The Devil's Masquerade: The Remedy

by Jennifer Loren

  Chapter 31

  Eey / Dante

  Nicky has been watching everyone with an attentive ear. I have followed him while he follows Ryan and Elijah around; trying to understand what is going on. He was still confused as was I until the other night when he and I snuck into a closet before they could notice.

  “We wait until Nick and Savage leave that protective barrier. If we go after him before then …” Ryan says.

  “Savage is not going to leave that barrier unless he is forced to,” Amery says. “We have to target Nick first, force Savage to come to his rescue.”

  “You mean we have to kill him?” Ryan asks.

  “He only has so long to keep him from being lost to him. He will want to save Nick, even if it means he has to give up another, a barbarian like Ward or even Galena,” Amery says.

  I look over at Nicky and rest my head in his lap as he fights his tears, listening in on how they want to kill his father. Nick was able to be the one thing I could never be, a good father to the point that his son idolizes him. The only thing Nicky has ever wanted was to be just like his father, to follow his every footstep and make him proud.

  Nicky tries to confide in Kayla, but she is so nervous it would seem she already knows what the others are up to, which I later confirm, following her around as she searches for someone to help her. I was hoping she would find someone and started to worry when the day was upon us and she still hadn’t gotten anyone to change their mind. However, out of nowhere, the least likely person approached her.

  Amery walked into the room with her, still seeming to argue with himself about approaching her. “I hear you have tried talking everyone into helping you, and they are all turning you down.” Kayla glances his way and nods without a word. “Why didn’t you ask me?”

  Kayla turns towards him and looks him over. “Why would I do that? We are not exactly friends remember? Not to mention, you have no reason to help me.”

  “Maybe I do, or maybe I started thinking about the last couple of weeks and began to realize something.” He sits down next to Kayla, sighing, “He saved you didn’t he?” I cock my head, wondering what he is talking about, but from the look on Kayla’s face, she knows exactly what he is talking about. “You said Nick saw you and ran and you …”Amery starts to laugh. “And you bullied Delin down and tied him up all by yourself.”

  “I didn’t say I did it by myself. I had those other men helping me until Nick killed them.”

  “Yeah, I am sure that is not how it happened. You were set up, and instead of allowing them to hurt you, Nick saved you. I watched him drive away. I was going to go after him, but the look in his eyes surprised me. His eyes were calm, and he was watching you. He was making sure you got away safely. He sacrificed Delin to us because Delin would have reported back to Savage that Nick and you have been secretly seeing each other. Don’t deny it. I confirmed it when I had a nice long talk with Delin.”

  “Delin would never share information.”

  “You’re right, he would never share information about Savage and the rest of that family and their business, but I wasn’t asking him about them. He feels Nick betrayed his grandfather, and he was more than willing to tell me what exactly happened there. That is, once I told him that Nick has been helping us all along.” Amery leans into Kayla. “How did you do it? How did you get to Nick without Savage knowing?”

  “I didn’t have to get to him. He came to me,” Kayla confesses.

  Amery’s eyes widen as he looks away from her. “If Nick is loyal to you and not Savage, then we have a real chance of beating him.” Kayla nods. “In order for that to happen, he has to be forced to choose between his grandfather and you. Don’t you think?”

  Kayla smiles wide. “I do.” The two try to come up with a plan that none of the others know about.

  I get excited and a little more hopeful and run to find Nicky. As young as Nicky is, he is more like his father than anyone has realized. He notices everything and looks for more information until everything begins to make sense to him, which rarely takes long. I am worried about him. He won’t talk to me like he used to, and he is clearly wrestling with something.

  Nicky made it all clear tonight, the night of The Masquerade.

  “They tell me I am too young to understand, but I understand. My Daddy needs me. I won’t let them kill him, Eey. Brayden and I miss him, and Mommy needs him,” Nicky says as Brayden nods, holding tight to his bear. Everyone gets dressed up and leaves us here with Gideon who is so determined to make sure Kayla never leaves he doesn’t even think to check on anyone smaller.

