I push him away and struggle to my feet to go clean myself up before returning home. I force myself to stand up as straight as I can and use the wall as a prop. Ryan follows me and is there when I stumble exiting the room. He stiffens as he pulls me back up. The look in his eyes is hard to see, but I am doing this for him just as much as the rest of them.
“I’m not going to let you kill yourself Nick, and I am not going to let Savage take you away either.”
“You stay away from Savage, Ryan,” I cringe, trying my best to not need him to lean on. “You enjoy your life. Start that family you have always wanted and let me worry about Savage.”
“I don’t remember a time that you ever let me down, Nick, and you better believe that I am not going to ever let you down either. You’re my only brother, and together we can solve anything, remember? Together no one can stop us, remember?” he says, reminding me of the time sitting together, goofing off from school, and talking about the life ahead of us.
“How are we ever going to escape being poor, Nick? We are fucked for eternity. We are going to be forever nothing.”
“No. No, Ryan we will be something. I know it. Together … no one can stop us as long as we stay together. We are brothers, and we are both smart, and handsome as fuck – I mean just look at us.” We would both laugh nodding at our scrawny bodies. “But most importantly, we are together. We will never turn on each other, and with us together, we can’t be defeated … by anyone.”
“Remember Nick? Remember, no one can defeat us when we stick together,” Ryan says again.
“We are not kids anymore, Ryan, and this isn’t as simple as stealing cars or overcoming poverty.”
“No, but do you think my love for my brother, my determination to stand with you, is any less because of the situation?” Ryan asks.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you Ryan,” I say to his hardened stance in front of me.
“And I don’t want anything to happen to you either,” he replies. Finally, my legs give, my body fails, and I collapse against him. Ryan holds my shaking body with a strong hold so no one can notice my weakness. “Don’t worry, Nick. I got you. Your brother’s got you, now and forever.”
Ryan takes me home and helps me to the door but knows enough to let me go into my home on my own, no matter how drained I am. Kayla greets me, full of energy, and instantly, my day is behind me, and my wife is all that is on my mind.
“Hello Princess.” My hands immediately find their way underneath her clothes and my lips trail down her neck while she warms me up and hums her love for me.
“Did you have a bad day?” she asks.
“No, not at all. It is not over yet, and already, I am here - home with you. That is a good day as far as I’m concerned,” I say, but my voice shakes a little. Kayla takes my hand but suddenly looks over me with concern.
“Why are you so weak?” She grabs my clothes and pushes them from side to side, examining my wounds. “Nick, what are you doing to yourself?”
“It’s nothing. I just over did it a little bit today. No reason to worry; it’s nothing that some rest and my wife can’t help with.” I wrap my arms around her, but I can still feel the vibration in my touch, and from the look on her face, so can she. “I’m going to go to bed and lay down for a little while. Don’t hold up dinner for me, but save me a spot on the sofa before the boys go to bed.” Kayla nods and, without a word, helps me up the stairs and to our bed. Kayla’s touch has always calmed me, but apparently, she can’t rejuvenate me. Or, maybe I did more damage than I thought. Even the pressure of the bed hurts. Once Kayla leaves, I freely cough up blood that I have been hiding from her.
“Daddy?” Nicky says, peeking in from the doorway.
“What do you need son?” I ask him, trying to hide my pain.
“Do you want to see my drawing I did today?”
“I do. Can you show it to me later …” Oh damn the pain. I lie back, trying to get the room to stop spinning. I forget about my son until I feel him touch my hand. Taking my hand with his, Nicky curls up next to me and just breathes, in and out, in tune with me. The rhythmic sounds of our breathing cause me to fall asleep and the pain to subside.
My mind drifts for I don’t know how long when I hear Kayla calling for me.
“Nick? Nick honey, the boys are going to go to bed soon, and you should probably eat something, too.” Kayla looks over me and smiles. “Well you do look better, even your bruises are healing up nicely.” I sit up and look over myself. My once damaged body looks nearly untouched. I feel … great. I feel as if I have slept for days. “How do you feel?” Kayla asks.
“I feel fine. I guess the nap was all I needed.” I smile at her. “I’ll be down in a minute, and yes, I am hungry too. Do you mind making me a plate of food?” I say, getting up and feeling good about my strong legs.
“Not at all. I should warn you though. Nicky has a whole new list of things to tell you about. If you want, I can tell him to keep it to a minimum,” Kayla says with a questioning expression as she looks me over herself.
“No, I want to hear all about his day,” I say happily.
Kayla nods and disappears downstairs while I continue to check out every part of myself. Reaching, stretching, and punching, I analyze my abilities, and I am wonderfully surprised that my body is better than ever. Wow. I guess I didn’t give Kayla enough time to help me. Now, how do I tell her what she can do for me, or should I not? Should I continue to keep her secret to protect her from Savage, someone that I still don’t completely understand? For now, I think it best to keep my secrets to myself and save them from getting out to the wrong people.
Chapter 12
Savage
Nicholas is stronger than I thought. What he did, what he was able to sense before it happened … he is so much like his father.
