The Darkest Heart Read Online Free PDF Page A

released Wilson and stepped back. I stared at him, seeing the face of the first person I had ever killed. I had another glimpse of Sofia as I last saw her, and I knew that both Luis and Wilson deserved my blade just like the others had deserved it.
    â€˜You should go now,’ Luis said.
    I turned slowly and pushed past him, heading out of the alley, swallowing the rage brought on by my helplessness.
    â€˜Oh, and I went to Batista’s this morning,’ he said as I stepped out into the street. ‘Lost you your job, but I probably did you afavour. If it weren’t for me, you’d be shovelling shit on the pig farm right about now.’
    â€˜But instead, you’re in a different kind of shit.’ Wilson laughed at his own joke. ‘You and your girlfriend, eh?’
    I left without another word.
    Antonio collected his plastic bag of beer cans and walked alongside me as we returned to the store, asking, ‘Do you want me to hang around a while? I can—’
    â€˜I’m fine,’ I told him. ‘Thanks for helping but you need to stay away from those men.’
    â€˜I can handle myself,’ he said.
    â€˜I reckon you can. Thanks for your help.’
    â€˜Anytime.’ He shrugged and grinned, showing me the gaps in his teeth. ‘Hey. You want to come drink a beer?’ He lifted the bag to show me the cans perspiring against the plastic.
    â€˜Sure. I’ll meet you back at Juliana’s. There’s something I need to do first.’
    â€˜I can wait.’
    â€˜No, you go on. I’ll catch you up in a while.’
    â€˜My place?’ he said, starting to move away.
    â€˜Your place,’ I agreed.
    As I watched him go, swinging the bag, my mind was filled with a dust storm of cruel images and thoughts fighting for attention. I kept seeing my sister Sofia, cold and violated, but I didn’t want to remember her like that. Not like that. So I tried to picture the day we had sat on the hillside and watched the sea. The day we talked about what we would do if we could get onto one of the ships and sail away to find somewhere better. It was always about finding somewhere better. Something better. Even now, that’s what I wanted. It’s what had brought me to Piratinga in the first place, and now maybe Costa’s money would give it to me. I just had to hold my nerve, do what he wanted, and then everything would be different.
    Better.

5
    Daniella and her mother were outside when I came back to the store. They were standing side by side watching me approach. Doña Eliana had her hands on her wide hips and she was shaking her head.
    â€˜What was that?’ she asked as soon as I was close enough. ‘I saw you—’
    â€˜It’s nothing,’ I told her.
    â€˜I know what sort of man you are.’ Doña Eliana pointed a finger at me. ‘Never holding down a job, mixing with the wrong people. If I had any control over my daughter, she wouldn’t look at you twice.’
    â€˜Shush, Mãe’ Daniella gave her mother a serious look before turning to me. ‘What’s going on, Zico? Who was that?’
    â€˜No one. Just some guy who wants to cause trouble.’ I put my hands into my pockets so they wouldn’t see my fingers trembling as the aggression subsided.
    â€˜You’re causing trouble.’ Doña Eliana pointed again.
    â€˜Come inside.’ Daniella took my arm and turned to her mother. ‘And you stay here.’
    â€˜Don’t keep disturbing my daughter when she’s working,’ Doña Eliana said, still watching me. ‘She’s busy.’
    Daniella led me into the store, taking a can of Coke from the cooler and putting it down on the counter. She leaned back against the scratched plastic surface and crossed her arms over her chest. ‘You going to tell me what’s going on?’
    On the counter beside her was a fashion magazine with dogeared pages, the paper soft and