  Kayla has been trying to get away from him for an hour now. He follows her every move, but he should be watching Nicky. Kayla put the boys safely to bed hours ago and even checked on them to make sure they were sound asleep, a game Nicky has perfected as of late. He pretends to be sound asleep while his mother peers through the door and looks over his peaceful body. She comes in twice before Nicky wakes up Brayden and tells him goodbye, to which Brayden starts to cry. “Don’t cry, Bray. I will be back. I promise.” Brayden sniffles with his lip protruded out, gripping my ear with one hand and Nicky’s hand with the other. “I told you. I have to help Daddy. I am taking Eey with me, and you know he won’t let anything happen to me.” He glances at me, and I cock my head to make him smile. Brayden nods, curling around his bear. “Lay down and go to sleep, and I will be back to read to you tomorrow. You can hold onto my Eeyore, too, so you will be extra safe.” Nicky tucks his brother in and hugs him before grabbing his backpack and leading me out of the house and past the tall guards, while Kayla continues to argue with Gideon. He takes out the cell phone he stole from his mother’s purse and calls for a taxi at the gate. Within a few minutes, the guy pulls up. I jump in with Nicky right behind me. “Take me to 36 - 66 Prentiss Street,” Nicky says.

  The guy turns back to look at us both. “Kid, what are you doing out at this time of night? Do your parents know where you are? Okay, enough of the games. Now, you get out and go back home to bed. It’s a school night,” he laughs, shaking his head.

  “Did I ask you a question?” Nicky yells back at him. The driver’s humored expression quickly changes to a solemn one as he shakes his head. “Then stop your rambling and take me where I want to go or I will find someone who will.”

  “Yes sir,” he says, putting the car into gear and moving.

  Nicky turns to me and smiles. “I saw Daddy do that once.” I bark my respects. “Thanks, Eey.”

  “So how old is your dog kid?” The driver asks.

  Nicky looks at me, and I paw his leg, “He says he’s fifty-seven.”

  “He says? … Oh, not that age. How old is he in his doggie years?” The driver laughs.

  What is that times seven? I paw Nicky’s leg again. “Wow. Really?” Nicky asks. I bark my reply. “He says he is three hundred and ninety nine.” The driver looks back at us and silently narrows his eyes back on the road.

  As we pull up to the house, we watch as all the people walk into the vivacious estate in their opulent masks and even some with matching costume. Nicky seems to be in awe of the jubilation at first but quickly gets back on track. “Stop here.” Nicky takes out some money and gives the man the fare plus tip, just like his Daddy. “Thanks buddy, keep the change.”

  “No problem, kid. Enjoy the party,” he says, leaving us near the gate entrance.

  Thankfully, we are too short to be noticed and walk right past the guardhouse. “Which way should we go now Eey?” I bump his leg and take off. He follows me through the crowd of people and to the back entrance of the house where caterers and servers are coming and going. I know this house well, and I know all the areas you can sneak in and out of. We wait for the right opportunity and then sneak past them and into the house. Nicky follows me through every hall and up the stairs. There are guards everywhere, so I lead him through some side rooms and to a window where we climb out onto a balcony and around to another window, easily passing the guards to a long hallway
full of doors.

  “Okay, now what Eey?” I wait for a second, listening until I hear someone sighing. I go up to the door and start scratching. Nicky quickly grabs the door knob and turns it. I stand in front of him and crouch down in hopes that he will get the idea, and he does. He sneaks in behind me and stays quiet. Nick’s things are tossed all over the place, someone is going through his room thoroughly looking for something. I don’t have to imagine what, or evidence of whom? Nick has been clearly showing signs of becoming himself again. I can’t imagine my father hasn’t noticed it and must be questioning …why? He is suspicious and someone is trying to help him ease that suspicion before the Ball’s main event. I quickly get a bad feeling and start to back up to get us the hell out of here before it is too late. But when there is an abrupt destructive noise from the adjacent bathroom, Nicky assumes it’s Nick. “Daddy?” Nicky yells out. No! Don’t do that!

  Ward. I would recognize his beady eyes anywhere, even though he has aged, I am sure he hasn’t lost his disgusting personality. He walks out, dressed for the party already and looking less than thrilled to see us.

