“Mmmm, that explains the tone of your skin. It’s a bit lighter than I’m used to seeing.”
“I might look pale now but give me a week and I’ll be as dark as you.”
“You are a taunting one. Shit, if I were twenty years younger I may make a play at you.”
Amara giggles lowly, “I’m sure you’d try.”
Damon clears his throat, “What is it you wanted to meet for, Eduardo?”
Eduardo breaks the intense gaze he has on Amara and looks back to Damon. “My cousin and I have a business proposition for your club. One that I’m hoping you’ll consider.”
“I consider everything, friend. I just don’t accept what isn’t smart for my people.”
“As I’m sure you know, Francisco is running for office in Mexico. His campaign will start soon and I will be handling all of his . . . businesses which he doesn’t want to be affiliated with during his campaign. That being said, I’ll be forced to spend most of my time in Mexico starting in August. I’m hopeful we can reach an agreement where your club will . . . put an end to certain individuals who’d like to riot up against my family and the great changes we’re trying to bring to Mexico.”
Damon is silent for a few moments before he shares a look with Amara. He clasps his hands on top of his desk, “Eduardo, you know I like you, but I don’t get involved in politics.”
“All due respect, I’m not asking you to.”
Damon brings his brows together, “Then what are you asking?”
“I’m asking you, to be my iron fist. You see, I am not a naïve man, Damon. My problem is not solely in Mexico. We have smaller cartels on this side of the border that want the corruption to continue in our great country. They smuggle drugs, guns and much more under our noses, trying to undercut our business. But it’s not just about the money, it’s the morals of what they’re doing. The Lopez Cartel is the only cartel in Mexico. Everyone else is a mediocre wannabe who will face penance for their crimes against not only my family, but our great country.”
Damon stands up, indicating the meeting is coming to a close. “Eduardo, we are allies but this sounds like politics to me and we don’t mix with that shit.”
Now Eduardo sounds off, “Let me be clear, we want you to be our enforcers to those who wish to fuck with us both. You know as well as I do that they don’t just cause issues on my side of the border. They fuck with your shit too, and I’m willing to pay you handsomely for eradicating them. I could just leave it the way it is and wait until they’re a bigger problem for you.”
Damon looks to his sister again, digging his hands into the pockets of his jeans and nods his head a couple of times. “A little extra cash wouldn’t hurt around here. We won’t be your army, Eduardo. I hope you understand that.”
“Yes, I do. I want you to focus on what you’ve been doing and keep my darling Sakura safe. I’ll simply reach out whenever I’ve been made aware of a potential threat that messes with us both.”
Amara cranes her neck around at Eduardo. “Alright, you need to cut the shit. Are you sleeping with her?” Damon rolls his eyes at his sister’s ridiculous question.
“Who, Sakura?” Eduardo asks.
“No, Thumbelina. Of course, I mean Sakura. You keep calling her your darling and it’s weird.”
“She’s my goddaughter, I wouldn’t sleep with her. Plus, I’m not interested in little girls . . .” Eduardo says with a devilish smirk. The sick bastard is playing dirty the way Amara does. Instead of responding she smirks, catching what he did there. Something tells me Eduardo is going to be Amara’s next conquest.
Chapter Four
You are the greatest project you will ever work on
~ Unknown
Mouser
I stood against the wall and have been listening to Amara and Eduardo flirt with each other for the last ten minutes. That is, until Damon just snapped at the two of them that our meeting is over. However, he told me to stay put because we have a few things to discuss.
“Wait, before I go. I need to make you aware of something, especially if Sakura is going to continue to be under your protection.”
“She is,” Damon confirms, crossing his arms.
