“Y’all were her secret army in a roundabout way,” Roman said. “If I were her, I’d have y’all take out my enemies for me. It would certainly mask my intentions and keep my people out of the spotlight. Then, every so often, I’d make sure you succeeded and let you take out a few of my lower-rankin’ guys to make it look legit.”
Violet nodded. “It’s the perfect plan—use the only people that can stop you to help you. And with your family built on trust, none of us ever thought to question it or even think of it. Why would we? It’s literally the last thing anyone of us could think would happen.” She flopped back in her seat. “We’ve—I’ve been lied to for years.”
Roman grabbed one of her shaking hands. “You still saved a lot of people. Could you imagine if you weren’t around at all? How many young girls would be in even worse conditions?” He let go and spun the wheel, turning them north. “You may’ve been used, but you still slowed them down and put a kink in their hose.”
“Ever the optimist.”
Roman gave her a shit-eating grin. “Better than bein’ a sourpuss all the time and thinkin’ the world is against you twenty-four-seven.” He shook his head. “I remember this one guy, name was Dalton. He had a ton of potential as an operative.”
“What happened to him?”
“He also thought he had a lot of potential… He thought he was God’s gift to snoopin’ and spyin’. His big head got in the way. Eventually, he washed out before he got a chance to succeed. He rubbed people the wrong way and was looked at as a liability.”
“He couldn’t back up the talk,” Violet added, nodding. She knew a couple of people like that.
“Exactly and he started to think that everyone that was trainin’ him, myself included, was out to get him, holdin’ him down or somethin’.” Roman laughed. “Dalton was an overpraised brat who couldn’t accept the reality that he wasn’t ready.” He gripped the wheel harder at the memory. “But, man, was he good. All he had to do was be patient and take it day by day. It took a long time for me to get to where I am. It’s never an overnight thing.”
She smiled. “You really like what you do, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “Honestly, no, but someone has to do it. I believe myself to be the best for the job, so I do it and don’t look back.”
“But you said you want to retire.”
He glanced at her. “That’s just me bein’ a realist. I know I can’t do this forever and the older I get, the more I understand what I’m missin’. A real life.”
Roman’s eyes lingered on hers for an extra second, indicating that he was most definitely talking about her. She felt the same about him too. While officially a part of the Beautiful Dragons, Violet never let herself feel this way before. Now, free from it all, her natural want of something more from her life was taking root. Like Roman, Violet was content with her eventual retirement.
Then, what?
Was it just forced upon her?
“I forgot to ask,” she said, “what’s going to happen to Freddy and Darla?”
“Besides gettin’ hitched?” Roman chuckled. “Seriously, those two are perfect for each other.” He sighed and continued. “Freddy said he was gonna dump the limo and lay low for a while, maybe even give up on weapons dealin’ altogether.”
“Mako dying helps make that decision easier,” she added.
He nodded. “Yep. I think he can officially start over and be free of his anger and guilt.” He looked at Violet again. “Sound familiar?”
She slowly nodded. “It does.”
They continued in silence, taking their time getting back to the hotel they’d already been to twice in the last twenty-four hours.
Third time’s a charm.
The one thing they had going for them was that none of the people working security would be able to ID them from afar. The Prius was literally on the opposite end of the motor car spectrum from the Ferrari. Plus, with Mako and most of the Gilded Blade dead or on the run, they’d only have to deal with Madame Kyoko’s private security force. It was a group they’d yet to see.
Violet couldn’t imagine that not a single person within the hotel worked directly with Kyoko. There had to be people on her payroll posing as hotel employees, or at the very least, as regular resort guests.
Not that she needs them.
Violet knew Kyoko well enough to know that she didn’t’ need any protection. The swords on Violet’s back felt heavier and heavier with every second that passed. Not only was Freddy’s mother apparently a master swordswoman, but Kyoko was too. The swords she used were identical to the set that Violet had now.
Instead of following in her mentor’s footsteps, she bucked the trend and preferred a garrote wire, her fists, and a pistol. Yes, Violet was phenomenal with a blade, but Kyoko was the best.
Lucky for me I have a gun.
The thought of Freddy’s mother flooded her mind once more. Was she the one who trained Kyoko to use the swords? If so, Violet knew she needed to set up a meeting with the old woman to pick her brain. There were too many secrets that Violet had been blind to for too long. Maybe the retired Dragon could fill in the blanks a little. Maybe she knew more about Kyoko and Ms. Cho’s pasts.
Ms. Cho… She was the only other person that could’ve taught Kyoko to fight like that. Their connection almost guaranteed it. And when the Dragons were trained like Violet had been, another Dragon was always involved too. It wasn’t just the Keeper who played the role of mentor.
Ms. Cho had to be involved. Kyoko just took it to another level.
It would be Violet’s reward for stopping the Madame of Tokyo. If she succeeded, she’d dig deeper and be at peace with the results. There was no use fighting history. If she failed, she’d be dead.
“Think we’ll have any trouble with the police?”
Violet shook her head. “No. There is too much blood surrounding Kyoko and the Gilded Blade. With Mako dead, she loses her biggest asset and his connections. I know for a fact that he had personal relationships with multiple people within the police department.”
