Is this the end for Charlotte and Micah?
[Charlotte]The floor is cold and smooth underneath my cheek as I lie still, unmoving, waiting. The room ripples with the sound of unchecked laughter and I turn my head. Violeta is standing behind me, her head tipped back, laughing with her hands on her tiny chest as if trying to hold it all in and failing.“I’m sorry,” she snorts, wiping tears from her eyes as she tries to regain her composure, “but if you’re going to pretend like you belong here, you can’t be that jumpy,” she shakes her jet-black bob of tightly curly hair at me. “You’re as skittish as a cat.”“Why aren’t you scared?” I’m still shaking as I slowly rise to standing. “Because I know these men, these little boys,” Violeta scoffs, her lips twisted in a black lipsticked smirk, her beautiful brown skin glowing under the harsh overhead lights. “They get a little overheated sometimes but they are completely harmless. I bet someone just wanted to show off for his new girl.” She looks back the way I came, sighing. "If it were
[Micah] "Did you just touch my girl?" The guard raised his hands above his head. "No harm meant man, no harm.." He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. In a flash of red, anger takes over my body and I look down to see his sniveling form bent beneath me, my leather-clad foot crushing his windpipe. "Woah whoa, Kane," Jimmy comes forward, bending down next to the prone man crying on the floor as I grind my foot into his neck. "I'm sure it was an accident, right Tommy," he nods his head and the young man begins coughing, unable to speak. "He's my sister's boy, Kane. I promised her I'd bring him back in one piece." "That's a shame," Is all I say before pulling a switchblade out of my belt. I grin as I begin sawing off his offending hand. Charlotte looks away, unable to watch as the man, barely more than a boy, screams with each stab of the knife. The knife isn't strong enough to cut the bone, so I work on detaching most of the flesh b
[Charlotte] I laugh as he throws me into the car and I land with a gentle puff of air as the cushion gives way underneath me. As he follows me into the car and shuts the door, I cannot tell if he is happy or enraged or some interesting mixture of the two. “You naughty, naughty girl,” he scolds as he licks his lips and pushes me deeper into the seats with his body. “How should I punish you?” “I..ah…I was just playing along and doing what was expected. I was acting the way you had told me to and,” I make all sorts of excuses for my behavior but we both know the truth. I behaved as brazenly as I did because I enjoyed it. I enjoyed being someone different, someone who was wanted in such a way, who was able to take power over others using nothing more than her body. He places his hand up my skirt as he leans forward, his thumb finding my little bundle of nerves as his fingers massage my labia through the sheer silk of my panties. I grow wet at his attention and he hums his approval
[Charlotte]“Oh, Shit!” I jump back into the car. Micah looks stunned as I ram into him like a linebacker pushing us both back into the car. Closing the door behind me, I point at the couple standing by the door. Micah takes one look at my face and starts to laugh. “What’s so funny?" I huff, blowing a bang out of my eyes. I’m supposed to be at home sick, remember? If Andy sees me…”“He isn’t going to recognize you. Do you know why I had Violeta work her magic on you?” He asks. “I wanted you all to myself tonight. I wanted to make you so unrecognizable that even your husband wouldn’t recognize you, or his photographer. I wanted to give Andy fuel to use against me to sway you.” I almost started laughing at myself. “You planned this!” Shaking my head with much longer hair than I normally have, I almost start hitting him in frustration. “All of it,” he admits, smirking. “I was planning on taking you out tonight anyway until Andy..." he doesn't finish his sentence but I know he is thi
[Charlotte]I spin and jump into his arms, letting him lift me off my feet. He kisses me so long and hard my toes curl and I feel weightless. I am glad it is my lover and not some other fool who attempted to gain my attention. I cannot bear to see another man lose a hand tonight.“Miss me already, cher,” he grins around my lips as he gives me another quick kiss before separating. His eyes sparkle like diamonds as he adds, “I just had to have a little conversation with our mutual associate.”I feel my expression open with shock as my jaw drops and my eyes open wide. In Kane’s world, “conversation” can mean a whole lot more than talking. “Please tell me you didn’t do anything…drastic.” Despite how I feel about Andy and Maven, I still didn't want to read about them being dredged up from the bottom of the San Francisco Bay. His laughter is rich and full and sends delightful tingles down my spine. “I just told him to go away, cher.” He shakes his head. “And I might have officially broken
[Charlotte] "So we need these reports scanned and sent to accounts receivable by the end of the day," McKaine had sent me to collect files from Andy to give me a chance to speak with him alone. Maven is having another "sick day" which means she won't be around to distract while I make myself available for him to approach and tempt with his plan to take down McKaine. Maven has been out sick a lot lately. There have been some office rumors that she was suffering morning sickness and even an office pool going around as to who got her pregnant, McKaine or Andy. I highly doubt that someone like Maven would let herself become pregnant, even if it was to trap someone into doing something that she wanted them to do. She'd never "wreck" her body that way. She's far too vain. The more likely reason, I think, was the unfortunate encounter outside of Club Diablo where Micah/Kane not only dumped her but publically shamed her and banned her and Andy from the club. That must have been a big hit to
