This Game Called Life (Kingdom Book 4) (25 page)

My sons have
convinced me that for us to be in a position to continue with our lives, you
cannot continue with yours.”

“Why the hell are
we even talking to this person? The sooner we get rid of her the better!”
Jason’s clipped tone seemed to galvanize everyone into motion.

Josh took hold of
Diana’s arm in a firm grip from which there was no escape. Recognizing there
was no point in fighting, she allowed the mobile phone to fall to the ground.
Reaching her hand into the pocket of her coat, she extracted her only remaining
protection, and possibly her last means of escape. Whipping the gun out of her
pocket, Diana raised it.

Jason immediately
twisted it out of her hand before she could do any damage. “You won’t need this
where you’re going,” he assured, patting her down to ensure she carried no
other weapons. Pulling her purse out of her hand, he upended the content onto
the floor. Looking down, he toed a few items before stepping around Diana and
heading out the door.

Josh
unceremoniously pulled their mother along as he followed his brother. Jason
didn’t break stride until he was outside the house standing beside a big black
van. Pulling open the door, he stood aside as Josh lifted Diana and placed her
inside the van. Jake hopped up to join her. Lying on the floor unmoving was the
guard she had so easily paid off once he was in their employ.

“Surprise!” Josh
mocked. “You have company for your little trip. Diana, when are you going to
stop underestimating us? Oh, excuse me, that would be right about now, am I
right, please tell me I’m right,” tipping his head to one side as though
expecting an answer, Josh waited. When none was forthcoming, he indicated that
she take a seat. She remained motionless; her gaze fixed on the prone figure of
the guard.

Jason joined them
in the van, and his proximity forced Diana down into the seat she had refused
to take only moments before. Her unease rose as Jason sat down directly
opposite her. When Josh closed the door, they were plunged into total darkness.
Diana felt sweat break out on her body as terror gripped her. The fur coat had
been a mistake.

The engine rumbled
to life, and the light blinked on. The first thing she saw was Jason leaning
forward, his black eyes unblinking as they seemed to bore into her very soul.
The moving van caused her body to quake. Internally she gave in to her terror.
She didn’t want to die.

Chapter 33

The drive took
over three hours, and Jake wondered how his twin could sit so motionless for
such a long time. Throughout the drive, Jason’s gaze didn’t deviate from Diana.
That he was freaking her out was obvious. Jake understood what his brother was
doing, and although Jason didn’t give anything away, he was sure he loved her
reaction to his proximity.

Just before they
arrived at their destination, the unconscious guard begun to stir. Without
hesitation or compunction, Jake swiftly gave him one perfectly placed punch
back into oblivion.

“Nice.” Jason
laughed. The sound of Diana hyperventilating causing him to laugh even harder.

For his part, Jake
remained relaxed in his seat beside their mother. He had chosen to sit by her
side so that she felt hemmed in. Jason facing her, him at her side and her feeling
she had no means of escape or help.

When the engine
came to a stop, Jake felt relief as the light blinked out. Diana had been
shaking throughout the entire drive and with the intense darkness came an
intensification of her tremors. The whole debacle concerning Diana in their
lives had gone on for long enough, it was now coming to an end.

Josh opened the
door and stood aside. Taking Diana by the arm, Jake pulled her with him out of
the vehicle, his grip vice like against the softness of her fur coat.

Night surrounded
them, and Jake thought it apt that the last sight Diana would have of the sky
was of a beautiful starlit night.

Jason followed.
When he was standing on the ground, he took hold of the guard’s legs and
unceremoniously dragged him towards the door. Fisting the front of his jacket,
Jason heaved the heavy man up into a sitting position. Bending his legs, he
forced his massive shoulder into the guard’s midriff and rose to his feet.
Tossing him up once, Jason adjusted the guard’s weight to his liking, turned
and caught Josh smiling at him.

“I was going to
offer to take his legs, big guy.”

“As you can see
there’s no need,” Jason replied, no sign of strain showing on his face. “Lead
the way.”

During their
byplay, Jake watched Diana, who was attempting to catch his father’s eyes. Jake
couldn’t help but feel saddened for his father. For some reason, Jackson always
seemed to believe that buried deep within her, Diana had the capacity to
change.

Knocking on the
door, they waited for it to be opened. In the doorway stood four burly men all
dressed in white. Two of them stepped forward and relinquished Jason of the
dead weight of the man across his shoulder.

Diana paid the
hand off no attention. “Where are we, what is this place,” she panted in fear.

