Chapter 8 The devils accounting : The cost of one life
CHAPTER EIGHT
~~Damien~~
Sweat dripped down the sides of my face. The harsh metallic smell of blood lingered on my body as I walked back into my mansion.
I had just dropped the dead bodies of multiple of Lorenzo's soldiers to save one of mine.
As I approached my bedroom door, I froze, sighing deeply. I wondered what Charlotte would think if she saw me like this. Doused with blood.
But I couldn't hide from her.
I placed my fingers on the knob and slowly twisted it; the door pulled open with a soft creak.
The lights were still on.
The bed was empty.
“Charlotte,” I called, slowly walking into the room.
Maybe I was just paranoid, but I sensed something was off.
“Charlotte!” I called out again.
Immediately, I rushed to the bathroom; it was empty, and the floor was wet. It looked like she had taken a shower not too long ago.
My blood flushed in alarm.
Nothing could have happened, right? I had soldiers everywhere guarding the place.
I rushed out of the bedroom, “Where is my wife?!” I asked the men to outline her room.
“Mrs. Davenport hasn't stepped out today, sir,” one of them responded.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath as I rushed back into the bedroom.
Paying more attention to every detail, my gaze swept around, my eyes widening as it caught the window. Its glass was shattered.
Charlotte wouldn't do that; she could always walk out through the door.
This could only mean one thing: she had been taken. “Fuck!’ I slammed my feet against the floor.
“Boss?” Matteo walked into the room, his eyes fixed on me. “I heard your voice.” His eyes swept across the place and then landed on the window.
“There's something wrong, isn't there?” His brow raised.
“Charlotte has been taken.” My voice cracked, and my throat tightened as I spoke.
Charlotte was mine now; if I couldn't protect her, that meant that I wasn't good enough for her.
“Wait, there's a note on the bed.” Matteo rushed to pick it up.
As he read through it, I could see the shock on his face. “What is it?”
“It's Don Maximo; he has your wife, sir. He wants you to meet him at this address with the blackmail file—a trade.”
My jaw clenched tight. “He better prepare to die. He thinks his girl could compare you to my wife's life?!” I snapped.
Matteo slipped the note into his back pocket. “I'll round up the guys,” he slowly said, and stepped out of the room.
I raked my fingers angrily into my hair; it felt as if a hand had gripped my throat, making me unable to breathe.
If Maximo dares touch her, I swear I will tear the city apart to take him down.
My gaze landed on the plate of cookies I had placed on the table for her; she had barely touched it.
“I swear on my life I'll find you,” I muttered.
~~Charlotte~~
My eyes fluttered open; the morning sunlight danced against my face.
I looked around, my eyes widening as I realized that I was tied up in a pool.
A man stood outside the pool, a hose in his hand as he began to flush water in. My pulse spiked; the water had already reached my breasts.
Was he going to drown me?
Is this how I die?
My gaze narrowed as a man dressed in a black suit appeared. “Stop,” he commanded the man with the hose, and immediately he obeyed.
Soon, men dressed in black suits walked closer to the pool.
“The men are ready, Don Maximo,” one of them spoke.
“We wait,” the Don responded. He pinned a stick of cigar between his lips, and immediately, one of his soldiers lit it up.
As he released smoke from his lips, he spoke, “You are Davenport's weakness.”
I swallowed, my hands still tied back to the chair. I could slowly feel the water pressure moving the chair slightly. If I fell, then I wouldn't be able to swim back up. I pressed my feet against the floor, trying to steady myself.
“What have you done to the devil to make him fall for you?” He asked, genuinely curious. “You are beautiful, but he's still the devil.”
I pressed my fingers against my thigh. “Please find me, Damien,” I prayed within.
Just then, loud footsteps, thundering against the hard floor, drew closer.
Don Maximo smiled. “There he is!” He snapped with excitement.
I traced Maximo's eyes, and mine landed on Damien; he stood before Maximo, multiple of his men behind him.
“Damein!” I shouted, “I'm here!’
Damien's gaze darkened with anger as he saw me in the pool. “Let my wife out of the pool now!” He commanded.
Maximo scoffed, “Wife? The king of hell fell in love?”
Damien lifted his hand up to send an order, and immediately his soldiers lifted up their guns, aiming them at Maximo and his men.
“I don't want war!” Maximo shouted, “I only want my file back.”
“War started the moment you took my wife, Maximo. My wife is off limits,” Damien growled.
