WHITE LION'S POV
"Yes, I did touch her, but in your case you will die for it." I admitted with fury at him and at myself.
"All you had to do Ken was what I had told you to do. But you had to have her didn't you? You just had to prove a point at the expense of your head and now you will pay for it."
I started to walk closer to him so that we were only a few feet apart now.
The moon was starting to hide behind the thick veil of the night as if it was afraid of being painted crimson.
"You don't deserve her anymore than I do!" Ken spat.
"Even if you save her from me countless times. Even if you change your name and leave the country you will always be White Lion. The politicians hit man, the drug dealer.
You are not good for her. Your past will always be there. It would haunt you forever and soon it would begin to haunt her. I had to save her from you."
"And that's why you kidnapped and tortured her? That's why you tried to burn down her house. Could never be me. We are not alike Ken. Never!" I said calmly, for the end was already in sight for him.
Ken scoffed.
"Kill me if you are going to otherwise let me go back to the cell you so cowardly put me in Lion because the truth is we are the same."
"You brought me back into her life, I would never have had the courage to come back. You wanted me to be the villain and that's exactly what I was, the only problem is I didn't do it for you. So what's the problem?"
"You are just like me, A monster. You saved her from the demons you created for her with your tricks and schemes. I am your creation White Lion!"
"Of course you are my creation. But Remember this Ken, All men are equal but some are more equal than others." I smirked.
"She would hate you forever when she finally finds out who you are. You would be her doom White Lion. Her doom!" Ken shouted.
His words coerced through my veins blinding me with a hot, volcanic rage that I could no longer ignore.
"I will protect her forever but you, this is where you die." I snarled.
I rushed to him hitting hard him under the jaw, he stepped back and swung at me but I expertly shrugged my shoulder up and took the punch on it.
Then I swung him on the floor and climbed him.
I punched him repeatedly, my fist rendering him completely immobile underneath me.
He was now a bloody mess and only then could I speak through my raging heartbeat, unstable from anger and a wave of several other emotions.
"This is for Mira. For what you did to her when she was younger!" I growled, colliding my fist with his nose and breaking it.
"This is for Kidnapping her, for trying to burn down her house. This is for going against me!" I bellowed. My memory fueled my anger insatiably as I continued to punch him over and over again.
"I am not going to shoot you Ken. No. That would be a death too Merciful. I am going to beat the life out of you!"
He was like jelly under me now. He tried to push me away from him, but his hands were so weak he could do nothing.
When I had successfully taken my anger of my chest I wrapped my hands around his neck, "I am White Lion! Remember that name even in death." I spat as I watched life leave his body.
***
WHITE LION'S POV
When I was done thrashing my blood stained clothes I took small steps to my bathroom.
I turned on the shower watching as the cold droplets of water fell at my feet sending a chill down my spine.
A chill that was needed to quench the fire in my blood.
Exhaling, I proceeded to stand under the shower letting the water wash away the blood on my skin.
For some reason I felt as though a dark veil had been placed on my heart and senses. I was sinking into a blackness as fiery as abyss.
I rested my head on the tiled wall and tried to steady my heartbeat, but the memories of Mira in here with me hit me like a wave causing my heart to sink even more.
I remembered touching her, kissing her, taking of her clothes, and driving her up the wet wall.
I remembered being so fucking turned on that day that I felt as though my dick would explode if I didn't drive it in her.
But I had controlled myself.
Fighting against every cell in my body I had not touched her even though I had been dying to.
She looked so innocent, so pure driven up the wall like that, I could not help but let her go.
I drove my fist into the wall hating that my heart beat had just refused to calm. Memories were my damnation, and Ken was getting what he wanted.
I let my mind wander to my Dad's face hoping that it would give me strength.
I was not like Ken. I was nothing like him.
I proceeded to scrub my body deciding that I was too great a man to let the words of a nobody who didn't know fuck about me get to me.
After I was done washing up I wrapped my white towel around my waist and proceeded to the vanity mirror in my room.
I had totally forgotten to take of my contact lens.
I despised wearing it, but I was scared that my eyes could cause Mira's memory of that day to resurface and that was something I just could not afford especially now that I was still not ready considering that I still had a siege to end.
I had succeeded in taking of the contact lens when I heard a knock on the door.
"Who?" I simply asked, as I tried to wipe away the tears that kept dripping down my eyes thanks to the damn lens, but they kept falling anyway.
I exhaled out of frustration and plastered the damn wipes on my face so the tears just fall on them.
"Sophia."
I exhaled, "What do you want?"
"Seriously Lion, just let me in."