Nobody responded.
Everyone began walking, including Diana, who had one son at her back and one on
either side of her.

Along many
hallways and up countless winding stairs, they finally came to a stop before a
solid steel door. One of the unsmiling men in white, jingled a ring of keys,
selected one and inserted it into the lock. Pushing the door open he stood aside.
They all watched as Diana got the first sight of her new home.

“Do you like it,”
Josh asked. “We had the place done up especially for you. The bed was my idea.
I know how much time you like to spend in one.”

Jake took up the
narrative. “At first I thought about getting you a closet for your clothes.
Then it dawned on me, what clothing could you possibly need in a place like
this. I decided that the chest over there,” Jake indicated with his chin,
“should more than meet your requirements.”

It was now Jason’s
turn to speak. “Everything else is my idea. Especially the steel door and the
bars on the windows. I would have paid for it too, but our father insisted that
he foot the bill.”

“Don’t do this to
me, Jackson,” Diana pleaded, turning towards her ex-husband. “I won’t survive!”

“I’m past caring
whether you survive or not,” Jackson replied, weariness seeming to weigh
heavily on him. “If I had the stomach for it, I’d ensure that you were wiped
off the face of the earth. You have hurt the people I hold dear for the last
time. You can scream as much as you like. Out here nobody will care. You see,
Diana this place is full of poor souls who are beyond the help of others. I
suppose you will attempt to escape at some point. With that, I wish you well.
Without your lotions and potions I suspect you will not look as you do for much
longer.”

“Who do you people
think you are to treat me like this? I demand that you release me because God
help you all if you don’t!” Diana threatened her eyes glassed over with rage.

“Goodbye, Diana,”
Jackson said with a look of resignation before he turned his back on her.

“I should have
killed you all at birth,” she screamed.

“Oh, you certainly
tried with one of us. However, as you can see we are all here.
‘If you have
good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams, and you will
always look lovely’
.

I remember reading
that when Jake and I were stuck at your house, it’s by Roald Dhal. You, Diana
are the ugliest person I have ever known. It is my wish that I never have to set
eyes on you for the rest of my life!” With a slight incline of his head, Josh
also left.

The twins looked
at each other. When Jake glanced over at Diana, he knew that he should be the
one to speak first. His words were simple. “This is for my brothers, Noelle and
MacKenzie. Thank God there are some women in the world who know how to be a
good mother. Oh, and before I forget, your little friend who was brought in
with you. He too will remain here, his punishment for giving my girls three
minutes of distress.”

As soon as Jake
finished, Jason began to speak. “I came to terms with the beginning of my life
because of the love I’ve found over the last year. I suspect that out of all my
brothers I may have the biggest capacity for revenge, and I accept that. You
are a very lucky woman, Diana. If not for Aviva being in my life, I would kill
you,” Jason paused for impact.

“Thankfully, I’m a
much better man because of her. You sealed your fate when you moved against
her. My personal quest for the rest of your life is to ensure that you never
again see the light of day outside of this space,” Jason’s head inclined
towards the barred windows, but his eyes remained fixed on the woman still
dressed in her fur coat.

With that, the
twins turned their backs on the woman who had given them life. Jake couldn’t
help looking back. Diana stood in the middle of the twenty foot room still
dressed in mink with horror written across her face.

The room was a
perfect replica of the bedroom he and Josh had been summoned to each morning in
her old home all those years ago. Her house had been their hell. If the fates
were kind, this room would now be hers.

**********

They had left the
van in an aircraft hangar near the asylum. As pre-arraigned a helicopter was
waiting for them. When they were all buckled in, Josh carried out the necessary
checks and flew them home. Through mutual silent agreement, nobody spoke. All
were lost in quiet contemplation of the night’s events and what it would mean
to their lives.

When they arrived
home, Jason wasn’t surprised to see his wife was still awake and rushing
towards him. Opening his arms, he hugged her close and drew in her scent. For
him, the last fragmented piece of his life had been disposed of.

“Are you okay,
baby?” Aviva asked.

“I’m fine. I don’t
know about Jackson, but the rest of us are in no doubt that we did the right
thing.”

Pulling away from
her husband, Aviva made her way to the older man. Linking arms with Jackson,
she drew him gently towards the family room. The rest of them followed, Jake
with his arm around MacKenzie’s shoulder.

While Aviva poured
the men drinks, MacKenzie handed them out.

