“Have you two worked together before?” Lily asked.
“Van actually taught me a lot about the business,” Jin replied, “The twins assigned me to him on a couple of jobs and he showed me the ropes. Van is a legend in the mafia and his brothers have made quite a reputation of themselves.”
Van eyed Jin sideways, wondering whether to take offense or not. It appeared that Jin noticed what he had said and quickly looked at the ground.
“Jin is a good guy. I was honored to know his father. His father, Shinobu Handa, was the true legend of the mafia. He was one of the twin’s best men,” Van spoke kindly to show that Jin hadn’t overstepped.
“You knew Shinobu? Shinobu was like an uncle to me, that’s why Jin and I are so close. After my parents died, the twins thought it best to distract me. Shinobu had a son the same age of me, Jin, and I was soon put together with him. We grew up together and we were best friend until I left for the army. We still are to this day,” Lily leaned over and squeezed Jin’s hand.
What is this feeling? Why is she touching him? They’re best friends? He looks a bit too happy at her touch for him to think of her as just friends.
Van cleared his throat and Lily looked over at him quizzically. She slowly withdrew before taking a gulp of her beer and beaming over at him.
“Well, aren’t you too just the sweetest?” Van’s voice was cold, “So has Jin been the one covering your tracks when you’ve been coming to meet me?”
“That’s right,” Jin butted in, “I managed to convince the twins that I was the best person to keep her safe when she’s out of the house. My father’s reputation has helped me build their trust.”
Van eyed the man sitting near him. Jin was tall and skinny, his skin was pale and his spiky hair was dyed a dark red. He look like he took a considerably longer time on his appearance than Van did. Van shifted in his seat as he adjusted his shirt.
“I haven’t seen you wear a shirt since the party. Don’t tell me you got all dressed up just to meet Jin?” Lily giggled.
I feel stupid now. Why would I dress up for someone I was bound to know? Do I look like I’ve put in too much effort?
“So what have you two got planned for the future? I can’t keep hiding you both like this. Are you going to tell the twins?” Jin asked.
Van furrowed his brow before replying, “Actually, we do need to discuss this, Lily. It’s been two months now and I know we are having a lot of fun, but I’m not sure how much longer our luck will last. Eventually Pearl will catch wind of what is happening here. If she finds out before we tell her then I’m not sure we can weather the storm.”
Lily’s smile was wiped from her face as she considered his words. She finished the rest of her beer and reached into the cooler to pull out another. He watched as her slender fingers popped the cap off. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat.
“I think we need to arrange a meeting with them both. Preferably this week. I’ll talk to Joe and see what their schedule is like. It might be best we get them early and pour them a couple of drinks before we drop the bomb on them. I can’t keep asking Jin to lie for us.”
The lingering look she gave Jin made Van’s stomach flip. He didn’t like how close they were. He still wasn’t certain of Jin’s motives for helping them out so much.
It must be to gain Lily’s favor. And it looks like it’s working from the way she acts around him. Why do I feel this way?
“I agree. It is time we face the ordeal. When you manage to set up the meeting, just text me the details and I’ll come over. But won’t they ask why you want to arrange a meeting with me?” Van raised his eyebrow.
“I’ll tell them it’s a business proposition or something. They won’t say no if they think that I’m finally taking an interest in the family business. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.”
All three of them stared out across the lake, contemplating the plan. Van wondered whether even alcohol could numb Pearl’s fury when she finds out he’s in a relationship with their little sister. When weighing up the alternative, it seemed it would be even worse if they dragged it out. He couldn’t imagine giving up Lily so that was out of the picture entirely.
“Let’s hope this works. Jin, do you mind going for a chat with me? In private?” Van nodded to the side.
Lily narrowed her eyes at Van, trying to gauge what was going on in his head before they both stood up. Jin also seemed puzzled as he followed him towards the lake. They stood right next to the water, the gentle ebb inches away from their shoes. The dirt crunched beneath his feet as they faced one another.
“I see that you and Lily are pretty close,” Van started.
Jin held up his hands in surrender, “Listen Van, that’s just it. Lily and I are only friends. She’s like a sister to me. Can you imagine, even thinking about, your sibling in a sexual way? Kind of awkward, don’t you think? You have nothing to worry about, dude.”
“How do I know you’re only protecting us because you want to get in her good graces? Your father may have been a respectable man, but honor doesn’t run in genes. I know nothing about you.”
“I promise I have no ulterior motives. I would swear my life on it. I’m just friends with Lily and that’s all it will remain.”
Van looked deep into the man’s eyes, studying them. What reflected back at him was a face distorted with jealousy. Jin had nothing to hide, he could tell by the way he didn’t even blink as he maintained eye contact.
Jealousy. That’s the fucking green beast which has been riding me since I laid eyes upon them together. Even if I didn’t trust Jin, how couldn’t I trust Lily? Maybe the whole secrecy of this relationship is effecting me more than I thought? I have enough secrets in my life, this doesn’t need to be one. I need to face the twins and stand up for the right to be with Lily.
“I believe you. You are your father’s son after all. That man always kept his promises and never wavered when someone questioned him on his morals. My family have a firm belief in a strong moral compass, I can see the same echoes inside of you. I think the whole secrecy thing is getting to me.”