[Andy] I have her exactly where I want her. She’ll be mine again, I just need to be patient. Charlie. I know she’s fucking McKaine. I know she thinks I don’t know, but I’m not stupid. There is no way he gave her that car if she wasn’t spreading her legs for him. It doesn’t matter though. I don’t really care. Once I take him for everything he has and she sees what a loser our boss is, she’ll come begging on her knees for me to take her back. And I’ll let her. I would love to see her on her knees. I feel my dick twitch at the thought of her beautiful, full, moist lips around me, sucking as she moans her gratitude. “Andy…Andy…did you even hear what I was saying?” Maven is sitting in front of me wearing one of her ridiculous office “suits.” It leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. I cannot believe I was once attracted to her. Yeah, she’s hot. She’s what some would call a “California 10.” I’d be lying if I didn’t admit she was gorgeous enough to be a model. And not one of
[Charlotte] “Micah, what if someone hears,” I try to push him away as he pins me to the wall of his office, the one not visible to the big windows. He has become a lot less careful in recent days and I'm worried he'll ruin our plan if he lets himself get too distracted. We've both worked too hard to let it fall apart because of a little slip-up. “Someone could walk in…” “I locked the doors, remember,” he kisses my neck, “And what are they going to do if they find out? Fire you? I’m the boss, remember? I own this building and this company and if I want to ravish you in the corners of my office, that's exactly what I intend to do.” “But what if Andy sees?” I argue, trying weakly to push him away. I don’t want him to stop at all, but I’m also aware that we need to keep up appearances of being strictly professional. I’m still a married woman after all. “Didn’t he hire you to seduce me?” He bites the hollow between my neck and shoulder. “Didn’t he want you to distract me enough to stea
[Charlotte]I don't remember much after that moment when I first attacked McAllister. I was lost in the moment, avenging my fallen friend, making sure that he didn't get up ever again. And then I felt a sting on my back and a rush of heat. I fell to the ground and the rest faded into nothing. When I woke up in the hospital two days later and Juni was by my side, I thought I must be dead. But I wasn't. She isn't dead, and neither am I. An hour or so later, Micah arrives in the room smelling clean and looking tidy, his arms full of dozens of chrysanthemums in shades of gold and white. "A gift, from the Masumotos, " he explains as he sets them down next to my bed. Juni kisses me on the cheek and says she'll see me later as she leaves Micah and me alone. "The girls are fine," he says as he takes a seat, "And as you can see, so is Juni. Everyone is safe."I nod. It's all starting to feel like a bad dream. A nightmare I didn't think I'd wake from. "Was it ever Juni in that room?" I ask
[Micah][Earlier that evening]Stepping out of my car, I am flanked by my crew as together we walk straight into the dragon's den. Our enemy, McAllister, is going down tonight. We aren't alone as we approach the landing. It seems that McAllister called in all of the faction heads to attend his VIP event. Even the current head of the Skeleton Crew is here, Bones LeRoux bringing full Louisiana flair, from his checkered suit to his ivory-topped cane. Mobs bosses and gang leaders from across the country all gathered in one place. McAllister is planning something. Something big. Maybe this wasn't just about MMK Industries. Does McAllister have plans for a global expansion? "Nah," I say to myself, realizing the truth. "He's just trying to show off." Roger, standing next to me, nods in agreement. For a man who is outwardly plain and prefers to remain unnoticed, he does have a way of making himself showy when he needs to. As soon as we pass the threshold to his mansion, the drab exterior
[Charlotte]The flight over was grim. We are not going to Portland on holiday--it is a rescue mission. Micah and I stayed next to one another, but I couldn't cuddle in his arms the way I'd prefer. We both had to be generals of this little rag-tag army of ours. I have my girls, my Blue Diamonds, and he has his Angels and his soldiers, his troops on the ground. There would be time for snuggling later. If we all survive this. And if we don't, I guess we'll have to find each other in the next life. As soon as we land we'll be going our separate ways. He'll be taking his people to the Tattooed Walls. We'd be McAllister's guests in one of his hotels.Our time went by much too quickly. It felt like a blink Holding my hand, we disembarked together, Micah refusing to let go of me until he had no other choice. Waiting on the tarmac were two cars heading in different directions. If all goes well, we'll be back here tonight, on our way home.And if it doesn't...Using our intertwined hands as
