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)
It should have sounded dramatic.
It didn't.
It sounded like a vow.
"I'll stay alive." I reached up and covered his hand with mine.
For a moment, Kenji just held my gaze. Then he tugged me closer—just an inch, just enough that my thigh pressed fully against his under the table, hidden from everyone else but impossibly intimate.
His other hand came to the back of my neck, fingers sliding into my hair.
Around us, the Fangs and Claws had the grace to look away, even Reo and Hiro.
Some studied the table.
A few checked their phones.
While all pretended they weren't witnessing this moment.
Kenji's forehead dropped to touch mine. His breath was warm against my lips. "Tora. . ."
My heart cracked open.
He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, the Dragon was back in control.
Barely.
His hand slid from my neck, fingers trailing down my spine before settling back on my thigh. But the heat of where he'd touched remained.
He turned to Reo. "She gets full detail. Hiro and the Claws stay within arm's reach. Fangs on perimeter. Hackers monitoring every communication channel. I want eyes on her every second."
“Well. . .” Reo cleared his throat. “We should figure out the trap first before making any plans of—”
"Careful, Roar. I’m barely on board.”
Reo held up his hands. “I’m only being logical, Kenji, before making you any promises.”
Kenji growled. “Then, let’s figure out the fucking trap!”
I widened my eyes.
Hiro leaned back with a satisfied smirk. "Well. That was entertaining."
My lollipop had melted down to a thin crescent on my tongue, nothing but fragile sweetness and warm cherry syrup pooling along the edges.
I shifted it between my molars.
The sugar softened.
The flavor swelled—dark cherry, warm vanilla, and that little spark of citrus.
That was intense.
I pressed my teeth down on the lollipop. The crunch echoed in my skull—sharp, bright, satisfying. The candy shattered like thin stained glass, splintering into warm, sugary shards that dissolved instantly against my tongue.
A wash of flavor burst inside my mouth.
First the cherry—deep, syrupy, almost wine-rich. Then the vanilla—soft and warm, easing over the sharp edges. Then the citrus—just a blink of brightness tingled across the back of my tongue.
The sweetness hit my blood like heat.
Every Claw’s head turned fractionally my way. Their senses were super attuned to that tiny sound.
Even Hiro glanced at me and winked.
I let the last shards melt.
Reo ran his fingers through his hair and faced me. “Since you are the bait, Nyomi, I want to make sure you are on board with the trap.”
“That makes sense. Do you have any ideas?”
Reo lowered his hand and tapped a finger on the table. I was starting to realize that the finger tapping was his thinking hard tell. “I’ve had several ideas, but none that have truly stuck as the right one. I was hoping we all could brainstorm.”
“Well. . .” I cleared my throat. “I have an idea.”
They all watched me.
"I need to get my hair braided."
Confusion hit Kenji's face. “But, your hair is braided now.”
I grinned. “Yeah, but this is just a quick style. I’m talking about a long term style that looks more professional.”
The confusion remained on his face.
“Anyway,” I gestured to my current braids. "These are temporary. I did them myself before we left the main island this morning. But real braids—box braids, knotless braids, the kind that last for weeks—those take time. A lot of time."
I let that sink in.
Reo studied me. “How much time?”
"Eight hours minimum. Sometimes ten, depending on the style and how much hair we're working with."
Kaede's glass eye caught the light. "Ten hours for hair?"
"Yes. And I would be sitting in one place for that entire time. Vulnerable. Distracted. My head tilted back or forward depending on what section she's working on." I met Kenji's eyes. "If this is happening somewhere public then. . .the spies would see it as the perfect opportunity."
His jaw tightened.
“My sitting there getting my hair done—surrounded by people, doing something completely normal—that should give the spies confidence. They won't see it as a trap because it's too mundane. Too real.”
More silence came.
I could see Kenji wanting to shut this down. Could see the refusal building behind his eyes, the protective fury that made him want to lock me away somewhere safe.
But thankfully he stayed quiet.
"Where would this happen?" Hiro's voice rose in the room. "And how would the spies even know you're getting it done?"
"Like I said, it has to be public." I shifted in my seat, feeling Kenji's hand tighten under the table. "My stylist would be braiding my hair where everyone can move around."
“No.” Kenji shook his head. "You're not sitting exposed for ten hours waiting for someone to attack you."
Hiro cut in, "We'll be around."
I turned to him. "But not too close. If the spies see the Claws hovering over me, they'll know immediately it's a trap. You need to be far enough away that they feel confident making a move."