Chapter 13

A few hours later, I woke up with a massive headache from my drunken stupor. I was parked at a pit stop because I didn't want to get arrested for drunk driving plus I couldn't face Ember with all the guilt I had in me. But something felt off. My truck was rocking back and forth. What the hell was going on out there? I looked at my watch to see it was midnight. I get up from laying in the backseat and open the door on the passenger side. I was still dizzy from all the drinking as I hobbled over to the drivers side. There I see four guys trying to take my tires. Seriously? I'm getting car jacked! Oh hell no!

"Guys?" I called out. They immediately dropped the tire iron and looked at me. "Guys, those lugs are chrome plated, you're gonna strip them. Now can you please…" I was about to ask them to stop nicely until one of them pulled out a shotgun. "Woah! Woah! Woah! Now wait a minute, let's talk about this!" I yelled. He pulls the trigger and I'm down on the ground, dazed. There was a burning sharp pain in my chest. I think I just got shot and survived somehow. I hear them getting back to work on my tires and talking amongst another. "Get up!" Drago roars. I follow my demon side and get up slowly. I look down at my chest to see the buckshot literally coming out of me. The pain is starting to reside. Was I healing? I checked to see if there was blood but surprisingly there was none! Okay that's new. I face the thieves once again and this time I mean business! "Guys!" They turn to me again with shocked expressions on their faces.

"What the fuck? How's he not dead?" I hear them chatter away.

"Guys seriously, you don't want to do this." I raise my fists up ready to fight but I'm still a little hurt from that gunshot. They all yell and charge at me at the same time, hitting me from all angles. This dazed me making me fall down, but adrenaline started to rush in my veins making me get back up and punch one of them in the jaw. One of them tackles me and starts wailing punches on my face and chest. I grab his fist mid punch, getting him on the ground but before I could hit him I get hit by the tire iron which fractures my jaw. Once I'm down they all start kicking me in the stomach, chest, and head. I'm losing this fight and it looks like I'm about to die. Then I hear the cock of the shotgun and the barrel is next to my head. Suddenly I feel different. Rage was coursing through me and I felt more confident in this fight. The thug shoots me in the back! Surprisingly I got up with a big hole in my chest. The thugs are all scared! I looked down at the hole in my chest which healed immediately.

"Oh shit!"

"It's the devil! Run!"

They can scream all they want but these guys signed their death warrant when they fucked with my truck. I felt stronger, faster, more confident than ever before. I grab one of them and snap his neck with one hand. The one with the tire iron hit me but I hardly felt anything. I grabbed the tire iron and bent one of its limbs with my bare hands. Did I really just bend steel with my strength? I felt something take over me as 'I' grabbed this thug's arm and slowly broke it in two. His bone snapped and his flesh tears apart. This wasn't me though. Was this Drago? I watch as he punches right through this thug's chest and squeezes his heart in his hand. Holy shit! The thug with the shotgun shoots at me but the bullets aren't gonna save him. As he tries to reload, Drago grabs the shotgun from his hands and shoots him in the head, making brains go everywhere. I regain control as I look at the carnage around me. I realize that I had just committed murder so I rush to my truck, start the engine and leave the scene. Now I'm in full blown panic. The police are gonna track me down, I just know it!

"That was fun." Drago laughs.

"We just murdered three people!"

"So what?"

"I don't want to go to jail!"

"Stop being a pussy! What if we encounter the one that killed your parents?"

"That's different! These guys didn't deserve to die!"

"They shot you with a shotgun! It was self defense!"

Well he isn't wrong there. But still, Ember cannot find out about this or else I'm afraid that she'll leave me and right now she's the only one that I'm living for.

*Ember*

Ever since the bombing, I'd been a mess. I could barely sleep at night without having flashbacks to that horrible day. I suffered mental and physical scars. My mom had to heal my injuries. When I was thrown, my leg broke, my ribs snapped and I had a concussion. My mom was upset because she had just reconnected with Misty but she seemed to know I was suffering more. I told her about the voice. I could have stopped Damian's family from dying. But I didn't. I ignored the voice. After being withdrawn for a few days, I realized I had to remain strong for Damian. He was suffering more than me. He lost his whole family in just a few minutes. His whole life went down the drain….

I walked into the cemetery, taking a deep breath before looking around. I spotted Damian standing there alone. There appeared to be a few friends of his family there as well as the pastor. God he looked horrible. His clothes looked dirty and his hair was sticking up in all different directions. I pulled my cardigan tighter, the day dreary and cold. I walk up to him, gently touching his shoulder. He whirled around, startled. His posture relaxed once he saw me. "I'm so sorry Damian, this… this never should have happened." I couldn't help the tears that escaped my eyes. I felt so guilty. His warm arms wrapped around me, pulling me into his chest. I sobbed even harder as his grip tightened.

"It's not your fault." He says quietly.

"Your family didn't deserve this." I say while wiping the tears from my eyes. I look up into his. "You look like hell." I see him jaw clench, his body growing ridged. I sigh before continuing. "Come and stay with me."

"What?"

"Damian, as far as I know you don't have any family in this town and plus I don't want you to be away from me. You make me feel safe. Please come and stay with me." I begged him. I couldn't stand being away from him. I needed him there. Being around him just these few short minutes was calming the guilt storm in me.

"Ok." He looks towards the coffins as they are slowly lowered into the ground. "I'll come by after I stop at the store to get something to eat. I'm gonna drive around for a bit too before coming over." He gently places a kiss on my lips. "I love you Ember." I smile at him before pulling away, heading back to my car.

Binx runs to the door, meowing his head off. "Binx, what's wrong?"

Mrow! He scratches at the door before turning in a circle and planting his furry butt right beside it. I raise my eyebrow at him. My cat is officially losing it. Knock, knock, knock! I look at Binx. "Are you expecting someone?" All I get for an answer is a blink. I shrug my shoulders before opening the door. My mouth hits the floor as I let out a scream. Damian is standing in front of me, covered in blood and bullet holes. "Damian what the hell?!"

"I'll explain after I have a shower." He walks into the house, heading for the stairs.

I sit on the bed in my room, staring at the door. What the hell happened to Damian? Why was he covered in bullet holes and blood? Questions flooded my mind, drawing me away from reality. I absentmindedly petted Binx, his presence keeping me calm. I jump about 5 feet in the air when the door opens unexpectedly, Binx sinking his claws in. "OW!" He leaps off of me, making a break for the door. I rub my thighs, trying to calm my burning skin.

"Sorry for scaring you." I look up to see Damian standing there. He chuckles a little. "I also didn't know you couldn't jump that high."

"Neither did I." He comes over to the bed, pulling me into a hug. I wrap my arms around him as he sits down next to me. His grip tightens as a sniffle escapes. Within seconds, he's sobbing. All I can do is hold him, rubbing his back.

"I want them back, Ember. I want my family back. I don't know how I can go on without them. I'm a mess, Ember. I've harmed myself because I can't stand the fact that they're dead. I've never felt so alone in all of my life. I am alone and there is no one out there that cares. You're the only thing keeping me sane."

"Damian, look at me." He looks at me, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Damian, you're not alone. I'm here. I care. In fact…" I pull up my sleeves, showing the fresh scabs on my arms. "A voice told me before the incident to get everyone away from the house. I was so confused and eventually ignored it… next thing I know, I'm on the ground with you trying to wake me up." I take a shaky breath. "I could have saved your family, Damian. If I had listened to the voice in my head instead of ignoring it. We're both suffering. But we're here together and we're gonna heal together, one step at a time."