the Target

38

(38)

“When Simon found out that I was pregnant, it was too late for him to do anything, so I thought. I waited until after we were married and as he kissed me. I then sneered at him and I told him I was pregnant with your child.”

I looked at Liz.
“Why would you tell him at all?”

Liz smiled a painful smile as she brushed the tears from her eyes.
“Because what he did to you, he did to me as well. He had a shifter who looked like you killed in front of me. This was the one way I could get back at him, but it nearly backfired. As soon as I told him, he went mad. He ordered my immediate execution.”

“What?” I half yelled.

“If it hadn’t been for The Grand Committee, I would be dead right now,” Liz said.
“They stepped in and stopped the execution. They suspended Simon’s powers until they felt he would not be a threat anymore and they made me Queen of the Americas in his place.”
Caleb was born in secrecy and he was not introduced into the Royal Family. It was decided that he would be the head of my Royal Guard, until such a point that he could be safely introduced.”

“Did Caleb know?” I asked between puffs on my cigar.

Liz nodded.
“I told him when he became my Royal Protector. That is the title we gave the head of the Royal Guards. But we kept it from everyone, or so we thought. Somewhere along the line, Simon figured out that Caleb was my son and that you were the father. That is probably why he recruited you as an assassin.”

“But I don't think he even knew who I was. The look on his face earlier when he realized I was a mutant …

Well that was not the look of a man who knew.”

“Time means nothing to us, Jimmy. A day is a second, a week is a minute,” she explained.

“I think you understand what I mean. 

Simon knew it was you, but in his mind you were just the same asshole he stole me from. He has no perception of the amount of time that passed.”

I shook my head.
“Fuck me. Talk about irony. Have me bring my son and my woman out into the open so he could kill them.”

Liz shook her head.
“No, Jimmy. He was hoping that you would kill us. That is the real irony.”

I drank heavily again.
As fucked up as all this was, it was actually starting to make some sense. 

Some sense.

Fuck, this scotch was so smooth.

“Jimmy?”

I snapped back to reality.
“Sorry.”

“You are still the only man I have ever loved. And the only man I will ever love.”
She got up and sat on my lap, holding my face in her hands, looking deep into my eyes.
“All I have ever wanted was you back in my life. When I realized you were still alive, I came out of hiding. I knew Simon would put you after me.
I had to see you again, Jimmy.
I had to see you.”

“And what if I had done my job as planned?”

Liz shook her head.
“I had to take the chance. I knew that if you felt any connection; if there was still anything there, between us…” she put her hand over my heart, “I knew you would not kill me.”

“You took quite the chance, Liz.”

She smiled.
“But it all worked out, my darling.”
She lean forwards and I reached my hand out to the side of her beautiful face.

“Your Majesties?”