The way Eduardo is talking makes me believe Sakura is hiding something from us. We aren’t exactly too keen on people who keep secrets. “I’m not sure how many of you are aware, but Sakura had been . . . seeing a man named Lucian. He’s employed by the Steele brothers and also owns a multi-million-dollar private internet security firm. Although, he’s more of an established hacker if you will. While those are the two ventures he’s the most known for, he’s also a developer. Meaning, he created a software that will mask faces of specific people. He’s been testing the software out on Sakura, but he took her out of it. It was her price for the favor she asked in saving the child. Essentially, she traded her own life for his.”
“Yes, I know about the software and we’re aware she was removed.” Damon is quick to respond. I pay close attention to what’s transpiring between the two of them because right now something feels off.
“She was just removed.” Eduardo states. Fuck, this is confusing. I thought Lucian removed her months ago?
“I don’t understand. She called Lucian weeks ago. Why is he just now removing her from his masking program?” Damon asks.
“He may have held onto the hope they could’ve had a relationship. I’m not sure. I only know what I do now, and that being said, it means her parents will find her and you need to be prepared for that. I do not want her going anywhere alone. It’s too risky. Her mother has probably already sent some of her children here to look for her.”
“Children?” I ask, confused on what her mother is teaching.
“Yes. Before someone is inducted into the Yakuza they must study with masters of their arts, who in turn treat them with a child and parent relationship. The people Sora has sent, or will send are called, kobun. I don’t believe she would have sent any kumicho.”
“Kumicho?” We don’t understand jack shit about the Yakuza and I sure as fuck don’t know Japanese, so Eduardo better fill us in.
“Eh, they’re like generals. Her right-hand men and women. While Sakura is an important issue to deal with . . . knowing Sora, I believe she would’ve sent those who wish to be inducted into the Yakuza family.”
“Family? What are you talking about?” Now Damon is the one asking questions.
“Do you not understand anything about the Yakuza?” Eduardo asks the two of us, making sure to shift his eyes between us both.
“No, we don’t know much.” I answer.
“The Yakuza may be an organized crime structure in a sense, similar to a mafia although they have different viewpoints. They also view others in the Yakuza as their family, which makes sense based on the child-parent relationship I just told you both about. You need to understand that these are some of the most dangerous people in the world. The reason they’re dangerous is because of the structure, of how they could potentially disappoint Sora or their kumicho. If they don’t deliver on an assignment they could lose a finger, hand, or their life.”
“Jesus, and I thought when Rafael had the Cartel shit was fucked up.” Damon grumbles, now pacing the room.
“Now I will tell you something Sakura doesn’t even know. She believes her mother was the one to put the bounty on her head, however that isn’t the case. Her father is the one who ordered it, and Sora agreed.”
“Fucking hell,” I snap in disbelief.
“So, Damon, I need to know that you’re going to do whatever it takes to protect my goddaughter. If you can’t do that, I’ll take her back to Mexico.”
“Mouser, you have the most experience when it comes to guns and tracking people down. I want you to take point on watching Sakura. You will be stuck to her like glue. Is that understood?” Damon speaks up, ever so clearly.
“Me?” I question, a bit shocked. I know he didn’t keep me back to talk about this.
“Yes. You come from a family fu
ll of bounty hunters. Am I wrong to give you this assignment?” My Prez asks.
“No, Prez. You can count on me.” I confidently reply.
“Now Eduardo, mind telling me how you were able to discover Sakura’s father is the one who put the hit on her?” Damon asks our ally, who does seem to have very important information.
Eduardo smiles, “I will never reveal my secrets, Damon. I know you understand that, just as you would never do the same.”
Damon curses under his breath but gives the older man a curt nod. “I do.”
“Glad we understand each other. Well, I must get going. There’s quite a bit of business for me to attend to over the border. If anything comes up, or you need my help, do me a favor and reach out.”
Eduardo leaves Damon’s office and the two of us are left alone. Damon’s eyes shift to the ground. The sure signal he’s deep in thought, and while his eyes look at the floor, he begins to speak. “You’re no longer going to be staying in the trailer. I want you to move into one of the guest bedrooms of Sakura’s house, the closer the better. If what Eduardo says is true, we need to be prepared for everything and anything that could be coming our way.”
