The Dark (DEVON) // ✔️ // [NEWADULT]

|| Chapter Thirty-Three - My, my ||

As we drove toward the Old Address, my thoughts kept going back to Isabelle and her situation. I frowned and pursed my lips. It was my fault... she's there because of me.

   "You're frowning." Devon said bluntly, looking at me with a quizzical expression. I nodded, offering up nothing else. He pushed further, "Ok, why?"

   "Sh-she's with Jensen because I didn't stay with Isaac." My tone was mournful. Devon regarded me with a stony face before shaking his head, "No, it's true."

He brushed his knuckles down my cheek and sighed, "She drew the short straw." He shrugged, his hand moving away from my face, "I'm not trying to make out that her situation is desirable, not at all, but between her and Jensen they have a son. They have a growing family and she loves her children, Aria." Devon's eyes examined me, "It's hard to believe she'd want it any other way now."

I didn't believe that. At all. So what if you have children? She doesn't love the man who's the father of her children. That's forever.

I decided not to push the subject further and just nodded placid agreement. Sure Devon. Okay.

Eventually, Reuben called out that we were approaching the Other Address. My back stiffened, my heart hammering in my chest. Devon squeezed my shoulder lightly before looking me dead in the eye, "Are you sure you want to go in? We can leave you here with Reuben, he's trained." As much as I appreciated the offer, I shook my head.

"He took my mother. She's all I have left of me. I need to face him." My tone was devoid of all emotion, this was serious.
Devon clenched his jaw and groaned, pulling a handgun from his back pocket and slotting it into my hand, "Don't get trigger happy, this is just in extreme cases." He warned me.

The gun was a great weight in my hand. I tucked it into the waistband of my jeans and folded my t shirt over it to cover it up. With a deep breath, I got out the car with Devon.

I noticed, with a start, loads of camouflaged men came strolling out from the forest around us and the house itself, grinning from ear to ear. Some greeted Devon verbally whilst others just nodded their acknowledgement.

"Told you I had men camped out here." Devon teased, walking up toward the front door, his armed guard following behind him. I seeped into the crowd, trying to get closer to Devon. Eventually, I caught up with some help from Ace, who parted the sea of bodies for me.

Devon knocked on the door gently, a satirical smirk forming on his lips as he waited for the door to open.
My heart lurched up into my throat and I breathed out a shaky breath, fiddling with my thumbs as we waited in the pregnant silence.

Devon looked down at me and smiled softly, "I won't let anything bad happen to you." He assured me.

"You can't promise that." I whispered back, "You just can't." My stomach was filled with butterflies as the anxiety took over. If Devon noticed the slight undertone in my words, he didn't mention them, he just looked back to the door with the same expression as it opened wide.

Isaac stood there, sweaty, shirtless and beaming like the Cheshire Cat, "Ah, where's the fire?" He mused, his eyes sliding from Devon to me. I felt them grating against my skin as they ran up and down, "Aria..." he greeted, a little breathlessly, "What brings you here?"

I looked up and straight into his eyes, still as blue and charming as the first time I ever saw them. Sadness swam through me as the memories came flooding back... I once loved him. Once.

"My mother." I breathed, "I came for my mother." My words came out in a whoosh, almost undetectable if Isaac wasn't paying enough attention, but by the look on his face, he was listening intently to everything I said. Like it was a lifeline.

He crossed his muscular arms and leant on the doorframe, regarding me with a thoughtful expression, "Did your mother mention she was visiting, hm?" He teased, a too-White smile capturing his face.

Devon laughed humourlessly, "Let her mother go."

Isaac snapped his head toward Devon with predatory speed, "You're in no position to make demands, bastard." He hissed through gritted teeth.

I fought every instinct in my body to stay rooted to where I was. I'd seen that face before, I knew where it lead to. Isaac pressed on, "I'll tell you where her mother is as soon as you tell me where my goddamn girlfriend is. You are familiar with her right? Victoria? The girl you abandoned to the Dragons?" I didn't dare breathe as the silence stretched thin.

Devon cursed at Isaac and launched himself at him. The armed members pressed forward and I was shoved into the house by a wave of them. Enraged people flooded down the stairs of the house to meet us, matched with weapons too.

I felt someone grab my shoulder and hoist me away from the action. Harrison, I noticed, relief flooding through me.
My eyes locked on the brawl, Devon pounding his fists into Isaac's face, Isaac clutching at his shoulders and neck, throwing him around.

"Damn him..." Harrison muttered, still half-dragging me away, "...ruined it..."

"Ruined what?" I blurted, Harrison paused, hiding me in a corner and covering me with his body, "Harrison, ruined wha-"

"Do you think Isaac will tell us anything now? Even if we get him in custody? He's just been attacked by Devon he owes us nothing - we didn't keep the peace." Peace was a bold way of describing it.

I frowned, "But, Devon had every reason to."

Harrison looked down at me and sighed, tensing up at the sound of slow footsteps, gunshots echoed through the hallway.

"Fuck!" Harrison hissed, falling forward onto me, his hand placed on the small of his back. I looked down to see red lines of crimson dripping through his fingers. Swallowing hard, I turned us around, shielding him with my body. He protested, but ultimately, didn't have the strength to maneuverer us back around, "Aria... let me do my job!"

Job? He was assigned to me?

"Job?" I whispered slowly. Harrison's eyes went wide, his words faltered slightly, "What job?" I pressed on.

Harrison grimaced, "Devon planned to... he just wanted to attack Isaac he didn't really-" his breathing was coming thick and sharp.
I nodded, silencing him with my hand. Allowing him to catch his breath. He needed medical help, and soon.

"Devon never planned on getting my mom back today did he?" There was no reason to ask, I already had an answer. Harrison shut his eyes and gritted his teeth. The colour had seeped out his face at an alarming rate, "Kidney?" He nodded, a groan followed.

More footsteps. Harrison tried and failed again to turn us around, "Isaac won't let someone hurt me. Trust me on that. Please." I pleaded. Harrison wasn't having any of it, continuing to push and grab and twist.

I didn't have a choice. I threw him against the wall hard enough to knock his breath from him and fell backwards into the hallway. Harrison lay sunken on the floor, his face a picture of horror.
I could have just sentenced myself to death.

Bracing for the worst, I looked up. Isaac staring down at me. Bloody and bruised... but in motion.
Which meant....

"Devon..." I breathed, scanning Isaac's face for any signs of victory or smugness. Nothing. He just rolled his eyes and grabbed my arm, hoisting me to my feet.

"You don't want to struggle against me." He warned, before I'd even tried anything. I turned my head and my eyes locked with Harrison, he was shielded in the shadows, he wouldn't be seen unless someone deliberately came looking and I hoped, for his sake, someone did.

Or he will die too.

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Ugh, I know this chapter was bad I'm sorry ok I'm sorry.

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