King of Hearts

Chapter 65 – Does Our Lines Cross?

Don Jeremiah Soul's POV, Soul compound, Boston.

My home was on alert. Every entrance and exit covered. Me and my men don't take threats kindly. If anyone says they're coming after me at my home every last man here will die to prove them wrong.

Outside my door were my best men. All high up Caporegimes who have been in the business even before my family was alive. Some used to work for Marixst. Others were military Special Forces. I felt safe with them on watch. But it's been almost an hour since Vexer warned me of the threat. And nothing has gone down. I hope he was wrong.

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

Looking to my door as I kept my personal 44. Magnum on top of my desk, I asked.

"Who is it?"

"It's Vexer."

Nodding in my seat as I put down my gun, I replied.

"Come in."

Quickly opening my door, I widened my eyes as he walked in with Hash behind him.

"Oh my god." I muttered as he got the door.

Hash was a mess. His quills were hardly white and his head looked to be busted open on the left side of his head. Not to mention all the bruising and swelling on his face. I was shocked he was even standing.

"What happened to you?" I asked as he stood beside Vexer now. Hash's eyes were looking away at me. It almost looked like he was refusing to acknowledge me for some reason.

"They had him in a room all night being beaten down by a big echidna."

"For what reason?" I questioned as Vexer looked to Hash to reply.

"For being him I guess."

"They just said I needed to pay for all the bad I've done." Stated Hash as I looked into the black eyes he was given by the beating.

"Do we know who did it?" I asked in concern as Vexer nodded and slowly replied.

"That's the bad thing. It was Linux."

Widening my eyes in complete confusion, I asked to be sure.

"Linux? As in Don Zeno Linux?"

Nodding, Vexer and I looked back to Hash who stated.

"Zeno Linux Jr for a fact. I guess dad has his son running the dirty work for him now."

Gently retaking my seat I questioned.

"But Don Linux has never had a problem with us. Why would he order his men to come here and try and kill you?"

Hash gave me no response as it was clear something else was wrong with him other than this.

Taking my hint to look to Vexer for an answer, he replied.

"Maybe he just wanted to send a message. Maybe he's going to try and come back to the states."

Once again shaking my head, I stated.

"Don Linux is too old and too dried up to move in on our business here. He lost all his power when Shadow Robotnik ran him off eighteen years ago. It makes no sense for him to come back now."

"Maybe he got stronger since then. Maybe he has an army now." Urged Vexer as I could only be confused by all this.

"I need to think about this. Vexer? What happened to the boy?"

Rubbing his nose, Vex replied.

"He flew off in a chopper before I could get him. The kid is probably running back home. And he's only had a few guys with him. It's unlikely he meant the attack on the compound."

"The kid has balls to bullshit us like that. But then again he has balls to go after you Hash. Are you okay?"

Vexer bit his bottom lip as Hash kindly ordered.

"Get out."

Nodding, Vexer made his way for the door to leave me with Hash who rubbed some dry blood off his cheek. I was unaware of what was wrong with him. But I've never seen him this hurt and silent before. Taking a second to think, he slowly asked.

"Why didn't you tell me about Shax?"

In complete loss, I questioned.

"What are you talking about? What about Shax? I don't know what...?" Cutting me off by slamming his foot into the front of my desk, Hash shouted.

"Why didn't you tell me he was your fucking son!?"

Everything went silent on my end as Hash locked eyes directly with me in anger.

"I...ahhhhh?" I had no words to say as I hadn't expected this one bit. Getting madder Hash asked.

"Why didn't you tell me? What was so bad about it that you couldn't tell me?"

"Nothing Hash." I tried to say in a calm tone as he shook his head to question.

"It was sure as shit something! Because otherwise I would have known!"

Looking to his clutched hands, I asked.

"What does this have to do with anything Hash? I don't get it."

With his breaths getting heavy by rage, he replied.

"It matters when you were only using me as a way to make up for your wife's death."

Immediately I got mad as he looked right into my eyes to watch as I stood up to shout.

"How dare you! Who do you think you are!?"

I swear to god the mood went completely south when Hash went to grab my gun from off the desk. Trying my fastest to intercept him, I was cut off in overwhelming fear when he pulled the gun away and sent his spare hand into my chest to push me back into my chair. After slamming down, I put up my hands as he pointed the 44. at my head.

"Relax." I urged as best as I could as he shouted.

"You used me! If she was alive you wouldn't have given two shits about me that day in the alley! You would have just killed me!"

"That's not true Hash." I tried to say as he shook his head and the gun to reply.

"It is! You only saw me as a chance to prove you weren't a bad father and husband! I was meant to be a redemption for you! You never cared about me one fucking bit you asshole!"

With the gun still set on my skull, I shook in my seat to state.

"I do care about you. When I saw you in that alley I truly cared. I wanted to help you Hash."

A fire went off in his eyes and I began to panic as he came marching around my desk to reach for my neck.

"Aghh!" I gagged as he took me out of my seat to pin me up into the wall along the side of my office.

Placing the gun to my gut, he muttered in rage.

"You're a fucking lair. I was only a tool to you. Just like I am now. You didn't care then and you still don't now."

Unable to breathe, I locked eyes with him as he went on to say.

"You wasted sixteen years of my life. I thought you actually thought of me as a son. I thought you were different then all the others before you who said they loved me or cared for me, or even liked me remotely. I thought...I thought of you as the father I never really ever had. But I was wrong. You never cared. I was just a way to make you feel like you weren't responsible for what happened to Ava."

I was slowly losing feeling in my body. His hand and pressure was going to kill me if he didn't let up soon.

"I'm sorry you lost your wife. I'm sorry your son killed her. But you know what I'm not sorry for?" He asked as I felt the gun push up into my stomach.

Hash's face went hard in anger as he tried to squeeze the trigger.

"This!" His tone was struggling to go through with it. And I was scared to death he was going to be able to. But as things grew impossible for him, I panicked as he released my neck.

"Ahhhhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Hash!?" I shouted in fear as he still held the gun.

Keeping his eyes on mine, I tried to say.

"Hash!? I'm...? BASH!"

Slamming the butt of the gun into the side of my head, I felt only a brief pain before beginning to stumble to my knees.

Blood slowly ran down my neck as he said.

"I'm done working for you. Find yourself a new son."

Falling down to my side, I watched from the floor as Hash put the gun back down on my desk to head for the door. As he soon reached it, I saw everything go black.

Hash's POV.

Looking back on Don Soul as he passed out on the ground. I took my rage further out on his office door to kick it open. Some of the men out in the halls beyond were startled by the sudden act of aggression as Vexer came running up to me in confusion to ask.

"Hash!? What happened?!"

Sending him to the side with a rough push on the shoulder, Vexer watched in complete confusion as I made my way for the front door to the compound.

As soon as I was outside, I took a car and left via the front gate. It was time for me to find my own reason to live without this family.

Let me know what you think as always and be sure to leave a love and a hug when you can. I will also be updating Zone 10: Project Genesis really soon if anyone is into that story as well. Keep an eye out and I'll talk to you all again soon.

mT Shadow.