Long Live the King

*Jay*

I held her when she collapsed, but her crying was uncontrollable. I had to carry her to the door, and Henry told her she could not go in acting that way. They would make her wait outside. Like magic she put her queen face back on, though I could see the pain in her red swollen eyes. More grey than usual resembling small storm clouds on her face. We went inside the building, and no one spoke. We had not heard anything for an hour. The doctor was not one to send out updates, but if he didn’t, I am quite sure Zeus would barge into the room. He wasn’t breathing. What would we do without him? Zeus is second, so I imagine he will take his position. I don’t believe however the other men will follow him, outside of the circle. I sat with my head in my hands trying not to get emotional. My life before the country house was torment. I was a foster, and beaten, treated like a job, and then trained to be an assassin. I always see all around me. At a time like this, when everyone around me is surrounded by fear and grief, it is hard to be so aware. I could feel anger coming from Zeus, and guilt coming from the new girl. Sandra though, her grief was crippling, watching her sit there stone faced was almost inspiring. It saddens me at the same time. I know it is because of that monster, Ryan, that she had learned to completely dissociate from her emotions. Makes me want to bring him back and shoot him again. I felt a chill go down my spine and knew something was about to happen. I got a sensation like that in a time of tragedy, chills, since I was a child, and I knew the man was coming in to take out his alcoholic rage on the new kid in the home. I sucked in a breath and pushed those thoughts aside. I looked at Sandra noticing she was now standing. She could feel it too. Her intuition was another thing by which I was amazed. I had accepted long ago that she was meant to be the queen, but I still admired her from a distance. I loved her, but not in the way that I wanted to take her, just in a way that still confused me. I now loved the brothers as well. I never thought a ruined soul like mine could love. I have learned so much since Sandra came to us. Since Joseph saved her from that monster. I have learned about Zeus, and his hidden passions. I have learned about Henry and our similar upbringing. In ways I was luckier than he was, with my training, and my guaranteed job. I even learned about Joseph, who none of us were allowed to really know personally. I couldn’t believe he invited me to be in his circle. She has brought me so far out of my shell, and I will always be here to protect her. No matter who the King was.

I watched as Zues paced back and forth. Henry sat with his arm around the new girl. She was thin, and bruised, and much like Sandra was when we took her. She has been treated much in the same way I assume. I sat up straight feeling another chill. "Jay, what is it?" She was looking at me noticing the change in my face, I assume. Sandra could notice a slight change in anyone, I think. She was good at reading people. "Something feels off Sunshine. I don’t know what it is." I said shrugging my shoulders. She looked at me and nodded, letting me know she felt it too. "Go check on him Z." She said giving him permission he was waiting for someone to give him. He smirked and walked through the Employees only door we had all been staring at. I stood up and went to the door as well listening for signs of confrontation, or struggle. "We just want to know how he is fuck, Stop touching me." Thats what I needed to hear. I walked through the guarded door as well. The man holding Zeus' arm stepped back. "Are you serious? You folks know how this works. He will come out when he is ready to update you." He let go of his arm and ushered us back to the waiting room. "Just tell me if he is breathing. He wasn’t breathing." Sandra yelled, letting out some of that pain she had been holding in. The man nodded at her and shut the door back. "Did that mean he was breathing?" Henry asked, looking around at all of us. Sandra nodded, seeming to relax some and slump back down into a chair. What would cause my chills then if he wasn’t dying back there? Weird. I continued to stand beside Zeus. "Takara, are you okay?" She asked the new girl, always thinking of others. The girl smiled at her, looking up at Henry, and almost half smiled. "I am okay Eliz... Sunshine." They both nervously laughed. Releasing some of the tension in the room. I felt myself relaxed some as well as the room felt lighter now that we knew Jo was breathing somewhere in there. I looked up at Zeus who was typing quickly into his phone. Probably updating the other girl, Tanya. I like her too. I have noticed Five has shown an interest in her, and I will have to have an uncomfortable talk with him. She is taken. He must respect that. I sent him and the other guards back to the city. I was fairly sure Sandra would shoot the city guard who had her while we took over the Peak. She needs someone to blame.