“Good,” Roman said, sounding satisfied. “And I’m pretty sure Akeno Ona’s number bein’ in Mako’s phone helps confirm that he did.” He continued. “I’d really hate to shoot someone just tryin’ to do their job, you know? Madame and the Blade are the bad guys here, not the innocent cops tryin’ to stop two psycho killers.”
Violet raised an eyebrow. “So, we’re psychos?”
He grinned. “You’d have to be crazy to bring the fight to her home turf.”
She shrugged. “Okay then, we’re crazy. I can live with that.”
“Can live with that?” Roman asked, laughing. “Come on, Lucy, people like us have been batshit crazy our whole lives!”
Violet smiled and returned her attention to the road. They should be arriving at the Shangri-La soon. She needed to focus. She even went as far as checking their guns and ammo twice while Roman drove. It kept her mind off the mind-numbing discovery of the Madame, Kyoko, Ms. Cho revelation.
It also kept Violet’s mind off the budding relationship she had going with Roman. She wasn’t naïve. Roman liked her as much as she liked him.
Satisfied with their weaponry, she checked her garrote wire, pulling it free. She stretched it to its full two-foot length and inspected the condition of the wire itself. As she did, she noticed Roman’s eyes darting between the wiry blade and the road.
“What?” she asked.
“That,” he replied, nodding to the still open contraption. “How come you like it so much?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I always preferred the up-close-and-personal kill, and when we designed this, I instantly knew it was for me.”
“That’s pretty demented, you know?”
She smiled. “We’re crazy, right?”
“Fair enough,” he replied, nodding. “Still… It’s pretty fuckin’ demented.”
She laughed when he flinched in response to her letting go of the garrote wire. I
t sprang to life and quickly recoiled back into its hiding place within her bracelet. The car jerked to the left as he ducked away, smacking his head on the driver’s side window.
“Damn you, woman!”
She faced away from him.
“What’s wrong?”
“The swords and bracelet… You asked me why I chose the wire.” She blew out a long breath, uncomfortable with what she was thinking and about to say. “At first, I was terrified of Kyoko when I lived with her. She’s still the most intimidating person I’ve ever met. She was kind and caring but had a fire within her that was legendary within the family.”
“You’re no slouch either, Vi.”
“No,” she shook her head, “I’m nothing like that woman. When she talked of her past and of the missions she’d been on, it’s as if she enjoyed the killings.” She faced him. “We may be crazy, but we aren’t savages, Roman. Kyoko took pleasure in taking life. The first time I witnessed her in action, I was sick to my stomach.”
“So, what you’re sayin’ is that we’re gonna have our hands full with this one?”
“Yes.”
“Awesome…” He breathed in deep as he made the next left. “And the bracelet?”
“I chose it because…” A tear rolled down her cheek. “Because I didn’t want anything to do with Kyoko when she left. The swords have always been the preferred weapon of the Violet Dragon. I’m the first one to deny them. I didn’t want to become her in any way.”
“Violet…” She didn’t look at him. “Rio…” Her eyes snapped to his. “You are nothing like that monster.”
“How do you know?”
“Call me an expert on all things human behavior. I can see the evil in people without much trouble. As soon as I found you in that burnin’ building, I knew there was somethin’ different about you. I’ve been around death my whole adult life. You aren’t some warmonger lookin’ for a fight. You’re a protector of those who can’t protect themselves.” He gripped her hand hard. “If I had to bet, I’d wager that this Kyoko woman was already pretty messed up before she joined up with the Dragons.”
“So was I…”
He shook his head. “You were lonely, Vi, nothing more. A kid should never have to go through what you did—what any of your sisters did.” He returned his attention to the road. “It’s just not right.”
“No,” she clenched her fists, “it isn’t.”
“Which is why we’re doing this.”
She agreed, watching them pull onto the street that held their destination. They would need to be quick and cautious. Neither of them knew what kind of opposition awaited them. The best they could hope for was that they weren’t expected.
Pulling in, Violet was at first confused. Then, she understood what was Roman doing when he guided them to the rear of the building.
“No sense marchin’ into the mouth of the lion if you don’t have to.”
“So, we enter through its ass instead?”
Roman chuckled as he shifted the Prius into park. “That’s one way of puttin’ it, sure. Better to be careful when we can be. I’d like to at least make it into the hotel before gettin’ shot at.”
“Or,” she said, turning to him, “we can go through the front and cause a little mayhem—stir up the hornets’ nest a little—see if we can’t flush out some of Kyoko’s men before making our way upstairs.”
Roman sat and thought, tapping the steering wheel with a finger while gripping the gear shift with the other.
“Aw, hell, why not?” he said, shifting into reverse. “Sounds like fun, you and me chargin’ in guns blazin’ like it’s the Wild West.”
They zipped back around to the front of the building and dropped off their car with the valet they had used before. With an entirely different car, he didn’t recognize the pair until they stood before him. With his hand out, waiting for Roman to drop the key into it, the younger man almost fell on his ass when he looked up at the taller agent.
Violet stood still and waited for Roman to respond instead.
