Surprise! I’m posting one last time in 2025! This is our updated version of The King’s Pawn. Don’t worry the next part is coming soon in 2026. A disclaimer though this story isn’t suitable for all audiences as it has mentions of violence and harm as well as grief and loss. Remember to take care of your mental health first ❤
“You fucking lied to me!” her voice edges on hurt, the kind that feels dangerous. Though she isn’t wrong. I did lie to her. Only out of necessity. I took an oath. To protect and never cross lines…, however. I broke every rule for her.
I was trained to be heartless. To never allow the heart to get in the way, especially not of the job. That’s why I was given this file in the first place.
“No! I didn’t – Well I did… but can we talk about this later? I would kind of like to get you to the safe house Avery!” I can’t believe I’ve went against everything I was taught. How could I do this?!? I was never supposed to fall for her! That’s basic knowledge! Training 101! Never and I mean NEVER fall for the assignment! STUPID!
I didn’t graduate top of my class and work my ass off to impress all my superiors, fight for all the best and worst cases/jobs to get my first assignment just to fuck it up. But she’s more than that? How did I let this happen?
“What do you mean a SAFE HOUSE! HUX!” She stops, digging her heels into the sand with so much force she nearly takes both of us down.
“I’ll explain on the way, but can you just come on!”
“You aren’t a musician either are you?” She’s not exactly the quickest to solve things. Though I am a musician just not by trade, it’s a hobby. She’s blissfully ignorant, still has that childlike innocence. It’s not even her fault, that this is happening, the girl thinks her father died before she was born.
“I am. Just not professionally. Come on, please we have to get out of here before they wake up.” I honestly wasn’t sure why I bothered trying to rush her when I grabbed her and threw her over my shoulder.
“HEY! I did NOT consent to this!”
“Yeah, well I didn’t consent to watching you die tonight either so you’re coming with me whether you like it or not!” I say trying not to laugh, this was too serious of a situation for me to be a sarcastic prick.
Once we got to the truck, it was painful to sit across from the woman I’d grown to love as she was so angry and hurt. A tense drive and we had ten hours… before we would be at the safe house.
“I’m sorry.” I mutter under my breath, uncomfortable with the pit of guilt forming in my gut. Something I was unfamiliar with.
The things that Avery made me feel, well, no one had tapped into those emotions before. At least not in a very long time. The closest I can figure remembering feeling those feelings was in middle school when I had a small group of friends that we all spent time together on weekends too… but mostly, I’ve never really been connected like that to anyone.
“For what? Lying to me, kidnapping me! Tricking me into being your girlfriend under false pretenses…” Her voice drops to a whisper, nearly strangled. “Making me fall in love with you, when it was all fake…”
“It wasn’t fake…” I say though it feels like I’m being strangled by the words themselves.
“Wasn’t it, Huxley! If that’s even your real NAME!”
“It is my name! Huxley Anderson. I do love you; I meant it all.”
“Then who are you and why are you here?!?” She spews it like it’s an acid bath for her mouth causing agonizing pain every second. “And who are those guys?!?”
“I work with the government. I’m here to protect you from your father. Those guys work for him.”
“What? My father’s dead! He died before I was born!”
“No, he didn’t. Avery, that’s just what your mother told you to protect you.”
“How do you know! My mother’s dead too!”
“I know. I was given the details of her case before I ever even met you.”
“What?!?”
“Your mother was a star witness on an extremely high-profile case, putting a very powerful and cruel man behind bars. Though the ruling was somehow overturned years later, resulting in his release and he tracked down you and your mother. Ending her life. The man being your father.”
“I – I don’t understand. What did he do?”
“Avery…” The man is vile. A monster, the devil. That’s what a lot of people including his hench men call him, the devil or Satan. He’s not exactly a mob boss, or mafia leader. Though he runs similarly. He smuggles drugs, weapons, anything illegal he can get his hands on it. He’s a murderer, rapist, tormentor, some say he has no soul for the things he does. If you witness something you rarely live to talk about it. He flaunts his crimes, leaving a calling card. His signature rattle snake wrapping around the double barrel shout gun. Any time he’s questioned he refers to his lawyers, assuring that he’s “just a businessman”.
Cecilia was a young woman, hardworking. One night, at her second job, paying for school and her apartment as she herself came from a home where her parents were abusive, and she barely made it out. Leaving home at sixteen for the big city. Finishing school, then putting herself through college on her own. One fateful night, she’d meet a man who would change it all, though it wouldn’t be for the better. Not even noticing him as she worked, only a brief interaction, handing him his drink as he walked out – it would prove to be near lethal. Lethal in the end.
The man – Dallas Morgan. A man who stalked thousands and killed the “chosen” of those. His next target would be Cecilia Chambers. This time he was messy, impatient. He didn’t take the time to learn about her, and her habits like he had with all the others. So, he failed to realize that while she might have been extremely small and easy to overpower, her intelligence overpowered his strength. And she was able to escape in the night.
Nine months later she delivered a baby girl. Avery. They were both placed in witness protection. They were in the system before the pregnancy was evident. So, Avery’s name was never changed, however, Cecilia’s name was changed to Helena Browning.
She lied to her daughter to protect her from the truth and out of necessity. No one could blame her for wanting her daughter to have a “normal” life. Though she had no idea all of that would come crashing down on them shortly after Avery’s nineteenth birthday.
“So, you were only sent here to make sure I don’t die…” She sighs. Even in the darkness I can almost hear the tears as they burn through the night. “Playing that show that night, running into me the next day… all of it. It wasn’t fate it was a set up…”
As much as it pained me. She was right. It was all set up. I’ve never been to this part of the freaking country in my life (hell I didn’t even know this town existed until I was given the case), I never would have been here if I hadn’t of been assigned the case. This never would have been a thing, if her father wasn’t the vile creature he is.
