Suzette could feel her tears rising and covered her quivering mouth. Her mother’s hand fell to her shoulder.
Her dad reached out and took her other hand. “The mayor set up a curfew, but it doesn’t matter. Until they figure out what’s happening, I want you to stay inside.”
“Okay.” She sat there quietly, unsure of what to say, unable to move.
Her dad squeezed her hand. “I do have some good news, though.”
She kept her head hung low but her ears perked.
“Dante reported in to the police station about an hour ago.”
Her head shot up. She searched his face for a bluff but found none. Tears of relief fell from her searching eyes. “Is he alright?”
“Yes, he’s fine. But…”
Suzette waited anxiously. Hope bubbled in her chest. “But what?”
“With everything that’s happened to his family, they’ve decided it’s safer to relocate him.”
It felt like his words stabbed through her rising hope, stopping it before it could go too far. “To where?”
Her dad hesitated. “Up north with his uncle.”
But Virgil lives so far away. Her heart slowly began to sink back down. She grieved at the thought that Dante was moving so far out of reach. He’s safe, though! And it’s not like we’re going to lose contact. He wants to marry me, after all. Calmer, she let out a sigh. “Alright.”
Her father must have seen the ease in her because he set out his hands, warning her to tread no further. “Now, Suz. You know I love you.”
That’s not good. A wince forced itself onto her lips as she anticipated disaster.
“I think Dante is a nice guy. You know that, but…” Her poor dad almost looked pained as he tried to speak. But he clenched his fists and forced it out. “You have to admit that everything that’s been happening around his family is a bit odd. A bit suspicious…”
Her jaw slowly opened in disbelief.
“Maybe it’s best for you and your safety if he left.”
“Dad, that’s not fair.” Worry made way for anger. “You don’t know what’s going on. And for all we know, neither does Dante.”
“Do you know that?”
Without hesitation, she blurted out, “Yes!”
“Have you asked him?”
She paused. “Not directly.”
He sighed. “I’m not saying he’s into something or that it’s even his fault. But there is something going on and somehow the Steins found themselves attached to it.”
“I think your father is just concerned for your safety.” Her mom gave her shoulder a squeeze. “I am, too. And we’re not saying you have to cut off ties. But if you do, who’s to say it’ll be permanent? Maybe everything will get sorted out and he’ll be safe again.”
Suzette pressed her lips shut into a hard line. She didn’t even know where to begin refuting her parents. She wanted to yell at them, but she knew they just wanted to protect her. Fuming, she leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest.
“You’re an adult now,” her mother reminded her gently. “You can make that decision on your own. But please, for our sake, think about what your dad is saying.”
There’s nothing to think about. Dante and I have a whole future together. They can’t expect me to just throw that all away. The more she sat and thought about it, the lighter she felt. No matter what Dante had been through, there still remained that glimmer of hope in the form of a proposal. If he was safe and still as adamant as before, all of this would only make him all the more eager to move forward.
The doorbell rang, filling Suzette with excitement. Her father started up but she bolted from her seat.
—
Dante stood at the Valentine’s door, his fingers twitching by his side. He had gone over and over in his mind what he would say, but he couldn’t think of anything. His core shook, so he switched to concentrating on his breathing, forcing down his emotions.
The door opened and there she stood, beautiful eyes stained with tears. At the sight of him, her whole face lit up with a single smile. “Dante!” She bounced up on her toes and tried wrapping her arms around him.
“No!” he gasped. Quick as a flash, he snatched her hands out of the air and took them in his. The thought of setting Suzette ablaze made him shiver and he closed his eyes, forcing himself to think about his breathing. When he opened his eyes, she gave him a baffled look. He tried to smile but only managed a crooked one. “Hey, Suz.”
“What happened to you?”
“Nothing,” he forced out.
Her brows furrowed. “Nothing?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I just skipped town for a few days. Had to get my thoughts sorted.”
Exasperated, she looked him up and down. The offense grew clear in her eyes. “You just skipped town?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you serious?”
He shuffled nervously. She always knew better. “I’m sorry I worried you all so much.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Yeah, well, believe it.” He gulped back his words, not intending to sound as harsh as he had. He wanted to tell Suzette everything, but all he could think of was the chaos that had happened. I can’t drag her into this. “I couldn’t take all of the stuff that was happening—all the emotion—”
At “emotion” her eyes flicked from critical to angry. Her tiny hand jerked away and smacked at his chest. “You jerk! You’re supposed to come to me when you’re upset, not run from everything!” Her plump pink lips trembled as she fought to speak through them. “Do you know how scared I was? How could you not tell me?!”
Dante felt so weak from trying to keep in all of his emotions while watching Suzette fall apart in front of him. “I didn’t want to tell you.”
She sobbed under her breath. “That’s nothing new, is it?” Her head fell into her hands as she cried.
His legs grew weak at the words. It killed him inside, knowing she felt that way. But the guilt ate him, knowing it was true. He could feel the sweat on his skin start to sizzle, so he took a deliberate deep breath in and forced a long one out, sending away all of his pained emotions. Everything he felt for Suzette dwelt in his stomach, detached from his heart. He forced himself to the point where he almost felt nothing.
