Page 90 of Thorns of Lust
Round and round we went.
Someone elbowed me in the side and startled me out of my memories. I gasped, then turned around sharply to bark at the jerk who dared to get too close to me when I came face-to-face with a man smiling at me.
Flawless chiseled face and deep, dark, beautiful eyes that sparkled. A soft, full smile filled his expression, and I swore my heart might have skipped a beat. Maybe two. He was gorgeous. The kind that painters would want to draw down to memorize his features for all eternity.
A strong jaw. High cheekbones. The kind that would make any woman jealous. His mouth. And that goddamn smile. Until the awed gawking faded and his gorgeous features finally registered as danger.
He could be a Yakuza.
Before I could panic, he put his hands into his expensive suit.Expensive Italian custom made suit, I noted.
“Might want to find your way inside before some men get too brave,” he suggested softly. I listened for an accent, but I couldn’t quite place it. It almost sounded… mixture of Italian and posh British. Barely a hint of it though, so I couldn’t be quite sure. “I’ll keep them away.”
I blinked, surprised at his offer. I wasn’t stupid enough to trust him. Drop dead gorgeous or not. “Who are you?”
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes sharp on me and the surroundings. “Amon Takahashi Leone.”
Geez, even his name sounded kind of sexy. Then the name registered. Was that Japanese and Italian? Unusual combination for sure.
My eyes darted around and I spotted a man across the street. I froze at his grim expression. There wasn’t an ounce of warmth on his face.
“So youareYakuza?” I choked, my voice barely audible. My hand smoothed over the black and white button-up dress, my eyes flicking to the other man. Once my fingers clutched onto the white button, I kept twisting it nervously. I could possibly outrun the other guy but this one, no fucking way.
Amon T. Leone looked to be in top shape. Strong and athletic.
“Yes and no,” Amon retorted, smiling. “I’m just offering favors in turn for future collections.” He tilted his head and his eyes darted to my guards as well as another set who I’d wage belonged to Konstantin. “They’ll keep you safe until you get inside wherever you’re going. I’m going to keep the others busy.”
Jesus, how many men were actually watching me?
It would be stupid to question it now though so with a terse nod, I rushed towards Yan and Yuri.
We were a block away from the building when bullets started to fly. I jumped and before I knew what was happening, Yan jumped on me and tackled me to the ground. “Stay down,” he grunted. I shifted my head to find Yuri shooting at a Mercedes driving by
Adrenaline pumped through my veins. My palms burned against the pavement. My heart lodged itself between my ribs and each heartbeat hurt worse than the last. Maybe I cracked my ribs. Jesus, I was scared. I wasn’t ready to die.
“Fuck, it’s the Yakuza.” There was shouting. Alarms. Police sirens. It all happened in a blur, and the only thing that I registered was the hot pavement. And the stench of a New Orleans street. Piss and beer.
God, I couldn’t die. Not like this. A breeze swept through, cooling and gentle. It soothed my burning skin. The sound of the city penetrated through the fear and my survival instinct kicked in.
“Yan, we have to get inside,” I rasped, my heart drumming in my ears. “We’re sitting ducks here.”
He must have agreed because he barked orders. I was only able to process some of his words.
“Okay, Yuri and your friend will have our backs,” Yan hissed.
“W-what friend?” Jesus, I stuttered. So much for being badass. Next time, I comforted myself. I wasn’t prepared today.
“The one you were gawking at,” Yan retorted dryly, slight annoyance in his tone.
I rolled my eyes. “That’s Amon Leone. You’d gawk at him too if you saw him up close.”
“Jesus,” he muttered. He looked behind him, a terse nod and he jerked me upward. “Let’s go. They have our backs.”
With my bodyguards at my back and my breathing erratic, I entered the building and rushed up to our old penthouse. Once inside, I paced back and forth, waiting on Yuri and Yan to come up.
My heart thundered in fear and worry. I hoped the two of them were safe. I hoped I didn’t make a mistake coming up here, cornering myself. I shook my head. No, no, no. They were safe. I knew they were.
A knock on the door. I stilled, holding my breath.
