Chapter 35 #2
“What good is that going to do? Are the social media leeches going to bully him to death?”
“It’ll leave the government no choice but to act once the people know about it. They’ll be forced to investigate it, including anyone else in office who was involved. Not only will Avery get caught, but his public image will tank. He’ll be ruined—”
“And he can either let them arrest him or be stupid enough to wander the streets with us looking for him.” Damien finishes Alex’s explanation, then looks to Victoria, almost regrettably.
“We’ll find a way to keep you safe, Victoria, but we have to do this.
We have a good lawyer, and we’ll give you the support you need… ”
She finally tears her eyes away and looks back at us with a conflicted gaze. I don’t believe it has anything to do with her father, because she glances at Elizabeth before addressing him.
“I know. As long as she’ll be safe, I can handle whatever comes from this.” Zeke snorts at her remark, but I try my best to ignore it.
She has every right to fear what’s to come.
This may prove his involvement and creation of this scandal, but it may not clear her completely, even though none of this is her fault.
The pharmaceutical company that created the poison for him is still in her name.
There’s no way the federal police will just overlook that, and she’ll have a lot of questions to answer by the time this is all done.
I guess we’ll have to consult with Matt, Damien’s cousin’s lawyer-husband, and ask him what we can do for her.
“Adrien’s downstairs training. I just texted him. He’s on his way up,” Alex blurts out, and that’s when Damien snaps his head in his direction.
“He’s what?!” Oh, shit. Adrien is strictly media and was always supposed to stay that way. Damien thinks he’s too innocent and soft to do this job. I can’t say that I disagree. “He’s eighteen, Alex! Why the fuck is he downstairs?!” Alex shrugs, trying to appear nonchalant, despite his wide eyes.
“He wanted to learn how to fight in case Zeke tried to break his nose again.”
Carter bursts into laughter, throwing his head back and almost falling out of the chair. Zeke just makes a ‘pssh’ noise, as if the thought alone is insane.
“Like he could stop me.”
“Stop hurting the kid, Zeke,” I berate him, sure to keep my annoyed tone. He’s been really off today. We’ve waited for this for so long, and I know he has, too, but there’s no anticipation in his body language, and his eyes look even angrier than they normally do.
“Well, tell the little shit to stop trying to hug me.”
I narrow my eyes at him.
“Last time, he was just saying hi.”
He lifts his eyebrow in a jerky motion, almost like he’s twitching.
“Close enough.”
“Carter, get this shit ready to send out. We’re plastering it everywhere.
I want into the news networks, social media, and law enforcement databases—anything that has a screen, I want to be on it,” Damien demands and then looks down at me.
He’s breathing heavily and his eyes are filled with elation, like it’s rained for months and the sun finally came out.
I smile sweetly at him, feeling the same emotions take over my chest.
“Merry Christmas, baby,” I say softly.
“Merry Christmas, little wolf.” He leans down to kiss me, tasting like victory and energy.
His face is warmer than usual, and his lips pulse faintly against me—hopefully because he can't contain his excitement and not because he's about to have a stroke.
I pull away in just enough time for him to grab my hands and help me stand, then lead us out of the room with renewed urgency.
Everyone else follows, Carter frantically so, juggling his laptop to catch up.
Adrien rushes towards the conference room, clearly panicky.
He's panting heavily and his red hair is plastered to his forehead from sweat, but the moment he sees Damien, his jaw drops from shock. I suppose since Alex texted him, he wasn’t expecting to see Damien…
and now he knows he’s caught. He trips over his own feet and fumbles like a baby deer as he tries his best to straighten himself.
From the trembling in his hands, I’d say it doesn’t work very well.
“What’d you need, boss?” he asks Damien nervously. We continue walking down the hallway and towards Adrien’s studio, not bothering to slow down so he can keep up easily.
“We’re going live, and Carter is going to broadcast it everywhere. I need you to record it, add the evidence to the video, and contort my voice. Can you do it well enough that it can’t be cracked?”