Suzette took her own deep breath and opened her eyes, though they avoided him. Everything about her was smooth and calm. “Whatever,” she whispered, throwing her own hurt aside. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”
Geez, Suzette. Why do you have to be so devoted to me? His disgust for himself crawled up from his gut and tugged at his heart. He licked his lips and looked around, anywhere but her. “Suzette, I’ve come to tell you that…” He closed his eyes and let his head fall. How could he do this? “Things are different now, Suz,” he whispered instead. “I don’t know what’s going on with me. I don’t know who I am anymore, and I don’t want anyone to be around while I try to figure that out.”
Her eyes flashed from hurt to the understanding, great girlfriend he knew and loved. “Dante, I can’t begin to imagine what you feel, but I’m supposed to be with you on this,” she said gently. “This is supposed to be something we share. I don’t care how hard it’ll be, because I want to be a part of your life, Dante. I—”
“Stop!” He closed his eyes in an attempt to control himself, admiring and despising her loyalty. Every word nagged at him, forcing his emotions back up. He exhaled and clenched his jaw. He didn’t have enough energy to fight. He knew that if he let his emotions out and dealt with her like she deserved, he may very well send her up in flames. He found it much easier to be cold and crass. It was just another level of the detachment he was used to. This time it hurt, though. Using whatever strength he had left, he opened his eyes and glared at her. “Suzette.” He made sure his voice sounded stern. “I don’t want you to be in my life.”
Dante watched as her face turned pale. Her eyes fell and seemed to search the ground for a logical answer.
<
br /> “I thought I did, but everything that’s been happening has made me think about my life’s path a bit more. I’ve decided I don’t want you on that path with me.” His vocal chords strained and forced back his next sentence. He pushed it out anyway, making it callous. “I don’t think I ever really did.”
Suzette’s chest began to heave and her cheeks became a soft pink. She finally swallowed down everything and asked without looking, “Is that really what you want?”
No. “It is.”
A tear fell from her eye as she tried to hold back her sobs. “And that’ll make you happy?” She couldn’t hide the animosity and disbelief.
He took a few deep, silent breaths to mask his regret. Then he answered more confidently, “Extremely.”
Suzette sighed and stood there for a moment, her throat convulsing at the effort of holding back all the yells that turned her face red. Her blinking lashes forced back the tears she didn’t want to shed anymore.
Dante’s fingers twitched at his side as he waited for her to do something—anything. He prayed that she would yell, that she would scream, that she would smack him and curse his name, that she would unleash her rage on him.
But without a word, Suzette burst into tears and hurried inside, slamming the door in his face. He was left unsatisfied—left feeling like the monster he had become.
—
Suzette had stayed in her room the rest of the day, becoming aquatinted with her pillows as she buried her head in them to hide her tears. All of her future dreams had been washed down the drain. All she had ever wanted to do was get married and have a family—and she had hoped with Dante. And now where was the dream? Gone.
She wasn’t sad about it anymore, only peeved. Dante’s face brought a fresh fire into her mind. She couldn’t believe all of his withdrawing had finally come to such a head. I should have known something like this would happen, she scolded to herself. All she could do was go back and forth from being frustrated with herself to being frustrated with Dante and his refusal to let her into his life—or to at least to not let her go years ago. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. Dante always thought I could be a little impetuous. I’ll show him just how right he was. She got up and put on some black jeans and the black jacket she was used to by now. She crept to the door and cracked it open, glancing down the hall to her parents’ door. She listened for their stirring, but they were quiet, fast asleep. Then she closed her door again, threw open her window, and snuck out into the dead of night.
As she walked through town, she stuck to the shadows, dodging the lights of cop cars as they patrolled the area. The curfew had scattered mostly everyone, but she didn’t want to get stopped and questioned on why she was out past eleven. Her parents would freak out.
Lord, let there be something crazy happening tonight. She needed something. She didn’t know what, but anything where she could throw caution to the wind for a moment or two. I’ll show Dante. I’ll show him I don’t need him. I don’t need his disbelief in me and I don’t need him pestering me over my well-being about the smallest of things. She grinned smugly at the freeing thoughts. Maybe her dad was right; maybe she was better off without Dante.
After a while, Suzette found herself deep in town. The lights shined more brightly and the only shadows a person could hide in were deep in the alleys. She stuck close to the walls of the buildings as she scuttled along. The noises of downtown were fresh to her ears; a cat meowed and hissed at the barking of a dog and the murmur of TVs could be heard through walls. Wheels crunched on the ground. Suzette’s head whipped behind her and she noticed a cop car turning onto the road. She dodged into the nearest alley, lodged between an apartment building and a laundromat. Standing quietly in the dark, she waited for the vehicle to pass.
“Oh, God!” a woman gasped, her voice strained with horror.
Suzette’s ears tilted toward the sound.
“Scream and I’ll shoot you!” said another female voice.
