4. Start Over
CHAPTER FOUR
Start Over
Hot water cascaded down Deja's sore shoulders as she massaged the tension in her neck. Tears streamed down her face as she exhaled. Her mind was a blur.
"Deja..."
She jumped, startled, nearly slipping in Esme's shower as Jax's voice echoed in her mind like a haunting whisper.
Her eyes tightened with anguish as her fingers rubbed over the bite marks on her thighs and the bruises on her waist from how roughly the brothers had tag-teamed her in the shower.
Goosebumps covered her skin as if she could still feel Ian and Keith inside her.
Their hands possessively grabbing her. Their lips unapologetically claiming her.
Their menacing whispers that she belonged to them, as if to remind her that she would never escape them.
Turning off the water, Deja grabbed Esme's towel and wrapped it around her body. She stepped out of the shower and left Esme's bathroom.
"Look at me, baby girl..."
She frantically turned to find the hallway empty. Despite being alone, she always felt Jax was watching her. She could hear his voice and feel his touch when she knew he wasn't there.
Deja felt like she was losing her mind.
Dipping a teabag into her mug, her eyes glazed over, lost in thought as the smell of chamomile filled her nostrils. She heard a sound and quickly turned around when she saw the two women that Ian and Keith had kidnapped standing in the entryway.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to frighten you..." one of them said.
"It's alright," Deja smiled. "Do either of you want tea?" she asked, and they both nodded. Deja grabbed two more mugs and filled them with hot water. She carried the mugs to the table and placed one in front of each girl. "I'm Deja, by the way," she said.
"Shanice," one said, taking the mug. "Thank you."
"Renee," the other responded.
Deja sat down, watching them sip their tea. Both women looked strikingly beautiful and relatively young. "May I ask where you're from?" Deja said, breaking the silence.
"I'm local," Shanice said. "I attend Marina College."
"Me too," Renee added. "I'm actually in my last year."
"You're both college students?" Deja asked, to which they nodded.
"You?" Renee asked.
"Oh no," Deja chuckled. "I finished college years ago. I'm a scientist from McIntosh Research Center."
"I've heard of that!" Shanice said. "And you. You've been all over the news."
"I'm sorry that that's the first time you learned about me," Deja smiled nervously. "How um… how did you end up… I mean, did they just kidnap you?"
"Sorta..." Renee sighed, looking into her mug.
"I met Ian at a coffee shop after my last class.
I was picking up my regular bagel and espresso, and he casually approached me and paid for my meal.
He was… such a gentleman. So charming. Incredibly handsome.
And super sweet." Renee rubbed her forehead in frustration.
"I should have known better. Guys that perfect don't exist unless they're serial killers. "
Deja snorted ironically into her tea. "...bingo..."
"I mean, we hit it off really well," Renee sighed.
"He was so well-versed in my practicum study on cults and religion.
I'd never been so engaged with a man like that before.
Have to admit, I was hoping he'd ask for my number.
.." Renee shook her head. "Every time he smiled at me, he kept telling me I reminded him of someone.
.." She looked at Deja. "...guess he meant you. .."
Deja shifted uncomfortably as Shanice chimed in.
"Keith said something similar. I ran into him at the park while I was going through photos I took for my art class.
He had this adorable puppy he let me take pictures of, and he was just so funny and insanely attractive.
Definitely a heavy flirt, the way he had me flustered.
" Shanice's face fell. "He asked me out on the spot, and of course, I said ‘yes’ because.
..well, he's hot," she shrugged. "I mean, I figured he could be trouble, but I didn't expect him to kidnap me in broad daylight.
He followed me to my car and, as I was putting my stuff away, covered my face with a cloth.
Next thing I knew, I was waking up in that weird house next to Renee. "
"Ian did the same thing," Renee sighed. "Cloth over face. Waking up in his house."
Deja's throat thickened as her eyes glazed over with guilt. "I'm… s-so… I'm sorry..."
They both looked at her empathetically. "It's not your fault. If it weren't for you, we would have died," Shanice said.
"If it weren't for me, they wouldn't have targeted you in the first place," Deja said, blinking back her tears. Wiping her face, Deja tried to smile. "Sorry," she said. "I um… I just wanted to make sure you both were safe, and-"
Deja's eyes suddenly widened before she ran to the garbage can and vomited. Renee and Shanice rushed up to her as Deja wretched. "Are you okay?" Renee asked worriedly as Shanice grabbed a paper towel.
