Even though she hadn’t seen them in a while, the Santiagos still made her moist and hot. King thought she could re-create that moment with Swag and Josie. She didn’t know how she let something as weak as love cause her to slip up so badly. And the part that messed her mind over was, not only did Josie and Swag sleep together, but they also slept in the room next to hers. In King’s mind, if they were going to do that shit, they, at least, could’ve gone to a cheap motel. Just thinking about those two bouncing up and down made her wish she could’ve chopped up their bodies before the Feds came.
She even thought about how the Feds found out about Swag’s kids. The only thing that tripped her out was how drugs got into her place. She never allowed drugs in her palace, and it made her think of Santana’s ass. She was pissed off since she couldn’t contact him or Blood. But one of her spies found Ivy. Ivy was living a lavish life in Miami Beach, Florida. She lived in a big condo and drove a Mercedes-Benz. She still had her boy toys, was getting a weekly allowance, and going on daily shopping sprees.
King wasn’t surprised that her mother hadn’t been checking in on her own child because when Madam Lourd died, everything went to shit. She thought of Madam Lourd’s last dying words, “Stay hardhearted.” And from now on, that was the way she was going to be.
While in prison, she remained strong and hardhearted by doing her time and not letting her time do her. She also kept in mind that if it took her until eternity, she was going to fuck up the lives of those who made her suffer.
One night in prison, as everyone was sleeping, King was in her private cell drinking a glass of red wine, reading The Godfather by Mario Puzo. She hoped to get some ideas to build a new empire and to get tips about the mob. While reading the novel, she thought that, sometimes, she hated her Italian side. Soon, she heard a deafening boom that made the building shake. It felt like an earthquake.
Masked men rushed in, shooting up everything in sight. The prison guards weren’t ready for the attack. They hit the panic button. Finally, King’s cell door was opened by one of the female guards, who was then shot in the head and fell to the ground. King leaned against the wall, not knowing what to do. The two big, masked men came in her cell and looked her up and down. King was only in her bra and panties. Her hair was damp from taking a shower earlier. Even though she didn’t have a weapon on her, her claws were ready if either of those men put their hands on her. One walked up to her, and she was prepared to charge at him.
He laughed at her and took off his mask. King was stunned by who she saw.
“I’m here to take you home,” said the man.
King was still in disbelief. “Home?”
He shot her with a sleeping tranquilizer. Before she hit the ground, the man caught her and tossed her over his shoulders. Just when he was about to walk out of the cell, he looked at the other masked man.
“Cut that dead bitch on the ground real good and burn her so no one can identify her ass.”
“Yes, Mr. Blake, sir.”
Blake Fernandez, aka Blood, smiled ear-to-ear while walking out of the cell and carrying King like he was King Kong, and he was her hero. And, hopefully, be the only hero she would ever need.
Forty-eight hours later, King woke up in a comfortable king-sized bed with Egyptian cotton sheets covering her up. She looked around the room, noticing it was a crème color with luxurious Victorian furniture. She thought she’d died and gone to heaven. But while lying on the bed, she thought about the arrest, Swag, the scandal, and wondered if prison were just a bad dream. She thought that her life was back to normal. She got up and saw she was wearing a pink, baby doll nightie. She looked at herself in a full-length mirror. Her hair was straightened and hanging down her back. “Beautiful.”
She went on the balcony to look at her kingdom of San José. King noticed a few things. One, it was beautiful and sunny but not hotter than her kingdom. Second, she figured out the building and structure of the downtown area. She knew she wasn’t in her beloved Costa Rica anymore.
What the hell! King thought as she went back inside. “Where am I?”
The door opened, and Blood walked in, wearing blue jean shorts and sandals. He was carrying a breakfast tray. She turned her head, looking at him.
Blood smiled. “Oh, Sleeping Beauty, you’re awake.” He placed the tray in the middle of the bed. “I brought you some breakfast.”
