Royal Bitch

If anyone kills you, it better be me.

"I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong." - Audrey Hepburn

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Chapter 60

Fiore was steadily recovering.  It was nearly three in the morning when Kenneth barged into her room and woke her. 

"Get up!  We have to move, now!" Kenneth rushed out. 

"What's going on?"

"The Mendoza problem is coming to a head.  You need to get out of here now."  Kenneth helped Fiore out of bed and, growing impatient, scooped her up.  Kenneth started running with her down the halls as the entire compound swarmed with activity like and angry beehive.

"Kenneth!  This way!" Chuck's unmistakable voice boomed.  Chuck led them down a hidden passageway.  Jax was in the front followed by Chuck then Fiore and Kenneth and a few of both Fiore's guard and Chuck's men covered their six. 

They were funneled into an underground cavern where a boat was waiting. 

"Get her below deck!" Chuck barked as he started ordering people to action.  Kenneth wasted no time and Jax showed them the way and showed Kenneth where extra weapons and ammunition were stored.

Fiore's adrenaline was pumping, making the heart in her chest race.  Each beat was painful, she still hadn't adjusted to the alien feeling of the foreign heart.  "What the bloody hell is going on?" Fiore panted as she breathed through the pain.

"Chuck is making our lives complicated."

Fiore was nearly thrown as the boat jolted to life.  "I'm going to kill him." Fiore groaned.  Fiore froze as she heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire.  "Kenneth, do you trust them?"

"To do what?"

"Not get us killed."

"Yes, at least in your case."

"I'll have him killed if you die because of him."

"I think he's figured that out for himself."

It wasn't long before Chuck made his way below deck. "Were you hurt?"

"Do you think I'd allow that?" Kenneth growled.

"I'm fine." Fiore dismissed. "Do you want to tell me what the hell that was?"

"Mendoza. His enforcers have attacked nearly every home he knows I have. He attacked them all at once. He really wants me dead."

"And why exactly does he want you dead?"

"I've stolen his power. I've undercut him and I have no intention of returning the lionsshare of the market. Like you, I don't return ground once I've taken it. No surrender."

Fiore rolled her eyes. "How badly does he want you dead?"

"Enough to slaughter the towns on the way to me."

Fiore's eye locked on Chuck's. "You let those people be massacred?"

"A necessary evil. I did not know he would do such a thing."

"Was it clean or . . . ?"

"I doubt it."

"Where are we going now?"

"I am meeting up with one of my ships that has a helipad. From there, you will be going to one of your properties and I will be going to meet Mendoza head on. This ends tonight."