by Mikey Lee
Dryce extended his hand and gave Tom a very proper like hand shake and congratulated him. Turning and posing for the cameras some more, Dryce muttered in Tom’s ear, “Looks like there’s no more fucking around for us, huh?”
“Oh, not you too? I’ve been getting shit all damn day from my father,” Tom said, while smiling and waving.
While Dryce stepped to the side and greeted Tom’s father and mother, Tom shook Austin’s hand. “Mr. Ngo, I would like to introduce you to my new security,” indicating the men standing next to him. “Maybe, if it’s not too much trouble, you can give them some pointers about how to handle things?”
“It would be my pleasure, Prince Tompika,” Austin said, as formal as ever.
Tom looked over at Erik, “Tank. Nice to you see you again.”
Erik nodded, “Your Highness.”
Inside the ballroom, Austin broke off to go survey the rooms and scout the crowds, but not before nudging Erik with the nonverbal cue to watch Dryce.
Dryce made his way to the bar area. “Scotch, on the rocks,” he ordered from the penguin behind the bar.
“Hey kiddo, not too many of those tonight,” Erik said softly.
“I know, Tank. This is just to get me to relax a bit.” He looked at Erik. “I’m trying to ease my way into this world.”
Austin’s voice came across Erik’s earpiece, “I don’t know if Yally’s going be here tonight. It’s pretty locked down from what I can tell.”
Erik queued the mic twice indicating that he heard and understood. It was just up to Erik and Austin tonight.
A female voice came over the radio. Both Austin and Erik pushed on their earpieces to hear better. “Is this how you always talk about me?” Yally chimed in.
“Yally? You’re here? Where are you?” Austin was surprised.
“Of course I’m here,” she replied.
“Where?” Austin repeated.
“I’m nowhere. I work better alone. But don’t worry, I have eyes on my Prince… our… our Prince,” Yally stuttered.
Moving his eyes only, Erik glanced around the room. Unable to find her, he grinned and slightly shook his head.
“Prince Dryce.” A young lady walked up and stood next to him.
“Hey.” Dryce turned and recognized that it was Tom’s sister, but didn’t remember her name. “How are you? It’s been so long.”
“Yes, yes it has. Isn’t this wonderful? I’m so happy for my Tompika,” she said with a drunken smile.
“I’m very happy and very proud of him,” Dryce smiled back at her.
“Would you honor me with a dance?” she asked.
“Of course, it would be my pleasure.” Dryce took her hand and escorted her to the middle of the ballroom.
Erik followed to the edge of the dance floor and waited for him.
Yally watched from her position, eyes squinted, her face contorted with irritation. Annoyed by a feeling she couldn’t describe, she watched as Dryce walked across the dance floor, turned and embraced Tom’s sister to dance.
What the fuck is that I’m feeling? He’s just another client… a client that floats across the dance floor. He’s an out right beautiful client, Yally thought to herself. Her eyes started to glass over with the imagery of Dryce hold her. Having his hands wrapped around her. She could see Dryce holding the small of her back, pulling her in tight to him.
Shaking her head to get rid of the images, she looked off to the side. You’ve killed more powerful men than him! Ro, what the fuck are you doing? Yally wondered. Damn him, what power does he have over me?
Yally started to look back at Dryce when she noticed a man staring in his direction. He not-so-discreetly pulled a syringe out of his jacket pocket; but no one else seemed to be paying as close attention to the man the way she was. When he pulled the cap off the needle behind his back, she could see that it was filled with a dark blue liquid. He started slowly making his way toward Dryce on the dance floor. She seemed to be the only one who saw this. Her brain registered what was happening, but she stood there; frozen.
The possibility that the guy was really going after the girl Dryce was dancing with paused her actions. Her hesitation made it too late to doing anything stealthily; her expertise. She was supposed to be the master at eliminating the problem before it became a problem. She had to act. She had to do something quick, the man was less than four feet away from Dryce.
“Darling, there you are!” Yally yelled as she ran up to him in her high heels.
