Partners in Revenge

“So, what’s the plan next?” she asked while treating Daemon’s wound. They just came home after what happened and they’re already planning for their next move.

Lucy is fast asleep in the other room after their helper brought her to bed.

She slowly put on his jacket for him and sat on the floor looking up to him sitting on the bed. “We need to strengthen our security. Brian would surely suspect that Lucy is here so this is the safest place we have now. I’m sure he will not blow the place where he is suspecting that we’re hiding his daughter.”

“You’re right so what are we going to do now?”

He reached for the gun on the floor and put it on his side while never leaving her eyes. “We have to strike first. We cannot wait for your father’s next move. Our main priority is eliminating Gestoni. In that way, your mother will be able to talk. She’ll confess where they’re hiding Emily. Tonight, I’ll make sure to corner her and let me frankly tell you Devon that this could not end well. It’s either I live and he dies or the opposite happens. Either way, we have to do this. Life is a gamble and so is this.”

A long silence ensued between the two of them. Both of them were thinking deeply, playing scenarios in their heads on how it will end.

“Don’t say that. You will live, Daemon. You promised us,” she spoke after minutes of introspection.

No one will be taken away from her, especially Daemon, her rock and shield.

He nodded and slid down to her side on the floor so he could hug her. “Yeah, I know. I’ll survive no matter what.”

He kissed her head and then proceeded to bring out a crumpled photo for her smeared with blood from his pocket.

“Before I forget, I have a gift for you. Do what you want with him. He’s yours already.”

Devon stared at the wounded man in the picture and grinned. It’s been a long time but her dreams will finally be realized. “Thank you. I’ll make sure to keep my sweet time with this asshole.”

Another silence reigned in the moment. They were just both on the floor touching each other.

“Do you believe in me, Devon?” he whispered afterwards.

“Yes, I have faith in you. I will stop acting on my own. I’m putting my trust on you, Daemon.”

He finally smiled and pulled her body to his lap so they could see each other. He cupped her face using his uninjured hand and kissed her lips softly. “Thank you. That’s all I needed to know.”

Devon closed her eyes and felt his ragged breathing on her face. “Be careful, Daemon. Come back to me safe and alive, please.”

“I will and always am. For you and Emily.”

“Thank you. That’s all I needed to hear too,” she muttered and closed their distance.

DAEMON walked across the abandoned building of his corporation carrying his gun dripping with blood that he had just smacked at his head.

“Henry, you know I treated you like my own brother. Why do you choose to betray me?”

Henry struggled to move but he persevered to sit on the sea of gravel. “I did not betray you, Daemon. We just happen to love the same woman.”

He ignored him and continued berating him. “You are my most trusted man. You’re the best out of my team. Why did I think that I can even control you?”

Scoffing, he took out a handkerchief to clean his gun.

“The only sin I committed is loving Devon. Why would you punish me for having feelings for her?! I did not want it either, but what can I do?!”

A laugh escaped his mouth at the ridiculousness of the situation. If years ago someone would tell him that Henry would betray him, he would normally laugh at it because it’s the most preposterous thing to happen.

“Come on, man. We both know it’s not my wife you’re loving and protecting. For once Henry, be honest with me.”

Daemon gave him a napkin so he could wipe his head clean too but he did not take it. “I have nothing to tell you, Daemon. Do what you want with me. Kill me if you want to.”

He stood up shaking his head in disbelief. “So you have decided to end it like this? You will throw away our years’ worth of being a brother just for the woman who plotted to kill my own child?!”

Henry quickly turned to him, his mouth opened widely in shock. “H-How…”

“That’s right. I know now that you love Maddy. You’d give up everything for her. You are willing to trade your life for her. What did she do for you for you to feel like that?! She’s a poison to your mind, Henry! She has sucked all your potential away.”

Henry’s face went dark and grim in a split second at his accusation. “You have no right to tell me that out of all the people, Daemon. You’re just like me too. Look what Devon did to you. Look how she ruined you!”

“Ruined me?” He gave out an amusing laugh. “She never ruined me! She is the only woman who made me feel alive again! She saved me from my bitter past. She opened my eyes! Can you tell the same thing to Maddy? She only poisoned you and used her body to seduce you.”

Putting his gun on his holster, he decided to leave him to start carrying out their plan. He will leave Henry for a while here so he could think more.

“No! Do not do anything to Maddy! Do not touch even her hair! Daemon! I will kill you if you do that! Daemon!”

He just sighed and walked out of the building where his men closed the door.

Before going into the rendezvous, he stopped by his old condo to get his cyanides but what he saw when he got inside made his blood boil again.

“Save your tears for another day. Leave before I throw you out of the window myself.”