"Yeah," Deja said, wiping her mouth with the towel. "It's just… just a little morning sickness."
The girls exchanged surprised looks. "...you're pregnant?" Shanice asked.
Deja rolled over and sat down on the kitchen floor, staring up at them with emotionless eyes. "...yeah..." she said, trying to fight back her tears.
The front door swung open as Esme entered, wearing a white pant-suit and red heels with her platinum blonde hair tied up in a bun.
"Mmm… I wish I could come home to 3 emotionally- damaged beauties all the time," Esme smirked, shrugging off her jacket.
She paused when she noticed Deja's face and quickly approached her.
Shanice and Renee stepped to the side as Esme crouched down in front of Deja to grab her chin. Her pale blue eyes inspected Deja's face. "...what's wrong?"
Deja was surprised by Esme's protectiveness. The way she touched her felt beyond friendship, and the way she kissed her the night before still lingered in her mind. "Nothing," Deja said. "Just morning sickness."
"Oh. Right." Esme sighed. "I forget you're carrying the spawn of Satan," she said, standing to her feet. She looked between Shanice and Renee. "You look hungry. I'm going to order something to eat."
"Esme," Deja said, standing. "What happened? Where did you go?"
Esme leaned back against the table, tapping her phone. "Mama had to go smack the boys around a little," she said. "I hope you guys like Thai."
"But what happened? What did you do?" Deja persisted.
Esme looked at Deja frankly. "...I handled it… like I said I would."
"Which means?" Deja probed impatiently.
Esme sighed. "Ian wasn't happy when I met with him... obviously. He didn't take kindly to you leaving with the girls orrrrr to me killing his driver," she shrugged. "But I told him he shouldn't have told me his plans if he knew I was just going to fuck them up."
Esme walked across the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine.
"But, being the oh-so-responsible, lovable Donovan he is…
He said you already signed, and so the terms and conditions of the contract will remain.
" She took a swig of the wine and stared at Deja.
"Neither Ian nor Keith will search for you. You're free."
Deja furrowed her brows. "I thought they needed a body?"
Esme rolled her eyes. "Ian is so fucking elaborate sometimes. I told them to make it look like a car accident where you were burned alive."
Deja looked at her, horrified. "That… sounds violent..."
Esme shrugged. "A burn accident allows us to use any corpse regardless of skin color because all the skin will be burnt off. Now, our pretty friends here are off the hook."
Renee and Shaniece stared at Esme with disturbed shock.
"Oh, right," Esme said, wiping her mouth.
"You have no idea what's going on. Long story short: the men who kidnapped you are serial killers with a kill count longer than the Bible.
They were going to kill one of you and use your body as proof for Deja's fake suicide. "
"Wait, what?" Shanice said, confused.
"Are we safe from them?" Renee asked.
"Well, no," Esme said. "Normally, witnesses are killed off to tie up loose ends. The Donovans are so powerful that even the police back off from any cases concerning them. However..."
Esme approached Renee and pushed a strand of hair behind Renee's ear.
"I agreed to be responsible for you two.
So… as long as you keep those pretty mouths shut and shove the past 72 hours into the darkest corners of your mind…
you'll be fine. But… if you say anything…
even to the therapist you'll surely need after all of this. .."
Esme smiled at Renee. "I'll kill you. Kay?"
Renee swallowed hard. "...O-okay..."
"Good girl," Esme smiled. "Wine?"
Esme grabbed a few glasses from the cabinets and began to fill them. "How would you even know?" Shanice asked.
"Oh… I have my ways..." Esme said, handing them both a glass. "I don't suggest trying to find them out."
Renee looked into her wine glass before meeting Esme's gaze. "...why are you letting us live?"
Esme leaned back on her elbows. "Because you're cute," she smirked. She glanced at Deja. "And because this pregnant one over here… would never talk to me again if I didn't do something. And I… actually really care about her even though she's straighter than a ruler."
Deja shook her head with a small smile. Esme glanced at the girls again. "You beauties mind giving us a minute?" Esme asked. Shanice and Renee left the kitchen as Esme looked at Deja.
"Thank you," Deja said. "Seriously… I don't know what I did to deserve your kindness, but-"
Esme chuckled. "It's not kindness. I just want you, Deja. But unlike the Donovans… I can handle rejection."