  “Who are you?” he asks. Nicky doesn’t speak as I move in front of him. “How did you get in here?” Ward yells at him. Get the fuck out of here!” He lunges towards Nicky, but I stop him in his tracks, grabbing his arm and holding tight. “Fuck!” He tries to clear me away from him, but I am no ordinary dog. I am a dog that knows all my father’s assassins and their weaknesses.

  “Don’t hurt my dog!” Nicky yells, running at him and with a swirling fire of his own. Between the two of us, Ward doesn’t stand a chance.

  “Get the fuck off me, damn dog! I’m going to kill you,” Ward yells so loud that he alerts guards. I grab hold of Nicky’s shirt and drag him out of the room before Ward has a chance to get up. We duck into an adjacent room when guards come storming past, and right behind them, the true devil himself, my father, Dennis Savage.

  Chapter 32

  Savage

  I look out over the party from a secure room. The guests are arriving in large numbers and seemingly enjoying themselves greatly. “This is a big day, Rabbie.” He nods with a smile. “This is my moment, the moment that alerts everyone to my growing supremacy.” I take in a deep, prideful breath when guards come rushing into the room in a panic. “What is it, and it be better be important enough to interrupt me?”

  “Sir, there has been a breech in the security. Ward was attacked,” my head of security says.

  “Show me where he is.” I follow them down to Nicholas’s room and find him laid out on the floor, moaning in pain and the room is completely torn apart. “What is going on in here? Are you trying to alarm our guests? And how the hell am I going to explain this mess to Nicholas?”

  “No sir, this kid and his dog came into my room, and when I asked them who they were, they attacked me,” Ward groans, holding his arm.

  “A kid and his dog? Attacked you … and clearly defeated you, too.”

  “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. It was like they knew my every weakness,” he whines.

  The idea sounded insane at first until I realized who it was. “I am sure they did,” I steam. “It’s Nicky and that dog who apparently is my dead son. Unfucking-believable that a small child and a dog could penetrate our security system!” They all stand back from me with no words to explain their failures. Nicky, that child is smarter than I thought. There is no way Kayla would allow him to be here. He has to be here of his own accord. All on his own, huh? Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing after all. “Find them, and when you do, I want them brought to me. Kill the dog if you have to, but under no circumstances do you harm that child. I want him, oh do I want him.”

  I march back to the ball with my guards following, but before we get too far, my art museum’s security alarm goes off, and all I can do is smile. I turn everyone around and go to the lit up room with its metal doors dropped down, trapping Nicky and that dog inside. It is a good day. I raise the doors and approach Nicky, but I am instantly attacked by the dog. He is tough and more knowledgeable about me than I care for anyone to know, but I am not about to take my focus off of what I want. I grab my cane and hold it up high in the air. “Fly!” I yell, focusing in on Nicky and ignoring the attack at my side. Nicky runs from us all, but my dragon chases him down and buries his teeth deep into Nicky’s neck. Nicky goes down hard and is out cold before his body hits the floor. Not even a twitch from his lifeless body. I worry at first that he is dead, but one of my guards checks him and nods that he is in fact, still breathing, and now under my control. “Well, that was easy. It is definitely going to be a night to celebrate,” I say before looking down at Dante the dog. “As far as you, nice to have you back home. If you are a good boy, then I will put up a dog house in the backyard for you,” I laugh, considering the idea. “Oh never mind that. Let’s just be done with you now.” I kick him across the room and bare down on him with everything I have.

  “Don’t hurt my dog!” Nicky yells suddenly and aims his anger with a fierce power at me, sending me spiraling against the wall. “I don’t like you!” Nicky yells with his eyes swirling, his nostrils flaring, and penetrating my heart with a debilitating pain. My body jerks in every direction. I try to stand, but all I can manage to do is crawl out of the room and shut the gates down around them. I stare at the child from around the corner, still trembling from his attack on me. He killed all my guards in a second and had complete control of me in the process. “Let us out and give me my Daddy back!” Nicky yells before returning to that dog and petting him with a soothing hand. “It’s okay Eey. I can help you feel better.”