Before the man was able to pull his arm from his back, she grabbed his wrist. His hand hid the syringe against his suit jacket. Yally squared up to him, jamming the syringe in the man’s ass and squeezed the plunger down. The man was about to cry out but, using her other hand, Yally cupped the back of his head and covered his mouth with hers.
Quickly, the serum started to take effect. His legs turned to jello. Yally removed the syringe from his hand and stuffed it in the back of his pants and quickly danced their way towards Erik.
Erik called Austin over the radio, “Boss, I’ve found Yally. She’s, Umm… I’m going to need you over here immediately.”
Yally leaned the man against Erik’s enormous chest. “We need to do something with him,” she hinted quietly.
Erik wrapped his massive arm around him and held him up on his feet. Looking around to see if anyone took notice, Erik said, “I got ‘em.”
Dryce noticed and had stopped dancing. He watched as Austin and Erik escorted the limp body away. Dryce watched Yally disappear back in the crowd of people standing around, keeping her in sight for as long as he could.
Wow! I thought she was beautiful before, he thought dancing with Tom’s sister again. That dress looks amazing on her. No, she looks amazing in that dress. Her eyes, her hair. Her strength. She’s so strong. Look what she just did. She’s magnificent. She’s The One. I need her. I have to have her.
15
In the limo, on the way back to the hotel after Tom’s royal investiture gala, Dryce was unusually quiet. He stared out the window while Austin and Erik talked back and forth to each other.
“Mr. Ngo, I’m sorry but that shit was freaking awesome. Watching Yally in action tonight was…” Erik gushed.
“I didn’t even see what all happened,” Austin said, almost disappointed.
“Oh my god. It was incredible. Yally got that guy’s attention by yelling something at him. All I saw was her running across the dance floor, in that dress and heels no less, and grabbing the guy. At first I thought she was just going to dance with the guy, as like a cover or something to get closer to Dryce. But then, BAM! Guy turns to putty and she practically carries him over to me. I tell ya what… if you would have blinked you would have missed the whole thing. Within seconds that guy was a freaking paper weight,” Erik said, overly excited.
“Well, thankfully, that guy’s not actually dead. In the morning I’ll contact the embassy and get clearance to go interview him. I’ll find out what he knows, and who he’s working for,” Austin stated.
Erik was still hyper, and was obviously affected by Yally. “Man, I still can’t even figure out how she got in there. That place was locked down.”
“That place was damn secure. With all of those royal families that place was locked down like Fort Knox. But Yally still found her way in.” Austin was just as impressed.
“The shit that’s in her file is downsized like a motherfucker,” Erik chuckled. “Watching her in action… I mean, damn.”
Erik looked over at Dryce. Erik could tell that he wasn’t paying a lick of attention. His mind was elsewhere.
“You alright over there, kiddo?” Erik tapped Dryce’s knee.
“Hmm? Yeah, whatever you guys want to do… I’m down for whatever,” Dryce responded.
With another chuckle, Erik palmed his knee cap and shook him. “No, we’re talking about our newest recruit. What do you think of her?”
Dryce’s face turned bright red and he turned as far away from Erik as he could.
“I don’t really know her all that much,” he said in a shy timid tone.
Erik eyed Dryce quizzically and was about to call him out for his curious behavior when Austin cleared his throat.
The limo rounded the corner getting ready to pull up to the hotel. Austin leaned up, getting closer to Erik, whispering, “Alright, we still don’t really know what’s all going on, but we know that it’s starting. They’re actively after the Prince, so, let’s be on the ready until we get him up to the suite.”
“We making a hasty rush-in?” Erik asked, still pumped, ready for some more action.
“Sure, sounds like a plan. Are you ok with that Your Highness?” Austin asked.
Dryce nodded yes and shrugged his shoulders. I kind of wish something would happen. Then I would get to see her again, he thought.
They rushed through the lobby to the private elevator that would take them up to the suite. Erik was extra on guard, since he knew that he had fucked up. Even though Yally was there to take care of that guy, he hadn’t even see that shit coming.
