Demons

Disclaimer: I own no one!

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Trish sighed, cleaning up. She hated cleaning, but since she was seven months into a twin pregnancy, it was a compulsion she couldn't control.

"Frankie, Leo, your daddy is a slob," she murmured, struggling to clean up the huge stacks of paper. "Why?"

It was a relief to be pregnant and know she was keeping the babies. She was eagerly awaiting the birth of her son and daughter. Francesca Marie and Leonardo Michael were wanted. The nursery was prepared.

They were just waiting.

"Why does he have this article?" Trish murmured, picking up a yellowed article. Flopping down on their waterbed, she began to read.

Local Man found murdered

Travis Tomko was found murdered late Tuesday night, beaten to death. There are no clues to his murder other than a silver cross in his hand.

Silver cross? Putting a hand to her mouth, Trish gasped. Carlos had lost his silver cross, or so he told her. Could he have killed Tomko?

No that wasn't a possibility. She would have known if she was sleeping with a murderer. She wasn't eight months pregnant with a killer's babies. She couldn't be.

Curling up in a fetal position, she couldn't help but try and concentrate on her babies' movement. It was keeping her calm. It was keeping her mind from wandering.

She heard him before she saw him. Closing her eyes, she pretended to be asleep. She didn't want to face him. She didn't want to find out she was having twins with a murderer.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly exhaled. She heard Carlos curse angrily in Spanish. She sighed. What or who was he cursing at?

"You know, don't you?" he asked. She sat up, unsure if she should answer. "You know what I did to that rotten Scumbag,"

"You killed him," she murmured, unable to believe she was having babies with a killer. "You killed him," Carlos gently stroked her cheek. She pulled away. "Don't touch me."

"Patricia, he hurt you." Carlos muttered, his voice getting choked with tears. "He ruined you. I couldn't let him not pay,"

"You took a life!" she roared, reaching for something, anything to throw. She began to sob, collapsing against her husband's chest. "I don't care how much of a bastard he was. You took a life!"

Carlos sighed, taking a deep breath. He had to keep Trish calm. She was too pregnant to get this overexcited.

"I was wrong, and it haunts me every single day. I was so angry for the way he hurt you. He took part of your soul. Yes, I killed him, but that doesn't mean I enjoyed it. I love you, and I couldn't stand the thought of you hurting,"

Trish watched him gently run his index finger across her belly. She shivered, feeling the love emanating from his touch. What did it mean? Was he a cold-blooded killer? Was he just a concerned husband looking out for his wife?

How could she know her husband well and yet not really know him at all? The question defied answers. She hadn't known Carlos could kill someone.

Feeling his tears soak her maternity blouse, she inhaled deeply. He loved her. She could feel it, coming through every pore in his body. She was angry, but she still loved him.

Killing Tomko was his demon. It haunted him daily. Gazing into his eyes, she could see it. His brown eyes were tinged with shame. His brown eyes were tinged with pain, but mostly they were tinged with fear. It was as if he was afraid someone would find out what he had done.

Then, Trish understood. For her, living with the knowledge she had been raped was enough to drive her mad. She would pass people on the street, wondering if it was obvious. She wondered if they were avoiding her because of what happened.

"Carlos, I'm not angry," she murmured. "I vowed to love and cherish you, through it all. It's our secret." He sniffled. "Frankie just kicked Leo in the head," He smirked.

Deep in her heart, she knew her husband wasn't perfect. Deep in her heart, she knew he was a killer.

However, deep in her heart, she knew she could never turn him in.

Despite her demons, she still managed to love him and despite his demons, he still managed to love her.

THE END