A Vow So Beautiful

The only thing Dane managed to utter while keeping eyes locked on him was, "Why did you do it? Why did you kill my parents?"

"...I'm no liar. Your father did help prove my innocence until he realized I was actually guilty, a man who owned a mob organizaion behind the scenes. Ha! He knew more than he should of and threatened to expose me and jeapordize my position in the elections. I warned him of the consequences but you see, he was too righteous for his own good. He chose the law instead of the safety of his well being and family."

It was difficult for Dane to continue listening to this man when he just wanted to grab a hold of that revenge plaguing him his entire life.

"You're telling me to win the elections, you got rid of them for that damn reason...Treacherous murderer!" Dane grappled with Reed's wrist as Reed fired a bullet that vibrated through Dane's ears and missed Jake by an inch.

While they were close in distance trying to outdo the other person and wrestling for the gun, Reed whispered almost chillingly which halted Dane in his resolve, "I did all of this for Prisana and her mother."

"...What the hell do you mean?"

"Madeline and I were in love with each other in university. I lost contact with her after we graduated. Of course by fate, I found her again but she looked lost, as if running away from her life. I never asked her because I loved and respected her privacy but eventually we lived together like lovers and had Giovanni..."

Dane thought he was going to be sick at the mystery which began unfolding. "You allowed this to happen to your own son?"

Now, Reed's face darkened. "Trust me, I didn't know about it until much later. Until after I made friends with the senator and I always had this gut feeling Prisana seemed familiar. Fate has a dark way of giving surprises because my sources did an investigation to find the ugly truth. Only then, did I want to ruin the senator so I kept using every underground resource I could to destroy and frame him. I've helped you out this entire time without your knowledge but now that you've been digging for information where your nose doesn't belong, I'll have to end you like your...parents!"

Reed punched Dane in the jaw. He took it with ease, not even flinching at the harsh impact. Dane cleched his fist and did the same, punching the living daylights out of the man that took everything away from him. God, this wasn't fair. His parents were taken away so easily by the hands of evil and only years later could the truth be unveiled.

The gun was tossed aside onto the ground as Dane landed a clean hit to Reed's face. He was so furious that he wasn't paying attention to the fact that Jake had stirred awake.

"...Dane...You're here..."

All he wanted to do was land another hit. Or better yet, kill the man to satisfy all those years for that thirst of revenge. It was so tempting with Reed right in front of him. All he had to do was pick up the gun. His hands had a mind of it's own as he retrieved the gun and pointed it to Reed.

"I can't bare to tolerate how you killed them just to save your own ass. Their deaths were only meaningless cargo in your way, wasn't it?"

"...Ha, can you really shoot and kill a man? What good would it do? It won't bring them back," now Reed sounded as if he was trying to convince him out of this.

This was it. Dane's finger slowly eased onto the trigger.

Suddenly, two men in all black that were more deadly looking than any of the senator's men, appeared from within the shadows to pull Dane away from Reed. Of course, the mobster of a wretched man would have his men nearby. It was Dane's rash decision to come and save Jake without a plan so he knew odds weren't in his favor.

Reed retrieved the gun in his hands and pointed it at Dane's chest. "I'll do you a favor now and send you to follow your father..."

He was struggling to get the two big men off of him but looked forward and paused.

The moment he saw Reed's finger press onto the trigger, his mind flashed to his lynx. All the memories of when he first met her to them finally vowing their love to one another. There was still so many things he wanted to tell her. So many experiences he had yet to share with her. So many vows he had yet to fullfill.

He closed his eyes as the sound of the trigger firing off filled the entire area.

Strangely enough, there was no pain. Dane looked down and there was no bullet in his chest. In front of him, was Jake who stood before Dane as if protecting him. He shook his head in stark horror when he realized what was going on.

Jake looked back and smiled at him, "We did it."

Soon after, he fell onto the ground as blood seeped from his chest. Chaos kept entering the scene one after the other as a horde of police came storming in to shout, "...Police! Stay right where you are."

Emerging from behind the army of police was the devil who whistled as he made his grand entrance. He dared to rip off Reed's shirt to reveal the golden deer mark, "...Aha, as I thought. You have the mark and had Dane fooled by somehow covering it up during the most crucial moment of reveal."

Reed began to lower his gun and grumbled, "Curse you devil! How did you...?"

"If someone tells me not to follow them, of course I would go and follow them. It's in my nature to do things against other's wishes and more importantly, surrender because there is no other way out...Ah."

He immediately dashed past the devil and began making his way out the door. The horde of police fought against his men and chased after Reed. Nothing mattered to Dane as much as the man who sacraficed himself. Not even his lifelong revenge that was escaping from his grasp. What mattered was in his grasp.

Dane fell down to his knees. He held Jake inside his arms like a beast that was entirely scared for someone else's end.

Jake choked out a trail of blood but continued smiling. "Hah, she'll be angry with me. Please Dane, could you do me one last request? Tell my daughter I love her."

"I-I won't tell her. That's because you're going to be fine and you can tell her yourself damn it!" he had to hold in the urge to scream and shake him.

"..Jake...Jake! Why?"

"You're my best friend's son...Of course it's not just that...I've always wanted to tell you this too. I've truly grown fond of you like my own son as well so that's why I didn't mind throwing my life away...Thank you really, for turning this old man's life around and repairing my relationship with my daughter...I just want to say that I..." he began choking on his words and took a long breath before losing his consciousness.

Now Dane was shaking him, "What is it? Jake! Don't you dare do this to me...Jake!"

The devil pulled him back from Jake's lifeless body who still had that gentle smile plastered onto his face.

"He's as good as dead," the devil simply said in his cruel unemotional voice, shaking his head and turning away. "Let go. Let him pass on."

"Not yet. Where is the ambulance?"

"Bloody hell beast, it's on it's way."

Dane practically fought back against the devil that tried reasoning with him and continued holding Jake inside his arms. He wouldn't let anyone touch him or Jake but kept demanding for the ambulance to hurry. Even when the ambulance came, Dane demanded he go with them to ensure they would bring him back alive.

A hand touched his shoulder and he turned around in fury thinking it was the devil again but it wasn't. It was his lynx dressed as Snow White. Beautiful and fair as she was, he was relieved to see her. Suddenly everything almost felt like it would be alright with her there beside him. Almost but not quite because Jake was dying inside his arms and the beast was doing everything he could to hold onto him for dear life.

Prisana was breathing heavily, regarding both him and Jake's lifeless body with sad eyes. "I'm late."

"...Prisana...Jake he...It's my fault...Jake he's so hurt right now. It must hurt so damn much..."

She put a hand on his shoulder and nodded her head at him. "Dane, let him go. They'll take care of him but first they need you to let go of him."

"...Lynx, you don't understand. No one understands," he said almost hauntingly, like he wasn't sure about his own words anymore.

Most of all, he didn't want to see anyone he loved die in front of him again. He wanted to hold onto Jake to make sure he wouldn't leave this world.

She sweetly but tenderly leaned into him and soaked in the blood that had seeped from Jake's chest. He could feel her tears stain his skin as she whispered so only he could hear her,  "I understand. It's over. The both of you did it. Please, I'm begging you. Allow him to rest and let them take care of him."

Dane finally released Jake's body at her words. The paramedics swarmed in to cart him inside the truck. It was like an unrealistic scene from a movie, so heartwrenching Dane wasn't sure how to cope with it.

He covered his eyes so despair couldn't be seen by those around and finally uttered a response knowing full well that perhaps his beloved friend and second father had probably joined his own father in heaven, "...Jake, we did it."