On the tray was a glass of orange juice, toast, a fruit bowl, koko (fermented corn porridge) with bofrot (doughnuts), and a garden egg. King looked at the food with disgust and looked at Blood with so much anger.
“Where the hell am I?”
“Relax. We’re in Accra, Ghana.”
“Africa?”
“No, the moon.” Blood laughed.
King wasn’t in a laughing mood. She got up from the bed and punched Blood in his chest.
“Where in the hell were you when I was in that shithole? I tried calling you, Ivy, and Santana. You all dissed me when I needed my family the most.” Tears formed in her eyes.
Blood let her hit him as he looked down at her face, loving that she was finally showing emotion. It was something Blood hadn’t seen from her since she was a child. Soon, he’d had enough of her hitting him, so he took his strong arms and wrapped them around her. King broke down crying and let herself surrender to Blood.
She’s mine, thought Blood, loving this moment.
“Shhh, it’s okay. Your Blood is here now.” He released her.
“Why didn’t you reach out or return my calls? And one more thing, out of all the hiding spots, why Africa? Why not the French Rivera?”
Blood laughed. “Eat your food, take a shower, and your clothes are in the wardrobe.” He pointed. “All will be explained downstairs in an hour and a half.”
Blood headed to the door, and King thanked him before he left. He smiled as he walked down the hallway and hoped she was ready for the Big Reveal.
King sat on the bed and ate. Even though the food didn’t look appealing, it was good. After breakfast, she took a long, hot shower, oiled herself down real good, and went into the closet to find something to wear. The closet looked like a mall. All types of designer label clothes were hung, as well as shoes and expensive jewelry. Her mouth dropped with so many options. She was overwhelmed. She looked around until she found the perfect outfit. It was a red pantsuit. She also picked out some red pumps and gold jewelry. Once her hair dried, she curled it and put on her makeup. She felt completely transformed, and as she looked in the mirror, she couldn’t help but think that King was back.
King headed downstairs and admired the beautiful home.
“Ma’am,” said an elderly male. King looked and realized it was Cleo.
“Cleo? Mr. Cleo? Is that really you?” King hugged him. She was glad to see him. She had been afraid she would never see him again. Out of all the men in her life, next to Zeus Santiago, she respected Cleo. Finally, she stopped hugging him.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine, Ms. King. Please come. You’re expected in the parlor, so follow me.”
They arrived at the parlor. It was a huge room with a bar and bartender who was ready to make drinks. The room was painted an eggshell color with urban-style furniture. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and glass mirrors surrounded the room.
King saw Blood, sitting on a sofa. He held his hand out. “Come sit down.”
Blood wasn’t dressed in his signature suits. He had on the same shorts, sandals, and the white T-shirt he’d had on earlier. He looked so different than the right-hand man she’d known all these years.
“Blood, what in the hell is going on? What the hell is all this?”
“King, please sit down. I promise you that all will be revealed soon, so please have a seat.”
King hated all the suspense and games. She wanted to attack, but she couldn’t, knowing Blood had always been loyal to her. She kept all her questions to herself and sat next to him.
The room was dead silent, whic
h drove her crazy. She looked over at Blood and shouted, “You bastard!”
Blood looked at her as if she were crazy. “Excuse me?”
“You didn’t contact me or visit me when I was in that shithole. I couldn’t give Madam Lourd the proper memorial that she deserved. I just had my lawyer spread her ashes around the Palace, which was hard from all the drugs and scandal going on. What kind of shit is that? I knew my bitch of a mother and half brother wasn’t shit. But you? I—”
“King,” Blood said, cutting her off. “First off, I never left your side. But with the trial, scandal, and Desiree coming out with that little book of hers, my associates thought it best if I broke contact with you until all this shit was over.”
King hissed at him. “Associates? When was the last time you gave a shit about what someone says? We followed no one’s rules but our own. What’s up with these associates? Who the fuck are these bitches?”
