect her. Dad, however, seemed a little unsure. He sincerely believed that I needed to grow up a little more if I wanted that kind of responsibility. And I always believed he was right. That I needed to grow not only physically but mentally. That I needed to make myself capable, just like
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 87. Ridiculously Crazy
[LIZZY]When I wake up next time, my body aches like hell. It’s as if a terrible weight has been thrown over me, pinning me down, and I can’t summon the strength to get up.I snap my eyes open and practically groan when sunlight cuts through my eyelids like a laser, and irritates me and my skin like hell.Damn Vector. All this time, he has been cocooned in dark with doors fucking shut and curtains tightly drawn, and now that I’m the one who desperately needs darkness and a lot more sleep, he has flung the windows wide open. Ugh. I’m going to kill him, I swear.A voice in my head warns me against going back to sleep, but my body seems to have different plans entirely. In seconds, I grab the duvet and pull them back up over my head, rolling on the bed like a cinnamon roll to escape the heated rays. However, I barely settle into a comfortable spot when something suddenly clicks.My eyes snap back open.Joey.“Shit shit shit!” The happenings of the previous night smack me in the face and
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 86. No Matter What
[LIZZY]“You’re leaving?” I blurt out, eyes wide as saucers, my heart sinking deep into my stomach.The dark night stretches overhead, filled with scattered stars that twinkle like precious diamonds. The wind blows stronger, making my hair flutter all over my face.Zarina walks toward me, gracefully brushing the dark brown strands out of her face, her peaceful eyes briefly trailing over a sleeping Joey, who’s still tightly clutched to my chest.I had just walked out of the plane, only to find Zarina stepping out of the car. Theo, one of the caretakers of the Island, carries her bags, and Chiara is holding the baby, flashing me a cheerful smile as they pass one by one, heading up the airstairs.My heart sinks even more with her confirmation. “Why?” I ask, my eyes starting to well up.“Because it’s time,” she says and gently runs her long fingers over Joey’s back. “Mir is taking over the business, and although he told me to stay here as long as I want, I know he hates being away from hi
