MY DARLING DAREDEVIL

Sleeping in

Damon did not realise when his car came to a halt till his driver called out to him.

“Boss,”

“We are here,” he had said. He sat up on the chair and ran his hand through his silver-colored hair. His headache was getting worse and the fact that he was thinking too much was not making it any easier. He sighed and looked out through the window, to see the familiar environment he had grown up in. Mr. Anderson, the butler came up front towards the car and stood at the side. He had really aged from the last time he was at that house and truly, it had been a while. One of his guards opened the door of his car and he came walking out.

“Mr. Roxwell,” Anderson bowed.

“You have aged,” he responded and started towards the mansion while Anderson followed tightly behind.

“The years are supposed to make you do that, sir. I’m no machine neither I’m I one of those supernatural beings that existed,” he responded and a dark chuckle escaped Damon’s mouth.

“No, you are not,”

The mansion looked exactly the way it was the first time he actually had a look at where he was living as a child. Flowers lined both sides in a well-arranged and orderly manner and it ran down to the entrance of the mansion. He climbed the little steps that led to the huge and grand door that led to the mansion. It depicts a royal fortress with a chandelier hanging high above him. A guard posted at the door had it opened and he walked into the house.

“Welcome home, young master,” staffs who were lined up at both sides of the door greeted loudly. He ignored them especially because he had warned them to ignore greeting him that way any time he comes to his father’s house. But they refuse to listen anyway and always do what his mother wanted them to do. He had lived in that house and had known a lot of them till they grew old watching the house and retired, only to have their children to continue from where they stopped. It was like a long line of generation and family ties all tied together in that mansion. Guards with black shades and black suits were all posted at different parts of the house, ranging from the sitting room to the staircase and rooms.

Walking past the staff, he walked into the sitting room, even though he was urged to climb the stairs that were right at his left-hand side. Being in the house, he only wished to see his mother first. The sitting room was empty and still as he recalled, cushions, fireplace, a small table at the centre and all its hominess all in one. It was something he loved about his house. His mother made sure that when the men returned home, they truly returned home. Not just because it was home as the name sounded but because it had the simple, yet exquisite taste of home. It made them feel relaxed so suddenly and made them forget what it was like to be in the harsh and cold world outside where they had to be harsh and cold as well. He remembered being in the sitting room so often with his mother. Most times she would sit close to the fireplace and tell him stories till his father would finally return from work.

“How long has it been again, since you came home?” the familiar voice of his mother, Mrs. Flossie pulled him out of memory lane and he turned around. She was standing at the stairs and was dressed in a purple gown of floral designs and a shoe. She had a smile on her face and her hair was packed in an updo as it always was. In his eyes, she had not aged, not even for a day.

“Home is with the people we love, mother,” he responded and placed both of his hands in his side pocket.

“You taught me that,”

“And so far, I love you mom and you have always been in my heart. so, to answer your question, I have been home, always,” he replied like he had been planning that rhyme from when he decided to come for dinner. But that was simply Damon, he had his way with words for a man who was seen to have fewer words. This part of him, only his mother and family had the opportunity to see.

“Whoever gave birth to a son as cheeky as you,” she smiled heartily and walked down the complete steps.

“Who could have given birth to someone as me if not you, my darling mother,” he continued with his words, enjoying the way her lips stretched into an even wider smile. She opened her arms widely and he walked towards her. Without restraint, he lowered himself to her height and hugged her tightly.

“I missed you son,” she mumbled and disengaged from the hug.

“If you both are done with your drama, then please can we eat already,” the voice of his father, Ethan Roxwell beat him to it. Damon turned back to the sitting room and noticed that he was resting his shoulders against the wall. He was wearing a shirt and black pants and looked like he just returned from work.

“And to think that spoiled brat kept us waiting,” his grandfather, William, entered, coming down the stairs his mother just came from. Damon resisted the urge to smile at the way they spoke, so as not to anger the elderly men.

“I didn't mean to, grandfather,” he bowed slightly in greetings to the old man as per the tradition he grew up with. He hoofed and walked past him like he had not just greeted him but that did not bother Damon, he was used to their behaviour. Together with his mom, they walked over to the dinning where dishes of all kinds had been placed perfectly with maids standing behind, ready to carry out their duties. He walked over to his grandfather and pulled out his chair for him, while his father pulled out a chair for his mom, then he went over to the seat that had always been his and sat down.

The maids came about dishing out the meal while he poured himself a drink.

“How is the company going?” William, his grandfather began.

“I am your heir, how do you think it’s going?” he replied cockily and Ethan scoffed.

“After you fired the entire staff in a day, I doubt if we are making the right choice,”

“Dad, you are too old to bear another child. It’s not like you can suddenly have another heir,”

“What?” Ethan frowned.

