Koruna

Standing Strong

Chapter 83
Standing Strong

Jonathan knew she had gotten what she wanted after all he was the one who taught her the distract and attack tactic, he hadn’t seen it coming. “Very impressive.”

“You don’t have to feel bad, you are a very good teacher.” Koruna stood.

“What will it be? Do I take your life now or do I have your support?”

Koruna pretended to think about it for a minute, “We know each other, are we going to continue this farce? Even if I said I will stand by you, you won’t believe me and if I say I won’t, you’ll draw the card you have last. We have to do something about this thing between us.”

Jonathan chuckled and slammed the tea pot on Koruna’s head but because she was standing, it made for a strange hit as Koruna merely managed to dodge the hit. “I was just checking your reflexes. “

Koruna tried to pick up the his cup of tea but he held her hand and slapped her face. She grunted and took a step back, “Never one to pull the punches.”

“Why do you like to make things hard? I promise you… I won’t renege on our agreement, let’s work together, one more time.”
Koruna scoffed and ignored the pain on her cheek, “Did you know Abriel was alive all this time?”

“Who?” He scrunched his face.

Koruna stared at him in disbelief, he actually had no recollection of who she was despite the fact that he practically handed her over to the wolves. “You are the worst kind of scum.”

“Now, that’s no way to talk to your father.” Jonathan tried to hit her again but Koruna avoided him. Her fingers still gave her a world of pain and she was in no condition to spar with Jonathan and he knew it. Even if he was in her prime condition, she wouldn’t still be a match for him in a physical battle.

Soon Jonathan got to get despite her tricks and maneuvers, he was about to use a table to hit her when she raised her hand in surrender, “Okay, I get it. You are powerful. I want more than your word, I want every information on the Council.”

Jonathan looked at her interestingly, and threw the table close to her. She flinched at the sound, Jonathan beckoned her to come closer as he sat on one of the worn out chairs.
“Look at you Koruna, is this life better than the life with me?” He asked, he had always been dumbfounded at Koruna’s choice of lifestyle, with and without him she still delved in the world of crime and so he couldn’t say she was being self righteous. With him, she could be better, so much better than another street riffraff, this was a mystery that had boggled his mind for years.

“Believe it or not, it is … so much better.” Koruna sighed beside him.

“How so?”

“I get to decide what I do and what I want, with you… I had to do as you wanted me to do.” She shrugged.

“As simple as that? I know you enjoyed everything that came with the job. I could see it in your eyes.”

“Could we leave the past in the past? You almost sold me as a sex slave. Remember?”

“Minor details.”

“Fuck you?”

“Is that an offer?”

Koruna sighed, she had lost her head for a second and all the rage she felt towards him came rushing to the surface. “I will deliver Ati to you on a silver platter, tell me what I want to know about the Council.”

“That is quite a heavy price when I can win this all by myself, it would require little effort.” He smirked.

Koruna laughed bitterly, “But you do not like to exert yourself. Why do you care? If I am somehow able to get rid of other members of the Council, it would benefit you. I know you don’t care about loyalty. You want money, and with them gone you can have access to everything they own especially Simi.”

“You over reach yourself.”

“Isn’t that what you like about me? I aim for the stars you used to say.”

“Don’t play me child. Give me Ati and I’ll tell you all you need to know.” He said and flicked Koruna’s head annoyingly and stood. “If you think of betraying me, you would have exhausted all the chances I have given you.” He said and walked out of the cave taking his men with him.

Koruna sighed deeply, she had gotten what she wanted but at what expense, she didn’t bother to delude herself that Jonathan actually believed her bluff. He wanted her to know that, he liked that power over her, he enjoyed thinking that she was alive because he said so. It was another one of his kinks. Playing with people’s lives, she left him because she was beginning to resemble someone that she could not recognize.

She hated him as much as she was grateful to him, she knew that at the end only one of them will be left and she intended on being the last man standing. He was also responsible for Flora’s death and the death of so many people in the Flames. Jonathan in some ways knew her better than most people and he knew if there was anything she was terrible at, it was betraying people. It made her a good worker but a terrible spy and he knew that and so whatever their agreement was is just another way to let her know that she was not as strong as she thought. Thing is Koruna knew her limitations and she also knew his obsession with control which was why this was good chance for her to know where Shola stood.
Koruna didn’t know what she was going to do about Shola, how was she going to break the news to her siblings? They had been more attached to Shola than she was yet she felt conflicted, she doubted if they would even believe her after all, it wasn’t like she had any evidence. Koruna also doubted that Shola would offer his fingers as a way for Simi to get what she wanted or what they both wanted. Control over the Ballan empire, something Shola knew like the back of his hand.

