Afterthought by M J Marlow (red white royal blue .txt) 📖

forged note that had been prepared. In it Evangeline told them that she was going to the house in Normandy. Elaine had told her that Edward was using it as his bolt hole. She had to go quickly and so had left the note to tell them where to find her. Pietro hid his smile as the two young men cursed and ran off. Eight other men from various areas in the auditorium followed them. He clapped his hands and the carnival began to break down. Darkness. Cold. Pain. These three sensations were constant as Evangeline woke up and saw nothing. She tried to check her eyes and there were no lenses rendering her blind. She could hear sounds all around her but they were muted as if she were inside of something, or they were. She sat up and her head hit a lid. She was inside of something. She tried to make it open and it would not budge. She was locked inside of something. Evangeline fought the panic that coursed through her mind and put herself to the problem of escape. They couldn’t get her away; she had brought her own squad of bodyguards with her. Any minute they would arrive and she would be set free. She felt her body and she was wearing only her bra and panties. She remembered that they had stripped her when they had taken her prisoner. They were going to kill Elaine Landry and make it look like Evangeline was dead. She couldn’t let that happen. The woman, evil as she had been, did not deserve to die like that. She beat on the trunk lid and screamed for help, but no one came at her call. “She’s awake,” Pietro smiled as he sat with his feet on top of the trunk Evangeline was locked inside. “What do you plan to do with her this time, my friend?” “I’ve sold her to the Lassiter twins,” Edward told him. “They were so enchanted with her during the training session that I hadn’t the heart to refuse them.” He saw the man frown. “You disapprove?” “I am in no position to disapprove,” Pietro replied. “You have given us enough money to keep the carnival running for twenty years. Do what you please with the girl.” He looked at the man curiously. “I thought you wanted the princess as your own?” “She’s too much trouble for me,” Edward replied. “I need to be able to move quickly and she would tie me down.” He shook his head. “She will be much more use as arm candy for those spoiled dandies.” Pietro shook his head and got to his feet. He went to his door and opened it. Edward watched as men with guns walked in. He found himself in handcuffs as Pietro unlocked the trunk and helped Evangeline out. He took a blanket off the bed and wrapped her in it then let her sit down. She looked at him in confusion as he began to pull off his beard. His face came off next and Edward hissed as he recognized Inspector Lancaster from Interpol. “Edward Landry,” he said simply as he continued pulling off his disguise; “aka Peter Lombard. You are under arrest for multiple charges of kidnapping, white slavery, and a murder.” He nodded to his men. “Get him out of here.” He watched the man go and then turned to the girl. “Princess, I am Inspector Lancaster from Interpol. I worked with your father the last time that monster was taken into custody.” He went to get a towel and wet it so he could wipe the makeup off. “He asked me to step in and make certain ‘Pietro’ was not in a position to harm you.” “But you make a very convincing Pietro, Inspector Lancaster,” Evangeline shook her head. “You find it useful to play the wandering carnival?” “You are a very perceptive young woman,” Lancaster aka Pietro smiled at her. “Have you ever thought of a career in law enforcement?” “I would drive my father insane with worry, Inspector,” Evangeline laughed. She pulled the blanket closer. “There are more of them out there,” she said softly as she remembered something she’d heard once. Lancaster looked at her quizzically. “Landry has associates and disciples. They are going to blame me for this.” “We could arrange your death…” “I’ve only just found my family, Inspector,” Evangeline shook her head. “I couldn’t do that to them. Not like my uncle Adam did.” “How do you know these things, girl?” Lancaster asked her. “Do we have it tattooed across our foreheads?” He saw her wince and he frowned. “I’m sorry, Princess. That was a very thoughtless comment.” He watched her open the trunk and pull out a plain blue dress. He turned his back so she could put it on. “All right,” he nodded and held out his hand. “I have a challenge for you.” He saw that she was curious. “Come along, Princess.” They walked out onto the deck of a boat where the carnival men and women were sitting. Lancaster nodded to the carnival people. “Tell me which of them is Interpol and why you think so.” “This one,” Evangeline nodded to a short round man with a thin moustache and goatee. “Uncle Adam’s hands are too clean and too soft for someone who is supposed to have worked a carnival.” She approached the next person and pulled off the obvious wig. “Honestly, Gideon,” she laughed at her cousin. “You need a better wigmaker.” She stood back. “That one is Michael Lyndon. That one is Gabriel Lyndon. The four on the end are Lyndon trained but nearly fooled me because I don’t know them.” She turned to the women. “The makeup is either too soft or too overdone, and again the hands are too soft and they are too clean.” There were only five people left among the carnival folk. She drew one forward. “Now this is how you should look. Uncle Silvano and his men know what they are doing.” “She didn’t miss one of us,” Michael Lyndon frowned. “We’ve been training for years and this little girl saw right through us.” He ruffled Evangeline’s hair. “Must be the Lyndon blood in you.” “She caught you first,” Silvano sniffed. He pulled out his cell phone. “Brother. The monster is caught. You can come claim your child.” He hung up and held his arms out to Evangeline. “Little angel, you are a wonder,” he said as he embraced her. “You should think about taking up a place in this traveling asylum from time to time.” “Over my dead body,” Stefano hissed as he heard his brother’s comment. He held his arms out to his daughter and held her tight to his chest. “If it were the good old days, I would lock this one in a tower and not let her out until I had her husband chosen and the priest standing ready to join them.” He saw her look and laughed. “But she is Roza. She will do as her mind and her heart dictate.” “For now,” Evangeline sighed as she leaned close and listened to her father’s heartbeat; “let’s go home, Father. Where we belong.”
Imprint

Text: M J Marlow
Images: Bookrix
Editing: M J Marlow
Publication Date: 01-10-2010

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