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)
But I held his gaze.
"The Claws will be there," I said softer. "Scattered throughout the theater. Some watching movies, some standing in back, some near exits. They'll look relaxed, casual. But they'll be watching everything."
Kenji looked at his brother.
Hiro met his eyes without flinching. "You think I can’t protect her?”
Kenji frowned. "If anything—"
"It won't." Hiro’s expression softened. “I would die before letting anything happen to her.”
“Make sure that doesn’t happen either.”
“Of course, brother.”
The silence stretched.
Finally, Kenji sat back. But I could feel his body vibrating with barely contained rage beside me. "If we're doing this, we control every detail."
Everyone looked at him.
"The stylist," Kenji said. "What time does she arrive?"
Reo considered it. "We can schedule her for whenever—"
"Make sure she’s there an hour and a half before the first movie.” Kenji's tone left no room for argument. "The theater opens at one. Movies start, crowd settles. I don’t want us making time for the stylist to set up."
Reo nodded slowly. "Good thinking."
"And no one sits directly behind where Nyomi's getting her hair done." Kenji's hand tightened on my thigh. "I don't care how natural it needs to look. The row behind her stays empty. Clear line of sight for the Claws. No one at her back."
"We can block those seats," Reo typed something on the tablet. "They’ll be marked reserved."
Kenji wasn't finished. His strategic mind was working now, the Dragon calculating angles and vulnerabilities. "I want a panic word or statement. Something she can say that sounds casual but means abort immediately."
He looked at me. "What's something you'd naturally say around your stylist that wouldn't raise suspicion?"
I thought for a moment. "‘Girl, I’m getting hungry. Can we take a break?’"
Reo typed more into the tablet. “Got it. Also, the main theater has basic cameras—but we'll install more tonight. Hidden angles. Infrared in the corners. Every single inch will be covered."
Kenji jumped in. "We control the sign-up list. Inner circle, vetted staff, and all our suspects mixed throughout different showings. Natural distribution."
Kaoru ran his fingers through his pink hair. “Where will the Fangs be?”
Kenji spoke, "Hidden within the household. However, everyone will be told that the Fangs are with Reo and me.”
Kaoru looked at the screen. “And where will you two be, Reo?”
“We will be at the north dock. There's a weapons shipment coming in tomorrow. We'll inspect it publicly. Far enough away to seem absent, close enough to respond in under three minutes if needed."
Okay. This is getting super real.
While three minutes travel time sounded good. Three minutes was still an eternity when someone was trying to kill me.
I can do this.
Kaoru bobbed his head. “If the Fangs remain hidden, let it be the war room. It’ll be cleared out anyway. No one would know who was in there. Not even the security crew has cameras in there.”
"I like that idea.” Reo swiped to a new screen showing the theater. “The Claws will need to position themselves throughout the theater."
Reo looked at Hiro. "Different rows, different sections. Some standing. Make it look casual."
The twins exchanged one of their silent conversations—a language of glances and micro-expressions I was beginning to recognize.
Aki tilted his head a fraction.
Yuki's jaw tightened in response.
A full argument, negotiated in silence.
Finally, Yuki spoke. "We're not splitting up."
Reo's eyes narrowed. "For this to work, you need to be in different sections—"
"No." Aki's voice was quieter than his brother's, but just as firm. "We work better together.”
Yuki nodded. “Always have."
Reo pointed at them and was about to speak, Hiro held up his hand. “Forget about it. The twins will never budge when it comes to splitting them up. Save yourself a headache.”
Reo let out a long breath. “Fine. The twins will stay together.”
They grinned.
"My friends will be there too," I added. "Zo and Hiroko. They'll sit with me during the styling. It’ll look natural—just my friends and I hanging out, watching a movie while I get my hair done."
“Everyone in this room gets an earpiece. Com system. We'll all be connected on the same channel." Reo swallowed. "Everyone here knows what's actually happening. We coordinate in real-time, silent communication. But. . ."
His gaze landed directly on me. "Your stylist cannot know what we're doing. I believe she brought a cousin with her too. Correct?”
“She did.”
“They can’t know anything.”
“I understand.”
“Zo and Hiroko cannot know about this either."
My stomach dropped slightly. “Of course.”
Reo's voice was firm. "Everything discussed in this room stays in this room. Right now, in this moment, we can't trust anybody outside these walls. Not the Dragon's guards. Not your guards. Not the household staff. Not friends or family."
Reo looked at each person individually and then glanced at Kaoru. “Not even two very loyal girlfriends.”
Kaoru frowned. “Understood, Roar.”
"The only people we trust are sitting at this table. That's it. No one else."
The weight of that settled over my shoulders.