Randle's Princess (2 page)

Randle finally made it back to the house.  His tall body came running into the room and he reached out to pull Lia away from the crowd so he could speak with the paramedics and find out for himself what was taking place. 

“What happened?” he began.  “Is he okay?  Is he breathing?”  Randle always had nothing but great respect for his father.  Lia could tell his concern was genuine.

 Then she saw as both men stopped their work as suddenly as they had began.  Then the first paramedic removed the plastic tubing from Joseph’s mouth, the other stopped the heart palpitations then both of them came to stand just in front of Randle.  She listened as one of them gave Randle the fatal news.

“We are very sorry Mr. Malcolm.  There’s nothing else we can do.  He’s gone.”

Randle took a deep breath first hanging his head low as if he himself was saying a silent prayer then he turned in her direction, staring lovingly into her trickling hazel eyes, seeing her hands pressed over her mouth in disbelief.  He knew how much she had adored Joseph and along with his own pain he could feel her devastation as well. 

“It’s gonna be okay Princess,” he assured her as he walked over and pulled her head to his chest with his strong comforting arms.  “You know I’ll always take care of you.  I will never
let harm come to you.  He is at peace now.  He feels no pain.”

“He can’t leave me too Randle!  He just can’t,” she sobbed out from against his chest.  “What will I do without him?”

“I told you Princess,” he whispered in her ear.  “I will always be here for you.” 

She felt his arms tighten around her back, squeezing her against his firm body.  Lia knew he meant it.  But what was life going to be like without her precious Joseph.

The funeral was huge she remembered.  Joseph was a very well known and respected man in the community.  As they rode in Randle’s personal black limousine from the church to the cemetery Lia now felt as if she had become the property of Randle Malcolm.  And his domineering personality had come to light as well.  He quickly took over everything including Joseph’s law firm and that day was one of the last that he ever called her Lia other than when he was angry at her.  It was that day that she became Randle’s Princess and nothing else.  He no longer treated her as a family member but as his prize possession instead. 

The day after Joseph’s death is when he had assigned Jeffery as her personal security guard and he was ordered to go with her everywhere she went.  He made it clear to her that she was no longer allowed to be alone at all other than when she was at home, free to roam the grounds outside as long she stayed inside the thick and tall stone fence that surrounded the entire property.  He even pulled her from public school despite her protest and had her tutored at home until she attained her diploma. 

They now sat in the front row under a huge tent set up at the cemetery where Joseph’s bronze casket was set up just ahead of them.  With Randle seated next to her holding her hand for comfort, Lia listened to the kind words from the reverend and dabbed the tears from her face with her silk handkerchief.  It was a military funeral for a man who had retired from the Marines so many years ago.  As the taps began to play Lia cried louder.  Randle secured his arm around her neck and tugged her head to his shoulder. 

“I promise you Princess.  You have nothing to fear.  I will miss Joseph as much as you, but trust that I will always take care of you.  I will never let harm come to you.”  Then he kissed her forehead lightly, something he had done before but this time it was different.  Lia felt a cool chill run through her knowing something had changed about his demeanor toward her.

But he had done it so sincerely Lia did feel a bit better.  She looked up at him and tried to smile but couldn’t quite finish it.  Instead she only stayed silent, unable to speak a single word.

Lia could now see the massive stone gate just out front of their five acre estate with a smaller wrought iron foot gate just to the side of it that she used whenever she wanted to go out for a walk or run.  It was a gorgeous Saturday morning with barely any traffic on the main road as she was making her way to it. 

“Well, guess I’ll have to face him soon,” she now thought as she neared closer knowing surely Randle would be angrily waiting for her in the house, waiting to tear into her for going out alone.  Stopping to open the gate so she could enter she saw the figure of someone come from around the side of the fence out of the corner of her eye.  So suddenly it startled her and she pushed the gate open with haste as fast as she could and started running through it.  But she was too late and felt a strong hand grab the back of her pony tail trying to pull her back out into the street.  She fell to her back instead landing hard on the ground.  She quickly rolled to her stomach and began slapping wildly at his arms. 

“Let go of me!” she screeched out.

She screamed out as loudly as she could and had luckily alerted one of the security guards who instantly ran in her direction and took cover behind a huge oak tree, his gun pulled, aiming and ready to fire.  The man that had ahold of her too raised his right arm and aimed his silenced revolver at the security guard she now recognized as Jeffery, then she could hear the muzzled pops as shots began to be fired.  Her body fell to the ground finally breaking free from this man’s grasp.  She crawled on all fours as fast as she could gasping with fear as she made her way to the inside corner of the wall and crouched down on top of her knees putting her hands over the back of her head for protection. 

A stray bullet hit the fence just above her head.  A cloud of white powder burst from the stone as the bullet struck and flew through the air and she could feel a gritty like substance land all over her and entangle in her hair.  She wasn’t sure whose bullet it was or if it was intentional, but didn’t care.  All she wanted was to be out of here and back into the safety of the house.

“Princess!  Stay down!” she then heard being yelled out from the direction of the house.  Randle’s demanding voice she recognized and knowing that he too was now outside, but she couldn’t see him.  She was too afraid to raise her head.