“Just give me the damn file, Damien, and I’ll let her go!” Maximo said, stepping forward.
Damien ripped a gun out of his pocket and aimed it at Maximo.
Maximo took a quick step back, and his men also aimed their guns in defense.
My body jerked as the loud sound of gunshots suddenly echoed through the air. I watched as some of Damien's men dropped to the ground; in a second it was over. Maximo's men all lay lifeless on the ground, only he standing alone.
Maximo looked around in defeat, his lips parted in shock.
Some of Damien's men remained standing, ready to shoot again.
Damien stepped forward and aimed his gun at Maximo, who had begun to shake.
“I'm going to spare you, not because you are forgiven, but because I need you to send a message: anybody who touches my wife dies,” Damien threatened.
A gunshot echoed as a bullet drove into Maximo's shoulders.
Maximo screamed in pain, his hand grabbing the wound on his shoulder. Damien walked towards him.
The hate in his eyes sent a cold shiver down my spine as he glared at Maximo.
He pulled Maximo's hand away from the wound, his fingers digging into it as Maximo's voice let out a loud cry of agony, “Do you understand!” Damien shouted.
“Yes!” Maximo cried as he dropped to the floor.
“Argh,” I shouted as the chair I sat on finally lost its balance and I landed in the pool with my hands tied up.
The water bubbled in my ears, my sight turning blurry. I pressed my lips together to hold my breath as I struggled to get off the chair, but it wasn't working.
I tried to relax, knowing Damien would save me. But as I waited, it got harder to hold my breath; my lips parted, and water gushed in. I struggled until the world turned black around me.
“Charlotte!” I heard Damien's voice, barely audible as he screamed my name.
“Damn, Charlotte, wake up!” He shouted again, breathlessly.
My eyes suddenly sprang open; I let out a loud gasp as water spouted from my mouth.
He knelt beside me, wet, his hair damp and his eyes filled with concern.
“Charlotte!” He pulled me into a tight hug.
I gasped for breath as he pulled me into his arms, “You saved me” my chest heaved.
He pulled away from the hug, cupping my face in his arms, “I will always save you, love.”
I looked around the place, dead bodies laying around and the harsh metallic smell of blood filled the air.
All these dead bodies were lying here because of me.
I looked back at Damien.
“You lost some of your guys to save me.”
He shook his head, “It's okay love” he pushed some shards of my wet hair always from my face “, I got you”
He leaned closer as he picked me up in his arms. “You are shaking,” he said, his voice laced with concern. “I'll take you home.” He looked up at the remainder of his soldiers. “Let's move!” He shouted as he began to leave the place.
I turned to look back at the pool where I almost died.
This was my life now; a near-death experience had become a normal thing.
I laid my head on his chest as he carried me away.
~~Don Maximo~~
My eyes slowly opened.
I looked around to see myself in one of its safe houses.
I quickly sat up; the bullet pain in my arm hurt like hell.
“Dad!” Kara yelled, rushing to my side.
Kara was my daughter, one I had sworn to protect from my world, but when she turned twenty-two, it became more difficult to control her; she wanted in, and I didn't have a voice.
I smiled as my gaze landed on her; she was as stubborn as her mother was before she died.
My gaze looked up; some of my soldiers stood with sorrowful looks on their faces. The death of the other soldiers must have gotten to them.
I looked back at my bullet wound; it had been bandaged.
“I'm sorry, Father.” Kara's voice cracked as she spoke.
“It's okay, I'll get the file one way or the other.”
She shook her head. “No…it's Luca.” Tears welled up in her eyes.
I looked at you and my soldiers. Luca was with me when I confronted Damien; he wasn't ...dead too, right?
“Where is my brother?!” I asked, slipping out of the bed.
“Boss, you cannot ...”
“Where is my brother!” I interrupted.
Antonio's gaze shifted to Kara and she gave him a subtle nod. He turned around and exited the room.
My blood flushed as we followed closely behind him until we reached another room.
“Argh,” I groaned in agony as I slowly drew closer to my brother.
Aside from Kara, Luca was my only family left, and I lost him to Damien.
“We couldn't bury the body because we thought you wanted to see him first,” Antonio explained.
“I'm not afraid anymore." I spoke, forcing the
tears back. “Gather my allies; we are going to war.”
“Yes, boss,” Antonio nodded and stepped out of the room.
Kara moved closer to me, slipping her hands into mine. “Are you sure about this?”
I looked at her. “Yes.”