Inside the elevator was deathly quiet. Floor after floor passed, and all three of them were deep in their own thoughts. When the car came to a stop on their floor, the double doors opened and Erik checked the hall quickly before the trio made their way swiftly down the short hall to the suite.
Erik opened the door to the suite and flicked on the lights. “Whoa!” His hand darted to his sidearm before he recognized her. “Oh Yally, how the hell did you get here before us?”
“It’s my job,” she said with a shrug before she turned towards the suite door to wait for Austin. “I have some intel for us. I think you’re going to be pleased.”
Dryce entered the room. Yally’s eyes locked with his, her stomach fluttered. Talking to Austin while looking at Dryce, she continued, “I… umm… there’s, you know. I… umm, I have something else to tell you as well.”
Dryce felt the need to say something to her. He tried his hardest not to look her up and down. His eyes started to wander. Play it cool, play it cool. Say hello and tell her she looks gorgeous, he thought, giving himself a pep talk. “I’m… you’re going to bed.” Fuck.
Erik looked down at Dryce, definitely noticing the shine in his eyes when he looked at her. Erik, unlike Austin, hadn’t known Dryce his entire life; but over the past four years, he’s gotten to know enough. Erik grinned. The lightbulb finally going off in his brain when he realized what had caused the drastic change in the prince. It was like watching his little brother fall in love.
Stifling a smirk, Erik agreed, “Yeah, kiddo. You had a long day. It is time for you to hit the rack.” Erik led Dryce to the bedroom, teasing the prince now that they were out of earshot. Flashing Dryce a knowing look, Erik closed the bedroom door before returning to Austin and Yally.
Pacing back in forth in the bedroom, Dryce ripped his cell phone out of pocket. Still pacing, he called Tom.
“Hey Dryce, what’s up man? You dipped out of here way too fast. You missed the real party dude,” Tom answered the phone. “I’m about to get deep in these girls.”
“Hey, I just wanted to call and tell you congrats one more time,” Dryce replied. He had a strange tone about him.
“Really? That’s not really like you. Calling me instead of arguing with me about which girls you’re going to try to take from me. What’s really going on?” Tom asked.
“I don’t know man. Shit got really real. Hell man, I… I think I’m in love.” Dryce was almost embarrassed to admit it. He’d never had these feelings before. And especially not for someone he had barely spoken to.
“Whaaat! You? With who?” Tom said loudly into the phone.
“She’s…. man, I don’t even know how to explain it,” Dryce fiercely whispered.
Dryce paced by the door and leaned over, trying to hear what they were talking about in the other room.
“Tom, man. I’m telling you, this has got to be love,” Dryce said before he backed away from the door and continued to walk around.
“What do you mean?” Tom asked. “I mean, no offense here bud, but you thought it was love with Sofia back then and she fucking played you harsh.”
“Yeah, I know. That was months of that bitch saying and doing all the right shit that I wanted back then. She was a fucking freak in the sack and had a mouth like a fucking hoover; that was all I cared about at the time. I was too stupid to see what she was really like, and look how that turned out,” he agreed.
Dryce looked up and saw that the balcony door was open. With a skipping step, he walked out on the balcony to the edge and leaned over trying to catch a glimpse of Yally. In the bottom corner of the window to the grand room of the suite, he could see her. She was standing with her back toward him while she spoke to Austin and Erik.
“Tom, I’m telling you man. This is the girl. Everything, from her bangs to her toenails, is perfect,” Dryce said, still leaning over the railing of balcony.
“I mean, c’mon man… you’ve been with more than your fair share of pretty hot girls before,” Tom chuckled.
“Not like this, dude. Yeah, I’ve been with a girl who had the ass, and that was about it. The ones with nice tits, and nothing else. But this girl, fuuuuuuuuck! I just can’t explain it. Her hair flows, her shoulders, yes of course her breasts. Her waist, arms, hips. Dude… even her calves are sexy as hell. She’s like… like a Franken-chick. Her eyes freeze me while her voice makes my brain melt.”
