Hearing my mom say ‘oh my’ in Korean shows just how impressed she is.
“Did you kiss?” she asks, drawing another burst of laughter from me. I nod, and it has her jumping up. She yanks the brush from my hand, then she exclaims. “Tell me!”
“It was intense,” I admit. “I was overwhelmed.”
“U-wa…” Mom murmurs, ‘wow’. A happy smile spreads over her face. “I’m glad, my Hana. You deserve a man who will sweep you off your feet like your father did with me.”
My parent’s love story is my favorite, and because of them, I have high expectations.
Not wanting her to get her hopes up, I say, “We’ll see what happens. Okay? Want to get a manicure with me?”
Mom checks my hands then she nods. “Yes, your hands are in desperate need of care.”
“I’ll call to find out what time we can go.” Leaving Mom to finish up, I go back to my room.
Picking up my phone from where it was charging next to the bed, I see I have a missed call.
Tristan.
I’m still contemplating whether I should call him back when my phone begins to vibrate in my hand. A smile tugs at my mouth as I watch Tristan’s name flash on the screen. Before it goes to voicemail, I answer, “Morning.”
“Morning.” His voice rumbles over the line.
He sounds upset, and it has me asking, “Bad start to your day?”
“No, the opposite,” I hear him move, and then it sounds like he’s outside. “I just wanted to hear your voice before I get to work.”
I hear a tapping sound in the background and ask, “Are you at the office?”
“No, I’m meeting with someone. What are your plans for the day?”
“I’m just going to hang out with my mom.”
“Good,” he murmurs. “You’re still set on waiting eight months?”
“Yes,” I reply. “Nothing will change my mind.”
“I’ll wait… not so patiently.” Hearing the determination in his voice makes me feel a burst of flutters.
“Thank you.”
“Until then, Hana.”
The call ends, and I find myself standing with a stupid grin on my face.
‘You were saying?’ My mind taunts me.
‘You’re just as intrigued by him as I am,’ my heart snaps back.
I get a feeling Tristan will either turn out to be my first love or my greatest regret. Only time will tell, though.
TRISTAN
Tucking the device in my pocket, I walk back into the warehouse.
“Where were we?” I ask as I tap the baseball bat against the side of my leg.
Alexei lets out a dark chuckle. “You were about to tell me why I brought this man here.”
Where Ryker is my conscience, the good to my evil, Alexei is everything I hunger to be.
Dark. Merciless. Deadly.
He has no moral compass to rule over him. He only lives by one law – protect those you love. Luckily, I fall into the best friend category because I’d hate to be on the wrong side of his gun.
Alexei Koslov is one of the top assassins in the world, and he makes what I’m about to do, look like child’s play.
Using the bat, I gesture at Mr. Ballmer. “I’ve heard rumors.” The old man looks like he’s about to shit himself, and I haven’t even started yet.
“Yeah?” Alexei pushes away from where he was leaning against his bulletproof SUV. “What kind of rumors?”
“Mr. Ballmer,” I growl. Lifting the bat to beneath his chin, I continue, “Has a perverted taste for young girls.”
My eyes flick to Alexei, and it has him moving to Mr. Ballmer’s right. He shakes his head at the old man. “Tsk… plucking flowers before they’ve had time to bloom?”
Mr. Ballmer whimpers behind the gag around his mouth. I think I hear him mumble, “Please.”
I looked into Mr. Ballmer and finding out he’s nothing short of a pedophile only increased my anger. There’s no way he’ll get his hands on Hana.
Lifting the bat to rest on my shoulder, I shake my head. “You touched the wrong girl.”
Mr. Ballmer wildly shakes his head, mumbling unclear words.
“Left hand, right?” I ask. Before he can mumble more shit I have no intention of listening to, I bring the bat down on his left hand where it’s tied to the armrest. The blow makes him howl with pain.
Alexei lets out a burst of laughter. “One hit, and he pisses himself.” He shakes his head with disgust.
Using more force, I deliver another blow to Ballmer’s hand, splitting the skin above the layer of fat. The moment I see blood, I swing the bat until there’s nothing left but a mangled mess of bones and bloody flesh.
I pause to catch my breath before I turn my eyes to the wailing man. “Let that be a warning,” I grind the words out. Leaning closer to him, a satisfied smirk tugging at my mouth, I hiss, “Next time, I won’t be as lenient.”
Alexei unties the gag from around Mr. Ballmer’s mouth, and leaning in close to him, he murmurs darkly, “Now thank Mr. Hayes for showing you kindness.”
Mr. Ballmer sputters through the shock, pain, and sobs, “Th-th-thank y-y-you.”
“Tell anyone, and the last thing you’ll see is my bullet,” Alexei warns him darkly.
“I w-w-won’t,” Mr. Ballmer whimpers.
Alexei signals for one of his men to tend to Mr. Ballmer while I walk to my car. Listing to the old man's grunts and wails, I shrug out of my jacket and unbutton my blood-splattered shirt before shoving them both into a plastic bag. Then grabbing a bottle of water, I rinse the blood from my hands.
When I’m dressed in a clean shirt and jacket, I pick up the bag and carry it over to a drum. Alexei lights a cigarette before he drops the match into the barrel. I throw the bag inside, and we watch it burn until there’s nothing left.
Exhaling a cloud of smoke, he asks, “Is she the one?”
“We’ll see,” I murmur as my thoughts go to Hana.
Alexei turns to face me. “You care for her?”
I nod. “Yes, she’s important to me.”
“Maybe one of us will get to taste the sweetness of love.” He makes it sound like a far-fetched idea.
My gaze locks with Alexei’s. “Thank you for your help.”
“It was… fun,” he mutters. “An appetizer before I get started with my work.”
I let out a chuckle, shaking my head.
“I’ll take the bat,” Alexei says, and he nods with his head to where one of his men places it in a bag.
Evidence, should I ever betray him and by some miracle manage to escape his vengeance.
“Happy hunting,” I say as I reach out my hand to him.
He lets out a burst of laughter. “I’d say have a good day… my friend, but how good can it be sitting behind a desk?”
I chuckle as I watch them leave with Mr. Ballmer. They’ll drop him off at one of the non-profit clinics for the poor that’s a front for an underground hospital.
Heading to my car, a smile stretches across my face.
Eight months. Fuck, I knew she’d make me work for her.