Poison Rose of Avalon

The room was bathed in warmth and light, vibrating and gleaming, yet Amara and Dane sat in silence, their moods starkly contrasting the cheerful ambience.

The coffee table between them was covered in a mountain of documents, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air; sipping from their mugs, both were lost in their own thoughts.

Amara broke the quiet first, her voice soft but carrying a question that had been on her mind for a while. She peeked at Dane over the rim of her mug as if searching for an answer.

"I've never brought this up before," she hesitated. "But it's something I really need to understand." She took a moment to gather her thoughts; she did not know where this conversation would lead her. However, whatever it was, it was time to unearth the truth.

"I know how much you see your daughter in Liora. But that can't be the only reason you are helping me with my vengeance." Her gaze remained fixed on Dane, unwavering.

For years, she believed his actions stemmed solely from kindness and sympathy for her circumstances. However, as time passed, she came to understand that there was likely something much deeper at play.

"Because I want to," Dane answered, his words clipped, too quick to sound like anything more than an instinctual response.

She raised an eyebrow, the challenge in her eyes unmistakable.

"Should I cut you off completely, then?... Stop letting you into our lives?"

The words struck Dane with a force he hadn't anticipated. His eyes widened for a split second as disbelief flickered across his face.

Both women—the mother Amara and her daughter Liora—were delivering the same goddamn identical ultimatum. One had threatened never to speak with him if he ever breathed a word to her mother about the incident that transpired at school, and now the other one threatened to shut him out entirely from their lives. He couldn't believe it.

He shook his head and sighed heavily. Taking a deep breath. He set his mug down, his fingers gripping it tightly before letting it fall to the table with a heavy clink. He looked at Amara with a weariness that seemed to go beyond the years they'd known each other.

"I have my reasons," he said, his voice low, tinged with an emotion buried far too long. "Selfish reasons, in fact."

Amara observed him intently, the way he inhaled deeply, his chest rising as he filled his lungs with air. As he exhaled slowly, she could see the tension in his shoulders.

He leaned back, taking a long sip of his coffee, and for a moment. The lines around his eyes were etched with grief, with loss, with a pain so deep it bled into every word he spoke.

"There was a time," Dane began, his voice low and jagged as if recalling each moment was a struggle. "I thought I could make a difference. I was working with a team to take down Gambino—his whole empire, without knowing we had a traitor in our midst. One of our own, an informant, feeding him everything. Evidence, names… everything we had.."

Amara's heart sank as she listened, her eyes never leaving Dane's face, embracing herself to listen to his deadliest past.

"They killed our men," he continued, his hands trembling as he clenched his fingers tightly together. "Tore them apart...Left nothing but their heads. And then... my daughter." He inhaled sharply as though the words alone could tear him apart. "They used her, Amara. Used her to punish me..."

His chest tightened as he fought to keep his composure, and his voice cracked as he spoke of his daughter, of the brutal violation that had been visited upon her.

"One of Gambino's sons... he filmed my daughter in a public bath."

Amara's throat closed up, her own heart breaking as she imagined the horror Dane had gone through.

"My little girl," Dane whispered, tears threatening to spill. "Just twelve years old, and they... they blackmailed her... I couldn't protect her..... I....I failed her."

Amara reached out, her hand trembling as it rested on his shoulder, sat beside him. She knew all too well the agony of losing a loved one and being a parent to a cherished daughter. She knew of feeling helpless in the face of a cruel world where kindness often fell victim to the harshness of fate.

"One day, she came home in tears and shared everything with my wife. The next morning, as I was securing a warrant,... I received a call from my neighbour; my wife and daughter had been in an accident on their way to police station— both of them gone."

Dane, finally burst into tears. The dam of emotions he had kept inside for years finally broke, unable to stay strong. His fists clenched, his knuckles white.

"I lost everything," his voice barely audible. "My family paid for my unwavering dedication to my job."

Amara's heart ached for him, and she longed to cry alongside him. But no, she couldn't; she wouldn't. Her heart wasn't made of ice. She had made a promise to Mark—she wouldn't shed a tear until she had avenged his death.

Rather she sat with him as a companion, a pillar, offering him the one thing she knew he needed most: her support, her silent understanding. She was there to share his burden just as he had done for her and Liora.

Dane pressed his palm against his face, his elbow propped on his knees, hunching forward as if trying to shut out the world around him.

"I started to drown in it all," his voice strained. He couldn't help but let out all the buried emotions he had kept hidden from everyone.

"I couldn't think straight. During those days, random thoughts came to my mind. Why am I breathing? It should have been me instead of my family. I was drinking myself into a haze... and a coward who couldn't even end his own life to be with his family in heaven."

Dane took a moment to steady his breath before continuing, "And then I met Liora. She... she pulled me back from the edge. She gave me a reason to carry on."

Dane pulled his hand away, his gaze lingering on the empty mug before him with a deep ache. He wished it was a whisky glass, craving to escape the memory of his brutal past, to numb the pain of the past.

He cast a desperate glance at his alcohol cabinet; just as he pushed himself to stand and grab the bottle of whiskey, Amara's gentle hand found his arm, pulling him back to reality.

"We'll make them pay, Dane," Amara said firmly, her eyes flashing with determination. "We'll make sure they pay for what they've done to us."

Dane wiped his face with a handkerchief, his eyes hardening.

