I saw several guards look at me with a certain dose of disbelief as I strode through the courtyard, heading to the main gate. Luckily, none of them was foolish enough to try to stop me. Then again, they didn't try because they didn't receive an order, and I was certain my every step toward the gate had been noted and would be included in the report they'd give Yan Hao.And yet, I met the guards' gazes in a silent challenge as I walked forward. I was done. Gunner had learned of the existence of undeniable evidence. A man swore he had footage proving that Yan Hao had committed murder—an execution performed on American soil. Had Gunner found it, we could have set a perfect trap for Yan Hao, sending him to prison for the rest of his life. Yet, if I confirmed that the fuckers trying to kill Josie and Kaiden had been sent by Yan Hao, I would rather kill him with my bare hands.A black Porsche stopped in front of the gate, a grinning Asian stepping out. “Killian! Long time no see!” He spread
JOSIEI must have dozed off, and when I woke up, I was freezing. Trembling, I rose to my feet and reached for my phone. The battery died. “Oh, come on!” I whisper-hissed, angrily pressing the button as if it could miraculously bring the battery back to life.Cursing under my breath, I put the phone back into my purse and drew a deep breath. I needed to focus. Kaiden had told me he would come looking for me. What if he was here while I was asleep?Chills ran down my spine, but I quickly shoved that thought again. I would have never fallen into a deep sleep in such a place. The slightest noise would have woken me up... So was Kaiden still looking for me in other buildings? Or had his condition worsened? He had tried to convince me it hadn't been a serious wound, but I thought otherwise. Now I could only hope it wasn't as bad as I believed...I stepped toward the window; it was still dark outside with no signs of dawning. That meant I couldn't have slept more than an hour, maybe two. Per
I wrapped my arms around Killian's waist and inhaled his scent, slightly mixed with gunpowder. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and for a moment, nothing mattered—nothing aside from him, his scent, and his touch. “I heard... shots,” I whispered, leaning my head back to face him.“I killed that fucker,” he murmured.A chill ran down my spine. He said one... I swallowed hard. “There were two,” I breathed out, stepping back. “This other one—”I didn't get to finish as the sound of quick steps echoed from the side of the nearby stairs. “Fuck,” Killian let out a low growl, pushing me behind him as he reached for his gun. Then he motioned his chin at the nearest door. It most likely led to some technical room. “Hide there,” he whispered.I didn't have time to argue as the other man ran into the corridor, shooting. Killian aimed his gun at him and fired before grabbing my hand and hauling me into the room. He stopped on the threshold, shoving me further inside. “Stay there and don't move!” he
The more time I spent here, the more I found Gunner's cottage house ideal. I had even found women's cosmetics in the bathroom, and I had been more than glad to use them to scrub off the layers of dust, dirt, and blood.Once I finished taking a long shower, I slid into a far-too-large man's shirt Killian had found for me to wear. With my merely towel-dried hair, I walked through the bright wooden corridor, leading to the master bedroom. When I entered, I found Killian sitting on the bed. I closed the door behind me and walked over to him, slowly taking in his bare chest and abdominal muscles. He had nothing but a small towel wrapped around his hips to cover his glorious, now clean, body.“Come here.” He grabbed my hands and pulled me down to sit beside him. A smile appeared, one I hadn't seen for a while. He looked relaxed as if he had gotten rid of some devastating burden.I studied him. “Is it safe to be here? I mean… I know this place has the best security there is, but... is it OK
“Say that again,” I whispered, nuzzling Killian's bare chest.He kissed the crown of my head. “I love you.” His arms moved up and down, his fingers grazing my back. “I should have said it sooner... I don't even know why it took me so long.”“We both should have said it sooner,” I murmured, lifting my head to meet his gorgeous green eyes. “I've known how I feel about you for a long time.”“Now you say it.” His arms tightened around me, pressing me against his firm, sculptured body.“I love you.” My voice trembled as if the mass of emotions hidden in those words was too enormous to turn into a sound.He gave me one of his breathtaking smiles and kissed me. My lips were dreadfully swollen, but I didn't care. I wouldn't mind staying like this—in this bed and in his arms—for the rest of my life. I couldn't have been more grateful for this temporary bliss, a distraction from what was coming.I knew that once we left this cottage house, we would return to pretending. Just two more days of ly
It took all the strength within me to steel my nerves and paint my face blank. Kaiden inched half a step toward Yan Hao, shielding me. He faced our host with a nonchalant smile before carefully scanning the rest of the men in the room.“Whatever it was you wanted to talk about, I'm sure it can wait. My girlfriend and I would like to rest,” he said, then added with a mischievous grin, “Our date turned out to be... quite tiring.”Yan Hao let out a dry chuckle. “I'm sure you're exhausted, and yet... I need to insist we talk. Now.”Kaiden breathed out a long sigh and nodded. “Very well. Let's go and talk. You and me. Josie needs to rest, and—”“Both of you,” Yan Hao said tightly, “I need to talk to both of you.”Kaiden rolled his eyes before taking my hand in his. “If you insist.” He gave Yan Hao a thin-lipped smile.I wasn't sure I was still breathing as four armed guards escorted us upstairs to the fourth floor. Yan Hao walked first, his hands on his back as he prowled through the long
I told Kaiden everything I had learned from Killian, everything Killian's father—Kaiden's uncle—had confessed to. I wished I could have told him more detailed information. I knew that what I told him would open the old wounds and make them bleed even more viciously than before. It was what Yan Hao wanted. He wanted Kaiden to feel hurt and betrayed. He wanted to drive a wedge between us.“Please don't blame Killian for hiding this from you,” I said softly. “We know only scraps of information, most of them based on rumors or something your uncle shouted out in anger. I'm sure Killian would have told you... but not here, not until we returned to New York.”Kaiden nodded, his eyes on the floor, studying the fine wood with utmost caution. He drew a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. The silence became unbearable.“Say something,” I whispered.His eyes finally landed on mine, and a faint smile appeared. “Thank you for telling me.”The amount of pain in his eyes and his strangled voice caused
KILLIAN“Josie and your cousin left the residence. Tae's taking them to the airport,” Gunner informed me over the phone. “The jet we organized is less luxurious than your family plane, but since you said you couldn't fully trust the crew, I thought it would be safer for them to use another plane.”“That was a good call,” I said, feeling relieved that Josie would soon leave Hong Kong. “Once again, thank you for everything.”He chuckled. “You're welcome, boss.”It was past noon when the cab took me in front of Yan Hao's residence. No words could describe how badly I didn't want to go back there. My head was spinning with swirling thoughts, different scenarios. I had to figure out a plan. I needed peace to focus and clear my head, but I knew that in this place, a moment of peace was nearly an unaffordable luxury.Two guards, who had been at the gates the night before when I had left with Tae, were now assigned to monitor the main entrance. They sneered at me as I passed them, the arrogan