Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 104141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
It did not bend for love.
It did not pause for joy.
It never considered timing or fairness.
It was just. . .too real.
Too cruel.
One moment, a person existed in color, sound, scent, touch, and memory.
Laughing.
Speaking.
Moving.
In the next, they were absent.
Silent.
Severed.
And the sun still rose. The ocean still breathed. People still laughed in the distance. And that was the violence of it.
The worst truth.
Life did not stop to honor the dead. It went on, forcing those left behind to carry the sorrow of what had been cut away.
I trembled. “Zo. . .”
"She was. . .killed?”
“Yes.”
“By who?"
"The other side—”
"How?"
"They didn't tell me."
"Where's her body?"
"Here. On the island."
"I want to see her."
"I'll ask Kenji."
A light breeze blew more petals down.
The little girls laughed, telling me that one had caught the other.
Zo closed his eyes. "How are we going to bury her?"
"I don't know." My voice cracked. "Maybe we’ll. . .ask someone to help us. . .”
“We have to do it. She has no family.”
“I know.”
“But. . .she has so many friends and. . .they deserve to say goodbye.”
“I agree.”
He opened his eyes. “Are you sure she’s dead?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see the body? It could be someone else—”
“She died right in front of Kenji and Hiro. They were fucked up about it.”
"Maybe this is some sort of plot where they're trying to find a spy or something and she's really in Tokyo hiding too. . ."
I shook my head.
"Or she got out. People get out. I've seen it happen on TV. Someone gets reported dead and then they turn up three weeks later in a hospital somewhere with no ID and—"
"Zo."
He stopped. "She's. . .really dead?"
"Yes."
He went quiet again, and the silence stretched between us, filled with wind, petals, and distant laughter.
My guards backed up a few feet, giving us more space.
Then Zo’s tears came, sliding down his face in two clean lines, inch by inch. "I don't know what to do."
I stepped toward him.
"I've never had someone so close to me die." His voice broke apart. "I don't even know how to act. I just saw her yesterday, Nyomi. I don't. . .I don't understand."
“I know. . .”
“Like there’s so many other people that could have died yesterday. Ethan in the fabrics department of Oshino is a narcissistic asshole. He should have died yesterday.”
“Uh. Okay.”
“Bob.”
“What?”
“You don’t know him, but Bob should have been killed. He’s a racist misogynist and his name is boring. Why is he still alive and Hiroko is dead?” More tears fell.
I walked over to him.
“Why?” Zo’s face crumpled.
I reached for him and his long arms wrapped around me.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Damn it.” Zo buried his face on my shoulder.
“I’m so sorry.” I pressed my hands flat against his back and held him as tight as I could. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
“It’s not fair.”
“It’s not.”
He left my hold and wiped his face. His pale skin was now blotchy and red. "I don’t know what to do. I can’t stay in that villa now with her gone. Will her ghost be in there?”
"You can stay in the main house. I'll make sure there's a room for you."
"Good. I can’t be alone. I'm so sad. I don't know what to do, Nyomi. I don't know what to do with this."
"Don't worry. I'll set it up."
We started walking again.
Slower now.
His shoulders were low and his eyes were fixed on the ground and every few steps he'd shake his head. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "What am I going to do without Hiroko? After you, she’s my closest friend."
“We’ll. . .deal with this together.”
He pursed his lips and kept walking.
Minutes later, we reached the villa.
Zo stopped in front of the steps and just looked at the door. "Oh, fuck."
“What?”
"What are we going to do with her slave?"
“Free him.”
“That’s not how it works. He won’t just go away. Someone has to take him.”
“One of Hiroko’s friends?”
“They would never.”
"Well, until we know what to do, you could—”
"Fuck no." He turned to me. "I don't want him. He creeps me out. He's yours."
"Zo, I am not keeping Hiroko's slave."
“Why not?”
“You think the Dragon would be cool with some guy sitting in a cage by our bed? Kenji would lose his fucking mind.”
Zo shrugged. "He's your slave now."
"Maybe we can get the assistants to figure something out—"
"Her assistants! Oh my God." He pressed his hands to his temples. "You don't even understand. Their whole life has been serving her. That's all they know. Who’s going to tell them?”
“You are.”
“No—”
“If I have to deal with the damn slave, you can at least break this horrible news to her assistants.”
“Oh God.” He rubbed his temples. “Is this my karma for all that good dick from last night? Am I being punished?”
“It’s going to be okay.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re not going to do it. They’re going to be devastated—”