AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You should have protected your wife,” Ross said. The words were like ashes in his mouth, but he said them anyway because they were his true feelings. “What do the Kazakura want with her anyway? She wasn’t even part of the war! She’s American!”
“It’s the principle. Sook-Jae’s lineage must be destroyed.”
Ross had a thought. “What about you?” He asked Mangjeol. “Where do you fit in all this? I find it funny that your life has never been a question to the Kazakura. Considering you share Sook-Jae’s lineage…”
Manny was silent. “Ross, you don’t understand the position I have been in,” he said tightly.
“I see,” said Ross. “You ratted on your brother.”
He could hear Mangjeol breathing. “I had to do it.”
“And this thing with Angel was just your guilty conscience. But now that your ass is on the line, she turns back into a pawn.” It had never really been a question, but over his dead body was he returning Angel to anybody.
“So you won’t help me?” Mangjeol said. He was never one to waste words. He acted decisively. Ross knew that to Manny now he was an enemy.
“How long until your men get here?” Ross asked.
“It’s not my men coming,” Manny said, but just then Ross hit a Virginia Pothole and his phone went flying from his hand and dropped between the seats. He heard Mangjeol curse. Ross didn’t bother to try scooping the phone up from the floor. Dangerous and pointless— he knew what to do. He gunned it through Crown Vista until he reached his hill. Manny had dropped the call. No flood of texts— that wasn’t Manny’s style. But it was really very simple. Mangjeol would have to go back to Japan empty-handed. If he wanted Angel he would have to take her by force.
Angel methim at the door, flinging it open as he came up the path. “Ross!”
“What is it? What happened?” His body reacted as she wrapped herself around him, pressing her small feminine body against his. He gripped her ass and tasted her sweet mouth. “Did anyone come up here? Did anyone call the house?”
“I have a surprise,” she said excitedly.
Confused, he allowed her to lead him into the house. Immediately he sensed a foreign presence.
“Look!” Angel said, falling back to see his reaction, her eyes glowing. “Look, Ross. Isn’t he cute?”
Ross stared down in disbelief at the scrappy, shivering little animal Angel had placed on top of hisJean-Christopheleather couch.
“I think it’s a chihuahua,” Angel said, scooping the creature up adoringly.
“That’s adog?”
“He’s so cute, right? Look at his little paws! Look at his little ears. Look at—”
“He probably belongs to a neighbor. Did you see a collar?” Ross went into the bedroom and took out the Desert Eagle. He threw some things into a bag and returned to the living room, where Angel was kneeling in front of the animal, scratching his ears.
“A miracle the coyotes didn’t make a meal of him.” Ross gingerly put a finger towards the beast, who tried to rip it off.
“Can we keep him for now, Ross?”
Ross looked at the door, then at Angel. Angel held her breath. She sensed he was distracted about something and she wanted more than anything for him to say yes.
“Sure,” he said, his honest brown eyes returning to hers. “Do you want to meet my family?”
Ross tooka different car down the mountain— an all-black Challenger. It looked hot as hell to watch him drive over the crazy hills that made up this place. The more she saw of the brilliant green mountains and the misty blue tops, the more in love she fell. Angel leaned back and smiled, Ross’s quiet mood putting no damper on her joy since she knew she was not the source of the disturbance in his thoughts. It must be something with his work.
Ross had bought her more presents, but then rushed her out of the house before she could really look at them. Art supplies— really nice ones. He was so thoughtful. She managed to take the new sketchbook and some pencils— a habit she would never break.
He squeezed her thigh. “Are you happy, babygirl?”
“I am. Very. This place isgorgeous.”
“The Blue Ridge,” said Ross softly. “Most mystical place on earth. This place is a paradise for a lot of people.”
“For you?”
