My skin crawls at the words on the page. Even though I don’t mind the work, there’s more to it than what’s explained here. And that’s why I need to leave.
It’s sick and distorting the religion they are so committed to teaching. These rules and regulations are that of a cult, not a regular church. I always knew my father had connections to bad people, but to use religion as a prison is disgusting.
Tears sting my eyes once more as I stare out the window into the darkness beyond at the ground below. I can’t see anything but shadows, and I wonder if I can run tonight. I wanted to wake up and leave early, but now that I note the time on the clock as four in the morning, I realize it will be best to make my move now. Under the cloak of night, I can get out of here without them finding out.
If they don’t know I’m gone until morning when the sun is high, maybe it will give me time to put enough distance between me and this place. I know I can’t stay here. I can never live through the sick rules they’ve set out.
Rising from the chair, I head to my closet and pull open the door. My heart leaps wildly as nerves set in with the realization of what I’m about to do. I swallow down the dread that rears itself, tightening my chest with anxiety. My throat is thick with emotion, threatening to choke me. The small rucksack I packed before my father carted me off to this shithole is still filled with memories of home.
Before he dragged me off to Her Lady of Sorrows, I packed a few things I thought I would need. Without overthinking, I shoved everything in a backpack. I took small trinkets that would always remind me of where I came from, along with some clothes I haven’t been able to wear in months.
Unzipping it, I find a pair of dark blue jeans, which I pull on quickly. I shove my feet into a pair of socks and my sneakers. Thankfully, they didn’t take away my belongings when I arrived. The tank top I find in my bag is black, which will allow me some form of camouflage in the darkness. Once I’m dressed, I pin my long hair in a messy bun and close my bag, making sure all I need is inside. The only thing I don’t have is a coat, so I’ll have to brave the chilly early morning air.
I don’t have any food or drink to take with me, which could be a problem, but I don’t want to alert anyone who may be up early and in the kitchen at the moment. Taking one last glance around the small room I’ve spent two years in, I leave the letter on the desk and turn to make my way out the door, shutting it silently behind me. The hallways are quiet, and the moment my feet hit the ground outside the back door of the convent, I run.
It’s not too long before I reach the tree where my father told me about Lance and said his final goodbye to me. But I don’t allow that bitter memory to slow me down. I focus on the gate, which is only a few hundred feet from me. My body feels light as I near the wall. Even though this is a place of God, there is a small security building near the exit, and I slow my steps when I near it.
The lights are off, and I slink against the wall, hoping and praying with all I have that they’re asleep or not even inside. If they are, they’ll see my form moving past the window that faces the exit. I notice the large metal gate is only inches from me now as I sneak toward it, and when I near it, I notice it’s ajar.
Moving toward the gap, I slow down, closing my eyes and taking a long deep breath. Leaning out to see if there’s anyone close by, I take in every shadow and listen, trying to pick out a sound in the dark.
When I don’t see or hear anyone, I slip through, and as soon as I do, I hold my breath when I notice one of the guards smoking as he leans on the opposite side of the wall. He doesn’t turn my way, his focus on the screen of his cell phone.
Closing my eyes, I pull in a quiet breath and hold it as I take tentative steps backward toward the trees that surround the outer area of the convent. A quick glance over my shoulder gives me a second to watch where I’m going so I don’t bump into anything and alert him of my presence. Thankfully, it’s dark, and there are no lights on, so he doesn’t notice me moving over the soft grass.
Sweat trickles down my spine, making me shiver, and I’m tempted to swipe at it. As soon as I’m hidden by a large tree trunk, I press my back against it and exhale slowly.
There are footfalls, which have my heart thudding brutally against my chest, and I chance a glance over my shoulder to find the guard making his way through the gate. He tugs the heavy metal closed and throws a chain along the bars, locking it with a heavy padlock.
I’m free.
I want to shout and scream, but I don’t. It was easy, too easy, but I don’t focus on that just yet. I can’t, because if I do, I’ll panic, and all I need to do is put distance between the convent and me.
I know I’m not out of the woods just yet. There are still many miles to go before I’m safe. Once I hear the click of the door from the security building on the other side of the high concrete wall, I move through the trees, hoping I’m heading toward the road, which leads to my freedom.
I’m not sure how long I walk, but by the time I reach a road, the sun is peeking on the horizon. I don’t hear any sirens, so I’m sure they haven’t figured out I’m gone yet. There’s still a niggling in my gut, reminding me that my escape was far too smooth. I tamper it down as soon as it flares through me, and I know deep down, something isn’t right.
I’m not Arthur’s daughter if I don’t question things. He always taught me to be wary, vigilant of what’s around me, and this has alarm bells ringing in my head. But I have to worry about that later. Right now, all I need to do is get to the city.
There aren’t any cars on the road, and I’m not sure if I should head left or right, so I take a guess and turn to my left. There’s not much out here, which gives me pause for a second, but I can’t stop now. The farther away I can get, the better chance I have of being free.
I notice how the sky turns from a dark purple into a beautiful orange from the glow of the sun rising. There aren’t any clouds in the sky, and that tells me it’s going to be a scorcher of a day. I’ve always preferred summertime, the heat giving life to plants and trees, but if I’m walking for miles, I’m hoping to find somewhere to hide before the sun is high in the sky.
I’m already sweating, and I know I’ll have to find some water soon. My feet are aching in the sneakers I’m wearing
, my heels already burning from walking so much. It’s more remote than I had imagined, and I wonder just how much farther I need to walk to get some help.
My body is weary, and I’m tempted to sit under a tree in the shade, but I need to keep going. Weariness takes hold of me, but there’s one thing I learned from listening to Lance’s tales of the jobs he’d been on—never give up. So, my first thought is to find someone who would be willing to help me.
And that’s when I see a beautiful, sleek, charcoal Maserati making its way toward me. Everything in my gut tells me to hide, but I’m hungry, tired, and soon I’ll pass out, so I flag it down and hope the person inside is going to save me.
Lance
The road before me is empty, and I open the engine, causing the machine between my legs to speed down the asphalt surface. My mind is on getting into San Antonio and finding Arthur. He must still be out there, and I wonder if he’s waiting on me to attempt finding Giuliana.
A heavy feeling in my gut tightens. Something is wrong. He would never have sent me to the same city as his daughter if he didn’t have a plan. There are eleven other men within the Cavalieri he could have sent to complete this job. Ten, actually, since he has Percivale in New York.
So, even though I believe I’m heading to take out a mark we’ve been looking for, this could very well be a trap. The sun is nearing the horizon, setting into the edge of the earth that I can see from behind my visor. The sky is a beautiful, fiery orange and red, burning its way across the landscape.