Chapter 5 Angelica
ANGELICA
Dawn creeps through the blackout blinds in thin strips of gray light.
I wake to Sofia's breathing beside me sounding much softer now that her cough has quieted.
She's curled against my side with her thumb tucked near her mouth.
Her hair spreads across the pillow in dark tangles that need attention.
I sit up carefully so I don’t wake her and gather her hair in my hands.
My fingers work through the knots gently, separating the strands and weaving them into a simple braid.
She stirs but doesn’t open her eyes.
I tie off the end with a hair elastic from my wrist and smooth the flyaways down.
She shifts and blinks up at me with sleepy eyes and confusion.
For a moment, she looks around like she doesn't know where we are, then reality settles back in and her expression falls.
"Mama," she whispers. "I want to go home."
"I know, Tesoro. So do I."
She sits up and leans against me, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her closer.
She's so small and fragile.
I'd light Dante's damn mansion on fire if it meant firemen would come and we could get out of here, but it'd be dangerous and I have to protect her.
"Tell me a story," she says before yawning and sniffling.
The cold she has is still trying to keep its grip, but Marta's honey concoction seems to have kicked most of it to the curb.
I'll have to thank her later.
I think for a moment, then begin. "Once upon a time in Naples, there was a little girl who loved winter.
She would wake up early on snowy mornings and press her nose against the window to watch the snowflakes fall.
Her mama would bundle her in a warm coat and take her to the street vendors who sold hot chocolate in tiny cups. "
Sofia nestles deeper against my side and sighs contentedly. "Was the hot chocolate good?"
"The best hot chocolate in all of Italy. It was thick and sweet and warm enough to chase away any cold. The little girl would drink it slowly and watch the city turn white around her."
"I wish we could go there," Sofia says in a very dreamy, faraway sounding voice.
My heart clenches and feels heavy.
I'd love to take her there.
And I'd love it if Naples became a winter wonderland for Christmas, but most years, we get only rain or blustery winds off the coast at most.
"We will. When we leave here, we'll go wherever you want."
She's quiet for a moment.
Then she asks, "Why is the tall man so angry, Mama? Is he like the dragon in your stories?"
I force a soft laugh and think of Dante like a dragon in my paranormal romance books while I stroke her hair.
She's seen the covers but never what's inside, and while I can fully attest to Dante's controlling demeanor and temper, he's not all bad.
"He's just a grumpy king in his castle, Tesoro. But we'll find our way out of here, like the clever fox always does."
"The fox who tricks everyone?"
"Exactly. The fox is smart and quick, and she always finds a way to escape."
Sofia yawns and her eyes drift closed again.
Within minutes, her breathing evens out and she falls back asleep.
I hold her for a while longer, watching the light grow stronger through the blinds before I lay her back on the mattress and cover her.
The villa's starting to wake up.
I hear footsteps in the hallway and voices murmuring somewhere below.
A soft knock sounds at the door and I tense, but then I hear Marta's voice.
"Breakfast," she calls gently.
The lock clicks and the door opens.
Marta enters with a tray balanced in her hands.
She sets it on the dresser and glances at Sofia sleeping on the bed.
"How is she feeling this morning?" Marta asks.
"Better. The cough isn’t as bad."
"Good. The doctor will be here this afternoon to check on her." Marta moves toward the door, then pauses. "Is there anything else you need?"
"No. Thank you," I say, "for breakfast and for helping Sofia."
She gives me a smile.
"It's my deepest honor."
I don't understand why it's her deepest honor to care for my daughter except for one reason.
If Dante has told his staff Sofia is his, they'd treat her like a little princess around here.
It sickens me, but I'm grateful, nonetheless.
Marta leaves the tray and walks out.
The door clicks shut behind her, but this time, the lock doesn’t engage immediately.
I hear her footsteps fade down the hallway, then silence.
I stand and move to the tray where I find toast, eggs, fruit, and coffee.
The smell makes my stomach turn.
I'm too anxious to eat, but I lift the coffee cup and take a sip because waking up without caffeine means a headache later today.
A small plastic card sits under the edge of the plate right next to where the coffee was, almost imperceptible against the white paper liner on the tray.
