King of Hearts

Chapter 50 – Make It Happen.

Don Pitch Robotnik's POV, Richie's Irish Pub, New York.

Lace insisted we eat here. Another bar by the looks of it. Making her way back to our booth, she held two drinks in hand.

"A nice, dark vodka shooter for me and a sprite for you."

Placing the glass in front of me, I questioned.

"Really?"

Looking into my eyes as she took a sip of hers, she chuckled and replied.

"Your underage remember?"

My own words came back to bite me. Lace continued to smile and enjoy herself as I asked.

"I'm not going to get tricked into beating some guy up for you again, am I?"

Giving the room a quick glance, she replied.

"Not unless you want too."

Sitting up I stated.

"I think I'd prefer not too."

Nodding her head as she sat back, she asked.

"You hungry? This place has good wings."

Crossing my arms I replied.

"I figured you for the fancy type. Not a game day bar kind of girl."

Giving me another chuckle, Lace replied back.

"My dad used to take me here back when he was alive. It was always a fun time."

"What about your mom? Didn't she care that your dad was taking you to bars for dinner?"

Shaking her head slowly, Lace replied.

"My mom is a drug addict. Meth to be accurate. She died a few years back on an overdose."

"I'm so sorry." I said with sadness as she put down her drink to urge.

"Don't be. She did it to herself and she was never there for me growing up. She was hardly anything to be proud of."

Now I went silent. The conversation felt really awkward now.

"Hey kid?" I heard her mutter as she stared at me in a calming way.

"You ever regret your mother or father?"

The question honestly didn't feel bad to answer. For some reason it felt only right to express myself to her.

"My mom no. She's always loved me and she's always tried her best to watch out for me. Hell without her I wouldn't know what I would be doing."

"But your not mad she and your father forced you to become Don?"

Looking back into her eyes I replied.

"Shadow isn't my dad."

"But you call him that?" She questioned as I nodded.

"Because I feel he deserves it. But in the end he never will be my real father. My dad is dead."

Lace went silent now as a waitress approached the table in a cute tank top to take our order. Not soon after she had it placed did I go on.

"I love Shadow. I do. He took care of me like I was his own and he had every right not too. It takes a good man to do that for a grieving mother."

Looking down at my hands, I pulled them onto the counter to urge.

"Look at my hands."

Lace gently brought her eyes to them.

"These aren't Shadow's hands. These aren't my mom's hands. There my hands. My person. Me."

Lace took her eyes back to mine as I added.

"But these are my father's eyes. His quills. Hell I even look like him almost."

Lace began to sense my sadness as I went on to say.

"Rose. That is my last name. My real one. Not Robotnik. Black Rose was my father. The demon everyone in this world feared to death. Even death feared him. Damien is my uncle. He knew who he was and he knew what he wanted me to be. But I can't be like them. I can't ever truly know what my dad wanted me to be. But I can be myself. A different person in this world. I can change what the name Rose represents to the world by leading this family into the future Lace. I can be my own person."

Lace now stared into my eyes deep as I finished.

"Black Rose? My real father? I love him. Yet I never met him. Damien? My mom? Even Shadow? They call him a demon. A fucking monster. And I can see it in Damien when he looks at me that he thinks I can be just like him if I try. But I don't want to be like my father Lace. I don't want to kill anyone. I just want to be who I am in this world. And no one will ever change my path. The path I set for myself. And by the time I'm dead this world will know who the Rose family was. And it will be because of me that my father will no longer be seen as a demon, but as a man who gave the best thing to the world. Me."

After those final words, I went cold in my speech. Lace followed my eyes as I looked away from her to state.

"I'm sorry. This is suppose to be a nice dinner for you. I didn't mean to get off track like that."

Slowly I felt her push her glass towards me. As it touched my hands, I glanced back into her eyes to see her smiling.

"Forget about it. You have every right to express yourself for who you are. And with intentions like that set for you, I know you will be the one who drives us forward. Don't ever regret your family kid. Everyone has a path in life."

A warm smile came to me as I took her drink in hand.

Giving me a smile back she ordered.

"Now try and enjoy yourself. If you do that I'll show you the best part about this place my father always took me to during halftime. And if everything goes right you'll never forget it ether."

Inside Lace made me feel good somehow. Her words just seemed to hit home. Giving her back her drink, I said in a happier tone.

"Thank you. I needed that."

Taking the glass back to her soft hands she asked.

"You want me to go get you one?"

Chuckling I questioned.

"I thought I was underage?"

Nodding she replied.

"Doesn't mean I can't work my charm over on the bartender. Now how about it?"

Keeping my smile on as our food was now heading our way from the kitchen. I looked into Lace's eyes to reply.

"Only if you can get away with it."

Quickly getting up from her side of the booth, she said with confidence.

"I can get anything I want from any man. No one can resist me kid. Just you watch."

Staring at her slim body as she stood up straight, I replied.

"Oh I'll be watching. Don't you worry about that."

Giving me a small chuckle as she turned herself towards the bar. I thanked the waitress for our food and refocused my eyes on the girl of my dreams walking sexier then any hedgehog I have ever had the pleasure of seeing in my life. I swear if I was able to I would take her in my arms and guide her home after this.

