About to shrug off her fur coat, Diana thought better of it. She had decided to wear the coat because this momentous occasion called for grandeur. The fur, in her opinion, was such a gesture. Pushing open the door to the room of her past humiliation; Diana came to an abrupt halt. Her smile of triumph wiped from her face.
Scattered around the room in various poses of relaxation were the rest of the Kingdom family. Even those women Jackson’s sons had taken up with were present, and they were all looking at her. Diana’s smile faltered and died.
“Hello Diana,” Jake was the first to greet her.
Unprepared to give up her hard-won battle, she completely ignored him and turned to look over her shoulder at Jackson. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Don’t be foolish, Diana. I would say this as you so inarticulately put it, is entirely obvious. We have decided that we no longer want you to retain the ability to poison this family with your particular brand of venom,” Jackson replied with his usual calm.
Unfazed by his words, Diana opened her purse and withdrew her cell and speed dialed a number. It was obvious they were still disbelieving of the lengths she was prepared to go to get her way. As she waited for the call to be answered, she thought it best to give them a less than subtle reminder of who was calling the shots.
“I see that adorable child in nowhere in sight,” she drawled.
“That’s right she isn’t,” MacKenzie answered although Diana hadn’t asked a question. “She’s taking a nap. You see it’s vital that she doesn’t come into contact with any noxious substances.”
Diana didn’t respond to the knowing smile MacKenzie had written all over her face. Her display of calm worried Diana, but not as much as the unanswered phone she held to her ear.
“For goodness sake woman, how long are you going to stand there with that phone plastered against your face. I would think it obvious that your henchman is otherwise engaged,” Jackson finished on a chuckle that carried no amusement.
Jason rose to his feet in a leisurely fashion. From the moment she had entered the room, his had been the eyes she had most avoided. Although she would never admit it, there was something about him that scared her. When she met his eyes, it was as though all the wrong she had ever perpetrated was reflected there, and he wanted an accounting.
“I’m done with this fiasco. Let’s do this,” Jason said without inflection.
“Do what,” Diana enquired, her hand that was still holding the phone falling to her side.
“Get rid of you of course,” Jason disclosed with expressionless eyes.
Diana shivered at his coldness and took a step back, Jason followed her. Diana took another step backwards, then another as Jason stalked her every move.
Floods of dread washed over her. He was going to kill her. Intent on getting away, Diana turned and only just managed to avoid running into a solid wall of chest. When had this one moved, he had been standing in front of her only moments before.
“Were you thinking of going somewhere, Diana,” Josh asked.
Refusing to show fear, she internally regrouped. “Get out of my way!” She demanded. The quiver in her voice shocked her. These huge men en masse were terrifying.
With a grand show of bravado, she turned to Jackson. Surely he wouldn’t allow these Neanderthals to treat her in this way. She might be unsure of the younger men, but of one thing she had no doubt, Jackson would not allow them to hurt her. He loved her. He had always loved her, he would always love her, how could he do anything else. With her unbalanced reasoning, Diana’s calm was restored. “Call them off Jackson!” She commanded.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I have given you the benefit of the doubt for the last time. As the mother of my children, I have always hoped that you possessed at least one redeeming quality. I have been proven incorrect for the last time. Even through all the wrongs you have done; if you had left us in peace, we would have done the same.
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.