7. Chapter 7
Queen Adanna
I sat dead still as they took their seats across from us. Brooklyn adjusted her silk wrap, while King Eze straightened his jacket, avoiding my stare.
The tribal Elders sitting around the elevated platform were eyeing me real nervous, probably calculating their escape routes or preparing to dive behind the table.
I had taken my prescribed meds this morning with a double shot of Hennessy, so I was supposed to be calm...
but I was not. I should’ve taken a heavy hit off one of Dame’s blunts instead, because all I wanted to do was crack her jaw in half and slice that old man into pieces.
Both of them had these subtle, smug-ass grins plastered across their faces. I was itching to fuck them up, but I forced myself to breathe through my nose. Brooklyn shifted in her seat, and her eyes were darting from mine. Then, she landed on Damini.
All the nerves in my body were screaming for blood.
“This bitch,” I mumbled to myself. Then, I unholstered my Desert Eagle, racked the slide back, and pointed the dark barrel between Brooklyn’s fake eyelashes.
The Elders choked on their breath. Their guards on the perimeter shifted, and their hands flew to their holsters, but nobody dared to draw on the Queen.
“All the guards exit now!”
They shuffled out quickly. Damini's grip on my right hand just tightened while he stared Eze down.
Brooklyn’s smug smile dropped so fast her lip twitched, and the color was draining from her face as she stared down the black hole.
Stick to the play, Danni. Breathe.
I let out a breath through my nose. Then, I slammed the weapon onto the table, leaving it sitting there like a promise.
“You don’t look at him. You can look at me.”
Brooklyn shot fire with her eyes.
Before I could pull my hand back, Nana reached across from her seat, snatched the gun, and slipped it into her lap. "I'm keeping this right here for safekeeping," she muttered under her breath, while checking the safety. "Y'all carry on."
One of the senior Elders cleared their throat. "L-Let us begin, Queen... I understand the circumstances are... a bit delicate, but I need you to review the traditional laws regarding men who—"
Chief Idris cut him off clean. "She knows the rules." Chief leaned back, staring Brooklyn down just as hard as I was. "What we want to know is... how did Brooklyn get into the Queen's home in the first place?"
Brooklyn’s eyes flicked to King Eze, begging that old bastard for a life raft, but Eze just kept his eyes fixed forward, letting her take the heat.
Realizing he wasn't jumping in to save her, Brooklyn leaned her chin on her hand, a nasty smirk twisting her mouth. "He let me in. It’s not like we weren't already acquainted."
Nana muttered loudly, "A lie straight from the devil’s mouth... and sitting up in here looking like a whole dollar store silk sheet."
The senior Elder held up his hand, frowning down at Brooklyn. "So... you were both intimate in the past?"
Brooklyn gave a nod. "Yes."
The Elder let out a tired sigh, turning his gaze toward his father. "I know the King is vouching for your safety, Brooklyn... is that correct, Eze?"
King Eze nodded, sitting tall. "My son needs to handle his responsibilities and stop running around like a child."
Damini’s grip tightened in mine. His strained voice cut through the room. "What is my baby sister’s name?"
Eze blinked. He looked shocked by Damini's disrespectful tone, but he forced a dry laugh to mask it. "That's not what we're discussing here."
"You don't know that shit because you don't give a fuck," Damini spat back, his jaw locked. "You coming for my family, and I ain't with that—"
Eze slammed his fist on the armrest. "WE are your family!"
"You were," Damini replied.
Father and son were locked eyes in a brutal, silent glare across the polished table.
Another senior Elder cleared his throat aggressively. "We need a mandatory prenatal paternity test before the pregnancy progresses any further."
Brooklyn froze as she eyed the Elders. "But... won't that hurt the pregnancy? I thought the most accurate ones were done after the baby was born."
The Elder shook his head, gesturing to his tablet. "Well, we have new non-invasive technology on the island that can accurately determine DNA before they are born. It is best to get in front of this situation immediately."
Then the Elders turned their collective gaze directly onto me. The lead Elder adjusted her glasses with genuine concern. "The island is very scared of... the Queen's reaction at the funeral."
I broke my stare from Brooklyn and looked at the panel. I bit my tongue so hard I tasted copper, forcing back the burning urge to tell them to go fuck themselves.
"I will submit a formal apology to my people," I stated. "You have my word."
