Let him sleep.
Let him—
Movement came from Hiro.
FAST!
One second, I was walking forward.
The next, everything exploded into chaos.
He moved. A blur of motion. His body uncoiled from the chair. His hand locked around my wrist, and then he spun me towards him.
My notebook jolted loose, pages scattering.
My phone slipped and clattered to the floor.
"Ah—!"
The world spun.
He yanked me sideways with brutal force, my feet left the ground for a split second before he slammed me back-first against the counter.
“Ahh!” The impact knocked the air from my lungs. Pain exploded across my spine as the counter edge dug into my back. My head snapped back, and my vision blurred for a second.
Cold steel kissed my throat, belonging to the knife in his hand.
What?! A knife! Oh my God!!
I screamed—a sharp, terrified sound that cut through the kitchen.
Behind me, the guards erupted into motion. Chairs scraped. Weapons cleared holsters. Boots thundered across the floor.
"STAY BACK!" one of them roared.
Another yelled, "Hiro-san! Yamero!"
Another guard shouted in rapid Japanese, words I didn't understand but the command in his voice was universal: Stand down.
But. . .Hiro’s eyes were still closed. . .and. . .a light snore left him.
What the fuck?! Is he still sleeping as he tries to kill me?!
Chapter twelve
The Depths of the Ocean
Nyomi
Hiro began to slowly open his eyes, but I could tell it was difficult for him. The scent of alcohol reached me. He kept his body pressed against mine, pinning me to the counter.
One hand gripped my wrist in a bruising hold.
The other held the blade steady at my throat—not cutting, but there, a hairsbreadth from my pulse.
His chest was against mine. I could feel the heat of his bare skin through my shirt, feel every defined muscle, every rapid breath.
He was taller than I’d realized.