“Fuck, she’s not gonna like this.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass what she likes or doesn’t. The point is to keep her alive and now that we know she’s been officially removed from the masking program we must be smarter.”
“Alright, when are you gonna tell her I’m moving in?” I ask. Honestly, I don’t want to be anywhere near that shitshow. Sakura can be kind, but she’s a spitfire.
Damon chuckles, “I’m not. You are.”
Chapter Five
You do not just wake up and become the butterfly
~ Growth is a process
Sakura
Thankfully as the sun has gone down it’s gotten a bit more bearable in here. Not too long ago I heard Boog and Cobra saying they were heading out to a home improvement store to get some window air conditioning units. I told them that would be a great idea and they said Mouser is the one who suggested it to Damon. Man, I could kiss him. I’ve taken three showers today just from the amount of sweat that’s been coming out of my body.
Instead of opting to make dinner, it’s a plum wine and ice cream kind of night. I’m in a white ribbed tank top with a pair of silky short shorts. The silk feels so nice against my skin. I crack open the bottle of Umeshu, which is a cheap plum wine and grab the pint size of vanilla Ben & Jerry’s from the freezer.
The plum taste floats over my taste buds before I swallow and I spend the next thirty minutes finishing my Umeshu and a third of my vanilla ice cream has suddenly been devoured. Oops. Walking over to the fridge I grab another bottle and turn the nose, opening it and drinking more. With what my uncle had told me earlier today, needing a drink shouldn’t be so shocking.
Fuck, I should’ve known Lucian would’ve held off on taking me out of his masking program. More than that, though, I should’ve known he wouldn’t have just treated me like a business associate. The man can’t separate his feelings from anything. I want to say it’s why I cut things off with him, but that’s not why. I only ended things because I’m an absolute horror when it comes to commitment. I don’t understand why, but the idea of it scares me. Maybe if I was a different person, a relationship with Lucian could’ve worked.
At the end of the day, though, he knew what we were. Two people who would fuck and that’s it. I never agreed to a relationship with him and he knew from the very beginning it wasn’t ever going to turn into anything.
As I stand here sipping on my Umeshu I wonder if my twisted family is behind the reason of why I have such a hard time with commitment. The idea of my mother’s members, or children as I should call them . . . giving up their own families and committing to the Yakuza . . . it just . . . well, it makes everything seem so fucked up. Even from a young age I’ve always viewed commitment as the reason behind giving up part of yourself to gain something else. Is it wrong that I don’t want to give up part of myself, or my happiness? No, it isn’t.
A harsh knocking sound comes to my front door, so loud that I jolt and drop my Umeshu which hits the tile floor and breaks. I decide to leave it where it is for now and head over to the door, looking through the peep hole to see Mouser on the other side. Not thinking about it, I immediately open the door since I know him. “Hey, I didn’t know you were coming over,” I state just as my eyes fall to the duffel bag in his right hand. “Or should I say staying over?”
He shrugs, “I figured you’d have a problem with it. Damon wants me to stay with you. Your uncle told him Lucian took you out of that program.”
“Ah,” I mutter. I should’ve realized this would’ve happened. “I suppose there isn’t any convincing you to head back to your trailer?”
Mouser chuckles lowly, “If I do that my ass will be reamed before dawn, Dove.”
I don’t mistake the pet name he’s just given me. What an odd one at that. I place a hand on my hip and stare up at the man. His cheekbones are high which well define his face. He’s a classic pretty boy. It seems to be an American thing. I watched the original movie of Grease and the first pretty boy I ever saw was John Travolta playing his character. If his cheekbones weren’t enough his amber eyes are enough to cause any woman to melt down into a puddle. Then again, his chiseled 5 o’clock shadow is the real cherry on top. But his eyes, they just scream he’s kind, but everything else about the man says he’ll snap necks in two without even giving it an afterthought.
