The silence in the room was deafening. I didn't know what to make of it. Was it because I had stunned them all by beating Mizery their queen or was I taking the last few breaths I would ever take before they tore me to shreds. Either way I won and I would die knowing that I was as good as them, as strong.
Instead of showing fear I looked King in his dark eye's and gave a taunting smirk and blew my stringy hair from my face. The look in my eye's held mirth and told him that I wasn't scared, that I was ready for whatever came next. Maybe my ego was swollen at having beaten one of their toughest but I also knew the reality of this situation. I may have beaten one but I couldn't beat them all but beating Mizery gave me a slither of hope. This wasn't all for nothing. I wasn't the weak individual that they assumed I was. My short period of training paid off and I held my ground. Yes, I was a queen even though they don't want to admit it. I just proved it and I'll continue to prove it until my heart beats it's last beat. I was going to give the Harper's the fight of their lives. I know the outcome will be my death but they will never forget me, I'll leave my mark forever. Every time they look at my son they will see me and remember... That's if my son is allowed to live.
Thinking of Rize made me refocus on King. He hasn't fulfilled his end of the deal even though I demanded to see my son. Jutting my chin up in a show of power and respect because even though my minutes are numbered I will act every bit of the queen I am. I will die with dignity and grace, not begging for my life at their feet giving them exactly what they wanted. "Show me to my son now". I spat out once again.
King remained frozen and stared at me intently. "Did I just not beat your queen? Are you, a Harper that holds people to their word's going back on yours? Or was you not expecting me to win therefore you never planned on letting me see my son?" I yelled causing my voice to echo through the room.
After a moment King begin to slowly stalk towards me but I didn't give an inch. I stood with my back rigid and chin still pointing upwards. Never would I cower before him or anyone again. King smirked and as he stood before me he spoke with venom. In fact the voice he used didn't even sound like the man I once knew, the man I once loved. "No, I didn't expect you to win, no one did. Normally I keep my word but you're a special case. You betrayed me in the worst of ways. You faked your death and kept my child from me. I'm afraid ginger snap this is the end of the road for you. You will never lay eye's on my son again".
I let off a cold chuckle and shook my head in a mocking way. "Yes, I already knew the answer to that. I knew I wouldn't see my son again but let me warn you, all of you. Killing me will probably be easy as I'm outnumbered and unarmed but forgetting me". I paused to laugh again before continuing.
" None of you will ever forget me. I'm not sure what your plans are for my son, my son that is half Kinichi blood, half me but I assure you that every time you look into his eye's you will see me and know exactly what you did. You will live with knowing that you took a child's mother away from him. Yes, I'm sure you all will fill him up with lies about me or how his mother passed. Hell you may choose to remarry and never tell him about me at all but I won't go away so easily. You can kill me but my memory will remain". Pausing again I laughed and tapped my head.
"You see I assumed this day may come so I prepared. My child will know the truth when the time is right, I made sure of that. Somewhere in this big world is a person who holds all of my information. When my son reaches adulthood this person will locate him and hand it all over to him. Documentation of his birth, his true mother and bloodline. There will be pictures of me holding him as well as a vile of my blood of he chooses to perform an DNA test to confirm I'm who I say I am. In those paper's I assure him of my love for him and what your family did to mine, you know the reason I left you in the first place. He will know how I worked hard to bring my family's stolen Empire back. Even though you may think you've taken it all, burned it down once again I was smarter. In those paper's will be the hidden location to my family's assets. That's right, I hid the important stuff and if he chooses to take up where I left off and claim his birth right it's all set for him. I left my son a King. Also it will state in those paper's that you... All of you are responsible for my death. So the ball is in your court King. Are you prepared to handle your son's reaction possibly hatred when he discovers that you murdered his mother? Trust me, I should know after all, he will hate you. Perhaps he will even kill you for having taken his mother away. So what are you going to do King? There is no need to prolong this any longer".
If rage had a picture it would be King at this very moment. In one swift movement he had my hair gripped in his hand. My scalp burned from the force of the tug as he twisted my hair for a tighter grip. "You bitch. Tell me who this person is". He demanded.
Through the pain I laughed. "Don't you wish. None of you will never know. I have nothing to lose at this moment. Regardless if I tell you or not I'm dead. This secret will go to the grave with me. You can torture me all you want but I'll never tell".