He tossed the frightened man the key. “Here you go, bud. Don’t worry about a receipt this time.” He smiled. “It ain’t even ours!”
“But, but, but…”
Violet stepped forward. “Do yourself a favor and don’t call the police. I’d hate to have a repeat of what happened upstairs down here.”
The valet’s face went white. He nodded emphatically. The news of the bodies upstairs had undoubtedly spread throughout the staff. “I…I won’t.”
“Good boy,” Roman added. “We got nothin’ against you, just the woman upstairs.”
The valet’s eyes opened wide. “You know her?”
Roman glanced at Violet and then back to the valet. “Do you?”
He shrugged. “Not really, only that she never travels alone. She always has security detail with her at all times—only a couple of them, though. They’re easy to spot.”
“Only a couple?” Roman looked at Violet again. “Interesting…”
27
They stepped through the second set of sliding doors and froze at what they saw. The lobby was as pristine as ever. The patrons, some of which they expected to be looking out for them, moved about unmolested and oblivious. Roman had expected to be greeted by a bullet. From what he could tell, no one even noticed their arrival.
“I don’t like this,” Violet whispered.
“Me either.”
He glanced at the bar to his left and found two couples sitting near one another but not conversing. Just two sets of people having a quiet drink, talking to the person sitting nearest to them. It looked downright, well, normal.
The bartender looked up from the register and made eye contact with Roman, nodding to him. It also seemed normal. He had noticed them walk in and greeted them as any decent server would. Before moving, Roman took an extra second to see who flinched first, him or someone else.
No one moved except Violet.
“Come on,” she said, “let’s not waste time. The cameras have already picked us up.”
Again, he thought, following her.
He hung back a little as they headed for the front desk, wanting to keep a watch on their backs. There was no doubt that Kyoko had people hiding in plain sight. They needed to be ready when they pounced.
Violet laid a hand on the counter, the simple movement making his bladder quiver. He wasn’t sure why. Then again, he wasn’t sure what it would take to set these people off.
“Madame Kyoko,” Violet said, “where is she?”
The two women running the desk glanced at one another and then turned their attention back to Violet and Roman.
Everything happened all at once.
Reaching under their blazers, the pair of petite Japanese women went to pull whatever weapons they carried. As that occurred, Violet drew both of her pistols, aiming one at each lady, halting their much slower draw.
Roman turned and put his back to Violet, likewise pulling his guns free as four nondescript customers stood. “Don’t,” he calmly said, smiling, “I’d hate to make a mess of this beautiful lobby. Your boss is already up to her neck in cleanin’ bills as it is.”
“Kyoko,” Violet repeated. “Tell me where she is or die.”
Roman couldn’t see the pair behind the counter. Their silence was enough, though. They weren’t about to give up their boss’ exact location.
“Look, just tell us,” Roman continued, still not turning around. “You don’t have to die for that monster,” he made eye contact with each of the four potential gunmen standing in front of him, “none of you do.”
“And you will die,” Violet added.
Still no answer.
“Fine then,” Roman muttered, “we’ll do this the hard way.”
It was going to be rough. At least the people not involved were easy to spot, taking cover wherever they could. Two of the gunmen, a man and woman, were just inside the bar. They had been one of the two couples Roman spotted earlier. The other couple w
as currently under their table, huddled together in abject fright.
The other pair of killers were two people Roman would’ve never ID’d. One was a man in his seventies. The other was a boy who barely looked old enough to drive. Kyoko apparently pulled her goons from all walks of life. Enough money could buy just about anyone. Even Roman didn’t know what his limit would be.
“Last chance,” Violet said. “Three…two…one…”
The quartet of people facing Roman all went for their guns when Violet said “one.” Twin shots rang out behind him as Violet shot the two ladies behind the counter. He figured they’d done the same as the lot before him.
He put a bullet in the two closest baddies. First the old man, then the kid—someone he hoped was at least over eighteen. He purposely aimed for the younger ones’ shoulder to avoid any life-threatening damage. The older guy wasn’t so lucky, though. He took the round square in the chest.
Without watching either gunman fall, Roman spun and dove over the counter, following Violet. He landed hard on the two dead receptionists’ bodies, rolling off of them on the bounce. Taking up position by their tangled legs, Violet ended up by their ruined heads. The back wall was slathered in blood. A point-blank shot to the skull was a messy way to off someone.
No choice, he thought, nodding to Violet. They each turned and stood, unloading their dual pistols into the bar area, while making their way around the front counter.
Roman sprinted forward, holding both guns out in front of him, looking for the—
A stream of projectiles met him head on and he dove to the floor, sliding under an ornate, marble-topped table. Roman then jumped to his feet and drove his shoulder into it from beneath, grunting as he attempted to flip it. As he did, he blindly returned fire and ultimately overturned it with one final growl.
Violet was nowhere to be seen. She was on her own for the time being. He holstered one of his guns, opting for a more accurate two-handed grip on one of them instead. Squatting, he popped up and looked for a target but found none. Instead, he watched Violet yank back on her garrote wire, sawing into the second shooter’s neck. The bartop was a disaster as blood poured all over it.
Beautiful Dragons: A Thriller Page 17
