Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 101427 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101427 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Kenji went on like he hadn’t seen it. “And if you’re worried about the one who shot me, he is dead. It happened in seconds and I showed no mercy.”
My eyes widened. “Oh.”
Lollipop guy rolled his eyes again.
Okay. So maybe Kenji was adding a little extra spice to the story. A touch of sauce. Maybe even the whole bottle. But still—I was impressed. And worried. My gaze flicked from the bandage to his chest, like maybe I’d missed another wound.
What the fuck? Who was crazy enough to shoot at you on this island?
But on another note. . .it was the way Lollipop guy kept rolling his eyes that told me something deeper. He wasn’t one of Kenji’s men. No one else would take that kind of liberty. No soldier under the Dragon would make faces while he spoke. Not unless he wanted to disappear.
This guy?
He was unbothered.
Casual.
Even a little entertained.
This must be his brother, Hiro.
They had the same deep set eyes. That was the first thing I noticed as I looked from Kenji to Hiro. Their noses matched too. Slightly wide at the base. At the top, strong, straight, and sculpted.
Even the way they leaned against the desk—muscular arms braced, weight shifted slightly to the side—was identical. There was even that same sultry masculine tension in their shoulders.
I was going to say hello to Hiro, but then the maybe-baby mama loudly screamed like Reo was assaulting her.
Girl. . .I know damn well Reo wouldn’t harm you.
More noise exploded.
Kenji’s whole body shifted. That calm, still surface cracked. His face snapped toward the door. Seething annoyance replaced the lust in his eyes.
I cleared my throat. “I met her in the hallway.”
His eyes flicked back to me and his voice went flat. “I’ve heard.”
And just like that, I knew she had definitely been yelling about me to Reo and anyone else who could hear at the door.
I studied his face. “I think you should talk to her. She sounds upset. And that’s not good for the babies. Maybe, you should call her in here. I think it’s time for us to meet.”
There it was again. That tight clench in his jaw. Even his hands flexed on the edge of the desk.
Next to him, Hiro pulled the lollipop from his mouth with a loud pop and raised a single brow.
Silence cracked through the war room.
And then I noticed it—three of the men I now recognized as Fangs subtly stepped back. Their posture changed. Less relaxed. Like they’d just heard something blasphemous and were waiting to see how this would play out.
That told me that I had clearly spoken out of turn. No matter how nicely I had worded the statement. . .Kenji probably was not used to being told what to do, especially in front of his men.
But I didn’t care.
Not one bit.
Because something in me—something petty, possessive, maybe even a little crazy—needed to see her and Kenji stand side by side so I could look at the both of them and decide for myself what was truly going on.
You said she was just one of your spies that ended up being a one-night stand. Yet, she was sitting in the hallway like the queen of your world and calling me the maid. What’s really going on?
I had no plans to be involved in a goddamn love triangle. I wasn’t built for that. Not spiritually. Not emotionally. And sure as hell not sexually.
I didn’t care how beautiful she was, how many pearl-strapped slippers she wore, or how many babies might be swimming in her womb—I was not sharing the Dragon.
Not his body.
Not his attention.
Not his time.
Therefore, if I sensed even a drop of indecision from him about us meeting or even some inkling that he had feelings for her during our meeting, I would leave this island without a sound.
Not with a broken heart.
Not with tears.
Just bags packed and a quick escape.
I would not be competing with her or anyone else.
Not for his love.
Not for his respect.
Is this really not some sort of ex-girlfriend that is still in love with you? And have you told her about me?
Call it jealousy.
Call it my inner investigator.
But I was doing my due diligence. I didn’t want to find out too late that he had fed me a polished lie with a lace napkin.
What’s it going to be. . .Dragon?
Kenji looked at me—really looked. His gaze trailed over my face, like he was reading every emotion that passed through me. He didn’t ask a single question.
He didn’t need to.
A beat passed.
And then, with one short exhale, Kenji turned his head toward the door and barked out a loud command in Japanese.
His voice cracked like a whip.
I almost jumped.
Meanwhile, the entire war room and hallway went silent.
Hiro blinked in shock.
I glanced over my shoulder.
Reo stepped backward into the room, rubbing the bridge of his nose like he was ten seconds from snapping. His shirt was now wrinkled, his posture slumped like the woman had worn him down to the bones.