26. The deal

Angela looked at her uncle's photo placed on the coffin without blinking. The priest's words were like a passing wind, all she heard was a whoosh in the air instead of the words. She wondered why she did not regret his death but then she remembered what she felt at that point and time was exactly what she had felt at her father's funeral. Relief. Pure and crippling relief that no one would be able to unearth her secret. Her uncle's body had been found in his country home. His truck wrapped around a tree, his driver dead on impact and her uncle dead after a broken piece of metal lodged itself deep into his heart. The death was staged very well she had to think about giving a bonus to her 'death dealers' as she called them. They always got rid of the bodies ensuring nothing linked them to her. She glanced at her cousin Lucy, who was glaring daggers at her and Angela kept her blank look on her face. Angela knew very well that Lucy blamed her for her father's death. She suspected Angela had something do with it but that was more like her grief trying to find someone to blame and Angela was becoming more and more like a target. The coffin was lowered into the ground and Angela moved forward to pour a handful of soil in. She looked at the coffin and thought, "Do you understand now uncle why I had to do what I had to do? Make sure your daughter does not follow the same path you did. It would kill me to have to take another life that is family." With that Angela made her way to the waiting black Mercedes Benz and Sang' proficiently drove off with Adrian on the passenger's seat.

"I wish for Shirleen to enter the Queen's blade," Adrian said breaking the silence, and Angela turned abruptly to look at him before she said one word, "No". Adrian turned in his seat to look at her, "You want her to be your heir and I want to keep my girlfriend safe. You promised me that as long as she does not interfere with your plans, she will be safe from you. Then give her the advantage of being safe as your heir and I will ensure she does not interfere with your plans," Adrian implored.

"The Queen's blade is dangerous. Fifty percent of those girls are psychopaths because they were raised by monsters, twenty five percent just like the thrill of killing and blood, the other twenty five percent go there to try and make their families prestigious. She will get killed," Angela stated calmly.

"Not if I train her," Adrian said. "She is a female heir to one of the five families in Kenya. The rest of us have already made a name for ourselves and we are already feared. She is an unknown, she needs to make a name for herself and what better way than to be crowned queen. Do you really wish to have a weakling as your heir? I know the only reason you want her to be your heir it is to further control your husband and you want to tighten his leash. But for her to survive our world she needs to be strong," Adrian said looking at the woman whose eyes had turned hard. Angela was silent for a few seconds watching him contemplatively, "You don't expect her to win," she said reading his thoughts. He did not confirm her guess but neither did he deny it. "Don't think I haven't noticed that with each day that passes by she is getting consumed by anger, hate and vengeance. Even her frequent fights in the ring are not calming her. You are afraid that the anger and hate will control her instead of her controlling them."

Adrian nodded once his jaw clenched, "I hope her entrance into the queen's blade will boost her reputation, but my main concern is her anger and hate. We have both seen what losing control of those emotions could do to a person. We both know she has a fifty- fifty chance of winning."

"Fine," Angela said. "You will train her; the queen's blade is starting in three months and she better be ready. If she dies, I want your head on a silver platter. Are we in agreement Dragon?" she asked using his family name for the deal to be valid and recognised within the five families.

"Agreed," Adrian replied in respect. The car came to a stop in front of Angela's mansion and Sang' went to open her door. "She is especially important to my plans. Her being alive is a requirement."