Page 102 of King

My mind is spinning, trying to work out why - why would she do this?

How did she do this?

The snake, still biting my hand, writhes and squirms, its fangs pulling painfully at my skin.

I grab its throat and rip it away. With both hands wrapped around it I snap its neck, but even as I drop its lifeless body to the floor, my blood burns - like acid - a painful heat searing through me as the venom spreads through my veins.

I look at my hand the numbness getting worse, paralysis running swiftly up my arm, through my shoulder - my knees collapse beneath me and I drop to the ground, my lungs suddenly heavy and struggling to draw breath.

Zina bursts though our bedroom door, she screams my name as she runs towards me, that beautiful dress dancing around her legs as she moves.

Everything is happening in slow motion.

“What happened, Giovanni, what happened?” She shouts, grabbing my face, turning it towards her.

Santino and Romeo burst through the door as well.

I open my mouth to speak but my tongue feels numb and heavy.

“We heard him scream. What the fuck is going on?”

“Is that a snake?” Romeo gasps.

Santino drops to his knees at my side, he grabs the snakes body and his face distort in agony. “It’s a King Cobra. One of the deadliest snakes in the world.” His words are tight with disbelief. He throws the snake aside and grabs my hand. “It bit him.”

I turn towards Zina.

My heart is aching more than my body. Even with the venom coursing through me, it’s her betray that is destroying me.

“What - did - you - do - “ I say, taking painful effort to form each word. I need to know. I need to understand why.

Santino screams, a high pitched, soul tearing scream. He shoves her hard, pushing her away from me. She’s thrown backwards, landing on the carpet, tears streaming down her beautiful face.

“I didn’t do this - I love him.” She screams, trying to crawl back towards me. Her hand reaches out for me, trying to hold me, trying to grab me -

But Romeo grabs her around the throat, tugging her back, throwing her against the door.

He kneels at my side.

My eyes are still on her.

My heart is still hers.

My body has never felt such pain before. But slowly the numbness spreads through me - my organs shutting down one by one.

I can barely breathe, the weight of my own body crushing my lungs as my body bleeds internally and my muscles fail -

She used a King to kill a King.

Her last, manipulative play was to make me love her again. And I did.

Zina crawls to my feet, crying hard.

She rests her hands on my legs and shakes her head.

“I didn’t do this.” She whispers, pleading with me to believe her. “I didn’t do this - I love you.” Her sobs are heart wrenching. So real. So genuine. Another act? Another game?

I try to take another breath and I can’t. My lungs won’t let me. The air won’t fill them. My body is no longer able to obey me. It’s dying.

---