Suzette scanned the side of the apartment building until she found an open window.
Before Suzette could even question whether or not to help, her feet sprung forward. She scrambled up the ladders of the fire escape, quiet as can be, and dove into the open window, rolling behind a loveseat. Peering over the top, she took in the scene.
A tired-looking redheaded woman wrapped in a loose robe stood near the end of the room, close to the tiny, open kitchen. She held her arms up in defense.
Suzette recognized the intruder, another woman, immediately, though she couldn’t place where she’d seen her. This woman stood by the front door, pointing a gun toward the surprised victim. Her crazed, tear-blurred eyes wouldn’t let go of the other woman. Her short, curly brown hair looked just as frazzled as the rest of her. The gun shook in her hands. “You killed Brian!”
“N-no!” Tears started to flow from the redhead’s eyes. “Brian was my husband! I loved him! Why would I kill him?”
“But he loved me and if you couldn’t have him, no one could!” she yelled, beginning to sob with the other woman.
Suzette let her reactions carry her. She sprung over the couch and grabbed hold of the curly-haired woman’s wrist just as her finger pulled the trigger. The woman tried to fight Suzette off with her free hand but Suzette only grabbed it with her own. Then she squeezed the fleshy part of the frazzled woman’s wrist until her hand forced open and dropped the gun. Then Suzette pushed the woman to the ground, where she sprawled out and bawled like a baby. Suzette held her down with one hand and reached her free one out to the other woman, careful to hide her face in her hood. “Belt, please.”
Her hand waited in the air. She glanced over at the woman, only to find her just as nervous as before, tugging her robe tightly around her. “Who are you?” she asked.
Suzette paused. “The…Onyx Fox.”
The robed woman’s eyes became confused.
Suzette waved her impatient hand. “Quick, hand me the belt to your robe so I can tie her up. Then you can call the cops.”
The woman blinked a few times before removing the belt of her robe from the loops. Then she cautiously walked over and set it in Suzette’s hand.
Suzette quickly tied a sloppy but sufficient knot around the intruder’s wrists. Ignoring the attacker as she wailed, Suzette got up and examined the room, taking note of the bullet hole in the living room wall.
The redheaded woman pressed herself against the wall and kept a steady eye on Suzette.
“What’s your name?” Suzette asked, setting out two calm hands.
“Jenny.” The woman’s sobs had quieted, but she trembled slightly. “Are you really the Onyx Fox?”
“Yes.” Suzette shrugged, trying to shake off the awkwardness of such a confession. “Do you know this woman?” She pointed to the limp, mess of a woman on the floor.
“My husband was having an affair with a woman named Cecilia, but I never met her.” Jenny’s eyes swelled with saltwater. “I can only assume this is her.”
Sirens began to blare outside. Red and blue lights flickered through the windows as they got closer.
Still shaking, Jenny hurried to the open window and began to wave her arms. A light fell on her.
“Are you alright, ma’am?” a voice called. “The neighbors called. They heard gunshots!”
“Someone tried to shoot me! But the Onyx Fox saved me!” She called out her apartment number. The light fell away and she turned back to Suzette, winded. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, ma’am,” she whispered.
There was a knock at the door.
“Coming!” Jenny called. She skirted past the mistress still blubbering on the floor, and made her way to the door—but not before Suzette darted back out the window.
She scrambled up the fire escape as fast as she could and waited on the rooftop. She inched to the ledge and watched as the police dragged Cecilia out.
The hysterical woman screamed and flailed about. Anger contorted her features as she raved. “Jenny
did it—I know she did! How could you let her get away with it?! You don’t know how it feels to lose someone you love! This is all that Onyx Fox’s fault! If I ever see her again, I’ll—” The cops shoved her in the back seat and slammed the door on her.
Suzette sighed and fell away from the edge of the building, tucking herself into the middle of the roof. Lucky no one saw my face. How horrible would that’ve been? She couldn’t even imagine. The cops could’ve seen her and that would’ve caused quite a stir. And there was also the strange hatred in Cecilia’s voice. What if, somewhere down the road, Suzette needed to protect her loved ones from someone whose threats were a little more substantial? If she had been seen, her whole family would be thrown into the spotlight. She paused, feeling a great discomfort stir within her.
What am I going to do about my family?
What if someone found out about her secret identity and went after them? What would she do then? How could she bear the guilt of knowing they might be hurt because of her?
No, Suzette couldn’t risk that. But neither could she deny that this odd, superhero-like power of hers shouldn’t be wasted. There had to be a reason she’d been blessed—or burdened—with the gift to begin with.
Frozen on the rooftop, she pondered the idea for a long time. What if she had to make a choice one day; her family or her gift? The thought sent her nibbling on the inside of her lip. That wasn’t a question she was ready to answer, but one she definitely dreaded just thinking about.
I don’t have to make that decision right now, she thought with a scoff. She straightened her back. No point in stressing about it. And whatever happens, happens. But a sinking feeling fell into her gut.
Blind World (The Onyx Fox Saga Book 1) Page 21