The man standing guard in front of the room where she was kept opened the door for Jason as he approached. Jason nodded at him and the man shut the door behind him. The nod was more of a reassurance to the man that he would be fine. The man might have followed him otherwise. He realised that at least two of them was supposed to be with him at all time. Jason had drawn the line when they almost followed him into the restroom. He could tell that they were reluctant as they had never disobeyed Don’s order before but they finally nodded and backed off, automatically confirming his authority over them now. He knew having people at his beck and call would take some getting used to but as he had been informed, he have to learn fast. There was a lot to do. Right after he took care of this little business. “Oh, Jason! Oh, my love! Thank you for saving me!” she flew at him in her grotesque-looking gown. Jason almost laughed out loud at her performance. Especially since fat tears were trai
“How can this happen!” the man growled in anger. His fury was palpable throughout the building of one of his majestic homes. The men standing guard in front of the study door dared not ventured in when he was like that. Not unless they wanted to lose their life. He swept his hand through the contents on his table, stationaries and clutters tumbled to the floor and a loud crash resounded when he tossed the snifter in his hand at the antique mirror above the mantle. “This is unacceptable!” he shouted “Nobody! Nobody deserved it more than I do! Nobody would take it away from me!” he roared and frissons of fear trickled down the spine of all that could hear him. He calmed himself down and smiled sinisterly. He shouldn’t agitate himself so. He thought as he sat back in his high-backed chair in the dimly-lit room. The maids knew better than to keep the room otherwise. The dimness of the room made it so much better when he put on his favourite images and motion pictures. The dimness of t
“Sir, is it time?” says the message.“No, it is not” Jason replied.He tucked his phone back into his pocket and looked at himself in the cheval mirror in his walk-in closet. He had on a striped shirt and suit pants. His black coat hung on the rack where one of his men had hung it earlier. He put on the black shoes that had been polished to perfection. Jason could imagine seeing his reflection in it if he so chose.Today is the day. He thought to himself as he picked a matching black hat. He looked at the array of walking canes in a row at the other end of the closet and shook his head.No, he wasn’t going that route. He understood that he must look the part but he was drawing the line at walking about like a self-important aristocrat. He knew that it was not about the extras. It was what he had inside that mattered. The Knights would expect a lot from him.Most of them would look down on him of course, which was expected as he had not been part of them since the onset yet there was n
The meeting was to be held at The Royadine Hotel. The most prestigious hotel not only in Dengal but in the whole of California State.Don arrived with his entourage to accompany Jason to the meeting venue.“They are waiting for you, your grandness”When Jason realized that additional security guards were to be added to the four he intended to take with him already, he almost dismissed the idea but then he thought that Don did know how these things work after all. If he saw it fit that Jason should make such an entrance, that had to be the way it was done.It wouldn’t be appropriate to appear to The Knights on the first day not up to par so he left the arrangement to Don.When they departed, no single soul who saw the entourage would make the mistake of not realising that the electric blue Koenigsegg Trevita carried someone of great affluence. It was just like a presidential motorcade. Less evident because Jason drew the line at six vehicles when Don would have preferred more.Don’s me
The meeting went well. Considering. If one could judge from the pleased look on the knights’ faces, they were happy with the choice of their former leader. Or they chose to accept out of having no other choice. As they all reported how things were going in their jurisdiction and their suggestions, some of which Jason adopted and some dismissed, Jason knew that they were all itching to ask about the former Patriarch but none of them had ventured to ask the question yet. After a while, Jason leaned back in his chair and smiled roguishly. His smile was made more fearsome by the fact that only his mouth could be fully seen beneath the mask “I think we have had enough of business for the day. Let us have some refreshments” He looked around the table and they voiced their agreement. He smiled again, looking directly at Andre, who squirmed in his seat as he dreaded the moment that the patriarch would want to talk about the impertinence of his family. Jason deliberately let the silence b
“You had no idea?” Jason asked.“Not at all” Don replied with an astonished look. “None of us knew much about his personal life for sure but we would have thought that he would let us know that important information,” he said with a shake of his head.“We would have thought that his son would be his successor,” the general said then he looked sharply at Jason, slack-jawed “Are you?”Jason was lost for a moment, then he laughed as he realized what the man meant “Am I what? His son?”He nodded and it was apparent that most of them had the same thought as well. Jason thought for a moment about claiming that. That would surely put the wanted man on edge if he believed that he had made a mistake but then Jason dismissed that idea. There are other ways to make it happen after all.He shook his head with a smile “No, I am not. I am but a… beneficiary”They turned back to their meal while talking to one another about how they had no idea of the fact that their leader had a son or any such f
Jason decided to shed his role for the day, so he decided to go to a place where he could be just him. To the one person who had always been able to know him truly. To the one person who had been able to get to him even when he was nothing but a belligerent lad who thought he knew all, he had to when he set out on his own. To Celia Rouarke. Jason dismissed his security details as he informed them he wouldn’t need them where he was headed. Theo, his head of security suggested that they should stay around the vicinity then even if they wouldn’t follow him to where he was going, that way they could easily catch up with him. Jason agreed. Driving through the middle-class neighbourhood of Dame-Allen brought back nostalgia Jason. He could see himself as an eighteen-year-old, nonchalantly holding his backpack on his shoulder as if it did not matter if he was accepted or not even though his heart was thumping. He had just left the foster system, full of vigour and assurance of how he was g
Celia gaped at her son, and looked up at the sky as if asking for patience from the powers above then she looked at her son again “You figured?” she repeated then she looked over at Jason. The discomfort and chagrin she saw on the young man’s face as opposed to the assurance on that of her son were enough to set her off. Just like that with her eyes on Jason’s, she started laughing. She laughed so hard that she had to bend over, holding her stomach as her whole body shook in her mirth. Jason couldn’t help it. He smiled then his smile blossomed into laughter as Silas looked at the two of them wondering what was so funny. And that was it. Out there on the porch of the Rouarke’s home, a bond had been made. Between Celia and Jason. She had taken him in, though not with the simple acceptance that her son had exhibited. Long after her son had gone off to the garage to work on his latest hobby, robotics dance; Jason and Celia had a long talk in the kitchen that was fragrant with the smell