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)
"I was just trying to fix the bento box situation."
Satoshi wagged his finger. “This shows just how spoiled the Claws are! I was pissed that I didn’t get banana bread today, but did I go bitching to Nyomi? No. I sucked it up and asked the chef to make me a sandwich.”
“Your feelings are not my concern.” Hiro crossed his arms over his chest. “My focus is on the Claws and they felt slighted.”
The twins interrupted.
Yuki touched his chest. "That’s why we get drinks."
Aki winked. "And hors d’oeuvres."
Rin turned to me. "Can't we all just get cocktails too? I think that’s fair."
“Okay so. . .” I attempted to mediate. "You're all coming to dinner and that part could have signature drinks too. Everyone gets the full meal, multiple courses, dessert, everything—"
"We want the cocktail hour too!" Kaoru cut in.
"With the special drinks!" Yoichi added.
"And the fancy appetizers!" Rin wasn't letting this go.
"Exactly! Whatever they're getting, we want it too!" Satoshi finished. “We’re the fucking Fangs and I’m tired of everyone always bending to the Claws.”
Toma laughed. "You don't even know what we're getting and you're already jealous!"
"That's not the point!" Kaoru shot back.
"Then what IS the point?" Kaede's voice was smooth and dangerous as he put that glass eye on the Fangs. “Be careful.”
Yoichi declared, "The point is equity!"
Daisuke countered, "The point is hierarchy!"
"The hierarchy is FANGS first!" Rin insisted. “We all know that.”
Toma spread his arms wide. "But the Claws do the dirty work!"
"We ALL do dirty work!" Satoshi looked ready to fight.
The twins tilted their heads.
"This is entertaining," Aki said.
"Very entertaining," Yuki agreed.
Meanwhile, Hiro had the nerve to look entirely too pleased with himself. "The Claws are satisfied with this arrangement."
"Of course you are!" Yoichi threw his hands up. "Maybe we could—"
BOOM!
Kenji's fist slammed down on the table.
The sound echoed through the room like a gunshot.
Everyone froze.
Complete.
Utter.
Silence.
"This. Is. RIDICULOUS!" Kenji’s voice thundered across the room, but it was the shadow behind him that froze the breath in my chest.
Oh shit.
That dark dragon-shadow rose up the wall like something alive—long, serpentine, winged, stretching over the ceiling as if climbing out of his spine. Darkness pooled at his feet, swallowing the light.
I blinked hard, once, twice, waiting for someone else to react. . .but as usual no one even flinched.
The Claws smirked.
The Fangs looked pissed.
Reo’s expression said that he wanted to be anywhere but here.
Only I saw the dragon-shadow.
And when the dragon-shaped shadow tilted its head toward me, a cold chill swept down my spine.
Why do I see this?
I moved my view so I wouldn’t continue to freak out.
Meanwhile, no one else in the room moved.
Kenji pointed at the Fangs. "You want fair treatment?"
They nodded eagerly despite the danger radiating off him.
Kenji violently sneered. “So my Tiger’s four-course dinner isn’t enough for you all?”
A few looked away, full of embarrassment.
Kenji turned to the Claws. "You want exclusive cocktails and hors d’oeuvres? Meanwhile, I haven’t heard a single statement of gratitude directed her way. In fact, you fucking speak like you deserve this from. . .My. Tiger."
Together, they put their gazes on the table, and all the smug expressions disappeared.
He landed a scowl on Hiro. “We talked about this.”
Hiro didn't appear to be backing down. “We did.”
“She made you breakfast.”
“But, the Claws didn’t get it so—”
“You’re lucky I didn’t come down there into that kitchen and shove that fucking Eggs Benedict down your throat after you put a knife at her neck. Sleep in your fucking bedroom before you kill someone!”
For the first time in this meeting, I saw Hiro drown in absolute embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”
Kenji’s gaze swung to me. "And you want to cook for ALL of them?"
I offered weakly. “I like cooking for your men.”
Sighing, he turned to Reo. "And you're just allowing this to happen?"
Reo was clearly fighting a smile. "The food offers a boost in emotions. Morale is important for—"
“You planned on sneaking in the cocktail party. Didn’t you? That’s why you chose not to argue from any side.”
Reo scratched his head. “Surely, the Roar was invited to the cocktail party also. I never heard that I wasn’t invited.”
Kenji watched him.
Reo's mouth snapped shut immediately.
Kenji's eyes swept across every person at the table. When he spoke again, his voice had dropped to something even more dangerous than shouting. "Let's focus. On getting. The spies."
Pause.
Then, a menacing growl left him.
I sat up straight like I was in trouble too.
"Fuck cocktails. Fuck dinner parties. Fuck bento boxes, banana bread, and hierarchy and definitely, fuck who got what, when, and why." His hands flattened on the table. "We have spies on this island. Snakes. A nest of them. They moved through our house freely, and photographed my Tiger going about her day thinking she was safe. They’re waiting to hear from the Fox on whether they should kill her."
The temperature dropped even further.