Adrien nods frantically, like he’s just been handed the opportunity of a lifetime.
“Yeah. Yes, you got it, boss.”
“Stop calling me that,” Damien says so seriously, but I almost choke.
He commands these men every day, telling them where to go, what to do, and who to kill, but they can't call him boss?
In all fairness, Adrien is the only one that calls him that.
So, it probably sounds even worse coming from the youngest one in the group.
Once we reach the studio, Damien turns abruptly and kisses me again. I want to smile against his lips and press myself against him, but his skin charges with uncontainable energy. When he pulls away, I gasp softly, hating the loss of his touch.
“Are you ready?” he asks with tense features, probably thinking the same things I am.
I’m so angry with myself for not answering right away, but truth be told, how can I?
This is impulsive. We haven’t thought about what could come from this, or what could happen if Avery somehow gets away and retaliates.
Hell, we still don’t know where Satori is, and surely, he’s out for blood after what happened.
But for some reason, none of that matters right now.
Damien has tried to be so careful, even before he was taken, and look where that got us.
He’s at his best when he acts on instinct.
The darkness that lives within him thrives under this kind of pressure, and if he believes that this is the best course of action, then so do I.
I trust him wholly and completely. Whatever life throws at us next, we’ll handle it together.
“More than ready,” I reassure him. He lets out a shaky breath and nods only once before he steps inside with Adrien and Carter. Everyone else steps up beside me, Zeke to my right, as eager to watch as I am.
Pride slithers its way through my veins as I watch Damien through the studio window.
He’s quickly adjusting lights and walking back and forth between in front of the camera and behind it, making sure he stays concealed.
The people have been looking to him for years, counting on him to keep them safe.
They may not know what he’s done to ensure it, but I know the moment he calls upon them in return, they’ll answer.
Damien can finally see himself the same we do—as our hero.
This isn’t just about stopping him. This is proving how strong we stand against anyone else who has thought to test us.
His voice will be a warning to anyone who dares to threaten the masses again.
Damien, and the rest of Devil’s Hands, will always stand against corruption.
We won’t stop, no matter how hard it gets to fight, and our priority will always remain the people’s safety.
A notification pops up on my phone, signaling the start of Adrien’s podcast. I watch Damien through the window, gripping my phone tightly as honor inflates my chest. On the screen, he’s completely blacked out, with no way of making out any physical attributes, but as I look at him intensely, his bright blue eyes swirl before me.
He stands tall, stoic, and proud—ominously proud.
“One thousand two hundred and eighty-three people died due to the mass poisoning attack that occurred on August thirteenth.” Damien’s modified voice booms through the speakers, and I know he instantly gains everyone’s attention.
He speaks like a king, voicing a tone with authority and strength.
“Many of our loved ones were either severely infected or unfortunately lost their lives.”
Zeke tenses beside me, and sadness rolls off him in waves.
He’s been waiting for this moment since the second Taylor died, and everything he’s built up is threatening to escape.
All of the anger, despair, and loneliness he’s put aside for my sake is overflowing now, and as much as I want to take it all away, he needs to feel it.
He has to take this moment for everything it’s worth, because my brother’s stubbornness doesn’t stop on the surface.
He’ll convince himself that he likes this pain, and he’ll swallow it whole until he chokes on it.
I lean against him, wanting to show him some type of support, and it kills me how tightly he wraps his arm around my shoulder.
The touch alone sends that aching pain through me as well, so I sink into his hold to show him that I’m here.
“You wanted answers. We have them now,” Damien continues.
Flashes on the screen draw my attention, pulling my gaze back down to the phone.
Screenshots of documents, images, and texts begin to flood the screen, some with chemical compounds, official order slips from Avery’s pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, and so much more.
“Your beloved Senator, the one promising safety, has provided anything but protection.”
Carter and Adrien are typing away, pulling documents and photos like their lives depend on it. Photos line the screen one by one, sending shivers down my back. First is Popov, then Hugo, Saconne, and DeLuca, framing Damien in their evil appearance.