King slung me to the floor by my hair. Pulling myself back to my feet I looked at him and smiled. Without any indication of an attack I struck my hand out and chopped his throat. A thrill swam through me at seeing him gasp for air. Not gloating too long I took advantage of the situation and rammed my knee into his manhood. A grunt emerged from his lips as I continued the attack. I knew me having the upper hand would only last so long so I did all the damage that I could do. "What, did you think I would cry and beg? Wrong you little bitch boy. I know I'll die soon but damn it you will know that I've been here. I'll die fighting not screaming for my life".
King swung his fist out and clipped my jaw. This temporarily stunned me and gave King the chance he needed. As if I was a rag doll, King picked me up and threw me across the room. The floor scuffed up my already torn skin more and my ankle throbbed. Not only that but they was a good chance that my arm was fractured from the hard landing. Still I rose and stood tall and proud. I may be weak, winded and broken but I stood declaring that I wasn't done for yet. Oblivious to the pain in my body I pushed on and made my way toward King. I'd like to think the look on his face was surprise but at this point who knew. Finally i made it to him and as I stood before him I showed no emotion. No one could read my next move. Using a tatic that I had heard many of them talk about, I swiftly removed a hairpin from my hair. By the Grace of God it had remained intact through this entire ordeal. Pushing a small button on the side of the pin, out came a blade. Small but still deadly. I heard the other Harper's moving in on me so acting fast I swished the blade at King but he dodged it. However i saw blood on his upper arm and knew that the blade had made contact. King looked at the blood that seeped through his shirt and glared at me. "It's over". He growled and disarmed me before I had a chance to move away.
His hands wrapped around my throat but not in a choking manner. No, King was preparing to break my neck. Using everything in me I fought against the force of his hands however I was growing weaker and knew my end was here. Just as my life flashed before my eye's a gunshot rang out followed my a shrill voice. "What the fuck is going on here? Are you all insane to do this?"
The pressure left my neck as King backed off. Not only him but the other Harper's seemed to freeze as well. Then I heard it, the prominent clicking of heels and I knew exactly who it was. London's voiced boomed out. "I thought I ordered you to stay home" .
"Yea, well by now we all know how well your orders work and it's a good thing I didn't stay". Laney hissed as she approached me.
I didn't know what to think. Was she going to be the one to kill me? Instead she stood beside me in what seemed to be a protective manner. "Baby doll be careful. If she harms you I will split her head open with a bullet". London warned.
Laney placed her polished hand on my shoulder. "She isn't going to harm me and I will not let anyone harm her either. Are you all crazy? How can you not see what you're doing?" Laney spoke sounding full of emotion.
" Frankie is the girl that I once was before anger and hurt broke me. If not for Angelo I would have never turned out this way. If not for us Frankie wouldn't have ended up like this either. King don't be this woman's Angelo. I can't blame her for hating us, none of you can. King finding out the truth about her parent's hurt her to core. Naturally she blamed us, you included. We destroyed the hope that she had, the hope that her parent's were alive. She felt betrayed by someone she loved, the same as me when I was told London betrayed me by Angelo. Feeling betrayed by someone you love turns your soul black, changes your way of thinking. King of you kill this girl it will haunt you for the rest of your life. Right now you think you hate her, you think you want her dead but trust me... Deep down you don't want that even though you won't admit it. Let her go. Let her take the child and go peacefully ".
King shook his head. "She can go but without my child".
" Let her go King. We will make arrangements where you can see the child. It can be worked out".
King stared at her angrily but knew better than to disagree, they all did. I watched as the Harper's walked from the room save for London, Laney and King. Laney sat me down and tended to my wounds like a mother would. In less than an hour we had reached an agreement concerning Rize. We would share him. I would have him for three month's then King and so forth. It was agreed that neither of us could run with him or make important decisions without speaking to the other. I wasn't crazy about it but in order to live and have my son there was no other choice but to agree.
Laney issued a crew of men to stay back to clean the dead bodies from my home and make repairs. In the meantime I needed to think about if I wanted to continue on with building my Empire or make a change. It wasn't long before they prepared to leave and as they walked out of the door I turned away from King and disappeared into the depths of my home. My anger and emotions were still too high to speak with him. More than likely I'll do all of my contacting via Laney. It's best this way.