Adria didn’t know why she said it. She wasn’t in the habit of being vulnerable with strangers, but something about the man in front of her, this place, put her at ease.
He assessed her before saying, “I can go into the old archives and see what I can find. It’ll take me a few days. And I make no guarantees.”
Adria nodded. “I can come back.”
He smiled. “I hope you do.”
“Do you like working here?” she asked, not ready to stop their little conversation.
His smile widened. “Very much. My grandfather was a priest, and I always wanted to follow in his footsteps.”
“And your father?” Adria asked.
“He wasn’t around.”
Adria frowned. “I’m sorry.”
The priest put his hand against his heart. “I’m not. The past shapes us, but it doesn’t get to say what type of person we become.”
Adria looked at the wall of history in front of her. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Plus, it’s in the uncomfortable places that we feel God’s presence.”
Adria turned back to look at him. “Your God wants you to be in pain in order to feel him?”
“Not mine, everyone’s,” he said seriously. “But yes and no. In pain, no, but uncomfortable, yes. It’s in the new, uncomfortable feelings that you are most aware. That’s when you feel the things that were always there but went unnoticed. When you’re in pain, that’s a given. But sometimes it can be unusual to feel pleasure or safety. It’s in those new feelings that you feel his presence. ”
“God’s,” Adria stated, more like a question.
“Exactly.”
Adria nodded, understanding what it meant to feel uncomfortable in safety.
CHAPTER 52
CURITIBA PARANÁ
Kaydon watched Seth pinch the tip of the pliers around Rolland’s littlest fingernail. Seth gripped Rolland’s wrist with his free hand, and in one fluid motion the nail was removed.
The man was screaming before the pain registered. But Kaydon could tell when the sensation hit him, because the tenor of his pathetic whimpering changed.
Seth rolled his shoulders. “It’s been a while. Thought we might be rusty.”
Kaydon ripped a piece of fabric, fashioning a gag. “It’s like riding a bike.”
Normally, Kaydon didn’t allow Seth to play with his food for too long, but he was going to make an exception for Rolland.
Objectively it wasn’t fair. Callen was the real monster. He was the one who had ordered his men to beat and tie Seth and himself. Callen was the one who had beaten Bryson within an inch of his life.
He was the one who didn’t give a shit about family or loyalty.
But for all intent and purposes, Callen was untouchable, and it wasn’t like Rolland didn’t deserve it.
Kaydon moved to shove the fabric between Rolland’s lips, but Rolland clamped his mouth shut, shaking his head. It was all so predictable.
Kaydon watched Seth move to straddle Rolland, sitting down hard on his lap.
Seth’s beautiful face moved inches from Rolland’s, and his delicate fingers caressed the man’s cheek.
