The Wrath of the Daemon

Author's Note:

I know it has been a while, but here it is at last, another chapter into the Life of D. I am sad to say that after this series, the story of D will wrap up for the time being. With that in mind, and for the first time since I began this series over a year ago, I will ask that you go back and revisit the previous chapters in the series, as a lot of the plot points that I left as far back as "Long Road" are addressed in these next chapters.

I am grateful to all the emails and comments that have come through since this journey began. While I am not saying that I will no longer write about these characters, I want to remind all readers that this story is a flashback. These chapters are the story that D had been sharing with Angie as their relationship blossomed and eventually, much like this story, ended. Your responses to my characters, the emotional investment that each of you have placed on these words, has been a humbling experience.

Thank you for those that have stuck with me since the beginning, and to those that have shared my stories with their friends and family. I know that the way these next chapters will end will undoubtedly piss off a few people, but it cannot be helped. All things must come to an end.

Much love,

aka_Mike

*****

It took a few weeks after the discharge from the hospital before I would be allowed to resume any normal activity, or at the very least as normal as my life could permit. I had been in that medically induced coma for a few weeks, and while my loved ones saw a body laying on a bed at a hospital with a revolving door of visitors and guards, I was facing challenges of my own. During this time, I learned just how terrible the consequences of my life had been up to that particular point; I saw the amount of blood that would follow me. This amount would surely increase; there was little doubt of that in my mind. But most importantly, I met my newest benefactor, my sponsor from that other world. It would be to him alone that I would answer to when my time in this world would end, by whatever means. My enemies and those of my Family would meet him as well, but in far more unpleasant circumstances. Through him, our enemies would learn the price of their deceit and betrayal in far more intimate ways than I could ever hope to enact.

As my body recovered, I learned the extent of the damage that had been caused in my absence. Quickly, the other Families moved to take revenge on my behalf against their own series of suspects. My town had been torn asunder under a wave of violence and destruction that brought me a deep sense of pain and sadness. While I understood their sense of loyalty, as deranged as it may have been at the moment, I could not disagree with their actions. Those Families understood the amount of violence that I would have brought to them if I suspected their involvement in my attack. Solely because of that reason, I held my tongue as each of those Heads of their own Family paraded through my home and delivered their wishes of a speedy recovery and their undying loyalty.

"There has been so much bloodshed done in my name," I said to my constant companions, Edith and Francisco who had hardly left my side since I had been released from the hospital. "So much that I would have rather saved than spilled," I continued, "is my envelope still sealed?"

"As you instructed," Francisco replied, "I will be the first one to tell you that the temptation to open it was great."

"Good," I looked at Edith, "have you located and collected all our missing funds?"

"Yes," she replied, "after your recovery, the funds appeared as if by magic. I tried to find out where those funds came from, but it was as if they had been there all along."

"Elvis?" I did not need to say more, these two knew exactly what I meant with that single worded question.

"While the other Families have been waging open and bloody war on your enemies," Francisco began, "he has been conducting his own war through more legal channels. Those few families that were not swallowed by the wave of violence, found themselves under the scrutiny of the Federal Government. I am not sure which side is causing more damage to the Families."

"What about my brother, Angel?"

"Well, your brother's representation has been almost overwhelming to the DA," Francisco continued, "he has filed motion after motion to dismiss charges almost as fast as they kept piling them up. The hardest part to deal with is the obvious weapons charges; they are presenting a case where a gun trafficker was apprehended during the course of a raid. In that case, probable cause goes out the window, which means that they are able to present this as an accidental finding."

"The rest of your Family is doing well," Edith chimed in, "Elvis has constant guards on them all. Your father opened his home to your sister-in-law and the children, so they are being looked after."

"He even welcomed Jessica's kid," Francisco added, "he wouldn't take no for an answer."

"His health took a turn for the worse when he learned about your shooting," Edith continued, "but thanks to the extra company he has, and your recovery of course, he is doing far better. The girls reached out as well, they have been informed as to your condition and I send them daily updates."

"Where do we go from here, Boss?" Francisco had aged significantly during my medical sleep; the smile on his face seemed almost as if it had been carved into stone, the wrinkles about his eyes revealed how hard he had taken my sudden departure. There is a brotherly love there that I am more than grateful to have. Edith's weary eyes were sunken from tears and exhaustion; her tender touch remained, however it was far gentler than I remembered, with far more love than I felt was deserving to me.

"We will be getting a visitor," I replied, "hopefully soon. She received very specific instructions as to what was needed," I had been sitting in the large leather chair that wrapped itself about my body like a glove. Its support gave pause to the recovery aches that were all too familiar to me. The liquor helped as well. "Once she has completed those tasks, then we can begin to disperse justice, not just for this attack but for the countless of innocent lives that have been lost because of those individual's actions."

"Is there anything that you need us to do in the meantime?" Francisco looked at me, his eyes betraying the concern he was trying to conceal behind the mask of professionalism.

"I need you two to rest," I replied, "please. You two have done far more than warranted, and it is something that I will never forget. But for now, eat, rest, go join your loved ones and smile." Francisco nodded and walked out of the office, I knew where he would be headed.

