Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 62497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
“Do not go near them.” Kenzo hangs up, and I’m not sure what to do now. The Uber drives off, and both men stare down at me.
“Mayve,” one of them calls my name.
I glance around to see if anyone is around, but it’s quiet, and it appears to be only us.
I need to move.
Standing here where they can clearly see and get to me isn’t smart.
I don’t know why they’re here.
But I’m not sure I want to know either.
“Hey, we just have a few more questions,” one of them yells. I stand there gripping my purse, unsure of what to do. The whole “flight or fight” comes to mind, and with my eyesight the way it is, I can’t really do either. “Can we go into your apartment to chat?”
Again, I say nothing.
I hear footsteps and hope that one of them isn’t walking toward me.
Goddammit! I am frozen on the spot, but Kenzo was clear not to go near them. But how do I do that if they are coming my way?
My phone buzzes, but I can’t seem to move, not even an inch.
Something feels off.
Not like that night when I was walking alone because that was just stupidity on my part. This? Well, this just feels all kinds of wrong. These people came looking for me, and I don’t know why. But my guess is it has something to do with Kenzo.
“You’re awfully quiet,” one says from right in front of me as I hear the footsteps of the other as he comes up behind me. “Which is helpful. Tell me, does he know we’re here?”
Again, I don’t speak.
“Oh, I see.”
Something is shoved over my face before I can say or do anything, and I struggle to breathe.
And that’s all I remember before my eyelids become heavy and they close.
“I’m sorry about them. But sometimes the worst option is necessary.” I struggle to open my eyes, they are dry and scratchy, and really hurt, so I blink a few times, and when they finally open, everything is more blurry than usual, and the lights are too bright. When I try to lift my arms to cover my eyes, they won’t move. I pull, but they seem to be tied down. “Yeah, I wouldn’t bother if I were you.”
I have to blink a few more times before I can just make out the man speaking. He is an older man, and I don’t think I’ve seen him before.
“You do have fascinating eyes. I wonder if that’s what drew him in. Every other woman who has tried to lock him down has failed.”
He stands, walks over to where I’m tied up, and grabs my hand, examining the ring. “The jeweler rang me after Kenzo called for this ring. Asked if I could make any suggestions on what was best, as Kenzo didn’t give much information.” He drops my hand, and it falls back to the wood on the chair with a clunk as he bends down and gets right into my face. “Didn’t take much for him to fall for you, and he isn’t a man known to fall for anyone.”
“He didn’t fall for me,” I insist.
He throws his head back and laughs. The laugh is almost maniacal, making me pull back a little, wondering what the hell I have gotten myself into now.
“I’m sure the minute he saw you, he did. Kenzo is all or nothing. Most people get his nothing, but I think he gave you his all without him even realizing it.” He hums. “Like he did to me. I showed him what he wanted to see in this world, and he was putty in my hands. You see, unlike the other brothers, Kenzo was more broken. I’m not sure why, but he was. Could have been childhood trauma he doesn’t remember or just plain abandonment from his parents. But he deals with things harsher than the other two. So I worked that to my advantage.” He starts to pace, and I wonder what he is getting at, so I listen but stay alert.
“Zuko, his older brother, is rough around the edges and trusts no one, not even his own brothers. Not fully.
“Kyson is the sensitive one…” He pauses like he has some sort of soft spot for him, which I immediately think is strange. “It’s why he started kissing his kills. He never knew why, but that’s the reason.
“And Kenzo? Well, I had high hopes for him. No woman would want anything serious from him. He likes cutting too much. I figured his best shot would be a drug addict, which wouldn’t have been a problem. But no, he found you. A girl who seems to be a little like him but different at the same time. Same hometown, fucked-up parents, a loner, and a damn perfect match, some would call it.”