Lace I swear was a tease. I couldn't even focus on my food she was so overwhelmingly gorgeous. Propping herself along the bar to get the attention of the tender, I stared at her butt as she gently leaned it out and to the side. I hate being a teenager. It feels like my dick is in more control then I am at times.

After some words and some slow seconds, she came walking back to the booth with a drink in hand.

My eyes looked into hers as she handed it to me with the same smile she left with.

"Told you." She stated as I was lost in my trance for her.

It didn't take long, but I swear I made her blush even through my lack of hiding my feelings.

Taking a bite of her food, I tried my best to make conversation to not look like a freak for just staring.

"So what did you do in the military?"

That question seemed second nature to her. Her response was clear and easy.

"When I first joined I did airborne infantry."

"What's that?" I wondered as she wiped her mouth with a napkin under her plate.

"It basically means I jumped out of planes."

"Wow. That had to be scary." I stated as she nodded.

"Oh hell yeah. First jump is the worst in training. People puking and hyperventilating. It was bad."

"How about you?" I questioned as she looked into my eyes.

"I was scared for sure. But after the first time it just seems natural afterwords."

"Why did you leave?" I asked next. The question got her attention, and in a calm tone she replied.

"Well I didn't leave. I got discharged."

"Something bad?" I wondered as she shook her head.

"No. I got an honorable discharge for getting injured in combat."

"What happened?" I asked in concern as she took a sip of her drink to reply.

"I was doing a drop in Pakistan with a squad of delta boys. But we didn't know the enemy was already aware of our presence. When we landed, they ambushed us and I took cover by an old car. But for lack of better words I fucked up and didn't see one of the rebels throw a frag under the hood. When the thing went off, a chunk of the undercarriage snapped off and went through my side here."

Gently she pointed to the left side of her stomach.

"The doctors said it was a miracle I survived. After that I was given a purple heart and told to go home. And I did."

"Why join the mob after that?" I questioned in complete interest towards her story as she finished her meal to reply.

"Your dad...I mean Shadow. He offered me a good bit of cash to teach some of his soldiers how to fight like a man and not a dizzy kid. The cash was all I saw at the time and I took it. Plus I got tired of sitting on my ass all day on painkillers."

"Does it still hurt you?" I asked as she nodded.

"Sometimes it feels like it is still there, but it's just a muscle reaction the doctors said. I just had to learn to deal with it."

"Wow." I said in awe as she pushed her plate in to finish her drink.

"I remember hearing you worked in Boston though?"

Nodding she replied.

"I did. Then Shadow gave his compound away and I was told to come here to New York."

My mind was so focused on her that I forgot I had ordered as well. Lace smiled as I took notice and lost my appetite on the way.

"You not hungry?" She asked in concern as I nodded and replied.

"Yeah sorry. I planned on eating when we first walked in, but I guess I got lost in you or something."

After that statement I looked away and mumbled to myself.

"Why would you say that!?"

Lace chuckled as I looked behind her and towards a couple colorful lights shining off the walls. Seeing that I was wondering what it was she asked.

"You ready to see the halftime show?"

Looking back at her calming brown eyes and green quills, I replied.

"Hell yeah."

Giving me another small chuckle, Lace offered me her hand.

"Well lets go."

I was caught off guard for a second but gently took her by the hand to feel her soft touch.

Helping me up onto my feet, she pulled me close and said.

"I think you'll like it. Even as old as I am I never seem to be able to let the small things go."

Making our way through the door, Lace stopped with me to look into my eyes as I rested them on what was no less then an arcade. It had everything.

"Really?" I said with a smile as she nodded and replied.

"This was my favorite place back when I was a kid. I used to dream of coming back here everyday with my dad."

Continuing to watch as I looked from game to game, Lace wondered.

"So?"

Glancing back into her beautiful brown eyes I replied.

"I play for keeps."

Tightening her grip on my hand she replied.

"Your not the only one kid. So what do you say? Take a girl for a good time?"

Blushing as she let me go, I replied with a wide smile.

"If this is your idea of a good time I'll be more then glad too."

Both of us began to laugh as she lead me towards a change machine.

When I saw her getting her money out I immediately urged.

"Let me."

With a nudge she replied.

"Such a gentlemen."

I just chuckled as I put in a twenty. Not soon after getting our quarters did I ask.

"So what do you want to get beat at first?"

Hitting my arm she replied.

"You wish kid. But I'll go easy on you. Let's do some air hockey."

I couldn't believe the thing Lace wanted to do was play in an arcade. It just seemed so childish. I figured she wasn't into this kind of thing. Too bad she is though cause after I'm done with her she'll never want to come back again.

Setting up our puck I asked.

"Ready?"

Grabbing her paddle she replied.

"Ready to win."

"We'll just see girly."

"Who you calling girly?" She asked in a joyful tone as I smiled and sent the puck past her and past her paddle and into the goal to score.

Looking into my eyes with a serious face, I replied.

"The loser."

Letting out a thick laugh she replied.

"Oh your dead now."

Watching as she put down the puck, I continued to smile and truly enjoy the time I was having. Who knew a Don could have fun? And with such a hot trainer?

Fun for now? We'll see. Remember to drop a love and a hug for me and I'll have more chapters for you soon.

mT Shadow.