“What the fuck!” Nate pulled at his hair, stepping backward.
“Daemon?” I wiped the tears that were pouring down my cheeks. I cradled his head under my arm and kissed his forehead. “No, no,” I wept, slowly rocking him. Something snapped in my chest, opening up and seeping its pain through my veins. My heart was lifeless, my fingertips numb and my legs aching. “No!” I screamed when his eyes lifelessly fell to the back of his head.
I squeezed at the wound on his neck, not wanting to take the knife out. “No. You’re going to be ok. It’s ok. I’ll fix you. I’ll always fix you,” I mumbled to myself, pawing at his wound like a cat would.
“Madison…” A hand came to my arm.
I reared back. “No. He’s not dead.”
Heavy combat boots came into view. “Baby…”
My eyes flew to Bishop. “No! He’s not dead!”
Bishop watched me carefully. “I’m going to tell you about a demon called Trickery, one of his six…”
I shook my head, wiping the tears off my cheek with my blood-soaked hand. “No. I don’t want to hear any more. I don’t” —my eyes cut straight to Katsia— “You…” then I slowly put Daemon’s head back to the ground. When he was safe on the pavement, I gripped the knife that was in his neck and pulled it out. Flicking it around in my fingers, I flew toward her. “Bitch!” I pounced on her like a tiger would on a gazelle, wrapping my legs around her waist.
Her eyes popped open in shock. “Mad—” I reared my hand back that held the knife and stabbed it deep into her jugular.
Her guards knew they were outnumbered, and they knew she had done wrong. There was no way they could have fought us and lived, and they knew that. It was then that I realized they were mere peacekeepers—as such.
Blood sprayed over my face and retribution sunk into my pores as the sweet taste of revenge slid down my throat. Thick choking sounds vibrated from her throat, her hand coming up to the wound. Arms wrapped around my torso from behind, pulling me off her.
“Shhh, baby, it’s going to be ok.”
I hiccupped and pushed away from Bishop.
Spinning back around as Hector started chatting with Katsia’s men, I ran back to Daemon and cradled his head again, swatting away the flies that started buzzing around.
“It’s okay. I got her. She’s gone, you can wake up now. I took care of her, I—I—” I wheezed through my breaths, my chest tightening again. When my throat dried from my rushed breathing and adrenaline shot through me, a guttural scream erupted from my chest. I dropped my head into Daemon, weeping the loss of my brother. My other half, my constant. “I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you, goddamnit, Daemon! Why!” I continued to sob into his chest. “I just got you back,” I whispered. “Te amo, frater.” My swollen eyes scrubbed against his shirt.
“Baby?” Bishop sat beside me and I could hear Tate sobbing somewhere. She loved Daemon, too, even though she didn’t display it that much.
I didn’t answer Bishop. I couldn’t form words. I didn’t want to move, I didn’t want my mouth to move, I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to stay here forever and rewind what had happened. I wouldn’t let go of him. Ever. Te amo, frater
“I’m going to tell you about Trickery and circa 2014. Daemon’s biggest slaughter,” Bishop’s voice beamed with something. If you mixed fear and pride into a bowl, your finished product would be his tone. “Trickery was one of Daemon’s demons that he lived with. In April 2014, he was sent to one of the biggest jobs for The Circle. He was told to do one task, bring in the men, and leave. Shake them up a bit, but not to harm anyone. There were twelve grown men, and none of them lived. Up until he came back into your life, we all believed that he had snapped and just gone full schizo, but he hadn’t. That night when he and I had that talk, he told me the truth on what happened the night he brutally dismembered twelve men three times his size, sending the pieces back to The Circle in circular shaped suitcases…” He took a breath, and even though I knew there was no way he was about to get a response out of me, I wanted to hear his story. “Poetic, got to give him that. So we had the talk, because I wasn’t completely comfortable with him being around you, like you could probably remember. He told me about his demons. Trickery, Deceit, War, Evil, Rage, and Death. They were numbered, and Deceit was the strongest voice of all, he had said. It was probably the one that took over him the day he shot you…”
I didn’t wince. I didn’t move. I’d trade places with Daemon in a heartbeat, and a part of me wished I did die that day, then maybe he wouldn’t have been here today. It was my fault.
“Trickery took over him in 2014. Daemon saw the man who raped him as a small boy when he looked at all their faces and annihilated each and every one of them. It wasn’t until they were dead that Trickery finally released him, but by then, it was too late.”
I didn’t answer.
“That’s what happened today. His greatest war was within himself, baby. He will be at peace now.”
His words were like rubbing salt into a wound. The tears started pouring out again.
“Mads?” Tate came closer to me. My eyes went to hers. She was rubbing the tears off her cheeks, but I noticed a guy with a big spider-shaped scar on his neck standing closely behind her. It was so big that it was one of the first things I noticed. Then it was all the tattoos. Then it was his blatant resemblance to Bishop, only with dark hair and bright blue eyes. “Please stand up. We need to take him home.”
I shook my head, my fingers gripping around him. Her attention went to someone beside her, who I was guessing was Bishop. She nodded, and then someone was pulling me off Daemon. Inhumane screams exploded out of me as tears soaked through my shirt. “Come here.” Bishop’s arms wrapped around me tightly.
“Bishop, take her to Miller. The jet is ready. All of you, go with her.” I stopped fighting when I realized it was no use. My muscles throbbed and every inch of myself ached. My arms swung around the back of Bishop’s neck where I clung on tightly. Silent sobs broke through again, and unable to contain them anymore, I let them flow. Te amo, frater.