Page 82 of The Sinner and the Priest: Part Two

I laugh. “The fly can’t understand you.”

She sticks her tongue out at me, but I see the disappointment in her face before she turns away.

I sigh and push off my towel. “Fine. I will take you.”

My father nods from his lounger farther down, waving us away. “The pests are thick today. Stay close to your brother, Maria.”

A flush of pride warms my chest at my parents’ trust in me to keep Maria safe. I am fifteen and strong enough to protect her, despite what they say about the dangers this family invites.

The shop isn’t far, but Maria forgot to bring flip-flops, so I carry her across the hot parts of the street. She wriggles the entire way, trying to swat flies. The stupid little chicken didn’t even bring a towel or shirt to block the sun from her skin. I’m not even sure she put on sunblock. She will blister tomorrow.

I try to keep her in the shadow of my body as much as we can until we’re in front of the gelateria, and she escapes my hold.

When we push through the heavy glass door, conditioned air hits my sweat-slicked body. The crowd around the counter is at least three people deep, and Maria is impatient. She hops around the queue, searching for a faster placement.

“Patience,” I tell her. “We will have our turn.”

“What if they run out?” she whines.

“They won’t run out.”

“But look, the tubs are almost empty!”

Her shout draws the attention of people nearby, including a beautiful young woman in a green bikini and perfect breasts. My cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“Maria,” I hiss. “People are watching.”

She gives me a chagrinned look, folds her arms, and huffs. But she is the bella figura’s perfect pupil. She reins it in and acts her best.

Good. I give her a smile of approval and then return to staring at the woman in the green bikini. I’m about to say something when I feel movement at my side. I look back for Maria, but she is gone.

Fuck.

Eyes wide, pulse racing, I scan around the bodies and overheads. I get up on my toes and try to see the counter. It’s long—only one server, a slow and big old man. Two seconds later, I feel a tug on my shorts. Maria has returned, grinning from ear to ear as she licks from a cone in her hand. The ice cream already melts, dripping a sticky trail down her chin and onto her swimsuit.

“What have you done?” I gasp.

She pouts. “Angelottis shouldn’t have to wait.”

The woman in the green bikini notices Maria and points at her, shouting, “How come she has a cone already? I was here first.”

Heads whip around.

“We should go, Cesco,” Maria says, but it’s too late.

“I saw her steal the ice cream!” A man from the front barges through those nearby. “She should be punished!”

His greasy gaze drops to Maria’s mouth as she licks off the cream.

Anger so sharp and hard hits me. It’s almost as if I can hear his disgusting thoughts, see how he wants to punish my sister, and it is sickening. I don’t care if she’s sinned. I’ll still rip that tongue from his mouth before I’ll let him get close to her.

That’s when it happens. A strange sensation crawls up my spine, like a thousand tiny ants prickling my skin from the inside. The feeling multiplies and morphs, growing louder and expanding into the air as if the crawling is both inside and out of my body, a thousand flies nesting beneath my flesh.

It points me to the male customer, connects us on an unseen level. I was right. He’s thinking evil, disgusting things about my sister. I see it in my head.

Take it. Take his evil. Save your sister.

A hunger like no other blooms beneath my ribs.