"Let's get you to bed," before I could say anything she continued, "the Boss said to rest with our loved ones, and I have not slept beside you in a long time." With a smile, I allowed her to guide me from the chair and out the office, to the bedroom that was slowly becoming our own.

...

"I don't see any other way around it," she said in her usual hushed tone of voice, "as long as the money has been returned we should be cleared from any suspicion. Besides, you have done a great job at becoming one of D's confidants, he trusts you."

"I don't know how much trust he has," the man answered, his body was still covered in a thin layer of sweat, as was much of the bed that they had been sharing for as long as they could remember. With D's shooting, they allowed their encounters to become more frequent, but his recovery reminded them that they were not dealing with an ordinary foe. "He has been talking with Edith and Francisco since he was released from the hospital, I don't have a clue as to what they may be planning."

"Well," she continued as she moved her hands up and down his muscular chest, "if he needs someone taken care of, he would more than likely reach out to you. All the crumbs we left will lead him to that spineless worm he calls a cousin, once that happens we'll know that we are on the clear."

"You haven't spoken with Edith?"

"No," she replied, her hands moving ever so slowly down towards his abdomen, "she has been spending every waking moment with D." Her hands brushed his lower abdomen, the sharp inhale of breath let her know she was still in control of this man, much more than she had been able to control her previous ones. This one responded to her every caress in the most anticipated way possible, each request rewarded with a tender touch. All the men that she had used had reacted to her in the same way, well almost all of them.

"I am going to miss that money though," he said just as her hands wrapped themselves around the shaft of his tool. He had been surprised the first time he had impaled her with it, she had whimpered and moaned as he drove each inch into her slowly. It did not take long before she had fully accepted him into her, his slow and careful thrusts had become more violent and lust driven within seconds. Her skin tone had been a sharp contrast to his own, this image alone drove his lust to overload his common sense. Since their first encounter he knew who she was, he knew who her husband was, and that knowledge drove him to want her even more.

For her part, it was how easily it had been to completely control this man that so many feared. Her gentle touch, even now, made him follow her around like a lost puppy looking for affection. She had trained her body well, even now as she moved her legs to straddle him, she could make herself respond in any way she felt would subjugate her lover better. As she lowered herself onto his hardening member, she performed her part as well as in all their previous liaisons together, she allowed her muscles to grip him tightly. Her moans made him think that he was too much for her small frame, that he would rip her apart at any moment if he so wished to, but the truth was far from it.

"The money will come back," she reminded him as she continued to ride him, her sharp incline directly contradicting her slow decline onto his member. His hands moved to her ass, she knew his normal moves almost as well as she knew the contents of her own heart. He would squeeze her gently at first before delivering a smack onto one of her ass cheeks; she would act as if the contact caused her a small amount of pain, then as he showed that stupid smile of his, he would move his mouth to her breasts. He would bite each of her nipples, again she would make a small noise to show that he was giving her as much pain as pleasure. "Is everything else in place?"

"Yes," he replied, his mouth filled with her nipples, his breathing coming in shorter and shorter bursts, "everything else is rea... Aaahhhhh!" he felt as his testes contracted a second before he released his seed into her, what felt like gallons that he was depositing into her was surely no more than mere teaspoons. Her own orgasm ensured that every drop possible was milked from him.

"Good," she replied, more to his assertion that everything was in place rather than his technique or even the feel of his semen as it coated her insides. This was the more repugnant of things that she had to endure with her lovers, that need for them to implant their seed onto her womb as some mark of ownership. She had taken efforts to ensure the impossibility of any man being capable of impregnating her, this was something she did not share with any of them. "If you keep filling me up like this," she would often say something like this to each man, a way to help inflate their ego and keep them under her control, "you're gonna end up knocking me up."

"That wouldn't be such a bad thing now that your hubby is gone," he replied as he continued to bathe in the afterglow of his own orgasm, "though it would have been better if he were still around to see his pretty wife carry another man's baby."

"You're terrible," she would say, "ok I have to go shower and get back to the house." She climbed off him and started to gather her things, "reach out to Francisco and see if he can get you a sit down with D so you can see if he is on to us or not." She looked at him, that look of defiance was slowly registering on his face, she quickly leaned in to deliver a soft kiss on his lips. "That way it can be out of your mind and we can focus on having more fun next time."

"Good idea," he replied, "I am already looking forward to next time."

...

"I was scared," Edith said, her soft tears coated my chest, "I was scared that I had lost you."

"It was a close one," I replied with complete honesty, this was not a time to lie in order to give comfort. Besides, this was one person that could see through my lies, regardless of how well-crafted those lies might be. "The things I saw, felt, experienced, had things been different I am not sure if I would have been able to come back."

"I don't understand how you could make such a deal," she said, her tone of voice shifting from fear into anger. "That is probably one of the most selfish things that you could have done, even if you think that it was for the best, D."

"It was for the best," I replied, our nude bodies still together after our lovemaking, my hand was moving up and down her hair, "no one else has to be forced to make that decision, no one else has to be placed as Head of the Family and carry that burden." I kissed the top of her head, "besides, I didn't have you there to talk me out of it."