Blood laughed his head off, knowing the real truth.
The laughing pissed King off. “What the hell is so funny?”
“Those bitches were the reason I had the resources to get you out of the shithole you put yourself in.”
King was stunned as she folded her arms. “Come again.”
Blood looked at the doorway. King did too, and she couldn’t believe her eyes. It had been years since she had last seen her special guests—the Santiagos.
In King’s eyes, they were the two most beautiful people she’d ever seen. They hadn’t aged a day. Zeus Santiago looked handsome in a floral, short sleeve, button-down shirt, tan khaki slacks, and sandals. His mustache and beard were trimmed to perfection. His short, black hair was slicked back.
Lewa Santiago was stunning, as always. She wore a tan, khaki dress that showed off her smooth, chocolate skin. Her heels matched, and her long, black hair hung down her back like an Indian’s. The Santiagos came into the room, holding hands. They smiled at King. She was so shocked that she believed they were two ghosts.
“Hello, King,” Zeus said in his smooth, suave, Cuban accent.
King almost melted on the sofa. She quickly got up and rushed into their arms. “I missed you two so much.”
Even though the Santiagos were her past mentors-foster parents, they were also her lovers.
“Please, sit down, baby,” Lewa said.
They all sat on love seats, across from one another. So many memories flooded King’s mind. She remembered how close they were back in the day. King didn’t realize her mouth was open. Blood tapped her shoulder, breaking her focus.
“What, fool?”
“Stop drooling and close your mouth. No telling what shit here will fly in it.”
The Santiagos chuckled. King snatched the napkin from Blood and wiped the sides of her mouth. She hated to be embarrassed, especially in front of the Santiagos.
“Hello, King, my beautiful King,” Lewa said with a lovely, beauty pageant smile that displayed her perfect, pearly white teeth.
“Welcome to Ghana and our home. One of our many homes around the world,” Zeus said.
King blushed.
“King, dear, would you like something to drink?” Lewa asked.
One of many homes, King thought and lost focus of what Lewa said. She just shook her head. “No. I’m good.”
Lewa asked the bartender to make her an apple martini.
“Mr. and Mrs. Santiago, for all these years, I always wondered if you were dead or alive. Why did you leave me? I missed you both so much.”
King realized what Blood meant about the “associates” that rescued her from prison. She slapped Blood’s head. “And you! Why didn’t you just tell me you knew where they were?”
Before Blood could speak, Zeus cleared his throat. Everyone focused on him.
“King, the reason Mrs. Santiago and I left you behind was that the Feds were on our family hard. So, all the Santiagos fled Cuba and went to parts unknown. We were still able to make money. I knew Blake would look after you. We told him that if you ever ran into serious trouble, to call us, and we’d come through for you.”
King couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Why didn’t you tell me where you were? I loved you both.”
“Honey, you were still very young and starting off as a boss. And running away with us would’ve only messed up your hustle. Plus, you still didn’t know what love was. We hoped you would find it one day,” Lewa said.
“Love, shit. You see where fallin’ hard for someone got me.” King sucked her teeth. “Love is for the weak, no offense, Mr. and Mrs. Santiago.”
They both laughed, not offended at all. They knew their love was no ordinary love.
“And she still can’t see love when it’s right in front of her!” Blood shouted.
All eyes shifted to him.
“Excuse me?” King looked at Blood as if he were nuts.
He wanted to shake her and wake her up. He did everything he could to prove his love to her. Hell, he broke her out of prison and faked her death. In his mind, if that wasn’t love, he didn’t know what was. With all that, he still loved King and only wanted to be with her.
“Don’t you see a real man looking at you? Look what I did for you. If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t have called the Santiagos. I could’ve let your ass rot in that cell you tried to make into a five-star suite, but I didn’t.” Blood got up and kneeled on one knee. He took King’s hands. “King Kia Costello, I love you more than life itself. I have loved you since you were a child. You’re all I think about. I jack off to you every night.”
