Page 55 of Who Said Mobsters Were Scary?
He presses play. My eyes focus on the third vehicle, an unimpressionable black SUV with a Nagoya numberplate. I wait until it gets its turn, leaning in so I can see the plate better.
“Change to the front camera. The one mounted on the tire shop.”
“One sec… Here it is.”
I squint, trying to read the exact numbers. The first one is four and the last one is nine, but I need a better angle for the other two and the hiragana in front. “Can it zoom in?”
“Let me see…” Clicking through a few key combinations and one menu, Leo gets me a clearer view.
“Yo-ro-shi-ku,” I whisper, my heartbeat kicking up. “Nagoya Ri.”
“Ugh, I wish I could understand Japanese. Chai, it’s nice to meet you too, but what’s going on?” Leo demands, a whiny note in his voice.
I chuckle, patting Leo on the head. “It’s the same one.”
He shakes me off and frowns at the screen as I click on the play icon. “What is? Can you be less cryptic, please?”
He’s cute when he’s grumpy. “I recognize the plate number. Yo-Ro-Shi-Ku. Four-six-four-nine. It’s the same one as that of one of the cars that ambushed me on the night we met.”
“Oh. What is it doing here?”
“Great question.” I play back the recording. “As for your Japanese, I can get you a private tutor on top of your college classes. But only if you are serious about it. He can get you up to a conversational level in three weeks. Nothing too complex, but enough so you can get by. Reading and writing… I can’t guarantee. That depends solely on you and how much work you are willing to put in.”
“Can I thinkabout it? Aran said I need to do a bunch of evaluations and physical tests when I’m back. He wants me to train ASAP. And I’ve also got the shooting lessons…”
Good point. Leo will be busy playing catch up so he can be somewhat competent by the time we leave for Bangkok. He did a pretty good job today, but we also didn’t run into any trouble. There are things that need to be drilled into him, so he doesn’t freeze or panic.
“Think about it, sure,” I agree, grazing my fingers along the curve of his shoulder.
He leans into the touch. “Maybe once I have less stuff to catch up on? Being able to protect you, use a gun, and scowl effectively so people piss their pants due to how intimidating I am takes precedence.”
That pulls a snort-like sound from me that I’ve never heard myself make. He flashes me a shit-eating grin that threatens to melt my heart.
Leo is such a dork. He’s charming and funny and so easy to be around most of the time. And when he’s not, he makes me want to strip him naked and do wicked things to him until we’re both a mess.
I hum to myself, a pleasant buzz reminding me we are almost back. I’ll have to brief my father before me and Leo get up to no good, but it shouldn’t take long considering there is no point bringing up our mole problem when I have no proof.
“You’re thinking about something dirty,” Leo says in that low, tempting tenor. He strokes my shoulder like I did his and then slides his fingers down the side of my arm.
“I was thinking that I’ll rip your clothes off and have my way with you in front of everyone if you don’t stop trying to make me go crazy.”
“Ooh. Kinky.” He makes a thoughtful sound and leans back in his seat, crossing his hands behind his head. “I must say that I don’t know if I’m actuallyopposedto it, so it doesn’t really work as a threat. I mean, I can see the appeal.”
I shake my head as the announcement that we are entering Nagoya Station plays over the train speakers. We stop two minutes later.
“You know. What about ropes? Are you into that? I heard there’s this thing where you can go and, like, be a model. I’ve also always been curious about blindfolds and handcuffs. Maybe some roleplaying too,” Leo blabbers on as I herd him off the train.
We get off and pass the ticket gates—fortunately he keeps quiet while we are waiting for our turn—then head toward the east exit where a car is already waiting for us.
“I think you can totally pull off a bad, grumpy cop who’s not gotten laid in months and hasn’t had his three coffees yet. I’ll be the suspect. There for… accidental public indecency because my pants got ripped when I bent down and I wasn’t wearing any underwear.”
I stifle a chuckle at his ridiculousness.
“Oh, you like that idea, don’t you?” he pushes, trying and failing to maintain his serious expression.
I pause as we reach the station’s rotating glass doors, halting him with my hand. “There’s only one way to find out, Leo. But don’t try unless you are ready to deal with the consequences,” I say in my most authoritative tone, give his ass a pinch and let him lead me to the car as he slips back into bodyguard mode.
Chapter 25