[Micah]I do not like this plan of Charlotte's. It is too dangerous. She is putting too much at risk, even surrounded by her Blue Diamonds. As part of the plan she made with McAllister, she and her girls will be providing "entertainment" for him and a few choice guests. "A private, intimate party for only the very best customers." Just the thought of her in a room with his kind of people makes my heart race and my vision blur with fear and anger."I'm counting on you to make the most of the time we give you," Charlotte demands, holding my face between her hands as she looks me dead in the eyes. "My girls and I can take whatever he dishes out, don't you worry about us. He isn't going to expect that a bunch of strippers are also cold-blooded assassins. But we are only the distraction. We need you and your boys to get us out of there safe."I think she is underestimating him, which is why I need to make sure my part of the plan goes flawlessly. As soon as we touch down, I kiss my beau
[Charlotte]My blood is still boiling after seeing what that bastard did to his own daughter. It is ten times worse than any humiliation that I ever faced by Andy's hand, and it is her father pulling the strings. Did he make her watch Kenji suffer too? Was she in the room when her father's men cut off his ear? We're going to save Sasha and Kenji. And then we're going to burn it all down. But how do we slay this sick dragon? Micah wants to go in full guns blazing, the Masumoto clan at his back. Grandma Masumoto is down for this plan, angry that her favorite grandson has been captured and so thoroughly disrespected. She's already called the cousins in Yokohama. They'll be flying directly to Portland and arriving tomorrow morning. I have another, more subtle plan, one that I hope will distract McAllister enough for Micah to be successful in our little coup.Pitching my idea to him, he tenses. "I don't like this, Mon Ange. I don't want to put you in that demon's grasp." "You'll be ju
[Charlotte]"Can you sign for this?" A smiling young man approached the main desk. I was passing through and our receptionist, Claire, handed it to me. Sasha was out today, so I took the package. Weirdly, she didn't call in, but knowing Kenji's plans for her last night, I'm sure they're still busy "resting" in bed this morning. I can already imagine the wedding. She'll be such a beautiful bride. After thanking Claire, I see that it is made out to Mr. and Mrs. McKaine. Rubbing my finger across the postmark, I can't help but glow. We're really married. It's still so hard to believe, even though I wake up next to him every morning snuggled into his warmth after a night of endless lovemaking. You'd think learning I am pregnant with his twins would cool his ardor--mission accomplished! He's so virile he succeeded in knocking me up twice over. But no, if anything he's even more passionate, even more determined to show me his love every day. "You are so beautiful," he likes to tell me eac
[Sasha]My father has never been a gentle man. Nor has he ever shown compassion to anyone, not true compassion. Not even to his daughter. I grew up knowing that I am not blood-related, that he picked me from a selection of surrogates pregnant with children they didn't want. He didn't want to leave his physical legacy in the world. I was just something for him to control and mold. Love wasn't part of the deal.To be honest, I don't know if he's capable of such a complex emotion. Or any true emotions. He wears masks that people find believable to convince him that he is interested in them and that he cares about anything they have to say, but it is all an act. Just another part of his carefully curated self-image. Just like me--just another prop to make him more "likable" and "relatable." Most children turn to their parents when they need comfort. I never had that instinct, or more precisely, I was never allowed to develop that kind of attachment. The only people who were with me cons
[Charlotte]Humming to myself, I walk to the break room, take a slice of some "welcome home cake," that the office had presented to us this morning, and grab a nice cup of coffee. The cake tastes amazing. I've hardly been able to keep anything down lately and my body needs the calories. Apparently, this baby likes sugar because I am able to eat the entire piece without even the smallest touch of indigestion. Taking a sip of my coffee to cut the sweetness, I start to choke. Fighting back the urge to vomit, I force myself to keep it all down. Fine, no coffee. My girls gave me similar trouble. They didn't like any caffeinated beverages. I couldn't even drink a cup of green tea. "Babies suck," I look at my coffee sadly as I text Micah to let him know our appointment is in 45 minutes. "Meet me in the garage in 10 minutes," I text as a follow-up. Tossing my coffee, I groan. I could have used that jolt of energy.I don't even make it to the elevator before Micah has his hand around my wa
[Charlotte]Things are different when I come into the office the next day. My morning starts normally enough. Micah is already off for his day, gone in early to take care of some "urgent business," and I'm to come in a bit later after dropping off the girls at their new school. My new driver, Agnes, is the latest addition to the Blue Diamonds, and like Roger is to Micah, she will be my constant companion and driver. "Ma'am, we're here," she announces in a tight, southern drawl. "Are you ready, or do you need me to make another circuit?""I'm ready," I give her my sunniest smile even though on the inside my stomach is churning--although I'm not sure if it's about this or something else, something more important. Thankfully Sasha is already in my new office, typing a report when I enter. I know she's McAllister's daughter and I shouldn't trust her, but Kenji loves her, and that's good enough for me. I trust his judgment and his family's legendary ability to judge a person's inner cha