Afterthought - M J Marlow (pdf to ebook reader .txt) 📗

to attend a lot of funerals, my dear,” Edward laughed. “If you tell anyone what I have threatened, Princess, they will die first!” He traced the tattoo and smiled as he admired his work on the living canvas he wanted to possess. “One or two more ‘sessions’ and you will see that you have no choice but to obey me. Then, my precious toy,” he laughed as he claimed her unmarked breast, suckling her until she was sobbing in horror, “we will begin your training for my bed.” He heard sirens and let her go. He kissed her one more time and then slugged her across the jaw. She blacked out as he and Aileen ran. When she came to, a police officer was covering her with his jacket. A crime lab person dusted the shackles for prints and took photographs of the scene and of her body. The officer removed her wrists from the shackles and helped her sit up. She was lost. She could not fight that maniac. Not if she wanted her orphans to stay alive. He had known exactly how to threaten to get her to obey. She was in the ambulance when the car with her uncles and Emilio arrived. “Is she all right?” Silvano asked the EMT. “He didn’t…” “He didn’t rape her,” the man shook his head. “Her wrists are bruised from the shackles, but he didn’t hurt her.” He looked at Evangeline. “She’s just been frightened…” Evangeline whimpered and Silvano sat down next to her and held her hand. She would not look at him and he knew she was hiding something. The man had threatened her in a way she felt she could not fight. Well, he was going to show her that was not true. He watched the EMT give her something to calm her and she drifted off to sleep. “My angel?” Stefano said softly as she started to come around again. Her eyes shot open and he saw the terror in them. That bastard was going to pay for doing this to his child. His beautiful fearless child was traumatized by what he had said to her. He pulled her into his arms. “Do not be afraid, child. Papa is here.” Evangeline burst into tears and turned away from him. Whatever Landry had said to her had left a mark on her mind; as he had left the additional marks on her body. Stefano let her go and motioned Sister Constantia over to see to her. She would not stop crying, even for the motherly woman. Stefano left the bedroom and entered the main room of the penthouse. All of the family was there, and he could see they were ready to shed blood over this. He did not blame them. He nodded as Alexander handed him a whiskey and sat down. “She is traumatized by this event,” Stefano told them bluntly. “She would not speak to me.” He looked at them all. “The monster is following his same pattern. He finds a victim and takes them somewhere to mark them. He tells them he will be back to claim them and if they refuse to go with him, he will hurt someone they care about. She thinks we are unaware of this.” He saw the girls go pale. “I do not want to inflict this on you, girls. Perhaps you could go sit with your cousin?” Daria and the twins went into the bedroom and closed the door. Stefano looked at the Sterling men and his brothers and his son. They were of a mind on this, he could see. They needed to find out whom Landry had threatened so they could protect them. And then they would lock Evangeline in a room if they had to in order to keep her from making an unnecessary sacrifice. He had a feeling he knew who Landry’s targets would be. “He will go after the orphans,” he told the men bluntly. “He won’t bother coming after the family; we are too well protected.” “I’ll put some shadows in place around the orphanage,” Emilio nodded. He got up to go and paused to look at the closed door. “If I get my hands on that bastard…” “We all share your rage, Emilio,” Stefano nodded. “Let us see what we can do about getting our hands on the man before he makes his next move.” “Just how do we do that?” Sterling asked bluntly. “You and the authorities tracked him for five years before he slipped up and you caught him. He is not going to make the same mistake again.” “Neither am I,” Stefano said coldly. “We know him, Alastair. He is a creature of habit. He will not wait long before he takes another girl.” He frowned as he thought the situation over. “He took Evangeline because she is my daughter and he wanted to wound me. She is not his usual type and that explains why the tattoo is not his usual style.” He went to the phone and called Interpol. “Inspector Lancaster, please. This is Prince Roza.” He only waited half a minute. “Lancaster? Yes, we are fully aware that he is loose. He took my daughter.” He nodded as the other man talked a moment. “I need you to send a copy of your files on this man to the Savoy in Paris. We have the penthouse.” He nodded. “That might be best. We’ll have a room prepared for you.” He hung up and turned to the others. “He will be bringing the files and as many of the original team that took Landry down as possible.” The door opened and Daria stood there, ashen faced. “Uncle Stefano,” she choked out, “we need you in here.” He hurried in and the others wondered what was going on. Daria closed the door on them and turned to her uncle. “She is muttering all kinds of nonsense about how it would be better if she just died. They’d be safe if she were