“Did you see what my grandson was able to do Rabbie?” I say as he sets down a drink for me. “He has the senses of his father, but the strength … oh, he has the strength of his uncle and cousin all rolled in one. He needs us more than ever; he needs me for certain.”
“Do you really think he is going to willingly do as you say, especially with that beautiful family of his? They are his priority, not you Father,” Galena says, kissing me on the cheek.
“That isn’t a problem, not a problem at all. He simply needs to be convinced to leave his family behind.” Galena laughs. “You doubt me, my daughter?”
“Never, Father, but this time, I think you may underestimate his bond to them. If he is anything like his father, and as we already know, he is plus some, then he will fight like no other for his family.”
“His bond to them is what we will use to convince him to leave them behind. He will come to us, willingly, once he realizes he is what is dangerous to them,” I say as Galena expresses a silent agreement in my direction.
Nicholas. I have known he was strong since he was a child. He was so young, and yet, he dismissed my attack on him with little effort, not that I put too much heart into hurting him. He was small at the time; he didn’t need much to kill him or so I thought. To have him at my side now would make my army unstoppable. Nicholas scared those assassins right into their death. I savored the look in their eyes as they realized they were done, and I certainly relished the look in Rein’s eyes as he watched his men dying on the floor in front of us. His men were scared shitless of Nicholas. My men? Well, they would follow him anywhere, and he would lead them to one takeover after another. My enemies would be on their knees in front of him and giving me whatever I wanted just to have me pull back the reins on him. But how to get control of him?
“How is your relationship with Amery these days, Galena?” I ask with an idea in mind.
She growls, with a turned up lip. “About the same, why?”
“I think we should introduce Amery to Nicholas.”
“But Father, if Amery finds out who he is, he will do everything he can to provoke a war with him and try and kill him before he can be of any u
se to you,” Galena says.
“You underestimate him,” I say with a low growl. “Amery doesn’t stand a chance against Nicholas, not even with his entire army behind him. Nicholas needs the kills. He needs to savor it and desire it. Once he starts, he shouldn’t be able to stop if provoked properly, but it all depends on that woman. Kayla has some kind of control on Nicholas, and I need to understand exactly what that is. Let’s plan a test run before we set our plan into motion.”
“And what kind of test would you like to do, Father?” Galena asks with a doubt in her voice. Her disrespect lately is getting out of control. I give her a pointed glare, and she bows her head in shame as she should. I know exactly what we need to do.
My plan is set into motion and Galena and I set up at an office building with the perfect view. We wait nearly thirty minutes before Kayla walks past us with Nicky and that other one in her arms, and for some reason, that damn dog, too. Nicholas approaches from the opposite direction to greet her with open arms.
“They are a beautiful family,” Galena says next to me.
“We are his family. They are nothing but a distraction.” I growl towards her. “Where are our men, anyway?”
“They will be here, although sacrificing men is not something I would think you would savor,” she huffs back at me. I raise my hand to quiet her down. I don’t need her disrespectful attitude simply because she is missing out on an afternoon of fucking that loser of hers.
Nicholas settles down in the park with his family. The four of them laugh and play as they prepare a quiet picnic. The park is away from the city and from anyone who might know them. Something they do often, without anyone knowing, except me. Since discovering him, I have made it my job to know where he is at all times. While lovely Kayla sets up lunch, Nick picks up the smallest one and plays some sort of game that causes him to laugh. My little Nicky tries to join in with that dog that sticks to his side every second. That overprotective dog is going to have to go, too. The moment Nicholas stalls his play time and begins looking around, I move to the edge of my seat and look for our men. I catch sight of them nearly a minute later running into view. My grandson is so perceptive, a skill that cannot be taught.
“Oh Galena watch this. This is going to be so good.” Nicholas hands the little one over to Kayla and faces off with one of our men away from his family, one of our best fighters is determined to win, but that determination doesn’t do him much good. He tries hard for the whole fifteen seconds that he lasts against my grandson. I see the bloodlust in Nicholas’s eyes as our other fighter, our supposed warrior, begins to retreat in fear. All the signs are there: the clenched fists, the heated exhaling breath, and the hungry pursuit of his prey. Nicholas pursues the man into a corner, and the man drops to his knees, begging for his life. I can’t hear his begging words, but I can see his fear. Hell, I can sense his fear, and I lick my lips, craving the kill myself. The wait nearly drives me insane when … that woman appears and takes hold of Nicholas. He jerks his head in her direction, and I get excited, hoping for his action that I didn’t even think to hope for, but instead, he calms. His fists become unclenched, his breath cools, and his hunger seems to vanish. They send our man running away and return to their sons. Nicholas helps her load them in her car while he follows them closely in his. No one is getting close to them with him around, and Nicholas is never going to know who he truly is with Kayla around him. I glance over at Galena as she tries to pick her jaw up off the floor. “And this is why we always test our theories. That wife of his is a nuisance.”
“It is very much like Dante and Sophia. That’s incredible that they both were able to find …”
“Do not remind me of that woman!” I yell at her. “I thought we had discussed that before?”