“You spoiled brat,” he slammed his hands against the table, and silence fell. Staff went still as they sensed the anger in the air and none thought of even breathing.

“Grandfather,” Damon turned to William, with a smile on his face and humour in his voice. It helped the maids to relax a little.

“Why is he reacting like that? I was only saying the truth and he is being so spoilt and petty,”

“Damon…” Ethan growled at his son and he turned back to him with a grin on his face. He was only teasing him and he was getting so angry about it.

“Damon, stop being such a good-looking devil and allow your dad be,” William stood up to help the situation.

“And Ethan…he is right,” he added and his face went red. How could his son always have his way with everything? it was not like that when he was being brought up, but who was he supposed to ask that question when he had been the one to train such a spoiled brat.

“Now how is the company?” William’s voice went serious.

“I rehired new and fresh staff today. By tomorrow, everything would be running smoothly again,” Damon responded and took a sip of his drink.

“And what if it doesn’t. They are simply new staff…”

“No one breathes if it doesn’t,” he responded darkly and for a moment, a deadly and chilly air washed past them at the deadliness of his voice. But his grandfather was very impressed at the way Damon could make people feel, that was a sign of power.

“And what about the red hair? I have been worried about that strange woman,” Ethan began and went ahead to place a napkin at his legs.

“I don’t think she would show up again,” William added and picked up a spoon and fork to begin eating.

“Oh, she did. I feel that she is familiar and she had saved me two more times from some stupid assassins that would not let up,”

“We need to speak to her,” Ethan said with a frown. He was scared for his son and worried for him as well. He did not trust the red hair and had wondered what she wanted.

“Her maker would be better, a robot would not understand certain things….”

“She is not an android, Damon,” William said and his eyes snapped to him.

“No human can do the things she does, no matter their training. There are things she does…...”

“Not being a human doesn’t automatically make her an android,” he interrupted coldly. Hating the mere thought of what he was thinking about, he hated that it was even possible but he knew far better than anyone else especially because he had seen firsthand what a supernatural being could do. Damon frowned with disbelief. His grandfather had always been a realistic man who did not believe in such things, what changed?

“Do not tell me that you believe that supernatural beings are….”

“Boys,” a loud bang interrupted him and they all turned to the direction the sound came from. There was an angry look on the face of the only woman on the table and they sighed heavily.

“I want a family dinner, turn here into a business meeting again and watch the way you walk out of here with an empty stomach,” she dead panned and William grumbled.

“She is lucky she acts so much like my late wife,”

******

The alarm rang loudly, too loudly and Ivy jerked in fright. She was too close to the edge of the bed and she fell with a loud thud. Groaning very loudly, she turned around and laid on her back. Her bones and muscles hurt and her eyes yearned for more sleep like she had suddenly gotten pregnant. But she knew that she could not afford to sleep more, she had slept enough the previous night and had slept more than she had ever slept before. Her thoughts screamed against her ears and pushed her to get up, still, the uncomfortable ground felt more comfortable than it had ever felt. She yawned loudly and stretched on the ground before she found her eyes closing once more. slowly, she dozed off and gave in to the deep slumber that was pulling at her and nagging at her mind.

A sharp piercing sound rang loudly against her ears and she shut up from the ground in panic. Her heart picked up and raced inside her chest as she turned around for the sound when her eyes fell on her alarm. It was ringing again. She cursed loudly and tried reaching for it, but she was too far away. She groaned at the annoying sound it was making and crawled towards it, then she knocked it out of the stand, spoiling it all together and the annoying ring stopped. Ivy yawned and looked around the room, her mind whispering to her that she had forgotten something very important. But before she could think more about what it was, her bladder reminded her that she had to pee and she got up. She ran to the bathroom and made use of it.

While washing her hand, she stared at her dishevelled reflection on the mirror. Her look was exactly the way her life was and she was beginning to wonder if she would ever be able to have a normal life.

Yawning loudly, she walked back to her bedroom and fell on the bed like a log before she picked her phone and turned it on. It said 10am and her heart skipped. Her life had only one job and she had done it perfectly and better than she thought she could handle it. And the only reason she was sleeping was because for the first time in years she had a break and her uncle had promised to inform her if anything went wrong which she doubted. She was sure to take care of everything that would come the next three months and had decided to rest. Her life was simply that job and nothing more, maybe that was why it made it hard for her to remember what she was supposed to do.

She stared at the time on her phone for a long while, the familiar feeling of forgetting something important nagging at her. She stretched her brain to remember yet nothing came to mind. The time only went by and her thoughts went completely blank. Then her phone beeped and a notification popped in.

“2,0965 messages,” she sat up on the bed, shocked. But when the name on it appeared, her blurry memories finally became clear, she shrieked and jumped out of my bed.

“My new job...”

“I’m dead, I'm dead…. Damon,”