Jin nodded and patted Van on the back.
Van spoke up once more, “I guess what I should be saying is thank you. Well-aware of how the twins would react, if they found out, you still hung true to your friendship with Lily. You looked out for her and put her best interests at first. Even over your own safety. If anything, you have earned my respect today. If you ever need anything, anything at all, give me a call.”
“Thank you, Van,” Jin smiled, “If I had known you were the man she was meeting, then I would have told Lily to confess to the twins ages ago. And thank you for believing me and trusting me. It’s an honor for you to compare me to the like of my father. He was a great man and I miss him every day. He sure has left some big shoes to fill though.”
“Trust me, you’ll fill them. You’re one of the good ones,” Van patted Jin on the back before they both headed back to an expectant Lily.
Her eyes hadn’t left them for a moment as she observed the conversation from the side. Van laughed as she frowned at him as they walked over.
“You picked a good one to be friends with, Lily,” Van grinned, “I feel safe knowing he’s the one guarding you. Now, enough with the serious talk for a bit, anyone hungry?”
They all nodded as Van opened the cooler and pulled out sandwiches and chips. Sitting in silence, they munched contentedly, enjoying the scenery around them. Van stared out across the lake at the forest behind. He could hear the gentle lapping of the water and the birds chattering away in the branches. The trees whispered to one another in the summer breeze as the sun warmed his face from the cloudless sky. At that moment, he hadn’t felt as peaceful as he had in a long time. He had a woman he adored next to his side and a new friend, a trusted friend, nearby watching over them both. He was finally doing something for himself, rather than living out of his brother’s lives.
“What are you thinking about?” she stuffed the trash into a
bag before turning and stroking the side of his face with her finger.
“I’m just happy, that’s all. It’s a weird feeling in all honesty.”
Lily laughed before leaning over and planting a kiss on his cheek. He turned to face her, tilting her face up with his finger. He stared into her crystal eyes before smothering her lips with his. Their kiss was filled with passion and he had to plant his feet firmly in the ground to stop his chair from falling over. They both laughed as they corrected themselves. Jin was still staring out across the lake, politely giving them some privacy to enjoy the moment.
“Catch me if you can!”
Van looked surprised as Lily jumped from her chair, tipping it over. Within the blink an eye she was racing towards the water as she peeled her top off her. Somehow she managed to undo her jeans and slide them down, kicking them off as she ran. Without stopping, she plowed straight into the water and waded in, before diving underneath. She rose a couple of feet afterwards, her head bopping above the surface turning to face them.
Jin looked over to Van shrugging, amusement written all over his face. Van knew that the invitation was meant for him, not her friend, so he stood up. He gave one last desperate look at the dry land before undressing down to his boxers. He could hear Jin laughing as he prowled over to the edge of the water, Lily still taunting him from within the depths.
“Don’t be such a big sissy! Get in!” she yelled.
Van was anything but a sissy and if jumping in the lake was going to prove that, then that’s what he was going to do. If he was going to dive in the deep end with the twins later, telling them about their relationship, then it was good practice to dive into something more concrete to start with. Van ran through the water, jets streaming up around him, until he got to his waist as was forced to start swimming. As he was getting closer to Lily, he dove underneath.
It was like a whole new world under the water. The water was clean and unpolluted so he could make out everything underneath. A shoal of tiny fish darted away from him as he stroked forward, pebbles gleaming as the sun filtered through the ripples. He grabbed a handful of them and let them fall from his hand, the unsettled mud blasting in clouds around him. Finally, he reached Lily and his hands snaked around her legs, yanking at them. As he broke the surface, he could hear her laughing as she attempting to regain her balance, splashing wildly.
“Are you trying to drown me?” she giggled.
“Not just yet. I wouldn’t mind you around for a bit longer,” he laughed.
He wrapped his arm around her waist as they stood neck-deep in the water. He watched the sunlight bounce off the gentle waves from their disturbance. It was then he felt her hand reaching down beneath his legs and cupping his cock. He instantly grew hard and she licked her lips. Van looked back and could see that Jin was taking a walk around the lake. He knew he had chosen to give them their privacy once more and the walk would take at least a solid fifteen minutes. Van pounced upon her, his mouth smothering hers as his hands fondled underneath her bra. He rolled her stiffened nipple between his finger and thumb as he bit down on her bottom lip. She moaned as she leaned her head back. Exposing her neck, Van couldn’t help himself and started nibbling on her sensitive flesh. Lily now gripped tightly into his back, her nails digging into his skin. Reaching between her legs, he struggled to yank the wet material down her legs but eventually succeeded in removing her panties. He flipped out his cock with a tiny movement before easily lifting her so her legs could hook around his waist. The water did most of the heavy lifting as he angled her entrance towards his tip. He groaned as he felt her lips part and he slid in. The increased lubrication made the movement even faster as he started to pound into her. She held onto his shoulders as she leaned back, the angle allowing him to go in even deeper.
“Just like that,” she gasped.