“Sorry, I had forgotten, but you have to admit that is remarkable how much the two situations resemble each other?” she says, ignoring my eyes on her.
“You forgot? Of course you did. The simple things are always hard for you to remember.” I stew in my seat trying to decide how to act next. “Kill that man. To explain it better for you, I want you to kill that coward that Nicholas let go. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, but why kill a perfectly good man?”
“Because I said so Galena! Now, go clean that mess up and don’t come home until you have taken care of it all.” I get in my car without her and have my driver take me home.
Once I am home, I find Rabbie. “If she manages her way home tonight, don’t let her in the house. Make her sleep in the servants’ quarters.” Rabbie nods like the perfect aide that he is. “I’m sick of her questioning me.” I swear her name under my breath when Barr approaches me.
“Sir, if you would oblige me, I would be more than willing to take care of this Kayla Jayzon for you. I will have my best men accompany me to make sure the job is done properly,” Barr says, my head general so to speak. Barr has been with me for some time and is my most ruthless killer. He enjoys his job more than any, and I hate to deny him his joys.
“When the time is right, I will certainly let you have that pleasure, my Mighty Slayer.” I think for a moment. “There is something you can do in the meantime. I need to make sure she is not able to conceive children again. I can’t have Nicholas fathering another child by her. I need to make sure she is fully vulnerable and not with child when we kill her.”
“It will be done within the day,” Barr says respectfully.
As I wait to hear back from Barr, I take up refuge in my study, preparing myself for a delivery of women to please me. I walk towards my balcony doors so I can step out and enjoy the night air when Rabbie runs in the room and promptly steps in front of me, cutting me off, an action that is quite unlike him. I raise my hands trying to understand what his nervous action means when he suddenly points to the door.
“I believe he is trying to tell you that I am at the door demanding to see you. It seemed to make your people nervous, so I showed myself in,” Kamini says as she enters my study with her usual overly confident attitude. Rabbie tries to straighten up the room and get rid of anything that might not be fitting for her to see, but I wave him away. I don’t care what this bitch sees or thinks of me.
“Kahhhmahhhneee …” I growl out the sound of her name under my breath, cringing with every syllable that passes my lips. What is it that you want, Kamini?” I ask with a sour tone.
“I want one of your men, and out of respect, I have come to you first. I expect you to hand him over with little fuss,” she says, casually, as if she just asked to borrow some sugar.
“Oh dear.” I roll my eyes “And which one is it that has disturbed your shrilling and crying world, Kamini?”
“You are so much more charming than your father, Dennis,” the wise ass says. “How did he die again? I have heard it was a stab wound of sorts?” As if I would tell her my secrets. The blade of my father is all that can destroy me, and I will not give any hint to it so that someone can strike me down with it as I did him. “Your father thought so much of you. I remember his proud moment introducing you as I believe you are going to be doing for your grandson, Nicholas, is it? It’s too bad that his father never got to be introduced. Dante was a handsome man but then, his mother. What was her name …”
“Sancia. Her name was Sancia,” I snap, growing more impatient with her game.
“Oh yes. Sancia, a beautiful woman. She had many suitors until you. Then, suddenly, they all started disappearing. She herself probably would have lived if not for your attention towards her. Your wife was not real happy about her was she? You know, as well as I, that she poisoned her, but I guess that doesn’t matter to you. She was nothing but another fuck to you, right Dennis?” I turn back towards her with a snarl and fisted hands. “Go ahead. Do your worst,” she hums happily.
“You would like that, wouldn’t you? Have your blood on my hands so I can be sentenced to death myself?” She shrugs, angering me even more. I grab her and throw her down on my sofa. Her body tenses while I enjoy t
he feeling of her body next to me. “You smell even better up close,” I breathe against her neck. “You know you want me to fuck you, always have. Say the word, and I will give you what you want, what you have always wanted.”
“I would love that Dennis. I would love to be the one to sentence you to be skinned and burned for eternity.” She turns her head and faces me with gritted teeth and a witch’s smile.
Damn her! I jump up and rush to the other side of the room, trying to calm my emotions before I do something I will regret. I need for her to leave as soon as possible. I’m not sure I can control myself much longer. “What it is you want?” I breathe away from her but watch her every move from the corner of my eye.
She smiles wide as she judges my décor with a shaking of her head and sideways glances. “I want your man Barr. I’m sorry to tell you this. I know he has been a loyal servant to you for a long time now, but you have so many loyal people. I can’t imagine losing one is going to be that big of a deal to you.” She knows damn well how important Barr is to me. I would be a fool to believe that she is here out of respect for me. She is enjoying seeing my reaction to her request.
“I will need to know why you need him rather than any other scum that roams this world.” I glare hard at her.
“Of course. He raped a woman, several by my final count, but what has finally done him in is the last one he raped, and inadvertently killed. She was pregnant at the time. You know that’s not allowed, and it always causes The High Council concern. After a witness came forward, we will need Barr to face his judgment. The High Council has ordered his immediate demise.”
The Devil's Masquerade: The Poison Page 8