dead.” She looked at him. “What is she talking about, Uncle?” “If you could all leave me alone with my daughter?” Stefano asked as he approached the bed. He watched the four women leave and then locked the door behind them. He went to sit on the bed and yanked Evangeline up. She looked at him in shock. “What is wrong with you, child? You’ve faced worse than this and come out fighting.” He shook her roughly. “Do you really think we are going to allow him to hurt your orphans or keep your Mother in thrall?” He saw her eyes widen and he nodded. “Of course, we know what he said to you. I put this man in prison, daughter; do you think I did that without learning something about how he works?” “He-he said he would slit their throats and dump them in my bed,” Evangeline sobbed, “if I didn’t come when he called.” “Are you his bitch, daughter?” Stefano said harshly. He could see it was working as the familiar fire flared to life in her eyes. “No, you are Roza! And we do not heel for maniacs!” He embraced her then and all the stiffness flowed out of her. “You do not keep such secrets from us again, child! We are family and we stand as one.” “Yes, Father.” Evangeline sobbed. “He – he won’t hurt my orphans? Or Mama?” “Let him try!” Stefano said to her. “He will find himself back in prison!” He held out his handkerchief. “Now dry those beautiful eyes of yours and put on something pretty. We will go out to dinner.” He went out and sent the girls back in to help Evangeline get ready. He looked at Adam. “All this time he was pulling the same thing on Aileen, and I never knew it!” He put his head in his hands. “If only she’d said something to me, we could have avoided all of this.” Days passed and Evangeline began to feel more confident in their abilities to keep the orphans safe. She sat on Shalimar and watched as the new house went up, her three ladies and two guards accompanying her. The foundation and exterior were up now and landscaping was being put in place. She was fascinated by the way it matched the sketches her Grandmother had made. They went inside and all of the walls were up and the finishes were going in. She smiled as the contractor Monsieur Torval had hired to oversee the work came over and spent a few moments discussing changes that had been made to the layout in order to accommodate the security protocols her father had asked for. “As long as it does not jeopardize the space requirements over much, Monsieur Boussard,” Evangeline told him; “you are free to do what you need to do. All I care for is that it looks like my Grandmother’s blueprints and sketches.” “Princess,” Yvette called out, and tapped her watch. “I must go now,” Evangeline smiled at him. “I have an appointment I cannot miss.” She went back out and mounted her mare and rode off with her entourage. They left their mounts in the care of the stable hands and went to the main house. The children were all waiting for her in the theater. “Have you been practicing? “Yes, Princess,” the children chimed together. “Then you will show me, please, what you have learned,” Evangeline smiled over at a silver-haired man with a bushy moustache, “from Signore Scarlatti.” She sat down on the stage and smiled as the nun played the waltz at a slow pace. She was impressed with how well most of the children had picked up the steps; but there was one boy who seemed determined to step on his partner’s toes. “Pierre! This is not combat.” She got on her feet and held her hand out to Signore Scarlatti. “Signore? Shall we show them again what a waltz should look like?” “I shall be honored,” Scarlatti smiled and took her hand in his. The children moved off to the sides of the room and Evangeline curtsied to her partner. He bowed and then took her in his arms. The music played and they moved around the room. At seventy, the man still had most of the men she had danced with beat. When it was over, she was in awe of him. He bowed low and kissed her hand. Then he turned to the children. “We try again!” he ordered and the children took their places. “Pierre,” he pointed to the boy; “you will dance with the Princess. I shall have your partner.” Evangeline held her hand out to the boy and he turned bright red as he took it and she curtsied to him. He bowed and then put his hand on her waist. The music started and she led him gently and patiently through the steps. He only stepped on her toes once and she merely smiled and urged him to continue. At the end he was beaming with pride at his accomplishment. Evangeline shook his hand and left him to continue with Marie. Scarlatti came over to sit with her. “You have done wonders with these children, Miss Evangeline,” he said bluntly. Then he colored. “I mean, Princess…” “You, Signore,” Evangeline broke in, “may call me Eva, as all of my friends and loved ones do.” She took his hand in hers. “I grew up with your teaching. I look on you as another uncle. Thank you for helping me with the little ones.” “It is my pleasure,” Scarlatti blushed crimson. He looked at his watch. “It is time to end this. May we have one more dance before I take my leave? Your choice.” “Jive?” “Are you certain you are up to it?” Scarlatti teased her. He went to the piano and told the nun what he wanted her to play. “If you know the piece.” She played