Page 17 of Violent Truth
“Lily! Sweetheart,” Mr. Harry says. He hooks an arm around her back.
Instinctively, I clench my jaw. It’s not her ass. Not her tits. Not her pussy, for fuck’s sake. It’s herback.
Why did I stop myself from killing him before? I can’t remember any of that logic now.
“Who did you bring with you this time?” Mr. Harry asks.
“This is Katie. She’s new,” Lily says. “I figured I’d introduce her to the best people here.”
“You must be the famous Mr. Harry,” Katie says.
“Infamous,” Harry smirks.
James whistles. “I’d like to smack that ass.”
“You want to spank me, Daddy?” Katie purrs to him.
“Fuck me,” James says as he checks her out. “You can tease me here all you want, baby.” He turns back to Mr. Harry. “At least we can get real sluts to punish back at your place!”
The brothers laugh, and though Tomo forces a chuckle, it’s stilted. Niko killed his own ex-girlfriend for betraying us, and evenhekeeps his expression stony, unamused by the reference to punishing women. All the key Endo-kai members enjoy sadomasochism when it comes to our sex lives, and yet there’s something different about the way the two Hayes brothers say it. As if the women themselves aren’t important.
It makes me see red.
“What’s back at your place?” I ask. The words come out with a grunt.
Mr. Harry tilts his head. “So the big guy speaks? I didn’t know you were listening.”
Niko catches my eye. He warns me with his expression:don’t fuck this up.
I run a hand over my chin, exhaling slowly. What I do makes a difference for the Endo-kai, especially now that we’re in the middle of negotiations. And hell, it makes a difference for Lily too.
“Real sluts?” I repeat. “Do you have women at your place?”
Mr. Harry’s eyes glaze over Lily. My fist tightens.
Lily is right. Mr. Harry did something to her friend.
“You want to have a little spanky time?” Mr. Harry winks. “I know a few women who can show you a good time.” He smacks my back, then addresses Tomo. “Why don’t we take these ladies for a dance?” Mr. Harry acknowledges the new stripper, Katie. “You can take my friend Tomo-san for a dance, while my brother gets to know Lily.”
Tomo smiles politely. “That’s very kind of you. However, I always prefer my wife to be present during a dance.”
“Such an old loyalist,” Mr. Harry says. “Too bad your old lady couldn’t come tonight.”
Tomo bows his head. “It’s unfortunate.”
It’s no coincidence. Tomo isn’t the kind of man to make a decision without the utmost care. Business with GHF is dangerous; he’d never put his wife in harm’s way.
“How about you, Niko?” Tomo asks. “I’m sure you’d enjoy it.”
Niko scowls in disgust, and knowing him, he has no interest in the petty games between businessmen, like Tomo does.
“I’d rather bathe in her blood,” Niko says dryly.
Mr. Harry puts his arm around Niko. “I can have that arranged, you know.”
“Bathing in blood?” Katie asks. “Do you guys roleplay as vampires or something?”
Mr. Harry laughs. “Something like that, sweetie,” he sighs. “I guess it’s up to me to break the new girl in.”