Her swift punch made the injuries feel far worse, "you're an asshole." She rolled away from me, the shape of her body was still a welcomed sight to my eyes. But there was a change to me that was becoming more and more clear as I reminded myself that I was back in the real world. I moved to wrap my arms around her, she did not resist as I embraced her. "Do you really think that what you agreed to was something that I would want?"

"No," I again replied with harsh honesty, "I knew you would be unhappy with that decision. But it was the right one to make, to spare whatever future generations that will follow. It was the chance to undo the damage that was done to us, we were the payment to some debt that none of us had accumulated. It doesn't have to be like that anymore, and this was the chance to make that change." I reached out and turned her head so she could face me as best as she could in that position, "do you really believe that I did the wrong thing?"

"No," she replied, "and that's why I am so mad about it. Every single time, you always make the right decision for everyone, it doesn't matter what price you might have to pay. You just go off and do the honorable and righteous thing, and while everyone else gets to go on and enjoy the rewards, you are always the one that ends up with the shit end of the stick." She moved her eyes away from me, the tears flowed again. "Why does it have to be you that always does that?"

"Because there is no one else," I replied. We stayed together like that until she managed to drift off to sleep, my mind wondered back and forth between that place and this one. My mind felt as if it were being torn apart over and over again, I was having trouble figuring out if I was still there or if I had truly returned to this world. But as the doubts and fears began to swallow me into that pit of despair that I had avoided for so many years, her smell returned me to reality. The sound of her sighs as she slept, the pattern of her breathing; this woman was so much more to me now than ever. If I was Leonardo, she certainly would have been my Mona Lisa. With those thoughts in my mind, I finally managed to join her in blissful sleep.

The following morning, just as the sun had broken through the blinds that shielded me from its illumination and gave way to the few rays that seeped through, my head was again in turmoil. It was then that I saw a face that I had hoped would come to visit me. Both he and I had a long discussion to settle, I needed to know where he stood at this time. I needed to know if he would allow me my own sense of justice or if he would follow his own rules and regulations and simply get in my way. But more importantly, I needed to know if I was facing my brother in arms, or another enemy.

"He has stopped by almost every day to check up on you," Edith said as if she had been reading my mind. "He cares for you almost as much as we do. Maybe more."

"He is a good man," I replied, "that's why I'm so worried about it now. I thought he would be far too busy with cleanup duties to focus so much attention on me. But I guess he understands what I'm about to do, and even the reasons why I need to do so."

"Well, try to keep it down," she replied as she returned to her side of the bed and wrapped the small blanket around her tiny frame. "I finally have a chance to catch up on some much needed rest, and I want to take full advantage of it."

"Good," I replied as I stood from the bed, "you need to rest. We'll be speaking in the gardens, I need to share more than pleasantries with him." I leaned over and kissed her cheek before leaving the room, each step felt as heavy as it had during that time in the other side. Those memories continued to haunt me, and would do so for a long time.

"They haven't made the right weapon to take you out yet, have they?" His voice was cheerful, for a second I allowed myself to think that our lots in life had not been so different after all. Though he carried the badge of a Federal Agent, Elvis was still a brother to me. But I also understood his own need to see me, I would have done the same for him.

"They're getting closer," I replied as I signaled for him to follow me, "a few more millimeters and you'd be having this conversation alone. Surely that's not the reason you're here, is it?"

"No, D," he replied, "I wanted to check up on you. See how you are doing, you know?"

"I do," I replied, "and I thank you for your concern. Edith tells me you often did, it warms my heart to know I scare you so much."

"Well," he replied, "I won't be able to get that new shiny badge if I don't close the case on you," we shared a laugh at that comment. Even though we had such vastly different careers, there was one thing we would share in common for all time: our insubordination. That was one of the few things that brought us together. "You've heard about the response after your attack?"

"I have," I replied, "it stops now. The bloodshed is unnecessary, however it was the perfect excuse for old vendettas to be settled. I have spoken to all the other Families, they will shed no more blood on my behalf."

"What about your own Family?" He looked me in the eyes, he saw the small gap in the language I had chosen to use as I spoke to him. He knew exactly what I meant, and this was his way of asking me about what I would do next.

"My own will continue their own business," I replied, "there is still much to fix within my own Family to focus on such distractions. My brother is still unjustly held behind bars, after all. He stands accused of a crime he did not intentionally commit, however he has been found guilty without a jury of his peers."

"I don't think we could find peers for him," he replied, "there aren't many men like him in the world. Even if we looked as far south as we already have, not many could be compared to him."

"It's a shame, really," I continued, "such loss over nothing."

"No, old friend," he added, "there's no shame in what's been done. It was violence, senseless violence of course, but so inherent to your own nature that it somehow makes sense. Even you, with your Luciferian complex and tilted sense of justice, must see it as its own folly. This Family business, it leads to dead ends and betrayal at its best. I hope you stay clear of it, otherwise you'll find me coming after you. We don't want to make that pretty blond of yours angry at me, do we?"