“No, that’s not.That’s human trafficking.”
“I know Diego’s been rumored to do stuff like that, but I thought Russo wasn’t part of that, and I don’t think they would accept us Salvatores being sold.”
Adelina went to the other woman and wrapped her arms around her.“It’s fine.Okay.It’s going to be okay.”
A door opened, and light came through.
Isabella started to visibly shake and Adelina felt sick.She had heard plenty of horror stories over the years, horrible tales of women being sold.The pain and degradation they had to go through.Most of them ending up in the sex trade.
This couldn’t be happening, just as her life was getting so good.She was potentially pregnant with Massimo’s baby, and now this ...no, she couldn’t accept that.
When the person came toward the cages, the light cast enough of a glow to show exactly who it was.
“Lily-Mae,” Isabella said.
The other woman put a hand to her lips.“You’ve got to come now.”
Was this a trap?
“Why should we trust you?”Adelina asked.
“Look, I know you don’t trust me, but if you don’t let me help you, and Massimo doesn’t come in time, you’re going to get sold, or worse, beaten for sport.I ...I never knew what was going on.Now that I do, I know this is not the Russo way, and I like my life.I like being able to afford nice things and live my life.This is going to get me killed, and as much as I hate that you got Massimo, I don’t actually want to see you hurt.”
“And you know if you let anyone hurt her, Massimo will not hesitate just because you’re a woman,” Isabella said.
“There is also that.Look, we don’t have a lot of time.Come on, before someone finds us,” Lily-Mae said.
She had the key in her hand, and Adelina didn’t trust this woman.Something didn’t feel right to her, but now it was her only chance to escape, and she wasn’t going to let this opportunity go.
Rushing forward with Isabella, they stood at the cage, and she kept expecting Lily-Mae to laugh at them.To show that it was all a horrible trick.
The cage opened, and they were able to step out, and Lily-Mae urged them to follow.They went up the stairs, and the motel they were in was dirty.Wallpaper peeled from the walls, and she saw black mold in the corners.There were cobwebs, and there were crumbling parts of the wall actually on the floor.When she looked up, she saw signs of water damage across the ceiling.
“Come on,” Lily-Mae said.
They walked down the long corridor, but they heard voices, and then someone turned a corner, and they rushed into a room that smelled like human feces.Adelina put a hand to her face and tried not to vomit.
“Oh, God,” Isabella said, looking across the room.
Adelina gasped and even Lily-Mae cried out as the body of a naked woman, covered in blood, had been left on the bed.
“What the fuck?”Isabella asked.
This was not good.She felt her sister-in-law was close to losing it.
“Let’s go,” Lily-Mae said.
They left the room, and it felt like they were going in a maze.
“Hey!”the loud, booming voice came down the hallway from behind them.
“Oh, shit,” Lily-Mae said.“Run, just run.”
And they started to run, and Adelina couldn’t stop, even if she wanted to.She had to get away.She felt this new rush of need to make it out of there alive.There was nothing else she could do but think of her baby, of a life with Massimo.She wasn’t going to get any of that without running.This was her life.This was her future, and she was not going to allow herself to be taken, hurt, or to be away from the love of her life.
“Up ahead,” Lily-Mae said.
Adelina saw the door.She saw the freedom, and just as hope bloomed in her chest, the doors opened, and for a moment, she truly thought she was going to be able to save her life.This was it.The end of the road.
