Kidnapped by the Devil

Chapter 21: Matteo

"Two years ago my family went on vacation with the Cassedine's and their kids. We had a beach house on the bay and we went there every summer. One night me, my brother Angelo, and my sister Angela stumbled upon an abandoned boat house. We loved playing hide and seek in it when we were kids and I decided we should play," she begins softly. I sit up to look at her, but she seems to be caught in the memory. "Angela wanted to go home, but I whined and said it'll be just one game. They caved and said okay. It was Angelo who decided he would be the seeker. Angela went to hide in the attic like she always does, but I hid downstairs in a closet. I smelt smoke, but I thought it was from the bonfire that our family was having on the beach," she says as she chokes on her sobs. Seeing her like this makes me feel something that I haven't felt in what feels like forever; sympathy. She seems so strong on the outside, but right now she looks as fragile as glass. I carefully pull her into my arms to try and give her some type of comfort. "Angelo found me in no time, but he was still searching for Angela. I was getting bored waiting on them and left the boat house to go back to the party. There was this loud noise coming from the boat house and everyone rushed over to see what it was," she cries. My heart races as I think of that night. I was there at that bonfire with Brandon when Carter ran off drunk. "I heard screams coming from the boat house and ran faster towards it. When I got there the house was engulfed in flames. I didn't think and ran inside in search of my brother and sister. I could hear their screams coming from the storage attic and made my way up the stairs. The stairs collapsed when I reached the top. I saw Angelo laying on the ground unconscious and Angela was crying over him. I told her we needed to leave before we all died. We broke the attic window and people managed to catch Angelo as we scooted him out. I could hear my mother hysterically crying. The flames had reached the attic and Angela made me go next. As I scooted out the window some of the roof caved in. I told Angela to hurry, but she told me to just keep going. I did as my big sister told me to, but then my vision got blurry and I felt myself falling. I had passed out. I woke up in the hospital and my mother cried to me. She told me that Angela died in the house and Angelo died a few hours later in the hospital from severe smoke inhalation," she cries out and my heart stops. The papers didn't say anything about people dying in that boat house fire. "I had a broken leg and a concussion, and my brother and sister were dead. People said I was lucky to have lived, but what life is there to live if I lost the two closest people to my heart," she sobs and I embrace her as she cries into my chest. I feel so bad for what she's lost. I can see why she reacted the way she did when I kidnapped her now. She's all her parents have left. "It's my fault," she screams pulling away from me and grab her chin. Her beautiful face is covered in tears and my heart drops to my stomach. She's blaming herself for Carter's recklessness. How am I going to tell her that? She's walking through life with the guilt of her brother's and sister's death on her shoulders while he's living off of his rich uncle and partying it up. A fucking scumbag.

"It's not your fault tesoro," I say firmly trying to keep my anger at bay.

"If it's not mine, then who's," she asks through gritted teeth causing panic to rise in my chest. A pissed off Carina is something I don't want to encounter, but I don't want to lose her. I also don't want to lie to her. I need us to start off the right way. You cannot expect anything to be great if it starts with lies. I exhale deeply as I come to my decision.

"Carina promise me that once I tell you this you won't leave me," I practically whisper.

"Matteo what's going on?! Tell me," she demands.

"I was there at the bonfire party that night. I came with my friend Brandon and his cousin Carter. Brandon and I were told to keep an eye on him, but Carter gets pretty carless when he's drunk. The moment we turned our backs, he was gone. He mumbled something about a girl named Angie and stormed to that boat house. Brandon and I searched everywhere for him, but we couldn't find him until we heard an rumbling noise come from the boat house. Carter was running from that direction and to Brandon's dad's beach house. When we got there Jason told us everything, but he didn't tell us people were in the house. If I would have known I would have told the police instead of letting Jason clean it up. I'm so sorry Carina," I explain. Carina's face is pale and her eyes are cold and distant. She snatches her hands out of mine and gets out of bed. My heart is beating ridiculously fast and my hands are shaking. I'm going to lose her. I jump out of her bed and run over to her. "Carina talk to me," I plead. I can't lose her the same night I finally open myself to her.