GOLDEN HEART 23

'We all have something to hide, some dark place inside us we don’t want the world to see. So we pretend that everything’s okay, wrapping ourselves in Rainbows. That’s all for the best, because some of these places are darker than others.’

In a dim lit corner of what seemed to be a torture room, laid a half - conscious man that was covered in blood with a shadow towering over him smirking evilly.

‘Is that really how you want this to end, with you dead?’ The shadow asked the man in tone that indicted how dumb he was. ‘Do you really think whomever ordered you to do this will be moved by your sincerity? Well, let me tell you that they won’t even collect your body, they’ll leave it for the stray dogs to feed on!’ She continued in the same tone. ‘And if they do come, I’ll make sure they know who they’ve provoked.’ Her tone changed towards the end, and then she stabbed a knife deep into his left thigh.

The man heaved, trying to speak, scream, create any kind of noise but failed miserably because of the immense pain he was feeling.

‘You will tell me who the fuck was behind you and I’ll finish you off with utmost mercy, or you keep on behaving like this and I’ll show you how I really am with trash like you.’ She threatened.

The man nodded his head vigorously trying to halt her next attack on his right hand.

‘Good choice.’ She nodded for him to start.

‘Thhh The Vipers.’ He said panting. ‘The Vipers said I’ve have an insane amount of mo…’

‘An insane amount of money that will help you settle your bets and help with your son’s hospital bills.’ She cut him off.

He nodded agreeing.

‘And you were stupid enough to think that someone would offer that amount for an easy task. You should have done a background check on whom you were about to assassinate.’ She reprimanded. ‘Now I’ll show you the price you have to pay for accepting such a task in the first place.’ She said moving to the wall opposite from them.

‘You said you’ll have mercy!’ One could sense fear radiating off of the man’s body.

‘Pl---please I did it for my son!’ He kept on shouting and pleading hysterically.

‘HE would have been dead if I didn’t accept!’ He shouted, halting her mid step.

She turned his way. ‘And if I don’t do this, others will think that attacking my Papa is okay. They will swarm into our doors thinking that A.L has gotten soft, that they’ll go unharmed. I maybe a lot of things but lenient isn’t one of them.’ She retorted. ‘So I’m sure you’d understand where I’m coming from since we’re both doing this for someone we hold dear to our hearts.’ She taunted in mock sympathy before she walked towards him and freed him from the restraints that were blocking his movement.

Then she moved back and pressed a button on the remote she was holding for sometime now.

A medium sized opening on the ground underneath him opened, flushing him down immediately.

‘They’ll join you soon enough.’ She smirked, looking down at him.

The room was so deep under the ground that the man could barely see Justine, and he wouldn’t have heard her if she hadn’t shouted her words. He was lucky he landed on some hay stacks or else his head would have been cracked open by now.

The man’s head shot up, searching frantically when he heard a snarling noise. His eyes kept roaming his surroundings until they landed on a four pairs of brown eyes that belonged to four majestic tigers. All snarling his way, ready for their meal.

He screamed with all his might when he saw he was locked up with these wild animals with no way out whatsoever.

Justine released a sick laugh before retreating from the room, leaving the poor man to fight for his life in that dark hole with a bunch of hungry animals.

Justine Fished her phone out of her pocket before dialling a certain number. ‘I don’t care how, but I want the Vipers’ head in front of me in less than two hours.’ She ordered, then hung up.

‘I guess I’ll break my own record.’ She mumbled to herself while smiling as she exited the door of the basement.

She was referring to how quickly she found and murdered the ones behind Papa’s last hit.

Justine was sitting with her Papa when her phone buzzed on the night stand next to his bed where she was charging it. At first she didn’t bother taking it because she was busy talking with him, but when she decided to take it when she sensed it could be Adam because of how persistently the calls kept coming.

‘Hello..’

‘Just take it already!’

Papa snapped at her just when she accepted the call, so Adam ended up hearing both their voices.

