52. A mother's love
Adrian chuckled as he walked to her and tied a belt around her waist with two guns and ammunitions hanging from it. He also tied a single belt around both her thighs hosting two daggers as she watched her assassins blend with the shadows. Stacey brought to them nude coloured ear buds for communication. Immediately they were ready to take the elevator Shirleen turned to look at the mother who had sacrificed everything including her humanity to keep her daughter safe. For the first time Shirleen recognised the look in Angela's eyes. She had seen it albeit for a short time when she was nine years old and Shirley had died. When Angela had shouted 'don't kill the girl' at the assassin her father had sent after them. It was also the same look Angela had shown her briefly when she had no choice but to send her to the queen's blade at Adrian's request. It was also the same look Angela had when Shirleen had been kidnapped by Lucy's father and Angela had walked into the warehouse where she had been kept tied up. Angela had caught her eyes for a moment and that look had been there. It was also the same look she had seen in Angela's eyes when she had opened her eyes after sleeping for seven days when she won the queen's blade. It was utter crippling fear not for herself but for her daughter. Fear of losing the one person she loved without a doubt, the one person she loved with her whole heart.
"How many times have I come back alive?" Shirleen asked Angela softly.
"You have come close to death too many times to think about," Angela snapped trying not to think of all the times she had thought her daughter would die. Pretending not to care when Shirleen was participating in the Queen's blade had nearly unravelled her.
Shirleen laughed touching Angela's cheek softy, "It is my turn to kill all your demons for you and as you have noticed I am no longer weak." She drifted her hand gently down Angela's face. "Shirley might have raised me and loved me but you gave birth to me and loved me enough to protect me at the cost of everything else. You sacrificed everything for me to a point you ignored your husband's infidelity to keep me safe and give me a complete family. I will always love Shirley but you mum are my hero. I will always come back home to you mother," she said softly as she walked out the room followed closely by Adrian and the rest without looking at her father. His face seemed like it was frozen in perpetual shock from all the truths he had learned. Everything he had believed had suddenly been proven to be untrue. Of course, she didn't fail to notice the gun that Adrian pointed at her cousin's face his eyes angry, "You tried to kill her, didn't you?" Lucy's face showed fear, aware of Adrian's reputation when he is not trying to be a gentleman. "The only reason Angela is wounded must be because you tried to shoot my woman. Angela will never let anyone hurt Shirleen even if it costs her life," Adrian stated confidently. Lucy had managed to contain the bleeding on her thigh and was breathing through the pain. Shirleen slowly reached for his hand and said, "Darlin' between you and I we have very few family left. We need to try and keep the ones we have alive even though they are disloyal as hell. We need them to fill the seats during our wedding if nothing else." Leshinka, Juma and Musila tried to hold back their laughter but couldn't. Adrian turned to look at her a smile on his face. "Let's go help my assassins take out the trash then you can tell me all about how you have missed me."
"I don't think we will survive all the sweetness between the two of you," Leshinka sniggered as they made their way to the elevator.