67 – Joey
“Are you sure you have everything?”
I lifted my gaze to Alex, as he stood at the end of the bed, staring at my suitcase. “I think so,
“Sure you don’t want to throw in the kitchen sink too?”
Looking back to the case. I frowned, then looked at him and flipped him off. “Get fucked.”
“Would love to, doll, but we have to be at the airport in half an hour. I just don’t have the time.” Alex stepped up!
to me, his hand sliding over my ass, as he whispered in my car, “But if you want, I can quickly have a snack. You just have to take these
off…”
I shoved at him, and he chuckled, kissing the side of my face as he picked up my overstuffed case, feigning not being able to lift it properly.
“Holy shit. I’m serious. Got everything?”
“Asshole. There’s some of your stuff in there too.” I replied, picking up the small beauty case off the bed.
“I have stuff in my duffle bag.” Alex said, taking the case toward the door.
“What? One change of clothes and some toiletries?” I asked, following him down the stairs. “What if we w dinner? What if you get wine on your shirt? What if-”
“You rip my clothes off and I can’t button my shirt anymore?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Alex, get your mind out of the gutter, will you?”
want to go out for
“Not with you around, doll.” He said, dumping the case on the floor, where it was quickly picked up by Aoto and taken
outside.
“See, Aoto could pick it up easily.” I said, handing the beauty case to Reji, who took it outside to the car.
“Aoto could bench–press a damned car, if you asked him to.” Alex said, shaking his head. He turned to me and stepped closer, caressing the side of my face. “Are you sure we don’t have time to-”
“Get out,” I said, shoving him out the door and Alex laughed as he stumbled out the door and down the path of our new
house.
It’d taken only a week for Alex to find something, and once I’d seen the beautiful home, with the lush gardens and the ten–foot–high wall, I was sold. We had twenty–four–hour guards and Alex even spoke about letting me get a dog for protection. As long as I agreed to have it trained properly.
Heading through the gardens, I stopped by the small pond. It was full of Koi, their bright colors breaking the surface of the water, thinking it was feeding time. I turned to the two guards who were standing off to the side. “Don’t forget to feed them. Twice a day. Their food in in the small cupboard just inside the utility shed.”
“They know, doll.” Alex said, taking my hand. “Come on.”
“But-
“Joey, we’re going to be late.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have spent so much time complaining about my case.” I quipped back, following him out of the gate and into the waiting vehicle. “If we’re late, it’s your fault.”
Alex leaned closer, whispering his hot breath against my ear. “You know I love it when you’re a brat but be careful. I will miss this trip and incur Yuka’s wrath to take you back inside and make you pay.”
My panties flooded instantly, and I pursed my lips, looking at him. “You wouldn’t.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Want to test that theory?”
Shaking my head, my face heated as he chuckled and he leaned forward, tapping on Sota’s shoulder. “Let’s go, big guy.” “Yes sir.”
We drove out of the city and to a private airfield, where a jet was waiting for us. Climbing out, Alex took my hand and led ine toward the plane. Aoto was already there. loading out luggage and he smiled as I walked past. “See you in a few days,
Miss Brewster.”
1 stopped, my hand coming free of Alex’s. “What? Aren’t you coming with us?”
Auto stopped packing the luggage and turned to me, shaking his head. “No. I am not. Reiji is going instead.”
I turned my head and looked at Alex, who had realized I wasn’t with him and had come back. “What’s going on?”
“Aoto isn’t coming with me?”
“There was only room for one of your security team on the plane. Yuka has plenty of security, and me. You’ll be fine.”
No. I wouldn’t be.
As much as Reiji was good, I didn’t have the rapport with him that I did with Aoto. The big guy was like a big brother to me “Okay, cool. You go, I’ll stay here with Aoto. We’ll order pizza and watch some movies.”
I turned to Aoto and smiled at him, and he smirked, knowing I was playing Alex. He’d commented before
the head of Yuka’s security like no one else.
“Dirty dancing, or Grease?”
“No.” Alex said behind me.
“I haven’t seen Grease yet.” Aoto said, shrugging. “Is there singing?”
“Yes, there is. You’re going to love it.” I giggled.
I heard Alex groan behind me. “Fine. Aoto, go and get your travel bag out of the car. I’ll go tell Reiji he’s not going.”
“Yes, sir.” Aoto said, winking at me and I smiled, turning back to Alex.
He was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, an eyebrow raised. “You are definitely being bratty.”
I grinned at him, walking up to him. “Then you’ll have to do something about it.”
Alex’s hand lifted, and he wrapped it gently around the front of my throat, holding my head still, while he leaned in, nipping at my lips with his teeth. “Oh, believe me, you’re going to pay. I just have to decide in which way.”
“If you two are done, we’d like to leave.” Yuka called from the door of the plane, and 1 stepped back from Alex, as Aoto threw his bag into the cargo hold of the plane and took out Reiji’s bag, dropping it out of the way of the plane.
I winked at Alex as I stepped past him and walked up the steps, slipping past Yuka. “Sorry sir.”
Walking into the jer, I saw Reiji reclining on one of the sofas tapping away on his phone.
*Reiji, you’re not coming with us.”
My security looked up at me, as if I’d spat on him. “What?”
Suddenly my stomach felt uneasy at his tone. “You’re not going.”
Reiji stood and walked toward me, phone in one hand, the other balled into a fist. “No. I am going
I took a step back, suddenly frightened of my own security. “N–no, you’re not. Aoto is going.”
He stopped no more than a foot from me and I was suddenly very aware of how he was built, how intense he seemed in the small plane. “You don’t have the authority to change anything. You’re not clan.”
What the fuck?
For the last couple of months, Reiji had been nothing but nice and protective of me.. and suddenly, he was acting like he wanted to hurt me.
“What did you just say to her?”
The presence behind me was not that of Alex, but Aoto. I could pick his scent from anywhere. Peppermint, Lavender and rosewood oil for the inflammation in his left hand, from a past clan fight.
I stepped back, my back connecting with Aoto’s broad chest, and I suddenly felt a lot safer.
Reiji looked from me to the huge Japanese man behind me. “She has no authority to change who is going on this trip. I am going.”
“No. You’re not.” That was Alex He stepped past both Aoto and I, putting himself between Reiji and us and Reiji had to take a step back. “You are going to collect your bag off the tarmac, and you are going to go home. You are also relieved of any security duties pertaining to Miss Brewster.”
67 – Jory
Rein’s face reddened with anger, and I honestly thought he would lash out at Alex. But in the end, he bowed and stepped past us and headed out of the plane.
Alex turned and looked at me.
“Are you okay!” I nodded, not trusting my voice and Alex looked up at Aoto. “Make sure she gets settled in. I’ll
Alex stepped past us, and I turned, looking up at Aoto. “Thank you.”
He smiled, bowed slightly. “No problem. It’s my job. To protect you, no matter what.”
I nodded and turned, going to the sofa which Reiji had reclined on and sat down, looking out the window.
Alex and Yuka were outside, with Yuka obviously giving Reiji a very public dressing down. The man looked defeated and for
a moment, I felt bad.
But as Alex and Yuka turned and came back toward the plane, Reiji looked up and our eyes met… and he lifted his hand. making it into a gun and pointed it at me.
Maybe Jake wasn’t the danger.
Maybe the danger came from within the clan…
