Page 48 of Bride for the Yakuza's Heir

You don’t need to be afraid anymore, Sakura. His words seemed to echo around in my head, and I wished he were here with us tonight but he was hopping on a flight from San Francisco as soon as his meeting was done.

“No bitch, you need to watch your back. You’re on borrowed time, Mrs. Nakamura. My husband knows what you did to his sister. And he knows why you did it.”

Her lips were so close to me that I thought she might kiss me. “When did you become so brave?”

“When I realized your fucking perfume was more deadly than your pale self,” I pinched my nose and stepped away.

“And what does your husband think he knows by the way?” She licked her red lips, the lipstick never slid or budged out of place.

“He knows exactly who Maggie and Luna’s father is, Mrs. Nakamura. And condolences on the death of your husband, by the way.”

Jade let out a cackle before walking away. “Tell your husband I’ll be seeing him.”

I watched as she slunk away to go do whatever it was vampires did taking that God-awful scent with her. She made my skin crawl and I hated it.

The woman moved like she was some sort of serpent in a garden. Shoving a handful of popcorn into my mouth, I knew the second Mark slid up beside me. It was like having a big giant shadow looming down on you. He made himself visible and invisible with what seemed to be the snap of a finger.

“What did she say?” he asked.

Jade wove herself in and around all the children before finding her own.

“A whole bunch of nothing, but I did as Ashton instructed.”

Mark offered me a smile, something he never did. “When Mr. Tanaka takes revenge on someone it’s not a pretty thing.”

A shiver ran down my spine. Jacob Whitley had disappeared months ago and the cops had knocked on our door. While Ashton had been away on business for a few days I’d managed to deal with them.

Going through the motions.

Acting surprised I offered them hot cha from my husband’s company while they took statements.

They were never going to find Jacob and I think even they knew that.

The police had asked questions about my stepfather Carl and his involvement in the attacks on me. Carl Bearstein had also up and vanished in the middle of the night from his home in Clear Lake, Georgia. No one could tell me where he was or where he’d gone. Part of me wondered if he and Jacob Whitley were in a gator’s belly somewhere off the coast, placed there by my husband.

“I know,” I murmured.

“Don’t worry about Jade either,” he whispered. “She’ll never get close enough to hurt you.”

Shooting Mark a look, I replied. “Just now was too close.”

“Understood but it was needed. The trap has been laid for her and when it’s all said and done…she’ll fall into it like the black widow she is.”

Mark’s words hung heavy in the air like sweet summer grapes on a vine. I almost felt sorry for Jade but I knew her days were numbered.

An alarm went off on my phone and I handed my popcorn over to Mark. “I’ve got to go carve a pumpkin.”

He nodded and I went off to find Maggie, as the sounds of the carnival overtook my senses once more. We were going to win this contest if I had to bribe someone.

While Maggie and I worked on gutting out pumpkins, my phone began to vibrate.

“Who is it?” She asked as she carefully began to cut her pumpkin’s triangle eyes.

I grinned at her, before sitting my carving knife down. “Your uncle.”

Swiping over the peacock feather lock screen, I opened the text message. Ashton had me smiling like a fool at his words, my stomach fluttering with excitment. Sakura, be wet and waiting. I’ll be home shortly.

I typed up my reply before putting my phone away feeling content, happy and loved. Yes, husband.

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