Chapter: 143
"Most demons operate in bonded crews similar to human crime families. There are several large organizations headquartered in the region, typically working out of Brooklyn and Queens, with a few scattered across Long Island."
"Seriously? A demon mafia?" She shook her head, trying to process it all. "How powerful are these guys?"
"Quite, and growing more so by the day. The most powerful organization is run by a demon called Nikolai Chernikov�he controls nearly fifty percent of all demon-held territory on the east coast."
"And this Estas guy? He�s part of Chernikov�s organization?"
"No. Estas is bonded to the second most powerful crew�Chernikov�s main demonic rival, Alexei Rogozin."
Alexei Rogozin.
Charlotte swallowed a gasp, squeezing her eyes shut as a rush of hot, terrible memories assaulted her.
Where you off to, little girl?
Not so tough when Daddy�s not around, are ya?
Don�t struggle, D�Amico bitch�
She remembered it like a dream�hazy and nonsensical in parts, sharp and inescapable in others. It was her birthday, and her father had promised they�d spend the whole day together. But before they�d even ordered breakfast at their favorite diner, Uncle Rudy called. He�d forgotten it was her birthday�so sorry!�and had promised an important client on Long Island they�d make a special delivery.
There was no way around it, so Charley tagged along. When business was done, her dad said, they�d drive out to Montauk at the very tip of the island, comb the beach for sea glass, and eat their weight in saltwater taffy.
When they got to the drop-off point�a dingy, second-floor apartment above an abandoned pizza place�her dad and Rudy parked around back and ordered her to stay in the car while they made the delivery. A rusty metal staircase led up to the second floor, and she watched as they hauled a few nondescript boxes up top.
Ten minutes, they�d said. Fifteen max.
Twenty minutes passed. Half an hour. One hour, and suddenly, two men emerged from the back of the abandoned restaurant, heading right for the car. Charley sunk down into the seat, but it was no use.
They knew she was there.
They were looking for her.
What happened next is part of the haze, mixed up in her mind after years of reliving it in every nightmare, of scrubbing herself raw in the shower, of trying to outrun the ghosts that always seemed to track her down, no matter how much time passed.
But what she remembered clearly, even now, was the smell of garlic and sweat and cheap booze as the men climbed into the backseat and surrounded her, slamming the car doors behind them.
She remembered trying to reach for the door handle, desperate to escape.
Where you off to, little girl?
She remembered crying and begging as one man pinned her down on her back, the other shoving a hand up her shirt, squeezing her tiny breast.
Not so tough when Daddy�s not around, are ya?
She remembered screaming and kicking, remembered biting the meaty hand that clamped hard over her mouth.
She remembered the man yanking off her jean shorts, her underwear. When she wouldn�t stop kicking, he pulled out a knife. JrNovels.com
"Seriously? A demon mafia?" She shook her head, trying to process it all. "How powerful are these guys?"
"Quite, and growing more so by the day. The most powerful organization is run by a demon called Nikolai Chernikov�he controls nearly fifty percent of all demon-held territory on the east coast."
"And this Estas guy? He�s part of Chernikov�s organization?"
"No. Estas is bonded to the second most powerful crew�Chernikov�s main demonic rival, Alexei Rogozin."
Alexei Rogozin.
Charlotte swallowed a gasp, squeezing her eyes shut as a rush of hot, terrible memories assaulted her.
Where you off to, little girl?
Not so tough when Daddy�s not around, are ya?
Don�t struggle, D�Amico bitch�
She remembered it like a dream�hazy and nonsensical in parts, sharp and inescapable in others. It was her birthday, and her father had promised they�d spend the whole day together. But before they�d even ordered breakfast at their favorite diner, Uncle Rudy called. He�d forgotten it was her birthday�so sorry!�and had promised an important client on Long Island they�d make a special delivery.
There was no way around it, so Charley tagged along. When business was done, her dad said, they�d drive out to Montauk at the very tip of the island, comb the beach for sea glass, and eat their weight in saltwater taffy.
When they got to the drop-off point�a dingy, second-floor apartment above an abandoned pizza place�her dad and Rudy parked around back and ordered her to stay in the car while they made the delivery. A rusty metal staircase led up to the second floor, and she watched as they hauled a few nondescript boxes up top.
Ten minutes, they�d said. Fifteen max.
Twenty minutes passed. Half an hour. One hour, and suddenly, two men emerged from the back of the abandoned restaurant, heading right for the car. Charley sunk down into the seat, but it was no use.
They knew she was there.
They were looking for her.
What happened next is part of the haze, mixed up in her mind after years of reliving it in every nightmare, of scrubbing herself raw in the shower, of trying to outrun the ghosts that always seemed to track her down, no matter how much time passed.
But what she remembered clearly, even now, was the smell of garlic and sweat and cheap booze as the men climbed into the backseat and surrounded her, slamming the car doors behind them.
She remembered trying to reach for the door handle, desperate to escape.
Where you off to, little girl?
She remembered crying and begging as one man pinned her down on her back, the other shoving a hand up her shirt, squeezing her tiny breast.
Not so tough when Daddy�s not around, are ya?
She remembered screaming and kicking, remembered biting the meaty hand that clamped hard over her mouth.
She remembered the man yanking off her jean shorts, her underwear. When she wouldn�t stop kicking, he pulled out a knife. JrNovels.com
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