I could hear the pout in her voice plus I really needed to talk to someone. I needed someone to reassure me that I was nothing like Ken.
I didn't say another word knowing that she would take it as a go ahead to walk in and indeed, she did.
She quietly opened the door, but stood by the doorway with a scotch in hand.
She stared at me with an amused expression on her face and an unmistakeable desire in her eyes.
The look clouding her brown Irises was something I had been quite familiar with and still was, considering that I had so easily recognized it.
But I knew she was not going to make any move on me. I hoped that she was just as smart as I gave her credit for.
I didn't know if she stood by the door because she was afraid to come in or if she just felt like watching me from afar.
I ignored her and walked to my wardrobe.
I looked for a long robe and wrapped it around my body. Better to keep the temptation hidden.
When I was done I discarded my towel, throwing it in the bin by the bottom of the vanity. Then I slumped on the bed.
"Are you going to come in or not?" I asked, finally voicing my thoughts to Sophia.
I caressed the bed remembering when I had watched Mira sleeping so peacefully on it.
"Marcus told me what happened." Sophia started. Her voice caused me to grimace.
All I wanted was for this terrible night to end.
Mira had weakened me with her anger and her words. And Ken even though I wouldn't admit it, his words had gotten to me so bad.
I wasn't going to be Mira's doom. I had to believe that, but really, what can a man like me offer a girl like her if not darkness.
God! I was so bad for her. Why couldn't I just let her go!
"Did he hurt you?" Sophia whispered.
She walked up to the bed and sat by my side.
"No." I replied, giving her an incredulous look. Not even ten of Ken could hurt me and she herself knew that.
She tried to touch my face but I stopped her midway. "Don't."
"You should see yourself now. The lines on your forehead, the anger in your eyes. Your desire for her is driving you insane." She chimed. "If you must. Then..."
I shook my head, "Don't finish your words." I said out, a low growl lacing my voice.
"I see you have issues with your Lover because usually when you come back you are all smiles." Sophia teased, changing the conversation. "Tell me what did you do?"
"Other than lying to her continuously and planning her misery and sending that bastard right to her doorstep__"
"Alright I get it." She exhaled, obviously hating how angry I was. "So what is your next plan?"
"I want to give her space you know." I whispered, sitting up. "She needs it. All this is too much for her I can tell. And after that, after I am sure she is fine then we can proceed with our plans."
Sophia leaned more into the bed until we were just a few inches apart. We were so close to each other now I could smell her mild perfume.
"You still want to die, don't you?" She asked softly.
"I am not proud of the man I have been. Seeing Ken was like seeing a reflection of myself. A more stupid, uglier, shorter, dumber, poorer reflection." Sophia giggled and rolled her eyes. I kept a blank expression on.
"But a reflection still. I see the way Mira hates him for who he is and you know maybe when she let me touch her that day, it was just out of fear. Maybe, there was no chemistry between us like I thought. She probably hates the real me even more than she hates Ken."
Sophia sighed. "You are over thinking things Love. You are. Let it be now alright." She held my hands, locking eyes with me. "Let it be. You are not Ken. You never will be."
"So you and Marcus, he now tells you things huh? Are you guys fucking?" I asked with a strained grin.
I would really like that to happen, but I knew better than anyone that it would not be possible as long as I was still around.
It was one of the reasons I considered leaving, maybe a tiny percentage of it.
Marcus deserved a chance with her and if my absence will give him that then my all means.
Sophia's eyes grew wide, "What! No! No! Why will you think that?! I just talk to him now because you know soon enough we would have to work together. Nothing much." She said, quickly.
"I don't want a repeat of what happened with Chief Nwabueze. I don't want to fail you again Lion."
"Alright." I laughed, settling down on the pillow Sophia had just put under my head.
She leaned into the bed and pecked my cheeks. Her lips lingered on my skin causing me to almost be on edge, but it was Sophia. I had to remind myself of that. She won't try to do anything when I was in this mood.
"You more than anyone knows who my heart and body belongs to." She whispered against my skin.
I nodded and closed my eyes not wanting to dwell more on the conversation.
I kept seeing Mira's disappointed face in my head.
I didn't want her to hate me. I didn't.
What if I never had the courage to tell her who I really was?
What anyone felt about me was irrelevant now. All that mattered was Mira and to get her I had to submit to her, to submit to her I was risking ruining her.
Nothing felt good.
I exhaled when I heard the unmistakable sound of the door closing knowing that Sophia had gone out.
Now I could think of Mira all night without any interference.
I wondered if I could really stay away from her as I wanted to do and as it was good to do.