“After tonight, I
do not want that woman’s name mentioned in this house ever again,” Jackson said
as he looked around at his family. “If any of you have something to say, this
is your last opportunity to speak.”

Jason saw Aviva
surreptitiously glance around. “Umm, what happened to Farrah?” She asked with a
nonchalant air that didn’t fool Jason for a moment.

Jason smiled at
his wife. He should have guessed Farrah would still be on her mind. If he
hadn’t been so preoccupied with the issues surrounding Diana, he would have
thought to put her mind at ease days ago.

“Farrah is back in
Vegas with her husband, and–”

“Husband,” Aviva
repeated in surprise.

Jason couldn’t
resist giving her a kiss to wipe away her shocked expression. “Yes, her
husband. Who also happens to be the same lawyer we used to perform our
divorce–”

“What are you
talking about, Jason?!” Aviva demanded.

“If you would let
me finish what I was about to say, you would already know, Angel.”

“Sorry, you may
continue,” Aviva teased with a cheeky smile.

Jason raised an
enquiring eyebrow at her but ignored her saucy comment. “When Diana was
searching for information, she came across details of my first marriage. Adonis
confirmed–”

“Adonis?” Aviva
broke in again, seeming unable to help herself.

“That’s it, no
more explanations,” Jason told his wife. “You’re just going to have to live in
blissful ignorance knowing that you are well and truly married to me.”

“I already knew
that. You don’t make the kind of mistakes Diana and Farrah wanted us to
believe.” At his smile, Aviva continued. “Don’t bother to get big headed, I
wasn’t praising your acumen, it’s just who you are.” Leaning closer at his
frown, Aviva whispered, “on the other hand, you’re completely gorgeous, and I
love you.”

“Don’t start you
two,” Josh interrupted their banter. “I for one want this little gathering over
and done with. The sooner that happens the sooner you guys can take your little
tête à tête to your room, and give us all a break,” he told them, prowling
restlessly around the room.

Jason narrowed his
eyes at his younger brother, ready to tell him exactly what he thought about
the way he had spoken to them. A squeeze of his arm was enough warning for him
to hold in whatever he had on his mind.

“Adonis is a young
Italian man who worked for Diana. He’s from a poor background and got seduced
by the money and lifestyle she offered.” Jake took up the telling as Jason
continued to eyeball Josh. “Everyone has their limit. It would seem, Adonis
reached his when Diana told him to kill Farrah. That’s when he got in touch
with us. It’s a good thing he did, or he’d probably be in exactly the same
place she is.

As Jason said,
Farrah is back at home with her husband. They have the money Diana paid them
upfront. We have their assurance that she won’t ever show her face again. She has
been warned that if she does, she won’t get off so easily a second time.”

“Where’s this,
Adonis now?” Aviva asked.

“Don’t know, and I
for one don’t care.” Came Jason’s uninterested answer. “Do you have any other
questions, Aviva?

“I’m good,
thanks,” she said.

Jason was almost
at the end of his patience. Turning to MacKenzie, he stared in her direction
until she looked at him. With a raised eyebrow and a tip of his head, he
silently asked if she had anything to add.

At his silent
enquiry, Jason saw she had something on her mind, but if she refused to ask, he
wasn’t about to prompt her.

“MacKenzie?” Jake
asked.

Licking her lips,
Mackenzie looked around the room before she spoke. “I was just wondering if
there was any other news about the story, Abe Gantz broke.”

“I took care of
it,” Jake replied. “It would seem that your ex was misguided in how he related
his side of the story. You don’t need to worry about him ever again. He’s now
back under the rock he crawled out from under. He’s still searching for a big
paycheck that’s never going to materialize now that his career is over.

As for Abe Gantz,
he now understands that should he
ever
again think of reporting
anything
about this family, I will hurt him,” Jake finished with a dour look on his
face.

Jason smiled
liking his twins turn of phrase. Jackson cleared his throat asking for
everyone’s attention.

“I would like to
say...” Jackson hesitated, and Jason could see the emotion in his father’s
eyes. “Throughout my life I have made many mistakes, the biggest being Diana.
You all know how sorry I am that any of you had to go through a moment of hurt
at her hands. I’m sure you also know if I had the ability, I would gladly
remove every second you have suffered.

Yet I find that I
can’t regret having met Diana. To do so would be to diminish how proud I am to
have such wonderful men as my sons. I would like to propose a toast,” everyone
rose to their feet.

“To the Kingdoms!”
Jackson exclaimed as he held up his glass.

“The Kingdoms!” Came
a resounding cheer.