Page 48 of In Ruins
“Aria. Don’t worry, I might be the only person who knows. I saw you with her that night at the masquerade party because she came with my girl, and you know, after, since my girl had to collect her to take her home.”
“Well, continue to keep your lips zipped,” I grumble, and he grins at me. I almost forgot he saw me going to the guesthouse with Aria while he was with his girl.
“Will do, boss,” he says before leaving.
I sit and just stare at my computer screen for the next forty-five minutes as I wait for the girl to get here. Finally, she walks in ahead of Bruno ten minutes after that. I motion for her to take a seat and waste no time questioning her.
“Where is Aria? She hasn’t been home in about a week, and she’s not with Salvatore either. I know their wedding was postponed for now, so she’d have no reason to be with him anyway.”
“Uh, I don’t know,” she mumbles in a scared voice.
“Relax. I’m not going to kill you. I just need some answers,” I say, because I’m sure she knows my reputation around these parts. “All I want to know is where Aria is.”
“I honestly don’t know. All I know is that her father sent her away to some convent, but I have no clue where. He kept all the details to himself.”
“Why did he do that? She’s supposed to marry Salvatore soon, so why would he send her away?” I question. Before, I wasn’t too concerned, but now I’m thinking there's no way she’s going to marry that fool, especially not when I’ve decided I want to keep her for myself.
“Uh, I don’t know why. And yeah, she was supposed to. But I thought you would stop that since she’s been with you and Salvatore is kind of expecting a virgin.” She mumbles that last part out.
“Well, that’s why I need to find her,” I tell her. “There’s no way I’m letting her marry that idiot.”
“Like I said, I don’t know where. All I know is that it’s a convent and it’s in the country. At least he didn’t send her to onethat’s overseas because the asshole would if he wanted to,” she tells me.
“Why a convent of all places?”
“Uh, I’m not sure. No one really knows why Bernardo does the things he does. He said something about her needing religion to learn how to be the perfect wife for Salvatore or something like that.”
“Are you sure that’s all?” I ask.
“Uh, yes. I’m sure.”
We talk for a few more minutes, and then I motion for them to leave.
“Thanks,” I tell her just as she makes it to the door.
After they’re both gone, I call Xander and tell him to start looking for my girl because she’s gone missing.
CHAPTER 14
ARIA
The late-afternoon sun shines over the horizon as we get farther away from the house. My body is littered with bruises. Some have turned black and blue, while others have a yellowish tinge. My bones ache with the pain from the beating my father gave me, and my mind isn’t faring much better. It’s numb as I sit in the back seat of the car, staring unseeingly out the window while the driver takes me away from everything I’ve known my entire life.I still can’t believe I’m on my way to a damn convent.
To say it was a disaster when my father found out what I was hiding would be an understatement. Everything changed in an instant, and it’s hard to wrap my head around all that happened to me this past weekend.
He came back to ask about the baby’s father, and I’m glad I didn’t break. I kept up the lie, sticking to my original story of a random hookup and saying I didn't know the guy's name. I can’t believe the asshole actually went through with his threat to send me away.
I place a hand over my tummy, a smile crossing my face as I think about my little nugget in there. I’m just glad that—it’s a miracle really—I was able to avoid being hit in the stomach when Father was hitting me and kicking me. I’m just hoping andpraying that everything really is fine. I haven’t had any cramps, spotting, or bleeding, so I’m taking that as a good sign.
From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I made a silent promise to always protect her and do everything in my power to keep her safe, but most importantly, keep her away from my father’s clutches. Maybe, while I’m at this convent, I can come up with a plan to run away from him and the life I’ve always known. I let out a sigh because I know disappearing will be harder than it sounds. I have no money with me, nor do I have access to any. He said everything is already paid for. Plus, I’m sure he’ll have the staff there watching me, so I’ll have to scope out the place to see what my options are.
My mind goes to Enzo next. I wonder if he’ll notice my absence. Will he even look for me? Highly unlikely, since we don’t have that kind of relationship. For all I know, he could just say good riddance and be done with me.
And that is such a depressing thought, because being with him made me feel so alive and wanted for the first time in my life. I didn’t feel like I was a burden. Our relationship was obviously an unconventional one, but it made me feel free even if all we had was sex. It was more than I ever could have asked for. That little glimpse of what life could be like makes me want it even more now.
It takes a little over an hour to get to the convent. We’re somewhere in Indiana, at least that’s what the sign said. It’s already dark by the time we make it here. I get out of the car and look around, taking in my surroundings while the driver takes my bags out of the trunk.
The church is huge, with an exterior like an elaborate castle, built centuries ago. From what I can see, it still looks pretty new. My driver motions for me to follow him, and I do. Instead of walking up the steps that lead into the church, we walk pastthem toward the stone path that’s at the side of the building. There’s already a nun there, waiting for us.
