Page 284 of Evil Hearts

Chapter Five

Francesca

He’s a fuckingclergyman. He’s with the church. He fucking knows. How long has he known? Fuck!

I dress myself as quickly as possible and return to the showroom. I don’t want to fight him, but I will do what I must to survive. Victor is dressed again, and fastening his watch.

I’m not sure how to continue. I don’t know how I am supposed to act right now. Victor is acting like this is not a big deal. Like the church hasn’t been hunting down my kind and killing us for hundreds of years. I don’t understand anything right now.

“Frankie,” he says, taking a step forward.

“Just stop right there Victor. Do not take another step towards me right now,” I say backing up.

Victor frowns and nods. “I suppose I should explain myself. I am not going to hurt you, nor am I going to allow anyone else to either.”

I look at him in utter disbelief. Clergymen and monsters don’t mix. What the fuck is going on?

“I was sent here a while ago to investigate organs being swapped. I know it was you doing it, but I have not turned you in. I have no plans to either. Because I love you, Frankie.” He takes a step forward.

“A clergyman loving an abomination. How laughable. How am I supposed to believe you? How am I supposed to believe that you weren’t just toying with me before you kill me?” I ask, standing firm.

“I was ordered to eliminate the abomination. I could never harm you, Frankie. In fact, I’m trying to protect you. If you would just allow me to do that. I have a plan to get them off of your trail. I just need you to trust me.”

“And how am I supposed to believe you? How am I supposed to believe a single word that comes out of your mouth because you have been lying to me from the start.”

“I should have told you. I should have told you who I was from the beginning. But if I did do you think we would have gotten as close? Would you have let me in? Would you have fallen in love with me?” He reaches out to me, but I withdraw.

“And who says I love you?” I ask.

“You do. In every way but verbally. It’s in your actions, the way you speak, the way you treat me. I know you love me. And I know because I feel the same as you, and I’m in love with you.”

“And you’re not here to kill me? You’re not going to hurt me?”

“I would rather die.”

I don’t know if this is beyond stupid, but I believe him. I believe that he won’t hurt me. I believe him when he says he loves me.

“Frankie...”

I can hear the desperation in his voice. And I understand the desperation because I feel it too.

“I believe you.”

“So where do we go from here? Now everything is on the table and you hold all the power,” Victor says, giving me a sad smile.

I walk straight up to him and kiss him. I kiss him so hard and so intensely, He wraps his arms around my waist.

“I hope that answers your question.”

Victor stands there in a daze for a moment before giving me his famous lopsided smile.

“That brings me to the next issue.”

“How bad is it?” I ask.

“It involves digging up a body, burning it, and planting it so it looks like I caught the reanimated quote-on-quote abomination.” He sighs.

“Instead of digging somebody up why don’t we just use one of the unclaimed corpses down in the coolers? We get them from time to time when they dredge them up out of the river. After they sit down there for so long they’re just cremated anyway. I have no problem looking the other way,” I say.

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