Page 91 of Lord of Punishment

I would never forget how terrified I was of the dark as a child. My mother had never been harsh when I’d pleaded for her to leave on the light. A nightlight hadn’t been bright enough. What had started out as the overhead fixture, something my father hated, had turned into very special lamps from Disney to Tiffany. The latter had been the last Christmas gift my mother had given me, her face lighting up seeing my joy in receiving such a tremendous and expensive gift.

I’d long since needed a light to sleep by but it had remained a mother-daughter tradition that I’d hoped to pass on one day. She’d reveled in telling me the joys of going to estate sales and auctions until she’d found the perfect lamp for her only daughter.

It had been the first thing Rico had taken from me during a vicious argument we’d had in my dorm room. I should have known then the man was a monster, but I’d played it off, acting as if I hadn’t cared when it had crushed me. It hadn’t been about the money but the beautiful sentiment, the love my mother and I shared.

There was something to be said about a mother-daughter bond, much like a father-son. However, in the case of Rico, I knew it was in Dillon’s best interest never to learn about his true heritage. Never. The thought of my little man being influenced by such a reprehensible family was repulsive, something that simply couldn’t happen. Whether or not the way I felt about Sabatino was real or based off our fractured minds and aching hearts was something I’d need to face in the future, but I longed for Dillon to become close to him. Maybe I was a fool, but even seeing the way Miguel was with Brando and the light in the man’s eyes had been encouraging.

“You’re going to love the house,” Alicia said from beside me.

I peered out the windshield past the armed men who sat in the two rows ahead of us. Everyone had remained quiet during the trip, with the exception of the two boys who’d laughed and played until exhaustion had taken them only a few minutes earlier. The trip had taken less than an hour, but it had seemed like long hours to me.

All I’d been able to do was to worry about Sabatino as well as try to face the fear of the unknown. In other words, I was a ball of nerves.

“I’m sure I will,” I said in response as the driver pulled down the driveway.

“We have a security system so no need to worry. Plus, these guys are very good at what they do,” Alicia offered. There was a slight lilt in her voice, but I sensed she was nervous that Miguel had accompanied Sabatino to LA. If only I’d been able to offer them something to guide their way. It seemed I had a block regarding my life living in the horrible environment.

It wasn’t as if I was kept locked in the room, just inside the house. I’d even slipped inside Rico’s office a few times, searching his desk. Nothing I’d found came to my mind. I was certain blocking out as many details as possible had kept me mostly sane.

When the driver slowed down, I took a rattled breath. At least my baby could get some sleep, although I didn’t want to leave him in a room all by himself. The kid was resilient but would become cranky. I knew my boy too well.

As the driver pulled up in front, putting the gear into park, Max lifted his head. Instead of his usual happy-go-lucky self from realizing he was about to sniff loads of different smells, he seemed tense. While I couldn’t see his face given the darkness, I sensed his hackles were raised, which meant mine were.

“Relax,” Alicia said as if sensing my increased fear.

“Do you have the keys and the code to the security system?” Andres asked.

“Right here.” Alicia handed an envelope to the soldier sitting in the middle row who handed it to Andres in the front passenger seat. “The wi-fi code is also on the paper. Miguel mentioned you needed to take care of some work while you were here.”

“Perfect,” he said.

He opened the door, pulling out the items in the light. Almost immediately Max lunged toward the front.

“Whoa, boy. You can go potty in minute.” Luckily, I’d grabbed his collar but the man in front of us jerked forward, obviously afraid of dogs. I thought about the gun Sabatino had given me, thankfully storing it my purse before anyone had seen what I’d been given. It made me nervous to have it but between Max and the weapon, I felt a little better about being away from my protector for a couple of days.

I noticed Andres removing his gun from his suit jacket. “Let me check out the house to make sure we don’t have an issue.”

“Good idea,” Alicia told him before brushing her hand down Brando’s face.

I shuddered from the ugliness of the situation, trying to calm Max. He started to whine, but at least his tail was thumping.

“We hope to move here one day,” Alicia said a few seconds later. I had a feeling she was trying to keep my nerves in check.

“Is it on the water?”

“Yes. We have an incredible view of the Atlantic. Wait until the sun comes up. You’ll be so surprised.”

“Sounds wonderful.” I noticed a few lights being turned in, the glow through the windows comforting.

“When does Dillon turn four?”

“In two months and two days.”

“Wow. That’s only a week out from Brando. Maybe we’ll have a combined birthday party for them.”

I glanced in her direction. Her expression was one of hope for several reasons, including Dillon and me sticking around for longer than the horrors we were going through. “That sounds nice.”

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep much tonight. I have some wine I set aside for a special occasion. I think we deserve it.”

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