Page 99 of Trapped
I nodded, wiping away tears. “But even if you find him, it’s gone, Santino. All my work…my sketches.”
“I’ll help you. We’ll make it even better than before.”
A different kind of ache began to gnaw at me. The kind that whispered for a quick fix that could wash away the day’s horrors. My gaze drifted toward the remnants of the boutique’s cash register, where, once, I’d hidden a bottle.
“I need to get out of here.”
I turned away from the wreckage. The destruction was pushing me toward an edge I’d promised myself I’d never teeter on again.
Santino caught my elbow gently. “Let’s go home.”
The drive back was silent. Santino kept glancing at me, his eyes filled with concern. By the time we reached his penthouse, the craving was a live wire inside me.
In the elevator, I leaned against the wall, my thoughts racing as we ascended. Santino stayed close. As soon as the doors opened, I paced into the kitchen. My hands trembled as I grabbed a glass of water, the cool liquid barely quenching my thirst.
“Principessa, talk to me.”
“All I want is a drink. To forget just for a little while.”
“You know you can’t do that.”
I gritted my teeth. “What if it was just one?”
“You know what happens when you do that. Not an option.” Santino pulled out his phone, texting someone. “My brother’s wife will keep you company while I deal with this.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“She’s coming over,” he ground out. “Stay here and don’t do anything crazy.”
I need a drink.
The thought shot across my mind every five minutes as Violet and I played a board game called Azul. Jack, Kill’s four-year-old son, bounced around the room, periodically trying to add his own tiles to the game, which only made things more chaotic. Violet laughed, her Southern drawl thickening as she scooped him into her lap.
He giggled, squirming in her grasp before settling down to watch us play.
Violet caught my distracted glance as I fumbled with a tile, her eyes softening. “Jack’s been gettin’ into everything lately. He’s at that age where curiosity’s got him pokin’ around where he shouldn’t.”
I forced a smile. “Kids are like that, right? Always exploring.”
“Yeah, just the other day, I found him tryin’ to climb the kitchen cabinets to get to the cookies I hid. Had to give him a stern talkin’ to, but it’s hard not to laugh sometimes.”
“Sounds like a handful.” I placed a tile and tried to keep my hands steady. The smell of smoke seemed to linger, a phantom scent that refused to leave my nostrils.
“He is, but he’s also the sweetest boy. Loves to bring me flowers from the yard. Just the other day, he picked a whole bunch of dandelions and said they were for the ‘prettiest lady in the world.’ Melted my heart.”
I smiled, a genuine one this time, as I pictured little Jack with his armful of yellow flowers. “That’s so cute.”
“Jack here has always been a light in my life. Times were tough, but he always found a way to make me smile. Kids have that magic, you know? Back home, it’s all about community, helping each other out. It takes a village not just to raise a child but to keep going through hard times.”
Her words struck a chord within me. Maybe I needed to lean on others more and try not to handle everything on my own.
“Delilah, you ain’t alone here. Family, new or old, are here for you. And if that scumbag did what you think he did, well, he’ll have more than just you to answer to.”
I blinked back tears. “Thanks.”
“Sometimes life throws us these curveballs, and we just have to keep goin’. Focus on the good, no matter how small it might seem.”
I nodded, my throat tight.