“Ok, so she’s put together. She as perfect as your Supra?” Tom joked.
“Tom, I would give that car up for this girl,” Dryce replied quickly, without even skipping a beat.
“Oh… oh damn. Bro, you really are in love.” Tom now understood the seriousness. “Ok, Dryce. Listen to me. I’m about to tell you something, and I swear to god. You better take this shit to the grave with you. If you EVER repeat this, I’ll kick your ass. Then I’ll deny it and kick your ass again. But…” Through the phone Dryce heard a door close and Tom’s footfalls on the marble floor of a hallway on the second floor of the manor. After a minute, Tom continued, “I was in love once before too. About a year ago, right before that shit went down with those underage girls. I didn’t know it at the time; I realized it after. But I didn’t ever go up and talk to her. I let her slip away from me. Never even got her name. Fucked with my head after I figured it out.”
“Nothing?” Dryce asked while still staring at Yally.
“Nope, nothing. I’m telling you to go talk to her. If she says no, at least you’ll know that you tried. You wouldn’t be in the same boat as I am right now, floating down ‘what if’ river. Fucking go find her!” Tom said almost like he was barking an order.
“Like right now?” Dryce asked.
“Wait! She’s there right now?”
“Yeah, she in the other room talking to Mr. Ngo and Tank,” Dryce replied.
“Then what the fuck are you doing still talking to me? Go, fucker!” Tom hung up on him.
16
Yally and Austin watched as Dryce went to the bedroom. Yally couldn’t help the fact that she was clearly checking him out from behind. He was built. Athletic. Perfect. Mmm, the things I would do to that boy. There’s no way I could ever have a chance with him though. He’s a prince and he could have any woman he desired, she thought as Erik closed the bedroom door behind him.
“You said you had some information?” Austin asked.
Ending her daydream, Yally snapped back to reality. “Umm, yeah. So, that guy I took out tonight, whatever it was in that syringe wasn’t lethal. It was just supposed to knock Dryce out long enough to get him out of there. The guy’s fine now. Well, he’s still being held and will be transported to your embassy in the morning for processing. He’s going to be spending some time in your country’s prison system. And, from what I understand, your country doesn’t have due process like the U.S. so… I would assume an attempted abduction on Prince Khan wouldn’t go over so well for him.”
“Wait, how do you know all this
already?” Austin shook his head once and squinted his eyes, confused.
“Oh, yeah, well I already interrogated him,” Yally responded coolly.
“What? How? Even I need to get special clearance before doing that,” Austin said, amazed.
Yally nodded her head and smiled, like she knew something they didn’t, while ignoring the question. “So, anyway. There’s more information for you two.” She looked at both Erik and Austin.
Erik shared a look with Austin. Damn she’s good, Erik wanted to say out loud.
Yally continued, “As far as that group of arms dealers trying to kidnap Prince Dryce, you’re not going to need to worry about them anymore. Obviously, I can’t make any promises on future attempts from another group. But, as far as this particular threat; it’s done.”
“How? Why? How do you know all of this?” Austin was still confused, and was trying to get a straightforward answer.
“Mr. Ngo, try to stay with me here,” Yally started to explain. “I went to the station and interviewed the guy from tonight. You know, the one I took out and dropped into Mr. Keegan’s lap.”
“Erik,” Tank clarified.
Austin nodded following along.
“Ok, I explained to him who I was. After a little bit of me having to prove to him that I am who I am, and just a few broken fingers later, he understood. I was able to get his contacts and got to the head man in charge. I… well, I more or less convinced them to back off,” Yally said.
“Ok, just one more question. How did you do all this and make it here before us?” Erik asked.
“Three guys move slower than one woman,” Yally grinned. “I don’t know what to tell you.”
“So, what now?” Austin interjected. “After seeing how well you work, I would love it if you stayed on full-time with us.”
“Yeah, about that. I… don’t think I can do that,” Yally said awkwardly, looking down at the floor.
“Your salary would be very generous, I can assure you,” Austin added.