"Now you know why I am helping you. I want to protect Liora from that bastard Tony Gambino and his deranged children." He greeted his teeth.

She smiled softly, nodding, though the ache in her chest remained.

"I'm at peace knowing Liora has you. If anything happens to me... at least she won't be alone."

Dane's gaze softened for a moment before hardening again.

"Don't talk nonsense. We're in this together and will stand by Liora's side now and always."

Amara chuckled softly, her laughter warm and inviting. "Thank you, Uncle Dane," she playfully teased, aiming to brighten the atmosphere.

The gentle laughter danced between them before Amara reached for the papers she'd been working on, sliding them over to him.

"I've been gathering intel on Gambino's operations. Everything I could find in four years. It's all here."

Dane took the papers, scanning the list with a focused intensity that reminded Amara of the man who had once been involved in that secret operation.

His eyes glinted with determination as he sifted through the documents detailing the illegal activities:

Money Laundering

Drug Trafficking

Counterfeiting

Human Trafficking

Cybercrime - Hacking, phishing, identity theft

Prostitution

Organized Crime

The Midnight Parlour - High-stakes illegal gambling

Human Organ Trafficking

His hands gripped the paper tighter, "This is brilliant, Amara. We have to move forward carefully. If Gambino catches wind of this, it'll put everyone at risk."

"I know," Amara replied, her tone resolute. "We take it one step at a time. We start small, and we work our way up."

She pulled out another sheet of paper, this one filled with the names of Gambino's children and his three wives.

"Do you know Gambino's son's name...who...?" Amara asked, but before she could finish, Dane interrupted, his eyes narrowing.

"Marco," he spat, his voice thick with venom. "That's his name."

He tried to steady the tempest of emotions churning inside him with a deep breath. "Shouldn't we ensure Liora's safety before we advance?"

To him, Liora's safety outweighed any thirst for revenge he and Amara harboured. If it came down to a choice between her well-being and their retribution, he would choose Liora without a moment's hesitation.

Although he understood the depth of Amara's grief and her desire for revenge following her husband's death, it was evident just how deeply she loved Mark and the void his absence had left in her heart and life. Strangely, she found herself unable to shed a single tear for him since his passing. What she truly needed was closure and clarity to move on. And he was there for her and for Liora.

Amara walked over to the window, her gaze drifting across the crowd outside. They all appeared as a blur as her thoughts spiralled. Nothing had come easily for her before she met Mark or after Mark's death. She longed for Mark's presence; he had a way of making everything feel effortless. And that devil Tony Gambino torn Mark away from her and Liora. The flames of rage engulfed her with an unquenchable thirst for justice.

After a moment of contemplation, she finally brought her focus back to Dane, "The Chairman wouldn't let anything happen to Liora," she said, her tone firm.

"What makes you so sure?" Dane's doubt was clear in his voice.

Amara turned to him. "Because he sees my mother's shadow in Liora."

"Your mother?" Dane needed more clarification.

Amara nodded. "Yes. The chairman admired my mother more than most. And Liora has that same presence my mother carried with her."

Dane leaned back, mulling, "You are saying he'll protect her... because of your mother?"

"Not just because of her," Amara said thoughtfully. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but he genuinely wants to protect Liora. Ever since Liora was born, he's made an effort to reach out more often and has sent numerous gifts for her birthdays. So, I'm confident that she is safe at the mansion."

Dane crossed his arms, sceptical. "Why does it seem that Liora requires extra protection from the chairman before Gambino?" Dane muttered with displease.

"I understand your concern, Dane. But his respect and love for my mother runs deep."

Dane raised an eyebrow, scepticism still etched on his face. "Respect can be twisted, Amara. Especially by men and e..specially by men like the chairman."

Amara's gaze darkened. She knew Dane was correct, and that was why it was even more irritating for her to try to give more excuses to Dane as to why they needed a Chairman. 

"I know, Dane. But right now, his protection is the best we have against Gambino. After dealing with Gambino, I plan to leave the mansion and go far away. And.....you are welcome to join us," she added before Dane continued his stance against the chairman.

Dane knows how stubborn Amara can be at times. He rubbed his temples in frustration, "Fine. I'll play along for now."

He turned his gaze aside, inwardly vowing that if anyone posed a threat to Liora, he would face them alone, regardless of whether they were minors or not. He just didn't want to argue with Amara for now.

"Dane, have you heard anything about the 8th son?" Amara asked, visibly troubled.

She wanted to steer the conversation in a different direction before their discussion turned into a heated argument over the chairman. Dane was right about his stance, and so was she.

Dane took a moment before responding. After a brief pause, he finally said, "It was a mission that didn't go as planned, Amara."

As he spoke, his expression shifted; the worry in his eyes deepened, and his brows furrowed.

Amara returned to her seat, "I've tried to get information on him, but it is as if he doesn't exist. No one in his family speaks of him, and nobody's even heard his name," said Amara.

Dane mentioned, "We've also been trying to uncover more details. Based on what we've learned, Gambino relies on his 8th son as a spy. This son operates quietly in the background, and much of Gambino's success can be attributed to his intelligence-gathering efforts. However, his identity remains a mystery, even to those within the organization.'"

Amara hummed thoughtfully, reflecting Dane's look as she focused on the mysterious 8th son. Her intuition nudged her, suggesting that this enigmatic son would be crucial. She needed to draw him out of the shadows to gain an upper hand, but how?