Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown

CHAPTER IV - The Man from London

Many say that anyone who chooses to take off London's mask will be cursed for the rest of their lives.

The mark from the club meant that I should be protected, yet it brought my family many risks. Although I'd never expected any harm to come to any of my family members. Tessa was finalising some deals for the company, she was working alongside Gonzo, making Skeletal Ink a brand, setting up shops around the US. She was opening businesses in the abandoned shops around Paleto. Even a diner was bought and it became a common place for many members of the club to meet. I received a call a few hours later, in my mind it was Tessa updating me on how well the company was doing, this job felt like a hobby to her and I loved how ecstatic she always was. It wasn't Tessa.

"Hello Alex, I was expecting to hear that lovely voice again," a croaky voice emitted from the phone.

I replied slightly confused, "Hello? Who is this, this is Tess's number."

"Tessa cannot be here right now, she's currently occupied."

"Occupied?"

"She's handling a deal of course. Not one you would expect. I find it terribly rude that you don't recognise me, after all I'm the reason you're part of that lovely group,"

"Bones, if you hurt her. I will hunt you down."

"Ah, he finally realises, I didn't want to be cliché but you gave me the perfect opportunity. I mean what kind of man sends their poor vulnerable fiancé to go see a board of men, especially without any guards atall."

I felt stupid, he was right. Why would I not have sent someone to guard her? I really fucked up.

"She's no harm to you Bones, we're not dealing in the dirt anymore. We want legitimate businesses. All we want is safety, I'm sure you can understand that."

"Oh, Alex, so very intelligent Alex, you've been so caught up in this rougish fantasy that you've lost everything you once were. I used to work for your Father, I've known you since you were young. I've always been there, in the shadows. I knew I could lure you out except you did one better and sent your Fiance to run the company, it was perfect."

Hearing this my memory was flooded with this man hidden in the shadows, guarding my father. I couldn't remember his face, as I heard him speaking I dropped the phone and ran out of the apartment, outside to my Rat Bike sitting on the drive. It choked itself into life and rumbled down the road gurgling as it went. My heart was thumping again, I felt like I was reliving the moment where I was rushing to my Father. I went straight to the building I knew Tessa was at. The bike had never done so well, it floated through the traffic, me and the bike were one in that moment. When I arrived at one of Tessa's newly established offices. It was a block of offices in Las Vegas, My Father owned one of the offices at the one at the top of one of the larger buildings. I took the elevator up there, the office was empty, atleast I thought it was, as I walked in it felt cold. If Tessa was hear her assistant would be too and the room would have it's lights on.

A figure stood in the corner wearing a ski-mask, "You really are stupid aren't you? I lead you here so easily. You're stupid, just like your Father."

"You," It was almost like seeing the undead, no gun wound. Standing in-front of me, "I saw you die, I watched your limp body fall to the floor."

"Well, you can't have seen me die, I'm here right now. Oh, I see. Just a little bit of confusion, I see. That wasn't me you fucking idiot. Be serious for a second. The scars were too fake, could you not see?"

He pulled up his mask showing his blooded scars, his left eye was completely white, It was different to the man I'd seen being shot before. I walked over to the desk my Father sat at when he'd died. "I would never shoot your Father myself, that would be terrible of me, I'm no killer Alex, I run the business, I never do the dirty work."

"Where's Tessa? Is she safe?"

"As I said, she's not here right now," he cracked his jaw and walked closer to me, he was holding a Desert Eagle in his hand, "I thought I gained control of the company until you arrived. It was all going well, I wanted the same as you. I wanted to legitimise the businesses. You're not taking that away from me," he held the gun up.

"Not until you tell me where Tessa is," I seriously thought I was going to die at that moment but they never let me have any fun, I could hear shooting in the corridor. A masked hulk of a man charged through the door, it was London, "Oh for fucks sake."

"But, I'll kill that guy first," Bones held the gun at London, London stood their silently.

"Aren't you going to move? He's going to shoot me," I shouted at him, I heard him sigh from behind his mask, "You are so pathetic," he walked over revealing a baseball bat that he had hidden behind his back, he struck Bones with it, not by swinging like a normal rational person would've done. No, he decided to chuck it at the man, it worked. It plonked Bones on the head causing him to crash to the floor.

"Piss off Oxford. Go get your Fiancé. I'm going to make this guy into a nice floor rug, Stay Safe," he held the golden Desert Eagle in his hand; he had pulled it from Bones unconscious body. "Go on, if not I'll Fucking shoot you instead," he demanded holding the gun pointing it in my direction, I ran out of the building. London was a genuine mad man, I didn't understand that he'd be willing to kill me. Many of the club members feared him but still held a high respect for him, this was something that took me a while to understand. As I opened the doors and sprinted outside a black van pulled up with a 'Skeletal Ink' decal plastered onto the side. I was glad to see Gonzo was in the drivers seat, "Get in, Tessa is fine."

I got in the passenger seat, there was a coffee in the cup holder, Gonzo looked at me slightly concerned, "Yes, that is yours, don't expect such luxuries from me in the future. New blood, if you want to be patched in you're going to have to be better than this? Almost killed twice within around a week? I've seen you race, so much confidence that seems to have fizzled out. You ruled the roads around Detroit, remember what they called you? The Noisy King, you and that Demon of a car were so goddamn loud nobody ever wanted to challenge you and if they did, they'd lose. Carry on like this though mate and the boys will send the pit. Then you'll really have to prove yourself."

I asked, "The pit?"

"Hold it with the questions, for once just let words settle. Take them in. Drink that, you'll need it," Gonzo put his foot down and as the tires screeched we were off.

Back when I was considered a king, I never needed to be strong, I saw violence and avoided it, I would only win through skill. After what happened though, I understood that sometimes there's a need for violence. I understood what was meant by being protected, I was no longer the playboy who'd mistakenly had a child too young, married the girl of my dreams to young. I was the Dad, my fiance was the Mum, we were a proper family. I grew up and understood that they always come first. If I didn't have my girls, I would have nothing.