Her heart leaped as headlights pierced the darkness, a car approaching.
She stepped forward, her arm outstretched, hope flaring in her chest.
Then she stretched out her hand to stop the car, her posture a mix of desperation and resilience.
The vehicle slowed to a crawl, the engine purring like a predatory beast in the stillness of the night.
The driver's side window rolled down, revealing a middle-aged man with a concerned look on his face. "Miss, are you okay?" he asked, his voice thick with an Italian accent.
Evangeline's heart raced as she stepped closer to the car, her hand still outstretched. "Yes," she lied, her voice shaking with the effort of maintaining composure. "I just need a ride."
The man's gaze lingered on her for a moment, taking in her disheveled appearance.
Then, with a nod, he unlocked the door. "Get in," he said gruffly. "Where do you wanna go?."
Evangeline didn't hesitate. She flung the door open and collapsed into the passenger seat.
"Thank you," she breathed, her voice a whisper of relief. "Please, take me anywhere—just away from here."
The man studied her for a moment before nodding.
"I'll take you to the nearest bus station," he said, his expression a mix of kindness and concern. "You don't look like you're from around here." He said while driving.
Evangeline nodded gratefully, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.
"Thank you," she murmured again. She ignored his last sentence as not form any conversations.
The song on the radio was a classic rock anthem.
The car sped down the dark, winding road, the headlights cutting through the inky blackness like twin knives.
The man's hand tapped out the beat on the steering wheel, his eyes never leaving the road.
Evangeline stared out the window, her eyes glazed over as she watched the trees blur into a wall of shadowy forms.
Her exhaustion washed over her in waves, each one more insistent than the last.
Her eyes grew heavier, her eyelids like lead weights pulling her into the sweet oblivion of sleep.
The vibration of the car lulled her, the rhythmic thump of the bass line acting as a siren's call to the depths of unconsciousness.
She leaned her head against the cool glass, her eyes fluttering closed.
"Miss, we're here," the driver's voice pierced the silence, jolting her from her doze.
She sat up with a startle, rubbing her eyes as she looked around.
The mansion loomed before her, the very sight of it a nightmare made real.
She sucked in a sharp breath, her heart hammering in her chest.
"No," she whispered, her voice hoarse with fear. "This can't be."
The man chuckled, his eyes gleaming in the dim light of the car's interior. "You think you can escape from the Don Vincente Castellanos?"
Evangeline's blood ran cold at the mention of the name.
She knew she had made a mistake. Her hand fumbled for the door handle.
"Don't bother," the driver chuckled, his amusement clear in the dim light of the car. "You're not going anywhere."
The car door swung open, and the cool night air rushed in.
"You're one of them," she spat out, her voice laced with anger and fear. The man's chuckled was the only response, a sound that made her skin crawl and disgusted at him.
The man had been sent to retrieve her, to bring her back to the monster she had tried so desperately to escape.
Her stomach twisted in knots, she bolted from the car, her bare feet pounding against the gravel driveway.
The man, now standing outside the car, chuckled darkly. "Miss Evangeline, you flatter yourself," he said, his words a serrated knife slicing through her hope. "Don Castellanos doesn't let anyone just wander away."
She attempted to run, with her weak legs barely supporting her, but she saw many guards in black suits blocking her path to the gate.
One of them stepped forward, a smirk playing on his face. "Miss Evangeline," he said, his voice thick with amusement. "Where do you think you're going?"
Before she could respond, two more figures emerged from the shadows, their movements swift and silent.
They were women, both dressed in black skirts and blouses, their expressions as cold. They grabbed her arms from both sides, their grip like steel.
Evangeline felt her heart drop into her stomach, her eyes widening with fear.
"Let me go!" she screamed, trying to wrench her arms free.
Their faces impassive as they dragged her back towards the mansion.
She kicked and struggled, her feet scraping against the gravel, leaving trails of blood behind her.
"Quiet," one of them hissed in her ear, her grip tightening. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."
Tears streamed down Evangeline's cheeks, leaving salty trails skin.
The sound of her sobs echoed through the cavernous hallway.
The two women in black didn't bother to cover her mouth.
Her eyes were wild, darting from one end of the hallway to the other, searching for an escape that she knew wasn't there.
As they approached the door at the end of the corridor, the sound of her sobs grew louder, bouncing off the marble walls and echoing through the vast space.
"Let me go!" she shrieked, her voice raw with fear and desperation. "Please, I'll wanna go home to my morher!"
The woman on her left rolled her eyes, while the one on the right tightened her grip. "Save your breath," she said coldly. "You're going back to where you belong."
The woman on Evangeline's right knocked firmly on the heavy wooden door. "Sir Castellanos," she called out, her voice sharp and authoritative. "We have brought her back."
The door at the end of the corridor swung open before them as a deep voice replied "come in!" revealing a vast, jacuzzi room.
Steam billowed out into the cooler air, carrying the scent of chlorine and something darker.
Vincente Castellanos sat in the bubbling water, his head leaned back against the jacuzzi's marble edge.
His eyes remained closed, the muscles in his jaw tightening and relaxing with every breath.