CHAPTEE 27: RAGE

***ELIAS***

I picked up my phone again. Damon’s picture lit up on my screen.

“I know you're hurting,” Samantha's voice came from behind me, as she placed a hand on my shoulder. “But you need to put your all into this operation.”

I sighed heavily as I tugged my phone away. “You're right.”

I straightened in my chair, facing her. “Do we have a warrant for arrest?”

“Yes,” Samantha responded, lifting the arrest warrant. “The magistrate finally approved it.”

A smile curled at the corner of my lips, despite how wrong it felt.

“Get me a black suit ready,” I instructed, taking the warrant from her. “We have a wedding to attend.”

“Sure,” a smile, tugging at her lips as she left.

The smile vanished as soon as she left my office.

***

I stepped out of the office, the moon was pale and barely visible. The cold night air felt heavier than usual. I walked toward my car, fingers searching for the car key in my pocket, when I suddenly felt eyes stabbing me. 

I turned immediately, and a shadow shifted behind a pillar in the parking lot.

“Who’s there?” My voice carried loudly, as I tilted my head slightly to catch a better glimpse.

There was no response, only a grounding silence that told me all I needed to know.

I took a few careful steps forward, my eyes fixed on the spot. My hand slipped into my pocket, pulling out my taser. I tightened my grip around it and I was about to strike when the figure suddenly stepped out.

Damon’s face met mine.

My chest tightened. “What are you doing here?”

He dropped his gaze, his shoulders tense.

“Have you been stalking me?” I asked.

He didn't say a word.

“I’ve been trying to reach you. Did you block me?”

“I just… needed space,” he muttered, fingers brushing against his nose. “I wanted to see you for the last time.”

The words hit like a blow. “What do you mean?”

“I’m leaving the city in two days.”

My heart lurched. “No… please. We can still sort things out.”

Damon said nothing. He just stared at me, his eyes unreadable.

Silence stretched between us, only the sound of my heartbeat echoed in my ears.

He took a step closer.

Then another.

Before I could understand what was going on, he reached for me and pressed his lips against mine. I wanted to pull away, ask him why he's kissing me so passionately after he's broken up with me. But I couldn't.

The kiss went on for a few seconds, until Damon suddenly pulled away.

His eyes widened. “I'm sorry,” his gaze dropped to the ground. “I shouldn't have done that.”

“Hey,” I said, moving closer to him. “We can actually work things out.”

“You know we can't,” his voice shook as he spoke. “You'll always choose your job over me.”

I tugged his hands closer to my chest. “I promise, Damon. Tomorrow's operation will be the last, whether it fails or succeeds.”

His face brightened immediately. “Are you being for real right now?”

“You bet.”

And with that, he moved closer—wrapping around me as he pressed a soft kiss to my lips.

My heart fluttered, and I reciprocated the kiss. He was starting to dip his hand into my pants when I suddenly grabbed his hand—

“Not here,” I muttered, breathing hard. “I'm a police officer, remember?”

A smile tugged at his lips, and he pushed me hard against my car. “No one is here anyway… what difference does it make?”

“No, you can't…”

He didn't let me finish. He grabbed my dick so hard, it knocked air out of my chest.

Then his eyes slowly raised towards me.

“What were you saying?”

I grunted, breathing hard. “Nothing.”

“Good,” he said, stroking my dick slowly. “You don't get to choose where I can have you.”

I stood there, head tilting up as my body reacted to the strokes.

Then—

“I'm sorry, are you going to arrest me now?”

He stopped abruptly in a way that almost made me mad, but I kept it in.

“Get in the car,” I said, nudging him slightly. “Let's go home.”

We both smiled as we got into the car. Then Damon turned to me—

“I'm sorry I broke things up with you,” he confessed, reaching for my hands. “I still love you.”

“It's fine—” I didn't finish, as a loud bang suddenly echoed in the air—the windscreen shattered, and blood smeared on my face.

I crouched immediately at the driver's seat, and I started pulling Damon towards me when I noticed his lifeless eyes, blood dripping from his head.

“Argh,” a shrilling sound tore from my mouth.

I rushed out from the car, pulling my gun from my belt, when a black car started driving off, tires screeching.

I shot a few rounds at the car, but couldn’t get a clean hit until the car was completely out of reach. I rushed back to Damon, pulling my phone out as I called 911.

The line clicked.

“Hello,” the voice on the other end of the line said. “How can we help you?”

“There's been an accident at the Lakeland police station’s parking lot,” I rushed, voice shaking. “Please send an ambulance.”

“I'm so sorry,” I cried out, brushing my hand across Damon's arm.”

Suddenly, hands started pulling me away from him.

“It's okay, Elias,” Detective Rowan said, as my colleagues pulled me away. “We'll take care of this.”

“No!” I cried out, trying to wriggle free.

Then I saw Samantha, standing a few feet away from where I was. She walked towards me, eyes teary. “Please Elias, you have to take heart.”

My heart tightened as she said those words, and every sound stopped in my ears.

“I'm good now,” I said in a low, calm voice. “You can let me go.”

They released their grips around me immediately.

“We're sorry sir,” they muttered in unison, bowing slightly.

The ambulance siren erupted in the distance, growing louder by the second as coloured lights flared in the sky. 

I started walking once again towards Damon's body, when Samantha suddenly tugged at my arm. “You don't have to put yourself through this.”

I didn't say a word, I just yanked my arm off her grip. I darted towards the ambulance and Damon was starting to get zipped in a body bag. A tear ran down my face as they carried his body into the ambulance. 

I couldn't take it anymore, so I went back into the office, as I started to gather every lead that could point to the reason why Damon had to die.

“Don't you think you need a time off?” Detective Rowan's voice suddenly carried before me. “You don't have to be a part of tomorrow's operation.”

“I'm fine,” I responded coldly. “There's no need to pull me out.”

Detective Rowan sighed as he placed a hand on my shoulder. “If you need anything, let me know.” Then he left.

***

I stayed there in the office, searching through surveillance cameras, until the sun started to come up.

I glanced at my wristwatch and discovered it was just an hour before the wedding. I stood up and cleaned up in the bathroom before finally throwing on the perfectly tailored black suit hanging in my office.

When I got out of my office, several eyes stayed glued to me. My heart fluttered at first, and I tightened my jaw as I moved closer to my team.

“Is everyone ready?”

“Yes sir.” They echoed.

“Let's go,” I instructed, leading the way towards the parking lot.

Outside, my eyes traced to the spot where Damon was killed. I tightened my fist as I entered the van, everyone else following.

***

The whole drive passed in a blur until Samantha suddenly nudged my shoulder—

“We're here.”

I glanced outside the van, and a cathedral stood—looming over the sky.

“Let's go,” I ordered, jumping out of the van.”

Burning with fury, I stormed into the cathedral, ready to turn everything upside down. But as I pushed open the chapel doors, I saw Lucien, in a tailored white suit, kneeling before the crowd. He was sliding onto his own finger the ring meant for the “bride.”

“You’ve chased me for ten years,” he said with an elegant, dangerous smile, facing me.

“Now I give myself to you. How do you wish to handle this… piece of evidence?”