She was asleep before dawn broke. Her head resting against the window, her legs pulled up under her, she’s always sleeping in the most uncomfortable looking positions. A bit of dried blood on her nose, from a nosebleed. She gets those regularly, especially when she’s stressed out. The day I officially introduced myself to her, she’d just had one, like right before I walked up to her. The barista, someone that she was friends with, was keeping her coffee while she tended to it. I later found out that she’d just learned her stepfather was remarrying. It’d only been a year since her mother’s death.
Throughout the past five years, I’ve watched her grow as a person, but I also watched her break more times than I could count. Her graduation day was one of the hardest. She wanted nothing more than for her mom to be there. Seeing the photos of Helena, Avery looks just like her. They look more like twins than mother and daughter.
Both very petite brunettes, Helena had hair down to her waist in every photo, and Avery she’s the opposite, she keeps her hair just above her shoulders. Usually, it’s dyed some sort of bright color. She loves having bright and flamboyant colors. Their eyes are nearly like copy and pasted – a bright amber color. Pale as ghosts, and rosy cheeks. Sideways grins. Both with hearts of gold. The stories of Helena say she was the most selfless human being you’d meet. Avery is the same way, she’s a warm soul. One that’s been through too much for one lifetime.
As we pull into the driveway of the safe house, I contemplate waking her up, or just carrying her in. Seeing as my boss is already there… might as well just let her sleep. Lucky for us she’s a deep sleeper, I guess.
The dress she was wearing the night before had a few stains on it now, her makeup was smudged. Her wrist had a bruise forming on it already from where one of the men had grabbed her. This was going to be one hell of a ride… He wouldn’t stop until he got his hands on her, for whatever he wanted her for.
“Agent Anderson.” He greets me. “How was the trip?”
“Long.” I mutter taking her directly to the bedroom, before going back to the main part of the cabin to brief him. Once we were done with the briefing, I took a shower. The guilt was overwhelming.
I’m not sure which was worse, the lies and knowledge of having ripped her heart out, stomped on it. Or knowing I’m likely to have to do something so much worse? To traumatize her further? She was there when her mother was murdered, she was the one that found her. She saw the man fleeing the scene. And now she knows that it was her father. That’s so much to process… not to mention the nights she and I shared… she trusted me. She loved me. And I broke her heart.
It was like a tug that we’d known each other for years. So natural, not a job. Talking to her was fun and protecting her came second nature… it confused me. Confuses me. I find myself longing for her to meet my actual family. To share a beach-front home, switch to a corporate job even. Maybe even some kids one day? I don’t know. It sounds and feels so weird to me.
I really didn’t mean for all of this to happen? To feel for her so deeply. Yet I don’t regret it in the least. I wouldn’t change it for the world…maybe the circumstances but her. I wouldn’t change her at all.
My thoughts were interrupted by an ear-piercing screech. Avery.
When I came out of the bathroom, I was face to face with my worst nightmare. The thing I’d been dreading for all this time. The thing I’d trained for. But this time it was so much different…
I’ve been face to face with many killers in my time. Some with guns to their victims, and some with bombs strapped to their chests willing to take out the whole block. It’s a terrifying job at times but all those times… they were just jobs. Assignments. This time the girl with the gun to her head? That was my everything.
I knew this would happen at some point. I was prepared for this. I know what I have to do… but can I actually do it? Or is that going to end us?
“Agent Huxley Anderson? You’re a difficult guy to track down you know that?” He laughs. “See I know you met my friends and they told you this was my daughter? So why’d you make it so difficult? I just wanted to see her… that’s all.”
“Let her go and we can cut you a deal, Morgan.”
“See, I probably would have CONSIDERED that back in Huston. But since you seem to ACTUALLY be in love with her. NOT just acting… I’m not going to do that. And if I were you, I wouldn’t make that call. Not if you want her alive. I’m not against killing her.”
“What do you want?” I ask through gritted teeth as he sits on the bed beside her, the gun resting against her side now…
“Well, when I found out I had and heir…ess. I wanted to meet her. Though no one would let me. See, I’m an old man. I built a kingdom… one that I never believed needed any heirs, yet it appears, even Satan needs successors.” He laughs. “Seeing as she is my flesh and blood, I’ve come to take her home. Where she belongs.”
“Did you ever think to ask her if she wanted to leave her home?”
“Her home is with me.”
“Is it though?” God help this sarcastic little menace. I love her so much, but it probably wasn’t a great time to be a smart ass. Funny as it was.
“My… you really are just like your mother, aren’t you?” He smiles wickedly. A twisted man he is.
“Don’t even.” I say wishing that looks could kill. He’d be dead where he sits. “So what are you doing here? Why not just walk her out the door? Why the big show?”
“Because. I wanted to meet you. See the man who was causing so much havoc for my men. Making me have to do the job myself. Leave a message for the rest of the bastards trying to keep me from my daughter.” As he says it he gestures for one of his hench men to take Avery outside.
“Where are you taking me?!? Hux! NO! Don’t you hurt him! Huxley!” This was not how I planned on my Saturday going… not at all… shit.
If you made it this far, thank you so much for visiting the Obsidian Forrest (Stormy Ville’s resident cozy/spooky/romantic nature land (I’ll work on it)). I hope you enjoyed your visit, reading The King’s Pawn (Part One) if you made it this far be sure to leave a dramatic pause (like this one “…”) in the comments below so I know you made it to the end! I know it’s a long wait but you have to trust the process! I hope you’re having a great day or night whenever you’re reading this : )
As always until next time – stay safe, love hard, and protect your peace ❤
XOXO Hails
Stormy Ville 
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