Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 161615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 539(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 161615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 539(@300wpm)
“Wow.” I blinked.
“I’m the pretty one.”
The twins nodded in agreement.
Another chuckle left me.
The twins slowed so we were briefly all in line.
“Then who are we,” Aki gestured to him and his brother.
Yuki shook his head. “Not Fred either.”
Aki touched two fingers to his jaw, which must have meant that he was thinking.
Yuki had his own thing. As he walked, he tapped his thumb against his thigh as if he were keeping time to a rhythm only he could hear.
Two brothers.
Two minds.
Yet, always syncing up in their own weird twin connection.
Hiro grabbed my attention. “The twins are Shaggy and Scooby. You two absolutely enjoy being high and you are addicted to snacks.”
The twins looked at each other.
Aki smirked. “We do like snacks.”
“Lots of them.” Yuki winked.
“But I prefer savory,” Aki added.
Yuki shot him a side glare. “You say that, but you always steal my sweet things first.”
Aki smirked. “Only because you hide them.”
Yuki frowned. “Because you eat everything not nailed down.”
Hiro chuckled, and the few harsh lines in his expression eased a little, before returning. For a second, I think I had an image of what he must’ve looked like before the Fox killed Nura.
We moved in silence for another thirty feet, the corridor stretching long and empty ahead of us. Soon, we reached the end of the first hallway and stopped at the elevator.
Hiro hit the call button.
Those unsettling sounds returned to me—slithering, hissing, and rattling.
The Mystery Team needs to find the snakes in a nest.
I shivered.
A pair of maids came from the opposite end of the corridor. They wore crisp uniforms, hair tied back neatly, eyes clear.
Instantly, I left the fun of Scooby-Doo talk and returned to Hunting mode, assessing each one and trying to figure out if they gave off spy energy.
One of the maids carried a basket of neatly folded towels.
The other held a tablet tucked against her chest.
They saw Hiro first and straightened instinctively, bowing with deep respect.
Their gazes slid to me then—curious, but without malice. They bowed again, a fraction lower.
I gave them both warm smiles. “Good evening.”
As they walked past us, I studied their faces, their hands, the way their shoulders sat.
There was no tension.
No furtive glances.
No flicker of fear or guilt.
Just tired feet, quiet competence, and that peculiar calm I’d noticed in the staff who’d been with the Dragon’s family for years.
If there is a snake hiding in this household, it isn’t in these two. They’re clear.
But would the other staff members be just as easy to assess?
I prayed the answer was yes.
Because, if I failed, someone died.
And if I succeeded, someone still died.
Chapter thirty-two
Scars
Nyomi
The elevator chimed and opened with a soft hiss.
We stepped inside, the four of us filling the space. Hiro took the spot near the buttons.
The twins bracketed the door.
I ended up in the back.
The doors closed, cutting us off from the rest of the mansion.
For a moment, only the faint hum of the elevator filled the air.
Then Hiro glanced at me. “Did you enjoy your private time with my brother today?”
Heat crawled up my neck. “It was. . .amazing. Very romantic.”
One corner of his mouth lifted. “I heard you both took the helicopter.”
Of course he did. I was beginning to understand that nothing on this island stayed quiet for long. Everybody gossiped.
“Yeah,” I tried not to think about the way Kenji had me soaking wet on the beach from just his very skilled fingers. “He, um. . .took me to his island a little bit away from here.”
Hiro angled his body slightly toward me. “He took you to the private island?”
“Yes.” I frowned. “Is that. . .weird?”
His brows drew together, something like disbelief—and maybe a little awe—crossing his features. “I have not even seen it yet. He’s so protective of the place.”
I blinked. “Seriously?”
“He has been obsessed with designing it. Talking about it. Adjusting plans. For the last year, it is all I hear in meetings. But he never invites anyone. Just says, ‘you’ll see it, when it is perfect.’”
A small, stunned breath slipped out of me, while warmth bloomed in my chest. I’d already known I was important to him—he’d basically declared war over me. But somehow, this quiet confirmation, dropped in an elevator between floors, hit differently.
Hiro watched my face for a second, reading me the way his brother did, but without the same sharp hunger.
This was gentler.
Protective.
Evaluating.
“I’m. . .honored.” My voice grew softer. “It’s a breathtakingly beautiful island.”
“Good,” Hiro said simply. “He should be taking you to beautiful places. You deserve that and more with the warmth you’ve brought to us.”
What?
The twins nodded in agreement.
My throat tightened.
“Uh. . .anyway.” I looked at his reflection. “You appear well-rested. I’m glad you got some sleep.”
Hiro’s eyes warmed. “Because of you, I slept.”
The twins stayed very still.
He moved his gaze to the front of him. “Your presence while we cooked. The breakfast. The hug. It made it harder to stay in. . .dark places.”