Justine chuckled softly at her Papa’s impatience. He Didn’t even bother to open his eyes to see whether she took the call or not before snapping.

‘Who is That Justine?’ Seethed Adam through clenched teeth.

‘My Papa.’ Justine replied, kind of uncomfortable because of the irritation she could hear in his voice.

Papa noticed her tense stance. ‘Continue your call out, I have a headache.’ He shooed her before turning to the other side.

‘Wait a sec.’ She told Adam, then put the phone back down on the night stand.

She helped Papa lay comfortably before covering him properly. ‘Night Papa.’ She kissed his forehead.

‘I will see you, Little one.’ He said, even though in a cold tone, there still was a hint of affection to it.

Justine took her phone along with the charger, and exited the room after switching her phone back to her ear.

‘Was that the 50 Plus old Precious man you had to leave your sick husband for?’

She could sense his anger in his tone, so she tried to pacify the situation and change the direction of this conversation. ‘You know that because of you my name now is ‘Whipped’?’

‘Huh?’

‘Papa now barely calls me by my name, it’s always ‘whipped’ nowadays.’ She said chuckling slightly at her Papa’s antics. Despite his position in the underworld and his coldness and strictness, he sometimes acts like a child. He never liked sharing his beloved ones attention.

‘Why?’ Adam was amused.

‘It started I told him I have less than 24 hours before I go back, he said that I’m so whipped that I can’t even say no to you anymore.’ Justine explained giggling. ‘He hates sharing anybody’s attention, and whenever something like that happens he tends to act out.’ She continued.

‘Wow, that means if I didn’t allow you to go he would’ve flipped.’ Adam chuckled at the old man’s antics. He never heard of an old man, specially someone he was sure was a part of the underworld acts like that. It was refreshing.

‘Oh, trust me, he would have came there just to bring me back with him and it wouldn’t be only for 24 hours.’ Justine laughed, imaging her Papa go all the way over there just to bring her back with him.

‘Why’s that?’

‘As a punishment for prioritizing someone else over him.’

Adam joined her as they laughed together. It was hard to believe that an old man was capable of acting that way.

‘Your old man is unique, strange but unique.’ He told her.

Justine was happy she could divert his attention from whatever fight he was preparing to have with her when she first picked the phone up.

She was about to answer when Müller and Jürgen came running to her side, panting heavily.

‘What’s Wrong?’

Adam sensed the change in her tone, and he knew she was not talking with him. So he opted for listening instead of asking what was going on.

‘We have a problem!’ They both declared at the same time.

‘Well, spit it out already!’ She snapped.

‘Zeus is here.’

Justine cursed out loud…

‘Where is he right now?’ Justine asked Müller.

‘At the main gate. The guards are preventing him from entering without going through all the checkpoints as you ordered.’ He answered.

They headed out to the cars since the distance between the main gate and the main house is quite far, approximately 15 minutes walk.

‘Who the fuck are you trying to check?’ Don’t you know who am I?’ They could hear Zeus shouting at the guards before reaching the gate.

‘We’re sorry, Sir. It’s young miss’ orders.’

The guy explained.

‘No they’re not! Why would young miss…’

‘They are my orders, Zeus. Everybody is to get checked before coming in.’ She said in a do-not-question-my-orders tone.

Zeus nodded at her, and let the guards check him and his guards.

When he finished, Justine turned to his bodyguards. ‘You stay here and help them.’ She ordered. ‘As for you, follow me.’ She said looking at Zeus.

‘So what brought you here?’ She asked once they’ve settled down in the living room.

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ Zeus’ tone was quite aggressive and accusing.

‘You know?’ Justine raised an eyebrow.

‘You kno…’ Zeus, cut himself off sighing frustratingly, unable to believe her calmness after his Revelation. ‘Is that all you have to say to me!’ He was dumbfounded.

TO BE CONTINUED….