Maddy did not bother to wipe her tears and followed him to his room where he looked for her weapons.

“I prefer you to do that. I’d rather die in your hands, Daemon!”

He faced her and then pushed her out of the way when she blocked him.

“I won’t kill you now. Not yet. You haven’t suffered enough.”

But she got in his way again on the way out. With patience already used up, he casually faced her to try to hear what she wanted to say.

“What do you want now? You better speak up right away. I don’t have any extra time to waste on you.”

She grinned bitterly. “What did you say? I did not suffer enough? I did! I've suffered enough already! I lost everything I worked hard for the last decade! Nothing left in me! I am broke, awaiting my trial, and the worst of all is you turned your back on me. No, I didn't do it on myself! You did it on me, Daemon! You did it on me! It’s all your fault so you have to take responsibility with me!”

She pushed his chest and punched his face. “It was all your fault! You did it to me!”

Daemon sighed and gathered her hands together and dragged her back to the living room. “It’s all your doing, Maddy. You did it to yourself.”

“So you’re telling me it’s my karma.” She laughed and picked on her hair. “Okay, let’s say that is the case. But how about yours? When will karma hit you?! You’re as evil as me, that's why we are so compatible with each other.”

“We’re not compatible, Maddy. We’re worse together. You make people worse just by being with them. Look what you did to Henry.”

“I don’t care about anyone but you and myself, Daemon.” She began stepping backwards and opened the window to her back. “I’ll make sure that I’ll be your karma. You will not forget me no matter what you do, just like how you will never forget your father’s face as his head blew up in front of you.”

“What are you doing?!” he asked, alarmed when she stepped out of the window onto the small balcony.

Maddy laughed insanely while staring at the panic on his face. She thought that she still had some effect on him. She bets he still cares for her but it’s already too late now. “I am the owner of this life and I decide whether I should live or not anymore. Right now I decided it’s over. See you in your nightmares, my love.”

She left him a big smile first before jumping out of the balcony.

“Maddy! No!” Daemon shouted at the top of his lungs.

DEVON entered the small house inside one of the empty villages Daemon owned and found Joffrey on the dirty floor, tied down on a rusting metal post, blindfolded, and with all the bruises from torture.

She smirked. Her husband already started her revenge against him.

She kicked the empty tin and the old man sat straight in fear.

“Who’s that? Is there anyone there?”

His voice is shaking that she had the urge to ask Daemon later what he did to him to act like this.

“Look at you, old little man fearing for just a simple sound,” she spoke and circled him.

“Who are you?! Where am I? Let me go! Didn’t you know me? I am Joffrey! Let me go now!”

She sat in front and toyed at his blindfold. How the world has changed upside down. He is now in the same spot she was in years ago.

Helpless and unable to do anything to save herself from the cruel circumstance she’s been forced into.

“Now you want to free yourself. I thought you like to be alone with me? I thought you would do anything for me. Do you even remember when you told me that or just like my beloved parents, you also forgot about that?”

He paused for a second to analyze the familiar sound of her voice and when he realized who she was, he trembled more in fear.

“D-Devon? Devon Farrows? Is that you?”

She took the blindfold away from his swollen face and smiled at him. “The one and only. Hi, Joffrey. Long time no see. How’s your head by the way? Did it heal well?”

He smiled back in relief seeing that she’s not being hostile at him. “Yes, it healed pretty well. Look Devon, I’ve deeply regretted everything I did to you. It’s not really my fault. It’s all your father’s doing. He forced me to marry you. I just don’t have any choice. I am just a poor old man.”

“Your head healed pretty good,” she said, pretending she did not hear the rest of his rumbling. “Good. Now I wanted to put an even bigger wound so it would take more stitches.”

She straightened up and reached for a metal pipe on the corner ready to swing at him.

He put his hands over his body to block the possible blow. “No, no, no! Devon!”

She gritted her teeth when he begged on her. “For years, I’ve imagined what it was like to hit you like this. Now I know why I waited for this moment. It is really worth it.”

She hit him first on the leg and then to his stomach then to his arms.

“Devon, please. Child, please take pity on me. Please!” he whimpered in pain as he coughed out blood.

“Why would I when you didn’t even take pity on me when you wanted to marry a literal child at your age. Did you listen when I told you I don’t want to marry you? You did not, right? You even tried to rape me and for that, I can’t forgive you.”

She wiped the sweat on her head and let the pipe go and chose another weapon. She picked the screw and walked slowly towards Joffrey who could only shake his head in his utter plea to spare him.

But Devon answered with a snare. The fun is just beginning.

“The night is still young, Joffrey. Allow me to have fun with you first. We are really going to have fun all night,” she said and stabbed his knee.

He screamed and wished for death but death was busy that night.