The Dark (DEVON) // ✔️ // [NEWADULT]

|| Chapter Eight - Crucial ||

I excused myself at lunch and took a sudden liking to the library. In my defence, I did have a biology test to study for, but it wasn't as if I was actually going to do any studying at the moment.

Browsing through the towns history section was gruelling. There were books on breakthroughs in modern medicine, the new laws passed, movements for feminism and all that shit I didn't care about. There was absolutely nothing on the history of gangs and gang violence. I could search an obituary and hope to find some evidence there on the passing of a major gang leader or gang member, but that'd be a whole new task in itself.

In the end, I settled for the totally trustworthy and plentiful knowledge of Wikipedia. The schools computers were virtually uninhabited at this time of day... or at any time of day. So I used one of them. The search for an article on the Golden Dragons was harder than I'd anticipated, it turns out, despite being a school that prides itself on creating hardworking and dependable students...they still had plenty of site blockers in place. Even bing was blocked.

The lack of self-government was eye-roll worthy and therefore I was justified in my numerous rolls. Eventually, I managed to find a secure site and access some articles on the Golden Dragons movement over the past thirty-four years.

Headlines read:

"GOLDEN DRAGONS SHOOT UP ILLINOIS MALL"

"A VENGEANCE FUELLED ON DISTASTE - FUED BETWEEN THE GD AND THE FS"

"KINGSLEY FAMILY MISSING AFTER ALLEGED DISAGREEMENT WITH THE FS"

I gulped. Kingsley. The monitor seemed to sneer at me as I read the final title over and over again, I clicked on the title. My mind raced as I tried to pull all the facts together.

My first day, I was asked if I was aware of any of the 'Kingsley family'. Isaac... I knew Isaac and when I brought it up to my mother she seemed to be stunned into silence. Isaac's character was always one that you had to be sceptical of, he was always vanishing, returning with mysterious injuries and unpredictable attitudes. It just so happened that Devon was the one who wanted to know this... Devon showed up last night. Devon.

"Devon." I breathed out, letting my head fall into my hands, "No, no, no..." I repeated.

Someone scoffed from beside me, "Yes, I'd be worried too." I heard his low voice before I saw his face. He was right next to me, it was as if a shadow had snook in beside me and was waiting for its chance to pounce.

I gave myself the luxury of admiring his face for a moment. His chiselled features gleamed with a slight sheen of sweat, his hair spilling over the top of his brow and falling down onto the sides of his shaved head. His green eyes bore into my own with a predatory glint, stubble gracing his jawline.

"You done?" He spat, glaring at me. I shrank back in my seat and gulped as he raked his eyes over me, "I'm going to ask you a question and you're going to answer it. No loopholes." He stated, sitting taller, "Why are you searching up the Golden Dragon Gang? This... sudden curiosity can't have spun just from our little incident. If anything you'd want to forget about it, right?" Devon cocked his head to the side and regarded me unkindly.

"I-" I paused, trying to think of some plausible lie I could tell to get him off my back.

"Don't try to lie to me Aria. I can dig up more information on you than you'd like... I can find out exactly what you're hiding behind those pretty little lies you want to spin." His voice held nothing but the truth. He wasn't the kind of person to make empty threats. I knew all too well he'd be happy to carry it out.

With a deep breath, I spoke, "The man, Asher, who chased me into the store... he had a dragon tattooed on his forearm. I just wanted to know what he was mixed up with..." I clarified. A half lie.

"Hmm-" he stopped for a moment, seemingly wanting to consider my words, a few moments of silence passed between us as he stewed over my answer. Until, he shook his head, scowling.

"I don't believe that for one second, do you want to know why?" He didn't give me time to answer, "if you were solely interested in the gang, you wouldn't be reading an article on the Kingsley family right now." He nodded his head towards the screen and gave me a look.

My heart thumped rapidly in my chest as I looked between him and the screen, "I really don't know anything about the Kingsley family personally." Devon looked almost amused, "The only person I had ties with was their son, I had a relationship with him a few years ago, it didn't work out." He continued to watch me, as if he was expecting more, "That. Is. It." I clarified.

"Which son?" He said.

I frowned at him. Isaac really hadn't allowed me in, especially with his family. It was always my place or somewhere outside. Never his home. I had tried to surprise him once by turning up at his house for his birthday, like the naive girl I was, and he sent me home again. Took my gift, but sent me home nonetheless. I suppose my suspicions should've been raised then.

"How many are there?" I asked, curiosity got the better of me, I had no intentions of trying to be awkward.

Devon slammed his hand down on the table and I jumped, my heart flying into my throat, "For fucks sake, which son?" Devon was red in the face, his eyes bulging out of his skull.

"Isaac." I shouted, "it was Isaac Kingsley..." I breathed. He seemed content with my answer.

"Of course it was that son of a bitch..." he said, more to himself than me. Devon dragged a hand through his hair before looking at me, "I need your help." He said bluntly.

"I really don't know anymore than that." I pleaded, "please, I never met his family, never found out what he enjoyed doing, never really knew anything about hi-" Devon cut me off.

"No, I don't need you to tell me about Isaac." He groaned.

"Well, What then?" My eyes had grown heavy with the sudden confrontation.

"I need to know about you."

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I'm quite proud of this chapter. Not because it is anywhere near the quality I desire but I just think this is like the catalyst chapter, shit gets real from here on out!

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©️//®️

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Ps. I'm currently sitting next to a snoring cat. How often can someone document about that? My cats name is Todd by the way, very inventive, ikr.

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Pps. I accidentally woke him but it's okay because he made a funny noise when he woke up.

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Link 🔗 to my other story is currently unavailable ✔️