Page 3 of Her Fearless Ronin

How old was she now? Twenty-two? Twenty-three?

“God answered my prayers,” she said, letting out a tearless sob.

I frowned, finally looking at her blue eyes. The only things that were too similar to Anna for my comfort were rimmed red. She’d been crying—why had she been crying?

I felt the avenging monster in me rear its ugly head—asking to burn and destroy whoever put these tears in her eyes like we had any right to.

For all I knew, she could still be crying for her sister, and the only person I would have to destroy was me.

“I’m not a gift from God, Hope. I’m not the answer to any prayer.”

“Yes, you are,” she insisted. “I prayed for help, for a warrior to help me, and you came. I thought you forgot about us, but after all these years—you came.”

I pursed my lips at the involuntary blow her tirade caused.Forget? How could I ever forget when Anna’s lifeless eyes were still so fresh in my mind? When I sometimes woke up in the morning hearing her last breath leave her body. I could never forget, and I would not want to.

“I need your help, Jiro, please. Leo got himself into something bad, and he’s gone.” She shook her head, resting her trembling hand on her mouth. “I can’t involve the police, it’s… complicated. I need someone like you. No, I needyou.”

I turned back toward Anna’s grave.Is this it? Is this what you want me to do? Save your twin brother?

I nodded and stood up, realizing how tiny Hope really was.

Damn it, she could not be over five feet tall.

I took a deep breath and adjusted my leather jacket.

“Okay, tell me everything.”

Chapter 2

Hope

Jiro Saito

I kept glancing at him as he stood in line at the café across from the cemetery, and I settled at the table he’d pointed to silently when we’d entered.

Part of me couldn’t help but think he was a figment ofmy imagination. The sight of Jiro crossing the gate of the cemetery as I gazed out of the bus window felt like a surreal moment, as if fate had intervened in my life to bring him to my small town. Just when I needed help the most. The timing was perfect, even a little too perfect, and I was not used to fate benefiting me… ever. So, I could not help but expect the penny to drop.

I glanced at him again, half expecting him to have vanished, but he was still there, glaring at the blackboard, listing the many, many coffee choices as if they had offended him.

I also could not help but notice the lingering looks from the soccer moms who were meeting there before going to pick up their kids at school. I felt a hint of irritation at the coveted looks they were giving him and wanted to slap myself for this. Who could blame them, though? He was a spectacular specimen of a man, tall, broad, and edgy, with tattoos peeking from the edge of his collar.

I shook my head and texted my boss, Max, telling him I would be very late or probably wouldn’t make it at all. Still, I knew he wouldn’t mind because no matter how weird my job was, at least I had a great boss who understood that my family drama sometimes required me to bail at short notice. It was probably why I was still working in this “temporary” job four years later.

Sighing, I put my phone down just as Jiro walked to the table with the two cups and the scowl still very much present on his face.

Was this his default mode? Probably.

“Did the coffee offend you?” I asked as he put the cupson the table and took his seat across from me.

“Who needs that much choice?” he grumbled, taking his seat across from me. “Fuck, the woman in front of me seemed to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Venti whip, soy tiramisu latte, chilled with two percent cream? What the fuck is that? I should thank you for ordering a plain latte.” He removed his jacket to rest it on the back of his chair, and I couldn’t stop myself from ogling at his shirt stretched across his chest, his muscled arms full of tattoos, and his wide, powerful hands.

“…start.”

As I snapped out of my daze, I realized I had been caught red-handed ogling at the man’s impressive physique. Feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over me, my cheeks turned crimson. I quickly composed myself and tried to regain my focus on the important matters at hand.

“Sorry?” I stammered, hoping to conceal my momentary lapse in concentration.

Jiro brought his cup to his lips, taking a sip as he maintained eye contact with me with his piercing dark eyes. He didn’t speak, and with each passing second, I found myself fidgeting with the hem of my dress, avoiding his gaze.

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