  I shake my head, rush into a nearby bathroom, and shut the door behind me, forcing some guards that are running to my rescue to stay out. I look myself over in the mirror as beads of sweat drip from my head. I splash some water on my face and breathe slowly. I just don’t understand how this is possible? That child should be lucky to have survived. His own father was in a coma for days, and he comes out in seconds? It’s just not possible! He shows no sign of the poison affecting him at all. It’s like he was immune to it. It’s like he … like he has the blood of a healer inside him. It is like some who have a calming influence over others when they need it. A calming power that, when mixed with the blood of mine, intensifies into a healing power. The blood of his mother, she must be, she must be from … “No! Nooo! Kaori! Damn you!” I scream and tear through everything in my sight. “Damn you!” What am I supposed to do with this child now? How can I possibly use him if I can’t inflict my will on him?! I can’t keep him in that room forever. I don’t seem to have the power to hold him back on my own. I need Nicholas to help me with him. I need him to control his son. Nicky will listen to him and do whatever he says. That’s it, yes, that’s it. I begin to become excited again, a weapon I never even considered is in my hands. A weapon that will surely give me everything I want. I clean myself up and breathe a little easier before stepping out in between my guards. “The child and that dog are locked within the gallery; keep an eye on the child, and by no means do you ever look him in the eyes. Do not speak to him; do not even turn in his direction. Stay away from the dog too, just in case. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes sir, but he is just a child, right? How much harm can he cause?”

  “He is not just any child. He is my great grandson, and that alone should put a fear in you enough to never let your guard down around him.” My man seems curious, but he nods and moves on to do as I asked with a team of others following. I breathe a little easier and go back to the room above the party, to supervise my Masquerade Ball.

  Chapter 33

  Kayla

  “Are you going to follow me around everywhere I go?” I yell at Gideon. He just smiles and folds his arms. I roll my eyes and pace in front of the window, searching. “I’m going to the bathroom. You aren’t going to go in there with me are you?”

  “No, but I am timing you. Don’t think I don’t know there is a window in
there,” Gideon yells at me.

  He is as irritating as the rest of them. I don’t know what I have done to make people think I am not trustworthy. I lean against the wall and stare out the window, waiting, and just when I start to give up on him, he walks through the door. I run out of the bathroom with a little too much excitement, considering Amery’s worried expression, and receive a quick motion to calm down.

  “Amery what are you doing here?” Gideon asks.

  “Ryan is hurt. He got inside but was found soon after. We got him out sort of, but Savage hurt him pretty bad before we could. He is hiding at the edge of the estate, but there are so many guards he can’t get by, and he certainly can’t run. We need Kayla’s seductive ways to distract some guards so Dwayne and Terrence can sneak him out. I have to get back into the Ball and help Cat and Elijah escape, there is no way either will survive on their own. Elijah won’t leave without Cat and she is heavily guarded, I have to help them get out of there before the bombs go off. We are in a full retreat right now.”

  “Maybe I can help instead. Aren’t you afraid she will sneak into the ball?”

  “No, I am pretty sure when she sees Ryan, she will be more concerned about getting him out than getting herself in. You look nice Gideon, but not as nice she does,” Amery says, taking my hand when Gideon nods.

  “Well if anyone can, she can, be careful,” he says as we leave.

  Once we make it into his car Amery shakes his head and lets out a heavy sigh. “Alright, we only have so much time to get you in. Catriona said they are holding her offsite so they can bring her in by herself in an open carriage, like she is fucking Cinderella. All we need to do is get you there. Have you change, and then Cat and I will sneak in with you in your carriage.”

  Amery quickly drives me to Cat, where she helps us sneak in through a side door. “Come with me. We can change in here,” Cat says. Both Amery and I follow, and he is kind enough to turn away while we change, but not without an impatient sigh. We brought something for Cat to wear so she will blend in with the rest of them, but she does have trouble squeezing her heavy ball gown into the back of the carriage and remaining out of sight. I have to make some odd adjustments to my dress to help her out. Nothing like having a woman hidden under your dress. Amery and Cat sneak out of the carriage just after we enter through the gates and stop for direction from one of Savage’s many security people.