51. hide and seek

🕸️

Devon wakes up the light buzzing sound. She squints her eyes as she looks up and around. She realized that she's in a hospital. Devon jumps out of the bed and panics. River was outside of the door and ran inside to his terrified sister.

"Hey, hey youre okay. Calm down." He breathes with her. Helping her take her deep breathes. Needem sees that shes up and walks in. River snaps at the door and pushes him out. "You need to get the hell out."

"Why were you there? Why did daredevil hurt you?" Needem asked anyways as he was half out the door. Devon stares him down. "Why did he want you dead?"

"Thats not the real daredevil!" Devons voice was gone, scratchy. "I tried to protect my friends and that wannabe comes to the Bulletin and kills everyone."

"How do you know thats not the real daredevil?"

"Because the daredevil I know, he doesn't kill." River pushes him out and tells Devon to stop talking. The nurse came in and wanted to do some blood work, but Devon wanted out, she didn't want to be here.

"Maam, if you are refusing treatment, then you need to sign-" Devon takes the clipboard, scribbling her name and walks out. River gives her his sweater. He takes her home and they stayed there. River went on his laptop doing some work as Devon paces around. Who the hell was that and how did he not miss? He was right on. This was Fisk's doing, for sure of it. Then my phone pings, the Widows got Vanessas location, shes on her way here.

"I need you to track this number that called me in my office the night i was attacked." I hovered over River as he gets into the Oscorp system.

"Last known address was at the presidential hotel." He scans. My phone

"Now why would they let Fisk get a phone?" I told him to dial the number, River blocked the phone from being tracked as i held the phone on speaker. A woman picked up. "Hand me to Fisk." I hear her gulp and a seconds passed.

"Hello." He says.

"You really thought you bring your men to kill was going to solve your problem with me?" I paced the room, my voice all messed up.

"Sounds like they almost did."

"Hmm." I chuckled at his comment. "You really made me angry Fisk. I do like to keep my promises." I pulled up the tracking of Vanessa. "Sweet Vanessa is on her way her to New York in... 2 hours." I can hear Fisk panic, breathing heavily over the phone. "Now lets not get your panties in a twist."

"You leave her out of this." He slams his fist on the desk.

"But see, i dont want to." The dot was moving. "If I cant hurt you, might as well hurt the ones you love. I'll love to send you a picture when im done with her." He yells but i hung up. Was I really going to kill Vanessa? Should I? I mean he deserves it after what he did to me and my family. I looked at River. "I need you to pack a bag, hes going to come for you and everyone I love after that stunt i pulled."

"Who am I going to stay?" He packs his laptop up.

"Melina and Alexei, for now."

"What about you? Are you coming?" I sighed as I also packed a bag and texted Mason.

"No, we need to separate. Until is all over, we get to be together again." We stood there, looking at one another. River was dragged into this life and I hate myself for allowing this to happen.

"Just kill the son of the bitch." He tells me. "For what he did to dad, to you. Show them that he messed with the wrong person."

🕸️

I called for Matt, even went to the rooftops to see him but he never showed. Then Mason never answered back, im getting nervous because I cant leave like this. I need Mason's help to get me out of here. I cant really ask Kazi since he might tell Fisk.

I head to the church to talk to sister Maggie, maybe she'll know where Matt is, but they told me shes at the park. I had my head down and hoodie up as I walked the streets, looking over my shoulder just in case, so far nothing.

"Sister Maggie." I called out to her as she tied a childs shoes. She stands up and looks at me. "Im sorry to bother you. They told me to come here to find you."

"Hes gone. I don't know where." She shrugs as she talks about Matt. Perfect timing Matt.

"Its really important for me to find him, my life is on the line here. Do you have any idea when he'll be back?"

"He wont be." I shook my head in confusion. "He learned the truth. That Im his mother." My jaw dropped as she said that. Things that Matt would say about her, how she left him, abandoned him. She was here, in the orphanage all this time.

"Wow." Was all i could say. I closed my eyes, really? Wow? "Im sorry, that was really rude, that really caught me off guard."

"I was a danger to Matthew when i gave him up. Nowadays, they know a great deal about postpartum but... at the time, i was convinced that I was betraying God. I hadn't yet taken my vows, but in my heart, I believed i had committed an unforgivable sin. And so I replaced that sin with another. I abandoned my child." My face fell.

"Why did you tell him now?"

"I didn't. He found out on his own. I wanted to tell him. When Jack was alive, I convinced myself the truth would confuse Matthew. After Jack died, I convinced myself it would do more harm than good. Finally i just realized that I was too much of a coward. The Lord has a way. Sending the Devil of Hell's Kitchen to me now." God sure does have some funny tricks up his sleeve. "Showing me what became of my sin. The Lord gave me another chance to make things right. And I failed, yet again." I couldn't meet her eyes. I looked down, up and behind me. "Matthew know who and what I am now. He wont be back." She looks at me and my face said everything to her. "Im sorry. It's unfair of me to burden you."

"I dont know what to say." I finally looked at her.

"What can you say to someone who has scarred your boyfriend for life?" She looks down. "He must be in a lot of pain right now. When you find him, he'll need you more than ever. He always has since he came here. Always asked about where you are. Dont let him go."

"I really want to do that but I cant stay here." I stepped up. "I threatened Fisk with the woman he loves and is out to get me. I need to tell him that I won't be here for a while."

"Are you in danger?"

"Yeah. Matt is not the only one that Fisk wants dead." I started to bite my thumbnail.

"Do you have someplace to go?"

"I had someone who usually helps me hide and get new identities but he went off the grid." I checked my phone again and nothing from Mason. He probably is helping Natasha. "I have cash so im just going to on a bus get the hell out of here."

"I can help you." She holds my hands. I started to laugh. No way, i cant do that. I cant let his mom get hurt because of me.

"Thanks but you dont want that. You don't even want to be near me if you know about me. Trust me."

"The church has been helping people hide for 2,000 years. Hide here. Give me a day to make a few calls, and you'll have shelter halfway around the world by the end of the week." I shook my head. No. "Please, let me do something for you. For Matthew." I gave in. She pulls me in for a hug and rested her hand on the back of my head. Just like Melina used to hug me. "Come."