I heard the door open again and my focus went to the blood-covered doctor walking towards Zeus and Sandra. I watched their faces. Sandra had tears streaming down her already puffy cheeks, and Zeus was tight jawed, clearly gritting his teeth. I am sure he was fighting the urge to cuss the doc for not letting us know sooner how Jo was. "Give them about 10 minutes guys to clean up the room, and you can go back." Sandra sat down and started sobbing, scaring me. "Is he okay?" Henry asked quietly before I could get my lips to make the words. "He’s okay." Zues said sounding relieved. He shook the doc's hand and nodded at him before reaching him a brown bag filled with 75,000 dollars. The doc smiled and nodded at all of us before excusing himself to his part of the building. No one was sure but we thought he may live there as well. That ten minutes felt like it lasted forty-five, before the nurse came and let us know we could go in to see him. He was sleeping when we walked in, so we all stood back against the back wall. The queen did not, she sat down at his side in the bed. Tears still flowing down her cheeks. "You can never leave me boss; I can never live without you." I heard her raspy whispers to him. Where once I felt jealousy now, I only felt admiration. I don’t think I will ever find a woman to love like that, but I sure wish I would. It would be hard for me to get used to someone being that close to me, but damn would it be worth it. To have someone love me the way she loves him. She would have taken that bullet for him. I heard her praying outside, asking God to take her instead. Earnestly. She loves him more than I have ever been loved. I watched him start to stir, knowing he could feel her presence. She ran her hand down his cheek, and he opened his eyes. He looked around at all of us, except Takara, who asked to remain in the waiting area. The doc was going to examine her next anyway. "My beautiful queen, don’t cry, I am okay. I am so sorry." He was barely able to talk loudly. "They said your heart stopped Smoke, twice, I could feel it. I knew you were trying to leave me. Please never do this to me again." She started to silently sob. Thats where the chills came from, I thought.

He pulled her to his chest softly, grimacing, but holding her closely. "Hello fellas." He said weakly. Henry smiled at him and walked over shaking his hand. "This is my fault boss; I am so sorry." He said starting to choke up himself. "Henry this is not on you. This was my fault. I should have waited. I saw the girl, and remembered mine, and lost all thought of..." he paused catching his breath, "all control of my actions." I know what he means, as I see a broken Sandra in Takara as well. Henry nodded, patted Sand on the back, and stepped back against the wall. "Hey Z, I hear you were trying to tear the door down..." Breathing heavily again, " I knew you loved me." He said choking out a laugh. Zeus shook his head and then walked over to grab Jo's hand. "I’m glad you’re still with us brother, that one scared even me. Luca tried to kill you. If he wasn’t ash and snow, I would cut his fucking throat again." I watched Sandra flinch at his words, clearly still not used to that type of talk from her newfound family. I kicked Luca’s skull till it shattered, but I don’t think I would be telling her that. She understands Zeus though, in her own way. Still, I saw Joseph give him a scolding look, glancing down at his beautiful lady on his chest still breathing heavily. "Jay, I assume you have kept them all in line." He said sounding softer than I am used to him speaking to me. He seems to talk a bit deeper to me. I exude a sense of toughness and strength. Most men feel the need to match it, well except for Henry. The chef speaks to me the same as he does anyone else. He is like the baby brother I never had, or I did and couldn’t protect. I nodded at him and smiled, slightly, before walking over to take his hand. " I had some help." I said looking down at Sandra. HE smiled and rubbed her back, still grunting ever so often. She sat up and smiled at me, before squeezing my arm and mouthing "thank you." I let go of his hand and started to walk away but heard him ask me another question.

"I know you think about 10 different scenarios Jay. If I would have died, what do you think would have happened to our little club?" He was joking but deep down he wanted an answer realizing today he isn’t invincible. I stared towards him for a moment, thinking of the ideas I had sitting out in the waiting room. "Well boss," I said, "All I kept seeing was you making it through. Long live the king."