I set the cup down and pick up the card to see that it's a keycard.
The kind used to unlock doors in hotels or technical locks.
My heart starts to race. Marta left this here.
She must've.
Whether it was intentional or an accident, I don’t know and I don’t care.
This is my chance.
It's like the gods are smiling on me, and I'm not looking the gift horse in the mouth.
I move quickly. I pull on my shoes and check that Sofia's still asleep.
She's buried under the blankets with only the top of her head visible.
I lean down and kiss her forehead, then scoop her into my arms.
She murmurs something but doesn’t wake.
She's so light, her body so limp and heavy with sleep, and all I can think about is getting out the door and somewhere public before someone finds out.
I carry her to the door and press my ear against the wood, not hearing any sounds from the hallway.
So I ease the door open an inch and peer out.
The hallway’s empty, no guards standing outside the door like I thought there would be.
Maybe it's time for them to change rounds or maybe they haven't come for the day yet.
It is still pretty early.
I step into the hallway and move as quickly as I can while carrying Sofia.
She's getting heavier by the second, but I don’t stop.
I head toward the staircase that leads down to the main floor.
My feet barely make a sound on the floor.
I hold Sofia tighter and pray she doesn’t wake up and start crying.
At the bottom of the stairs, I pause and listen.
Male voices come from the kitchen, guards discussing something I can't make out, but I move in the opposite direction for added safety, toward the back of the villa where I remember seeing the garden through the windows yesterday.
The hallway's lined with statues and potted plants.
I duck behind a large olive urn into a room with an open door when I hear footsteps approaching.
A guard walks past without looking in my direction, and I wait until he disappears around the corner, then continue moving.
The garden door is at the end of the hallway and I can see the sunrise through the frosted window there—it feels like hope.
My pulse pounds in my ears as Sofia shifts in my arms and makes a small sound, but I bounce her gently and whisper for her to stay asleep.
By now, I can taste freedom.
I can almost picture the look on Dante's face when the authorities arrive to question him on why I was held captive here.
I'm almost giddy inside.
I reach the door and push it open and cold morning air rushes in.
The garden is chilly, almost frosted over.
Stone pathways wind between olive trees and rosemary shrubs.
A fountain sits in the center, but it’s been shut off for winter already.
The gate I'm aiming for is on the far side, barely visible through the branches.
I step outside and pull the door closed behind me.
Then I run.
The pathways are slippery with dew.
My feet slide on the stones, but I keep moving.
Sofia wakes up and lifts her head.
"Mama, where are we going?" she asks.
"Shh, Tesoro. We're leaving."
"But I'm scared."
"I know. Just hold on tight."
I round the fountain and head toward the gate.
It's so close.
Maybe fifty feet away.
I can see the latch from here.
If I can just reach it, we can get through and find help.
Someone on the street will call the police.
We can get away from Dante and this villa and everything that's happened.
Then the alarm sounds.
The shrill wail cuts through the morning like a knife.
Lights flash along the garden walls.
I swear under my breath and run faster.
Sofia starts crying.
Her small hands clutch at my blouse as I sprint toward the gate.
Guards pour into the garden from every direction.
They move like wolves closing in on prey and I push harder, my lungs burning.
But the men are faster.
One of them cuts me off before I reach the gate.
Another grabs my arm from behind and yanks me backward.
Sofia screams.
I twist and try to pull free, but more hands grab at me.
I kick and thrash, spitting curses in Italian and then in French and then in German because I don’t care what language they understand as long as they know I am not going quietly.
"Let go of me," I shout. "Get your hands off me!"
One of the guards tries to pry Sofia from my arms.
I hold her tighter and swing my elbow into his face.
He grunts and stumbles back.
Another guard grabs my hair and pulls hard enough to make my eyes water.
I bite his hand and taste blood.
Then a voice cuts through the chaos.
"Enough."
Dante strides into the garden with his jaw set and his eyes a cold shade of blue.
The guards step back immediately.
He walks toward me and grabs my arm so tight, I wince and whimper.
He doesn’t say anything.
He just pulls me back toward the villa with enough force that I have to move or fall.