As Koruna packed, she thought about Shola and the Ballan family. She wondered if anything was ever real with Shola or was it all an elaborate act? The siblings considered him family especially since the absence of their parents, this was definitely going to break them and that was when she decided that she wasn’t going to tell them. They already had enough to deal with without adding betrayal in the mix. Koruna gathered her things and went to join the others at Ati’s place.

Koruna was allowed through the entrance without question, they were expecting her so it seemed. One of them drove her to Ati’s main home, she took a look around and was impressed with what Ati had done with the place. It used to be a dumping ground for refuse, bodies and other things that she would rather not think about. She looked around the modern buildings and schools, it was symbolic in some ways, a place that used to be a sign of how low the Flame was becoming a building ground for a better future. Ati was certainly different from his predecessor who only thought about himself, it made her feel better that she was making the right choice.
She got into the house and was directed into a hall like place that looked like it was meant for playing different sort of games. She was pleasantly surprised to see Oni amongst the others, Koruna looked around for R’ao but he wasn’t there.

“I like what you have done with the place.” She gave Ati a meaningful smile whose eyes lit up at the sight of her.

“I try my best.” He gave her a hug.

Lola watched the two with eagles eyes and whispered to Koruna when she was settled, “Is something going on there? Are you double dating? Koruna… you bad dawwggg.”

Koruna stared at her with an amused smile, she noticed Lola was doing her damnedest to ignore the bruises on her face and decided to go along with it, “I know, I can be quite the plaayyaaa.”

“You should teach me some skills, I am trying to get a brother.” She tilted her head in Ono’s direction, Oni noticed the attention but ignored it completely.

“Oni…? I did not see that one coming. He is not your type. What changed?”

“He is definitely my type. Have you seen him in action? He’s smooootth!”

“I thought Ati would be more up your speed but Oni is a good guy. I think.”

“Ati has eyes for you, I refuse to deal with any unnecessary drama. I want the man I like to look only at me”

Koruna smirked at that, “Shola is the mole.” She whispered.

“So Abriel was telling the truth, do you think we can trust her?”

“I think we have learnt that we cannot trust anyone but ourselves at this point. It makes sense, how they always seemed to know where we are, our weaknesses, our strengths, our plans. I just wish I had seen it sooner, it’s so sad that Betsy died thinking her company was in good hands.”

“It is in good hands.”

Ati cleared his throat as some unknown men came into the room. They were three men of different statures but one could know that they were dangerous by the way they carried themselves. “These are my men, they are in charge of different factions. Louise, Grace and Ottah.”

“Grace?” Flank snickered as the one that seemed the most threatening glared at him. “Your name is Grace, that’s… that’s… respect!” He raised his two hands in a gesture that meant he wasn’t looking for trouble but his eyes were filled with mischief.

Telih chuckled under his palm, one had to admit that of all names Grace seemed to be the most unlikely this beast of a man would bear.

“My grandmother named me, she was a good woman and if you have any problem with the name, please share, I would ensure that you meet the twins. Tere and Tinu” He made his hands into fists as he introduced them.

“You name your fists?!” Koruna smirked. “A man of culture, I can appreciate that.” She stifled her laughter in a cough to hide as she offered her hand in which the man received elegantly.
Louise and Ottah shook hands with everyone except Oni who had kept a blank face all through. The men were familiar with Koruna and her crew, they had heard the stories and they were also members of Buhar’s gang and so they had a flicker of respect for Koruna.

“I suggest that we attack Jonathan tonight when he least expects it.” Ottah said.

“He is a paranoid man, he always expects it especially now. The best way to attach Jonathan is not in his own house but when he’s en route.” Koruna suggested.

The door opened and a short man came through the doors with excitement as he hugged Flank. “It has been so long, how have you been?!”

Flank grinned, “Matthew!!! My good man!!!”

Ati frowned at the unexpected disturbance, he had clearly left instructions at the door with his men,  he was about going outside to check when Flank screamed and shoved Mathew away from him. He had been stabbed in his stomach, Mathew put a gun to his head as he dropped a message. “This is from Mr. Jonathan, a gift for you my cross hound.” He shot himself in the head immediately. It all happened too fast as Lola ran towards Flank.