Page 41 of Who Said Mobsters Were Scary?
Hearing his name mentioned again brings a worried scowl to Leo’s face. I’m still speaking in Japanese, so he can’t understand what’s being said, but I think he’s figured out it’s nothing good. And that it involves him.
There is a pause. “No. He was in a bad mood. I didn’t want to make it worse.”
Great. Just what I needed. My father has a mean streak when he’s in a bad mood and introducing Leo, a white foreigner, to him right now is only going to make it ten times sourer.
“Can’t you do anything?” I plead on a groan.
“I tried. He threw me out of his office and put me on driver duty. I’m waiting for him in the garage.. Make sure you get to the Estate before us.”
This can’t get any worse. “The Keikai is on the other end of Nagoya, Aran,” I grind out, taking a big pull of my cigarette.
“You better get going, then. The car is waiting outside.”
“You are ki—”
The call clicks. I yank my phone off my ear and stare at the screen. That asshole hung up on me.
“Is everything okay?” Leo says, lines marring his forehead.
I catalogue the rest of his face, lingering on his soul-stealing blue eyes. Currently, they are the color of a stormy sea, dark and turbulent as he waits for my explanation. Even with the smell of overly sweet air freshener, Icatch his outdoorsy scent, its caress tangible as it engulfs me in a calming embrace.
It will be fine. We’ll convince my father somehow.
“I need to go to Tokyo tomorrow, so my father wants to meet you tonight.” Shit, he’s already on his way. We need to go. “The car is up front. Let’s go.”
I march down the corridor, Leo on my heels. “Hold up, Chai. I thought I was meeting your dad on Monday! I’m not mentally ready for it!”
Well, neither am I, but we don’t really have a choice. “It will be fine. Just…”
“Just?”
Yeah. I don’t think there is much we can do. It all depends on how furious my old man is. “Just let me do the talking, okay?”
He snorts. “It’s not like I understand or speak Japanese.”
I open my mouth and close it. I forgot about that. My father won’t like my new bodyguard one bit.
We emerge into the club and stop by the booth so we can grab our things. Leo’s friends give us wary looks.
“Sorry, gotta go. I’m meeting the big boss,” Leo says to Naomi, who shoots a nasty, warning look my way as they hug.
I grip Leo’s arm and yank him my way, placing my hand at the small of his back while I return her glare. That annoying smile from earlier slides onto her face.
“I’ll see you at the dorm, Leo. Don’t get in trouble,” she says, waving us off like I need her permission to take Leo with me.
I huff out through my nostrils, of half a mind to stake my claim on Leo and prove to her that she stands no chancewith him. But I really don’t have time to be petty right now, so I decide I’ll do it next time she aims a flirty smile his way.
Goodbyes said, we rush to the car. I instruct the driver to get us to the Keikai Estate as quickly as humanly possible. The last thing I need is to be late and contribute to my father’s foul mood.
We arrive in record time, but the moment we pull into the car park on the side of the high rise, my stomach sinks. Daichi Akiyama’s dark red SUV is already there.
Chapter 20
To say I amnervous would be an understatement. The moment we walk into the massive skyscraper’s reception with its modern interior, I know just how unprepared I am to meet Chai’s father. The fact that I was flirting with his son and got a boner out of it doesn’t help either.
The guards standing around bow, saying something in Japanese that I can’t quite catch. Judging by the tone and inflection, it sounds like a respectful greeting. Chai dips his head in acknowledgement and says something back. The two women at the reception desk tucked to the side also bow, although we don’t even greet them back as we board the closest elevator.
There is a man inside and he bows as well before pressing the display with buttons. He keeps his back to us as we start moving and I use the opportunity to chance a glance Chai’s way. His face is schooled into what I imagine is his ‘don’t mess with me’ mafia heir expression, but for some reason, it looks like he’s trying extra hard to maintain it. His shoulders are tense and his jaw is slightly clenched.The biggest giveaway that he’s anxious is the way his fingers are fiddling with the cuff of his shirt.