She obeyed his demand hearing two more shots and finally got the nerve to peek up just enough to watch the stranger who had grabbed her fall to the ground just feet in front of her, his leg wounded and bloody.  He rose and ran with a limp back out onto the street and then she could hear the squealing of a car spinning out only seconds later. 

Another hand now grabbed her arm.  She gasped with fright and jumped, her back hitting the fence as she came to a sitting position.  For the first time she was actually relieved to see Randle’s angry face leering back at her.  She didn’t care what the repercussion.  She was only relieved that this situation was over with and she was still alive.

“Are you okay Princess?  Are you hurt?” he asked first while he placed his weapon back into its holster.  She knew as soon as he realized she was unharmed the outrage was next to come.

Suddenly Lia jumped to a sitting position after hearing a loud banging noise as if someone were beating against wood.  She now sat up in her queen sized heavy wooden bed still panting with sweat running down her face.  She looked around the room and shook her head. 

“Darn dream,” she scolded to herself as she realized Randle was knocking harshly at her bedroom door and yelling out to her.

“Princess!  Are you in there?  Open this damn door!”

Wearing only her bra and panties she jumped from the bed with bare feet and put on her white satin robe and rushed to the door. 

“I’m coming!” 

She turned the bolt lock and reached for the knob but Randle was already pushing it in.  He entered the room and flipped on the light switch just inside the doorway.  He looked ever so handsome now wearing a formal navy blue suit and tie with a white dress shirt neatly tucked in and she could smell his sweet cologne even from a distance.  Obviously he was dressed for a very special occasion.

“What took you so long?  And why aren’t you dressed yet?  You’re gonna be late for your own party?” His eyes scanned her slim satin covered body and bare legs as he spoke.

Today was Lia’s twenty-fourth birthday and Randle had planned a lavish party for her here at the house in the huge ballroom just downstairs below her bedroom.  Randle used any excuse to host a gathering with his friends and business partners.  He said it was good for his image and helped build trust and respect.

Lia quickly turned to glance at the clock on the night stand beside her bed.  “I have an hour yet,” she assured him.  “I fell asleep.  Good thing you woke me up.  I just have to take a quick shower and I’ll be ready in plenty of time.”

“You had better be,” he warned sternly.  “I’ll be back up to get you in about forty five minutes.”

“I’ll be ready,” she reassured.

Randle pulled his handkerchief from his jacket pocket and dried the sweat from her forehead.  “Are you alright?” he then asked with concern.

“Yes, I fell asleep and had another bad dream is all,” she explained to him again.

He gently placed his left hand on the side of her face and gave her a quick peck to the cheek.  “I’ll be back for you.”

He turned to exit her room closing the door behind him and she could hear the taps from his dress shoes as he made his way down the marble stairway.  She turned to enter her oversized bathroom and reached in to start the water in the shower.

 “I wish I could quit having that damn dream,” she whispered to herself clamping her eyes closed as if to shake it out of her head.  But she knew it wasn’t really a dream.  It had indeed happened to her just a few months prior.  She never really discussed it with Randle but knew for certain it had to have something to do with him, knowing that the less she asked the better off she would be.  But clearly someone had made a play for her.  No doubt they were trying to use her to take revenge on Randle for something he had done.

After that day she really didn’t mind having Jeffery around all the time.  It was a little inconvenient but she knew now that as long as she was associated with the powerful Randle Malcolm she had best let him protect her at all cost.  She had met a lot of his colleagues over the years whenever they would visit him at his home office.  It was just across from the bottom of the stairs from Lia’s bedroom and opened into the giant ballroom. 

Once she had even overheard one of them whisper to the other, “That’s Randle’s Princess, leave her alone if you know what’s good for you.”

Lia was never comfortable around any of them.  Always acting and looking guilty of something even if they weren’t.  And Randle would almost always make her leave the room when they would arrive because they had
private
business to discuss.  She could tell when she did see them speak that Randle had to be a very powerful man indeed at what ever it is he does.  All his business partners acted meek and afraid when they were in his presence. They always responded to him with yes sir, no sir.  Randle always kept his poise and spoke to them with a hard stern voice. 

Finally Lia stepped into the hot water spraying from shower head actually laughing now as she turned under the mist to wet her hair remembering how angry Randle was that day.  Once he realized she was unharmed he grabbed the sides of both her arms and lifted and slammed her to her feet immediately dragging her toward the house.  Yelling all the way as he pulled her down the paved driveway then up the concrete steps to the double wooden front doors nearly shattering the colored stained glass panels after pushing them inward with a powerful harsh thrust. 

The front door opened into the ballroom, the massive marble stairway curving up to right and his office door just to the left.  He brought her into his office and slammed her down into a leather chair.  

“You know better!  Why didn’t you wait for Jeffery?  You could’ve been killed!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” is the best she could do now.  Clearly he had reason to want Jeffery with her at all times and she knew it.  There was no way she could refute this now.

“But what the hell was that all about?” she finally got the nerve to ask.

“Don’t worry about it!” he yelled back.  “Jeffery and the others are taking care of it!  Now I have to go out there and figure out how to get rid those damn cops!”  He motioned toward the door as he spoke.  His face was red and his blue eyes wide with anger.  This probably was the angriest Lia had ever seen him.