Page 54 of Unspoken Promises

“Near Ensenada again?”

There’s something strange about the lack of surprise, even for Enzo, and the way he saysagain.

“Yes.”

“Where exactly?” His energy is more urgent, but still not what I would have expected.

“Near San Carlos to the south, I think,” I say, squinting one eye. “I don’t remember the name of the town but obviously I have all the details at my house.”

He combs his fingers through his hair. “We need to get out of here.”

Why hasn’t he asked more first? “Wait… why did you assume it was in Ensenada?”

“Educated guess.”

Enzo’s jaw tics.

He’s lying to me.

Heat creeps up my neck. He’s keeping something from me. I try to mask my annoyance but I can’t believe he’d lie to me at this stage. I thought we were past that. I lean in closer to him. “Educated based on what?”

“The last hack was from near there…”

“So?” My words spit out through gritted teeth. “You didn’t ask me when the hack took place. You didn’t ask me ifthey wanted anything… you didn’t ask me about anything before assuming it was near Ensenada… what aren’t you telling me?”

He leans back to examine my expression. Judging from his, I’m not doing a good job masking my emotion or the fact that I think he’s lying.

And then, he pulls the mother of all triggers. He gives me a verbal pat on the head.

“You did a good job finding it.”

I cross my arms. “You’re going to patronize me as a deflection?”

I’m met with that classic Enzo silence, but this time it isn’t mysterious, it annoys the hell out of me.

My chest rumbles with thunder. “You really have to have all the control, don’t you?”

At that, I get a twitch of an eyebrow.

A deep breath nearly calms me down. Though we’re in a quiet corner, we’re also in public. But I’m not waiting until we ride back to the ranch to get to the bottom of this. I’m convinced now he already knew about the hack I found.

I ask, point blank. “Did you already know about the third hack?”

His mouth opens, but thenoI’m looking for doesn’t manage its way off his tongue.

A humorless laugh escapes me. “Did you think I needed training wheels, Enzo? Is that it? Do you think I’m too young to make my way around your infrastructure without hand-holding? So you gave me a mock test since you already know the answer?”

That finally earns a response. “I know how competent you are.”

“Then why have me find out things you already know?”

My cheeks are burning. He has no idea what wastingdays means to me right now. If Father is after me, he’s just gotten three steps closer while I went on a wild goose chase finding absolutely nothing of importance to this organization.

I know it’s my fault, Enzo would have understood the urgency in me proving my worth if I’d told him why I’m hiding out here. I never told him what I need, how desperately I want to be free, but I…

My heart crawls up my throat, and my neck gets tight. It’s not just worry over Father finding me. Maybe a part of me has been subconsciously avoiding telling Enzo who I am. Maybe I never realized how scared I am of how differently Enzo might think at me once he knows. I won’t be the mysterious, talented contest winner anymore. I won’t be the girl who still looks cute with hives on her back or the one who he wanted to save from the bottom of the pool. When he knows, I’ll be instantly more needy, broken, a trauma-ridden red flag not to be touched until after years of therapy.

Maybe a part of me trusted him days ago. MaybeIwanted a little power first. For once in my life, I wanted to call the shots, and giving first means I make the play. I control the game. But now, with nearly three more wasted days behind me, I’m angry with myself.

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