Sofia sobs against my chest.
I try to soothe her while still fighting against Dante's hold, but it's useless.
He's stronger than I am and he knows it.
He drags me back inside and up the stairs.
The guards follow at a distance.
When we reach the guest room, he shoves me inside.
Sofia's still crying.
I set her down on the bed and turn to face him.
"You can't keep us here," I say.
My voice shakes with rage and fear and I'm almost in tears again.
"I just told you what would happen if you ran," he growls, and he seems angrier than I've ever seen him. "Did you think I was joking?"
"I don't care what you said. I'm not staying in this prison."
"You are staying exactly where I put you."
"You have no right."
"I have every right." He steps closer. "You want to know what happens if you get out of here?
My enemies find you within an hour. They take you somewhere private.
They torture you for information about me.
They use your daughter to make you talk faster.
And when they're done, they kill you both and leave your bodies where I'll find them.
Is that what you want? I've already told you this.
You should just learn your lesson by listening and not the hard way. "
I stare at him, my hands shaking at my sides.
Sofia's sobs have quieted to hiccups, but she is still trembling.
"Run again," Dante says, "and I'll chain you to the bed myself. For her sake, not yours."
He turns to leave, then pauses in the doorway.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box then tosses it onto the dresser without looking at me.
"You dropped this," he says.
And when his eyes meet mine, I swear I see disappointment, not anger.
He holds my gaze for a moment longer before stalking out, and I hear the lock click.
Something tells me the key card I have won't work again the same way.
Then he walks out and locks the door behind him.
I stand frozen for a moment.
Then I move to the bed and pull Sofia more tightly against my body.
She buries her face against my shoulder and cries harder.
I rock her gently and whisper reassurances.
"It's okay, Amore. We're okay. I'm sorry I scared you."
"I don't like it here," she sobs. "I want to go home."
"I know. I know."
I hold her until her crying slows.
Then I carry her to the bed and tuck her under the blankets.
She clutches at my hand and refuses to let go.
"Don't leave me," she whispers.
"I won't. I promise."
She closes her eyes, but her grip on my hand doesn’t loosen.
So I sit beside her and wait until her breathing evens out and her fingers relax.
Then I carefully extract my hand and stand.
The velvet box sits on the dresser where Dante left it.
I stare at it for a long moment before crossing the room and picking it up.
The box is small and worn, the fabric faded in places.
I open it slowly.
Inside is a single pearl earring.
My breath catches.
I remember this earring.
They were my mother’s.
I wore them all the time before I lost one, including the night Dante saved me from Antonelli.
I remember looking everywhere for them a few days later, only to find one stuck in the neckline of the dress I wore that night, and the other never turned up.
I must've lost it when we tore at each other's clothes like sex-starved lunatics.
He kept it.
For six years, he kept a pearl earring that belonged to a woman he spent one night with.
A woman he never expected to see again.
What the fuck is that supposed to even mean?
I close the box and set it back on the dresser.
My hands are still shaking, and I don’t know what to make of this.
I don’t know what it means that he saved something so small and meaningless.
Or maybe it wasn't meaningless to him.
I walk to the window and look out at the garden below.
The sun is fully up now, and guards patrol the perimeter with weapons visible at their hips.
The gate I almost reached is locked and reinforced with chains.
There's no way out without help now.
Not without a plan better than running blindly and hoping for the best.
I think about what Dante said.
About his enemies finding us if we leave.
About torture and death.
I want to believe he 's exaggerating to scare me into compliance.
But the truth is… I don’t know.
I don’t know what kind of danger we're really in.
I don’t know who sent us here or what they want.
All I know is that Dante believes the threat is real.
And if he is right, then running might get Sofia killed.
I press my forehead against the cool glass and close my eyes.
I am trapped between two impossible choices.
Stay here and remain prisoners in Dante's villa, or leave and risk whatever nightmare is waiting for us outside.
Dante thinks he can keep us here.
He thinks locking the door and posting guards are enough.
But he's wrong.
I am the clever fox from the stories I tell Sofia.
And the clever fox always finds a way to escape.
I just have to bide my time and be patient.