Hell's Angel: Devil's Backbone (BK 2)

Chase

Dani's POV
(Nightwing27th)

I pushed the front door open and walked in. A large pile of papers was stacked up behind the door. I sighed and glanced around. The house was dark. I'm sure the electricity doesn't even work. I closed the door, sure to let it make some noise. I put my hands in my coat pockets to warm them. I glanced at the staircase before heading left.

I walked through the door way to the living room and the barrel of a cold hand gun pressed into my forehead. "Good," I said. "You're home." Frank lowered the gun with a sigh of annoyance. He quickly returned the gun to his belt.

"Go home."

"You really think I came all this way for you to tell me to 'go home'?" I asked. He glared at me. His eyes softened and then he turned away, taking a few steps. "Whoa, what was that?"

"What?"

"That look. What was that for?" He casually ignored the question. His favorite thing to do beside kill people. I sighed, glancing around. "Alison's better, thanks for asking. She went to the Bulletin-"

"I don't want to know."

I stopped and stared at him. "You're leaving, aren't you?" I asked. He glanced at me with guilty eyes. "So you completed your mission. That's all you ever cared about? Then what was Alison?"

"Don't."

"Why, because you know I'm right?" I pointed a hand at myself for emphasis. "Was any of it even real?"

His head whipped my way. He stared at me with evil eyes. He sighed heavily through his nose. "Yes. All of it."

"That girl's given everything to you and you want to leave it behind?"

"I have to. Yes, I killed the Blacksmith. But it doesn't end there," he said. "There's always someone who needs punished."

"Like who?" I scoffed.

"Like Ward." I froze. I stared at him and he knew he'd got me. "And I want to help you find him."

I was speechless, and when I did talk it had no life to it. "Why?" I was incredibly confused. I don't understand why he'd want Ward. He looked at me, then glanced around. Finally he faced me, looking into my eyes. "Mary was a good person. She didn't deserve to die. She kept things secret when I started seeing Alison. She's the one who gave me the keys to that room at your place," he said. "I was always a normal person to her. I could see it in her eyes, you know? She knew what I'd done," he shook his head, "what I was doing."

The corner of his mouth went up in a grin. "She knew I'd shot you and she didn't care. She didn't care about any of it. She even kept her kid around when I was there, no need to keep her safe from me. All she ever wanted was for me and Alison to be together." He sighed. "If only she knew what that's cost."

He looked at me. "But also to repay you. For everything you've done for me, for Alison, for Chase. The hope of catching my family's killer is what got me to where I am. And you gave me that. I know the Blacksmith wasn't at the docks, but that lead me to him in the end. As far as I'm concerned, you kept your word. You helped me find my family's killer. And for that...I'm going to help you find the man who killed yours."

I nodded, thinking. I let out a long breath. "If you leave," I said, his eyes flicking up to mine, "and you do this...she'll find you. Alison will follow you wherever you go."

"I know," he sighed.

"Unless..." I thought a second.

"What?"

"Okay, so...some think you're dead and the rest want a body."

"So?"

"So, why don't we give them one?" I said. He raised an eyebrow just as a flash of 'you're crazy' was on his face. "Just hear me out." He nodded. My brain went nuts trying to form a plan. "Okay, so. We fake your death, but this time everyone will know you are dead. EVERYONE. Meaning Alison, too." I saw the look of protest and talked faster. "If she thinks you're dead she won't be looking for you. She'll be safe and out of harm's way while you...and I...find Ward."