Page 45 of Enzo

"But..."

He placed a finger in front of her mouth. "You think you have some big secret that will cause me to reject you. Nothing will make that happen."

Enzo helped her to her feet; she looked around for her tennis shoes only to realize they were gone. Matt never intended for her to leave this house, not until she gave in to his demands.

Deja dropped her head. The mistakes she made in her life went through her mind. Did she deserve this for falling for a good-looking man with a smooth tongue? She should have known better. Maybe she could have tried harder. Why did it feel like she was trying so hard but getting nowhere? The poor mouse on his wheel made an appearance in her brain. She sucked in a deep breath. Her past held both mistakes and triumphs. She had to believe that it was a hallmark of life.

She leaned into Enzo's side as he walked her down the stairs. He took them into the living room Matt barely used, and they sat.

She looked up at him, not able to ask the question.

"We're waiting for Caden and Xander, then we all leave together."

She nodded. He said they would take care of the bodies upstairs and get rid of the blood. Ven tore Don in half while Declyn had simply broken Jim's neck.

Why was she so calm? Come on, she spoke to the voices in her head, I need you to get upset, cry, have a fit. Do something to reaffirm that human life matters.

I had a fit the day Don was set free for the murder of that teen.

I screamed the day he beat that eleven-year-old boy.

I cried the day I saw Matt with that sixteen-year-old girl.

I watched you beg and plead with them to do something different or at least run their drugs differently so they wouldn't hurt the innocent. They laughed at you. Now you want me to cry for them. Well okay, I will. I'll cry for the lives that could have been but never were.

Deja listened to the monster inside of her and realized that in life it was easy to call what you didn't understand a monster. When in reality, sometimes the monster is the boy or the girl next door.

When Xander and Caden came downstairs, Enzo reached for her.

"Stay by my side...forget that." He picked her up and walked to the door with everyone following behind them. "Stay quiet."

She nodded and let herself relax in his arms; she needed the reassurance of his heartbeat in her ear. They walked down the street, passing several strangers who didn't react to their presence at all. He placed her in the car, then Ven came andstood by her side until Enzo got in. Ven slid in the back, and before she knew it, they were leaving the neighborhood.

"You have a way of hiding your presence from others, don't you?"

"We do, and if we're careful, we can hide you also," Enzo answered, giving her a brief look.

Maybe she should break down, maybe she would break down, but she didn't get any sleep last night, so for now, she was going to nod off while she knew she was safe.

Chapter Eighteen

Enzo picked her upafter he pulled into the garage and didn't set her down until he got to their bedroom. As much as she wanted to escape, to wrap herself in the bedspread and never be heard from again, she didn't. She walked calmly to her closet and pulled out an outfit, then headed to the bathroom with towel, soap, and music. For once, Ven wasn't in there. He was sitting on the couch watching her along with Enzo.

She wanted to stop to tell them that everything was fine, that she was okay. Instead, she walked into the bathroom and started running a bath. There was always time for a bath, to surround herself with hot water and let the trauma of her body soak away. She used some bubble bath and a bath bomb, lit a few candles, and turned off the main lights before finally sinking deep into the tub, letting the trauma and fear of the night seep out of her.

Her time with Matt wasn't going away because she shifted it to the back of her mind. She mentally walked through it, allowed the old memories she refused to think of to surface. She saw where she went wrong and where ignorance was bliss. She sawwhere she grew wiser and no longer buried her head in the sand. The water was cooling down; her music was beginning to irritate her. It was time to get out of the tub and have a talk with Enzo. She dressed in a pair of comfy pajamas and walked into the living room.

Enzo was waiting for her on the couch, but Ven was gone.

"Where's Ven?" She walked to one of the armchairs and sat down.

"He went to see Declyn and Cole."

She nodded; he wanted to give them time to talk. "I think you and I should talk."

"Deja, you don't have to tell me all your secrets."

"I know, and maybe this sounds weird, but that's why I want to tell you. You accept me and have always accepted me. I want you to know me, the real me, including the parts that aren't all that pretty. I first met Matt at the doctor's office where I used to work. It was a chance meeting; he'd brought his mother in for her appointment. I met his mother first. She talked on and on about her son and how he was a lawyer doing great things for the community. I was so impressed by a man I hadn't even met.

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