The Elders eyed each other, exchanging cautious, whispering glances before the lead Elder looked back down at me. "Can we make sure this never happens again?"
"No," I said flatly.
The room went dead silent. The Elders waited for a follow-up, looking at me like I had lost my mind.
Chief Idris nudged my thigh under the table. I rocked my leg, forcing my brain to compromise. "You have my word that specific incidents will not happen again."
Nana nodded approvingly, leaning forward to address the council with a tremor in her voice.
"I'm sure you all can understand the deep, soul-crushing pain my granddaughter had to endure from this... shameful news. The disrespect of pulling a cheap circus act during my own son's funeral! She could’ve waited!”
The Elders looked at Nana with remorseful, apologetic eyes, nodding along. Then, out of nowhere, Nana let out a blood-curdling screech that made Damini damn near jump out of his skin.
She collapsed back into her chair, wildly clutching her chest like her heart was splitting in two. Tears started streaming down her wrinkled face—or at least, she was working overtime to make it look like she was sobbing. She let out a ragged, trembling gasp, clutching her throat.
"My heart! Oh Lord, my chest!" she wailed, dabbing her eyes dramatically with a silk handkerchief before snapping her head up, pointing a trembling finger at Brooklyn.
"I need a full restraining order placed on this wicked woman immediately!
" Nana shrieked. "I request her passport be confiscated today!
Revoke her access to the extraction crew, freeze her weapons, and lock up her funds until further notice!
The sacred tribal law explicitly states that during trial periods, the accused must be stripped of every privilege if they dare lie on royalty! "
Brooklyn bolted up from her chair as her face flushed bright red. "This isn't even your business!"
"Silence!" A few of the senior Elders jumped up in their seats, slamming their hands down until the table rattled.
"The former Queen of Okoye is right! You will have your passport, sidearms, and tactical badge dropped off at the central office within an hour.
We hereby are granting the royal family a full restraining order against Brooklyn Aiken, until further notice. "
The lead Elder turned back to me, his voice trembling as he cleared his throat. "Queen... is there anything else we need to address before this matter is concluded?"
"Yes," I said. "I need her local tribe's guard detail put on mandatory administrative leave until this entire situation is resolved."
The lead Elder blinked, hesitating. "May we ask why? They are a good portion of active security detail."
A slow smirk pulled at the corner of my mouth as I leaned forward. "Because a few of those boys seem to be missing. It’d be a real shame if the rest of her other family members caught the same fate."
Brooklyn’s jaw clenched so hard a thick vein popped right in her neck. She slammed her hands on the table, her face flushing dark red. "Leave my cousin out of this!"
I cocked my head slowly to the side. "You brought him into this," I whispered.
Nana’s lil boyfriend shuffled through his stack of security files, squinting at a name. "Queen... would you happen to know where her cousin, Guard Obo, is currently located?"
I kept my face completely neutral, matching the Elder's nervous stare. "Unfortunately, we haven't been able to locate him just yet. But I assure you, the very second he turns up, we will notify this council immediately."
I was lying straight through my teeth.
I wasn't turning a damn thing over to the council. I was going to handle that pussy-ass nigga on my own time.
The lead Elder nodded quickly, eager to bring the meeting to a close. "Very well. This session is officially adjourned."
The Elders immediately pushed back their chairs and stood up to leave, but stopped in their tracks when they noticed nobody at our end of the table made a move. All six of us stayed planted in our seats.
"We'll be right out," I announced.
Understanding the quiet threat, the Elders gathered their papers and filed out of the double doors, leaving us in silence.
Across the mahogany table, King Eze stood up, offering a hand to help Brooklyn out of her chair.
I pushed back from the desk and stood up, drawing myself to my full height. I locked eyes with Brooklyn, matching her stare.
Everything coming her way was entirely on her. She chose this path. She shouldn't have ever put her hands on my chopper, my dick, or my man.
As Eze guided her toward the exit, Brooklyn paused by the threshold. "You think you won something today, Adanna? You can freeze my accounts, but you can't erase what happened."
Eze sneered, stepping in front of her. "She's carrying an Okoye heir, Queen. You'd do well to remember who holds the future of this lineage."
I rested my hands flat on the table.
Then, I said, "Enjoy the protection that kid is buying you, bitch," I whispered, holding both of their gazes. "Because the second you think you’re actually safe, your expiration date will hit. Both of you are breathing on borrowed time.”