The noise of the water splashing against their bodies, while they enacted their primal instincts, just added to the excitement. Everything about the moment was driving him wild and soon he was on the edge. She was biting down hard on the bottom of her lip and he could tell by the quiver in her legs that she too was ready to burst. He cried out as he let the orgasm rip through him, jets of cum flooding into her pussy just to mingle into the lake. Her screams were animalistic and Van caught Jin looking over worried, before realizing what was happening and hurriedly casting his eyes in another direction. As she was trying to gain control, she leaned into him and he lost his balance. Using his arms, he kept them afloat as she clung to him like a baby monkey. They both drifted together for a while before she pried herself away.
“Lily!” came a call from the side.
They both spun around to see Jin waving them down from near the chairs.
“It looks pretty urgent, we should probably head back to land,” Van nodded in the direction.
They both swum side by side until the water got to shallow. When they lifted themselves from the lake, the water streamed down their bodies and he could feel the weight of his soaking wet boxers weighing heavily on his lower body. They quickly ran to where Jin was standing.
“What’s wrong?” Lily asked.
“We need to get back to the house now. Your sister says she has something important to tell you. I only told them we were going to be in the city so she will be expecting us back soon. We’d better leave now,” his voice was serious.
“You should get going,” Van brushed a wet strand from her face, “I wouldn’t want to keep Pearl waiting. Text me afterwards and tell me what’s happening. It doesn’t sound good.”
“I’m sure she’s just being dramatic, whatever it is,” she gave a meek smile, “We’d better get out of these clothes first of all.”
They grabbed their dry clothes from where they had discarded them previously and headed towards some nearby bushes for cover. Stripping naked, they climbed into their clothes commando. Afterwards Van escorted Lily to the car and opened the door for her.
“I’ll arrange the meeting this week. Until then,” she leaned up on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips.
He gave her a tight squeeze before releasing her and closing the door behind her after she clambered in. He stepped back as they both waved from the car before reversing back down the road.
Nothing will stop us being together soon.
Chapter 7
LILY
“Why is your hair soaking wet?” Joe asked as Lily entered the house.
He frowned as she rushed over to the mirror and tried to comb it out with her fingers. Even though she had attempted to dry it in the car, her smudged makeup combined with her wet hair would only lead to more questions.
Oh, the trouble I get into for being with a Bailey. At least it won’t be a secret for much longer.
“I got caught in a freak storm. They are rather common in the summer,” she lied.
“It’s a clear blue sky,” Joe frowned, “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Pearl needs to talk to you. I suggest you make a quick stop at your room before heading in. She will definitely see through your lie.”
Lily was about to rush upstairs when her brother grabbed hold of her arm. Lily knew it was something serious, her brother avoided physical contact at all costs.
“I just want you to know that I did not agree with Pearl on this,” he stared deeply into her eyes.
“Agree with what? You’re scaring me.”
“I’ll see you in the dining room in ten minutes.”
He released her arm and disappeared. Lily stood there in confusion, an unsettling feeling surging through her stomach.
Whatever Pearl has to say, my brother disagrees with. They’re usually like and and glove when it comes to business decisions. What could be so controversial that it has caused a gap between them? It can’t be good. And why does it involve me?
Lily wasted no more times thinking over the matter as she dashed upstairs to her room. She quickly stripped and changed into clean underwear, throwing on a pair of joggers and a loose t-shirt. Quickly blow-drying her h
air, she ran a comb through it and removed her smudged makeup. As far as she was aware, it was only a family meeting so she didn’t need to dress up. Within five minutes she was ready to head back down, but a feeling of dread settled over her as she reached the last step. She lingered on the stairs a while before working up the courage to make her way into the dining room.
“You certainly took your time. I’d better tell Jin to keep tighter controls on you from now on. Please take a seat,” her sister called to her.
Joe and Pearl were sitting around the large dining room table. Pearl had taken her natural seat at the head of the table and Joe was sitting next to her. It only felt natural to sit opposite Joe and to the other side of Pearl. She quickly sat down and nervously drummed her fingers on the wooden surface.
“Jin said it sounded pretty important over the phone. Some form of announcement?” she probed shyly.
“Yes, but first I want to talk about you,” Pearl’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, “After you took off, your brother and I were rather surprised, to say the least. We had always given you everything you could have wanted and although we weren’t mom or dad, we tried our best to raise you. You could have had the world on a plate, if you had only asked. When we finally made the proposition to join the family business, you turned on your heel and fled the country. Top notch plan by the way, we couldn’t do much to keep tabs on you out there in the battlefield. You take your scheming after me, clearly.”
Lily wanted to lash out at her sister but bit her tongue.
I don’t want to take after you. I wish we never shared genes in the first place.
“Anyway,” Pearl continued, “After your disappearing act for near on ten years, it was quite the wonder to have you call us out of the blue and tell us you were finally coming home. This is your rightful place after all and it is time you finally took your place at the table. You do want to join the family business, don’t you?”
Lily nibbled the side of her cheek as she tried to formulate a response. She could feel her sibling’s eyes boring into her head and when she looked across at Pearl, she could tell her silence was not appreciated.
The Bailey Brothers Box Set- the Complete Trilogy Page 43