“You gonna let me in?” Mouser questions.
“Tsk, I was thinking about it. Tell me why you’re suddenly calling me Dove and I’ll allow you to pass over my threshold.”
Mouser cocks a brow before he smirks in a sinful way. One that makes me want to wrap my legs around the other to keep the aching from my core at bay. It’s been a while since I’ve hopped in the sack with anyone, and Umeshu just has a way of making me . . . horny as can be. “You know, what you said can be taken a few different ways.”
Stumbling over my words, I realize just how dirty that could’ve been perceived. “I wasn’t. I mean, I didn’t. Shit. I was only trying to figure out why you’re treating me like some girl you’re flirting with at the bar.”
“I call you Dove, because it’s the literal embodiment of what you are. Small and delicate.”
“Most would argue with that statement,” I say, moving out of the way so Mouser can come in the house. I’m not happy Damon has assigned me some sort of bodyguard, but I know it won’t do me any good to be bitching at Mouser about it. He can’t do anything. When I see Damon tomorrow, I’ll just have to make it very clear how I don’t need Mouser watching me in my house.
Damon should understand considering I’m on his property, under the protection of his club. Hell, the next thing I know he’s going to be telling me someone needs to stay in my bed. They could be that freaked out. Given my family, I do understand why. But you know . . . if the person sharing my bed happens to be tall, dark, and handsome I might not put up much of a fight.
No! I’m not going to be some sex crazed woman right now. Mouser is hot. I’ll give him that, but I’m a fearlessly independent woman who doesn’t need a man. Not that I want him as a boyfriend or whatever, because let’s be honest, I’m a mess. I wouldn’t mind seeing where the rest of his tattoo goes under his shirt. I wonder if it spans down his abs, over his legs and . . .
“You alright?” Mouser’s question pulls me back to the present.
“M-me?” I stammer out.
“Yep. Who else would I be talking to?”
I giggle as a response, not liking getting caught in the middle of my thoughts. “Very funny. I was thinking about how Damon must think I’m pretty fucking useless if he’s sent one of his boys to watch over me, in the one place I’m supposed to get some privacy.”
“Yeah, well, get used to it Dove . . . ‘cause I’m not goin’ anywhere. If I don’t follow his orders, I’ll never become a full patch me
mber of the club and I won’t let that happen. Which one is your room?” He asks, looking over to the doors.
I point to my room and he walks to the door directly beside it. Fuck. This is going to be interesting, and for some odd reason I feel as if that’s the most drastic understatement of the century.
Chapter Six
You have no idea how many times I’ve wondered what it would feel like to kiss you
~ Unknown
Mouser
Still can’t believe this shit. I’m in Sakura’s house, lying down in the bedroom next to hers, staring endlessly at the ceiling fan spinning. Essentially, I’m on lockdown with a woman I’ve been dreaming of fuckin’ for the last few weeks.
At first, I hated her. Boy do I mean it. I loathed her existence because she was an outsider. Someone we didn’t know and you can never trust people. We sure as hell didn’t trust Eduardo, so when he left her with us . . . well, I think it was enough to cause alarm. Eduardo wouldn’t have been the first man to send a pretty woman to do his bidding, tearing the club apart from the inside out.
I’ve been toying with the idea of waltzing out of this bedroom, back into the living area just to taunt her a bit more and see where I can get. It’s only a bit past ten and if I’m lucky I’ll crash around one in the morning. I’m one of those guys who no matter what only seem to need a few hours of sleep.
Guess my mind is made up. I get off the bed, tear my shirt off and leave my cut on top of the dresser. Heading out of my bedroom, I spot Sakura in the kitchen. She’s leaning over the island and her pert ass is on display ‘cause those damn short shorts are riding up a lil bit. Not that I mind.
I move my hand down to my groin to shift my cock as it grows harder while I venture up to her. “Thank God the a/c is back on, yeah?”
Mouser (Reapers MC Book 9) Page 3