She smiled again, locking her fingers with his as she continued driving. “Good,” she answered. “Because the feeling is completely mutual.”
“So, what's the first move? I know you’ve got some sort of plan,” he stated. The one thing this entire fiasco showed him was that Oshun was capable and prepared. He’d been unnerved and scattered when she was shot. He had no idea what his next move was supposed to be beyond making certain she was okay. But even in her debilitation, she’d found a way to execute an escape plan all before she’d come fully out of sedation.
“Heart and her team,” she answered. “They’re the first part. We’re going to lay low for a few days while she sets things up. When she’s done, we’ll move to the second phase of this plan, springing the trap. A few days, Mas, and this will be over. I promise.”
Masaki nodded, and leaned back against the headrest. Nothing about this situation made him feel assured, especially with his mother’s safety in question. But, his faith in Oshun eased the tightening around his heart, and gave him leave to breathe a little.
He smiled, as the first promising thought since they’d left their mountain hideout crossed his mind. He turned to her, watching her as she focused on the road in front of them.
“Finally,” he breathed. “We get to kill them all.”
1 3
O shun’s stomach churned as she thought about their next moves. Masaki was beside her, preparing for battle, and still unaware of who the villain in disguise was. Keeping the truth from him weighed on her. There were only four people who knew the location of the hideout that was hit. Only Oshun and her father knew it was a decoy. Assuming Masaki didn’t try to have his own mother killed, it meant she and her father had figured out who was behind their attempted murders.
For three days, while they were stowed away in a seedy hotel in Queens, hiding from their enemies until it was time to act, she’d held this knowledge. She could lie to herself and say it was because she didn’t want to upset Masaki further. But, she knew that wasn’t the reason.
When Masaki discovered the person chasing them, and for what reason, he would go on a bloody rampage. She held no compassion for the low life that had set these events in motion. She just didn’t want Masaki to go off half-cocked and get sloppy, leaving blood on his hands.
If they did things her way, their devil in the dark would get what was coming to him. And, Masaki’s hands would be clean when it happened. She texted Heart a single name after their clandestine meeting on Flatlands Avenue. A returned message this morning filled with a laundry list of details confirmed Oshun’s suspicions. The person who’d organized her shooting was no longer a mystery. Well, not to her anyway.
Oshun stretched her shoulders, trying to release the tension they seemed to carry by repeatedly reminding herself of the plan. If everything went accordingly, and Masaki was safe, she’d deal with the fallout of her keeping secrets from him again later. Right now, her plan was to focus on getting things ready for tonight.
“What are you worried about?”
The sound of Masaki’s voice invading her thoughts pulled her roaming mind back into the room. He was standing behind her by the time she was fully present, placing gentle but firm hands on her shoulders, rubbing the stiffness there away.
“I know what you’re standing here worrying about,” he whispered in her ear as he pulled her closer, surrounding her in his embrace.
“Really?” The one-word question, as well as the jovial tone she’d added to it were meant to deflect as well as garner information. She was certain Masaki had no clue what was going on in her head. But better to find out specifically what he meant, than spilling the beans earlier than they needed to be. “Well if you know so much, Masaki, why don’t you share?”
“Nothing is going to happen to me tonight, Oshun. We’ve been over the details with Captain Searlington. By nightfall, we’ll have the info we need to exact revenge against our enemies. What better protection for me to have than a police captain and her squadron of heavy hitters who are in my lady’s back pocket?”
Oshun chuckled at the idea of Heart Searlington being in anyone’s back pocket. That woman would pull through tonight for one reason alone, to keep her streets safe from a gang war she knew would erupt if Oshun and Masaki didn’t get a handle on this situation.
“Heart will do her best to keep you safe,” Oshun commented. “She barely tolerates me as a friend, but she certainly doesn't want me as an enemy. Fucking up where your safety is concerned is the quickest way to getting on my bad side these days.”
She turned around in his arms, and pulled his mouth down to hers for a kiss. With the world about to explode around them, the simple gesture felt heavy and meaningful in ways that both shook and comforted Oshun. The delicious taste of him was slightly tainted by the fear permeating all her senses.
She felt the uncontrolled shiver pass through her body and hoped Masaki wouldn’t notice it. But when he pulled her tighter to him, breaking the kiss, and wrapping himself around her, she knew very well he’d noticed.
“Hey,” he whispered. The warmth of his breath caressed the side of her face as he spoke. “Nothing is going to happen to me. I’m coming back to you.”
Oshun took a deep breath and stilled the chaos in her mind. She put on a soft smile, and stepped back to look at him. “You’d better,” she commanded as she placed firm fingers in his hair, and pulled his mouth just above her own. “Because you and the captain will have hell to pay if you don’t.”
Masaki smiled, playfully pulling away from her and looking at his watch. “We’ve got a few hours before things get started. Maybe we should make the most of it.”
“I’d like nothing more,” she countered. She placed a hard and dirty kiss on his lips, taking her fill of him, demanding everything he had to give. When she was satisfied, she lifted the hem of his t-shirt and raised it until it was over his head, letting it drop to the floor when he was free of it.
Taking only a moment to admire the carved muscular beauty of his torso, she tackled his belt, undoing his buckle, and pulling it from the loops of his jeans as she did. A quick flick of her wrist and his jeans were undone. She unzipped them slowly, too afraid her eagerness might damage the very thing she was so desperate to get to.
She kneeled to the floor, letting her hand slide down his leg until it reached his workman’s boot. With a knowing glance, he understood her intent, and lifted his foot so she could pull his boot and then sock off. After they’d completed the same process on the other foot, she moved back to his pants, hooking her fingers inside the band of his boxer-briefs, simultaneously removing his underwear and his jeans at the same time.
She watched the powerful muscles of his thighs tense as he lifted one leg and then the other to free himself of the pooled clothing at his feet. Her mouth watered at the site of him standing naked in the middle of that room. He was beautiful, strong, sexy, and most of all, hers.
She stood up, quickly removing her clothes. When she was naked, she extended her hand, allowing it to caress his already hard cock. Gently tugging on it with one hand, she used the other to point at the sofa a few feet away.
He willingly followed her, sitting down and eagerly spreading his legs in anticipation of what she had in store. She wasted no time taking him into her mouth. Tonight wasn't a time for slow seduction. There was a very real threat waiting in the darkness and they both knew tomorrow wasn't promised to either of them. If they couldn't be sure of tomorrow, Oshun would make certain they had tonight to satisfy their need for one another.
