Chapter 13 #2
Still, he’s the only one I can really trust, and even as it angers me, this proof that he cares reassures me.
I can depend on him to take care of her.
And someone does need to take care of her, to make sure she eats regular meals and gets proper medical treatment.
If I tell him to look after her, he will.
The only way I can bear to part with her is to know he’ll be around.
Vincent and Igor walk in together, their arrival interrupting my thoughts.
Vincent has gained a lot in assurance these past few months.
He knows just how useful he is to me, and I’ve come to see it too.
With Gabriel gone, his last tie to Angel has dissolved, and the cloud of suspicion that hung over his head is gone. He’s really come into his own lately.
Then there’s Igor. Still the same silent brute. At least there’s one constant in our group.
The three of them sit down next to Logan. Vincent smiles at me, while Everest runs a distracted hand in his hair. “Long time no see,” he says smoothly.
I nod curtly. “How’s the business going?”
“All’s on the up-and-up,” states Everest. “Since Angel disappeared, we’ve managed to get back all our old contacts and make a bunch of new ones.
The Feds are leaving us alone. They have no proof, and since they found Seraphina Connor’s grave…
” He pauses meaningfully. “They have no reason to continue their search. Everything has resolved perfectly, and we’ve started investing heavily in Silicon Valley.
In fact, a number of startups were in difficulty after Gabriel’s death, and we swooped and saved them, so to speak.
Devil’s reputation is soaring, these days.
When you come back full-time, you’ll see… ”
“I’m not coming back.”
All four of them stare at me.
“I’ve decided to quit Devil,” I explain. “I’m bequeathing everything I’ve built to you. Vincent, I want you to join the group. Logan… you’ll be in command.”
They all seem shocked, but Logan’s mouth positively hangs open.
“You can’t be serious,” he stammers.
“I am.”
“What the hell, Damien? I’ve spent the last eight months believing you wanted to kill me.”
“I still want to kill you,” I say, taking a swig of whiskey. “But I won’t.”
His face decomposes. “Motherfucker,” he croaks. “Motherfucker.” He drags a hand over his eyes and makes a weird choking sound that almost sounds like a sob. “You couldn’t have told me this eight months ago?”
“I was planning on killing you for those eight months. I decided to spare you about five minutes ago.”
He stares at me. “What happened five minutes ago?”
I massage the bridge of my nose. The old headache’s back.
“Five minutes ago, I realized what a piece of shit I am. You might’ve done some stuff in the past, but I’m the one who destroyed her.
I’m the reason she’s nearly died several times, and it’s clear to me now that she won’t survive if I’m around. I’m the cause of her anxiety.”
Against all expectations, he doesn’t look relieved. Instead, his eyes flash angrily. “Don’t bullshit me,” he snaps. “You’re going to give this all away because of her?”
“Not all of it.” I pause, taking another sip of whiskey. “I would like to keep the name. Devil.”
“Never liked that name anyway,” comments Everest.
Logan rolls his eyes. “Damien, you’re the reason we’ve succeeded. I can’t let you walk away. Come on, man. What would you even do without Devil?”
“Without our company,” I correct him. “I am the Devil.”
He rolls his eyes again, so hard I wonder for a moment if they’ll get stuck like that. “Fine. So, what’ll you do?”
“Find Angel.”
“Angel’s over, bruh,” comments Vincent, then immediately turns red when I glare at him.
I may have given him a place in our group, but that doesn’t mean he can talk to me like I’m his Gen Z buddy.
He gulps and adds, “Lazarus is dead, Elias is dead, Gabriel is dead, Noel and Aaron are in hiding…”
I drain my glass and hand it to him. Crestfallen, he stands up and hurries to fill it. Don’t forget, bruh. I may have promoted you, but you started as my assistant, and I can knock you right back down.
“Lazarus and Elias are dead, we’ve confirmed that,” I nod, swilling my glass.
“We left Gabriel alive but bleeding out, a limb torn out. We can assume he’s dead too.
But Noel and Aaron are nowhere to be found, and while we can be hopeful that they no longer pose a threat, we can’t know it for sure. And there’s someone else, too.”
They all look at me in confusion.
“The rat. We still haven’t found the rat. Someone in Devil was working for Vale. He would never have dirtied his hands directly.”
“But Angel’s gone,” protests Everest. “That means the rat, whoever it is, is of no concern anymore.”
“Of course, we’ll find it,” says Logan. “We don’t want to let a traitor go unpunished. And Igor would be disappointed not to get his hands on it.” He marks a beat as the silent brute licks his lips. “Still, it’s not a priority.”
I grit my teeth. “I’m pretty sure I said those exact words moments before Seraphina was kidnapped. Let’s not repeat my mistake.”
My words are followed by a heavy silence. I don’t think they can remember the last time I’ve owned up to a mistake. And I’ve just admitted to two.
Destroying her, and allowing her to get kidnapped.
The bitter guilt in my heart is swallowed up by a desire for vengeance. I won’t rest till I’ve found those fuckers. Till I’ve eradicated the last remnants of Angel from this earth.
“Logan,” I conclude, “I expect you to look after her. Give me frequent updates. Make sure she’s well taken care of. That she doesn’t suffer anymore.”
He stares at me like I’ve gone crazy. “You want me to look after her?”
I scowl. “Of course, you won’t touch her, not with a ten-foot pole. And you won’t let anyone else go near her. If I find she’s moved on with anyone, I will string that piece of shit up and skin him alive.”
“Right.” His eyes are still glued to me in disbelief. “But after all I’ve done, you want me?”
“Everest will help, of course,” I say, gulping down the last of my whiskey. “But you’re the only one I can trust.”
I look away as a confused sort of happiness lights up his features. It’s not easy to leave her. In fact, it’s pretty much the hardest thing I’ve ever done. To lose her again, so soon after finding her… to push away all thoughts of punishment, and to accept her decision to move on…
No, not move on. Never move on. I won’t let her do that. But I’ll give her space to heal. And then…
Then I’ll come home to claim her, if I’m still alive.
But if my plans go the way I expect them to, there’s a very good chance I won’t be.