He kissed her hand.
I hope he washed his hands, thought King, while keeping a straight face. She was a tiny bit disgusted by his little love speech.
Blood reached into his pocket and pulled out a black box.
What the . . .? King thought.
Blood opened the box. Inside was a 12.65-carat Octagon Halo Diamond Engagement Ring in 18K white gold. The Santiagos were excited about the love Blood had for her. They couldn’t see her with anyone else.
“King Kia Costello, will you do me the honor of being my wife? Let me be your hero for a change.”
King couldn’t believe that her right-hand man asked for her hand in marriage. She thought Blood should have known how she’d felt about love, especially with her experiences with the Santiagos, Swag, and Josie. But in the end, she started to feel her heart softening. After all, Blood did save her and make the world think she was dead, how could she reject him? King wanted to start a new life. She knew that before she could do that, she had to let go of some things in the past. King smiled seductively and crossed her legs. “Blood, if I agree to be your wife, I want two powerful wedding presents from you.”
“What is it? A bigger diamond or a honeymoon in Greece? Whatever you want, I got you.”
“Anything?” King said, purring.
Blood nodded.
“Okay, before I can move forward with you, I have to take out the trash. I want revenge on those who fucked over the King. I want Solomon, Santana, and Josephine found and brought to me ASAP. I want them all to suffer, and to make things fun, let’s make it a family affair. Find Tyler and bring Solomon’s family along for the ride, as well.”
Blood’s eyes widened. Damn, she’s nuts, he thought. But he put the thoughts aside, knowing he’d come too far to lose her now. He smiled. “Done.”
“Also, call PJ in his new location in Las Vegas. I have a little something he’s been wanting for a while.”
“Done.” Blood nodded. “Second gift?”
“I want my palace back!”
Both Blood and the Santiagos were in utter shock by her request. They thought she was nuts, especially since everyone thought she was dead.
“King, I don’t think that’s wise. With the building being condemned, the escorts are all over the island. And Desiree, with that tell-all book . . . It’s too risky to go back home right now,” he said.
“Blood,” King touched his face, “you must forget I’m a savage. And Costa Rica
is always going to be my home. I don’t want to build another empire. But I can make the Palace into another business like a fancy hotel and a home for us as well. Come on, baby, please.” She gave him the puppy dog eyes.
He couldn’t resist them. “Okay. For our future business and our home.”
King smiled. “Okay. Yes, I will be your wife then.”
Blood put on the biggest Kool-Aid smile and slid the ring on her finger. Mrs. Blake Fernandez, he thought as he kissed her hand. The Santiagos clapped. Zeus got up and patted Blood’s shoulders.
“Congrats, man.”
Blood was on cloud nine. He was the happiest man in the world. But for King to love him back, he had to lay down some laws.
“And, King, once I’m your husband, and I give you the presents you want, I want you to promise me something.”
King looked at the ring, admiring it. “What’s that?”
“Firstly, I want you to be mine and mine alone. No more sex partners and secret lovers. I want your mind, body, and soul—all for me.”
King kept a straight face, but on the inside, thought he was out of his mind. She didn’t want dick all the time and needed some fish every once in a while. She smiled and nodded. “Okay.”
“Secondly, no more drinking blood. It’s just nasty, and you don’t know what folks have these days. And lastly, I want to take care of you. Us. I want you to step down from being the boss bitch and be my wife. I want to take care of you and be your Superman. Let me be that for you.”
King smiled, but at the same time, wanted to slap the shit out of Blood with a hammer. But until she could come up with a good plan to get out of this shit, she was going to play the good wifey.
“Done, Blood.”
“Oh, one more request. It’s Blake, not Blood.”
King chuckled. “Okay, Blo—I mean, Blake.”
He stood, and they hugged each other. “I love you, Mrs. Blake Fernandez.”
“I love you too, Blakey.” She licked the side of his neck, then lay her head against his chest.
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