Chapter 38: The game has begun

Davis

~~

He saw genuineness in Juliana but he’d been aware of the many things she was hiding just by looking into her eyes. Even before he read her thoughts.

When he asked about her brother, he saw her reaction and noticed. Davis watched Juliana closely as she was skeptical to speak about her brother, noting every flinch and flicker of her expression. He also saw the suspicion in her gaze, the way she seemed to be trying to gauge his reaction.

He remembered how she had seemed to grow a thick skin to Donovan's dominance, how she had learned to deflect his insults and put up with his barbarity. It confirmed his notion that she had only been vulnerable to him before because she had been forced to be.

He thought about how she had leaned into him over the past few hours and encountered what they’d had. How she had seemed to trust him more and more with each passing hour. He was grateful for her trust, but he couldn't help but wonder if it was real or if it was just an act.

He had seen the worry in her eyes when he had taken her hands back at the restaurant. He read her thoughts. He didn't mean to intrude on her privacy like that but this was a game he was planning on winning.

He heard her; ‘I feel so bad to do this to him but I have no choice’.

Do what to him?

And then, there was the look of guilt that had flashed across her face sometimes as they spoke. He read her thoughts about how guilty she felt for getting him in the mess with Donovan Thornfield.

She had no idea that it was exactly what he wanted.

He thought back to their conversation at her house. Janes Starkwood – how the woman had lied about Theodore. He had seen the lie in her eyes, clear as day. The boy was off school for a reason they weren't letting out. However, when he shook Juliana’s mother's hand, he heard her thoughts.

‘I’m happy Juliana is listening to her father. Nothing must happen to my little boy’.

Davis’s contempt for Ben Starkwood drastically increased then. He could tell that he had caused both women great fear and trauma and perhaps, little Theodore too.

He tried hard to keep a straight face when he shook Juliana’s hands the last time and heard her fear.

‘I just want to save my little brother. I'm sorry, Davis’.

He was determined to get to the bottom of this, to find out the truth about Juliana and her family. Ben Starkwood would be brought to book. And thus, he left.

.

“Donovan Thornfiled has directly challenged me.” He informed Silas in the car.

Silas briefly turned to Davis with surprise etched on his face. “He found out that you paid the debt already?”

“Eyes on the road, Silas,” Davis instructed as Silas glanced at him.

Silas obeyed promptly. “Why should he bother who paid the debt? He should rather be glad that he got so much money in return.”

“It's not that, Silas. It seems Donovan harbors feelings for Juliana. He is provoked to see her with me. We had a bit of a fight back at the restaurant.” Davis explained.

A dramatic gasp escaped from Silas. “Oh, my God. I think we should go around with security now, sir. They will surely come for us!”

“I know, Silas. He has the intention of making me pay and I know that he is a lawless crook.” Davis nodded.

Even though he had his magic ring, it could do no more than read minds. It can not protect him from a physical battle. He would need security for this war.

Silas’s shaky response broke his thoughts. “T—That's kind of too late now — sir.”

“What?” Davis glanced up.

Silas turned to the back, eyes away from the road once more. “A car has been trailing behind us for a while now. I just noticed it now, sir.”

Davis immediately glanced behind and saw the car. It definitely was trailing behind them but not with speed or anything. No one needed to tell him before he knew from whom it was from.

Silas's knuckles turned white on the steering wheel, his voice rough with fear. "It's a black sedan, sir. Looks high-end, keeping a steady distance behind us."

Silas was nervous. He needed to get it together.

“Get a grip, Silas!” Davis admonished him, and his jaw tightened. “Do you have any weapons on you?" He asked wondering why he had not left the house with his registered gun.

Silas fumbled in the glove compartment, his hand emerging with a single, rusty revolver. "Just this old thing, sir. Not sure it'll do much good against a whole gang."

Davis sighed. Not ideal, but better than nothing. “Keep it close, but don't use it unless absolutely necessary. We don't want to escalate things."

“It's getting closer, sir! What do we do?" Silas’s nervous voice sliced through his ear.

He hated to put Silas through this but they needed to be level-headed if they wanted to win this.

“Floor it, Silas!" he commanded, his voice calm yet, urgent. "Remember this Mercedes is bulletproof.” He reminded, happy they came out with this car today.

Silas's eyes widened. “Oh, dear! That's true, sir!”

“Exactly," Davis affirmed. "They're aiming to capture us, not turn this into a shootout. Remember, our car can handle itself."

Silas hesitated, fear battling reason. "But what if they try to ram us, sir?"

“Then we ram back," Davis asserted, his gaze fixed on the road behind, scrutinizing the car. "They won't expect it.”

Silas obeyed and slammed on the gas, the engine roaring faster to life. From the corner of his eye, Davis saw the black sedan react, picking up speed to match theirs. He gritted his teeth. They seemed to want to make it clear that they were following them but they didn't appear to want to attack.

“Focus on driving, Silas," he instructed because he felt like Silas needed to be reminded occasionally that all was going to go well.

He couldn't blame the man.

As they sped towards the turn onto Davis's street, the black sedan hesitated. It slowed momentarily, almost as if considering its next move. Davis's grip on the armrest tightened, his knuckles white. Was this it? Were they about to make their move now?

His fingers were crossed and Silas’s hads trembled even more. It almost seems as though Silas would get them killed before the sedan even got to them at all.

But then, just as abruptly as it appeared, the car swerved off, taking the next exit and disappearing into the side streets.

Silas let out a shaky exhale, the tension draining from his shoulders like air from a punctured balloon. "They're gone, sir! They are gone.”

Davis relaxed back in his seat, nodding. They followed them but not aggressively. They never had the intent of harming them. This was...

“This is a warning, Silas.” He affirmed. “It's a warning.”

As they glided through the street, the stares from the residents and the waves that usually please Davis annoyed him this time. He hated to be threatened this way.

“We have to do something, sir. W — why… I think we shouldn't interrupt in the Starkwood’s and Donovan Thornfield’s business any longer.” Silas rasped.

This irritated Davis beyond words. “I am not a coward, Silas!” He snapped. “Donovan Thornfield wants a fight, I'll give it to him.”

When they pulled into the mansion’s driveway, Davis alighted and headed straight inside, bringing out his phone to make calls.

As Davis burst through the mansion doors with his phone pressed in his ears, he made the call to the legendary Mr. King. No gang was greater than his in the entire country. Not even Donovan Thornfield’s.

Mr. King was once hired to kill Davis by a business rival but Davis was able to buy the man over. That was Davis’s forte; buying people over.

“Hello?” A gaunt female voice came answering the call.

Davis barked into the phone, her voice irking him. “Get me Mr. King!”

A pause, filled with the crackle of the line, and then, “Mr. King is indisposed at the moment.” The voice replied, emotionless and not bothered about his tone. “May I take a message?”

How a female could sound so gruff only frustrated Davis the more. He entered into his room. “Tell him Davis Montgomery wants him.” He said.

Another pause, longer this time. Finally, "Very well. I will convey your message. Please hold."

Davis wished he could send some punches down her face had she not been a woman. He however sent them virtually. She had no business taking forever to reply to his words. Did she not know who he was?

Then, a click resounded and a deep, gravelly voice filled his ear. "Davis Montgomery! Long time, mate. What brings you to grace me with your call at this ungodly hour?”

“I want to hire you, King. A car trailed mine tonight and I need a gang up for hiring.”

“You mean you need my protection from Donovan Thornfield?”

What the hell?

How had Mr. King known he was talking about Donovan Thornfield?