The depth of my uncle’s betrayal.
I found it hard to fathom. This was someone who was almost as close to me as Joe. My earliest memories are of Joe and me, but riding a hot second are memories involving my uncle Tsang, pulling me down the street in a red wagon. When I was old enough and ready, he even gave me my first real blade. He was one of my first trainers besides Joe.
When I came out of the building, I saw Will step out of the shadows and cross the street toward me. He must have been watching the entrance. I didn’t alert him I was leaving the building.
“Going somewhere?” he asked coming to stand in front of me.
“Yes. But I need you to stay here and watch over Ivy.”
He looked down at the ground then back at me. “You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“You know I should try harder to stop you.”
I smiled. “You and I both know you can’t.”
Will grimaced. “Good point. Just be careful.”
I nodded at him. He knew exactly where I was going and who I would have to face. I pulled my hood up, and took out my phone to text Dante. I just let him know Ivy was home safe and she’d call him in the morning.
I put my phone away and stuck my hands back in my pockets as I walked the five blocks. Uncle Tsang had the corner row house. When I got there I was surprised to find no spotters around the property. I knocked on the door and Jason, one of Tsang’s guards, opened it.
“He’s downstairs,” Jason said.
I walked farther into the room and heard the door close behind me. I glanced around, but the guy had left. I paused for a moment, allowing my senses to get a feel of the house. I didn’t think there was anyone else there. He had no kids and his wife spent more time in Hong Kong than here. At least none of Tsang’s guards were immediately visible.
I made my way to the elevator in the hall. I’d been to this house many times before we left for Japan, and even after Joe and I returned to the U.S. Tsang visited us too in Japan and all over Asia. Wherever we were, we saw him a few times a year. He was always present at my major fights. I’d learned a lot from him. I stepped onto the elevator and took it down to the lower level. He had a gym down there. I knew that’s where I’d find him.
The elevator stopped, I stepped off and immediately saw him. He sat in the lotus position in the center of the exercise floorboards. The light overhead shone off his baldhead and the short blade resting across his lap.
I took off my sweatshirt, dropping it on the carpet beside me. I pulled the blade I’d taken from my apartment out of the strap I wore at my back. It was the first steel I’d ever owned. Mate to the one in front of me. Unsnapping the holder, I let it fall to the floor. I approached the wooden mat and stood at the edge. And waited. His eyes were closed but he knew I was there. Slowly and finally, he opened his eyes. Resignation seemed to lay in his gaze as he stared at me.
He sighed. “I did not want it to be like this. I loved Joe like a brother and you as a son. Do you know you are my heir to everything? I never wanted you dead. The assassins were merely a final test.”
“No, you just wanted to kill everyone I loved. The next time you close your eyes will be your last. This ends now.”
“All I ever wanted was to be Dragon Master and for you to stand at my side as enforcer, as I stood beside Joe. I let Joe establish the Tong, encouraged it, but he left everything to you. All of it. I was fine with that, as long as I had the Triad but I needed a few things out of the way first. Joe and Liu.”
He stood and withdrew the blade from its sheath, tossing the casing aside. “I was going to return Ivy to you. I thought you’d have gone after Liu and killed him after you found her. But you did it backwards. Didn’t wait for me to bring Ivy to you. I knew once you had her back you’d go after Liu, and you’d be able to get past his security. But you went to him first and left him alive. That’s when I knew he told you everything. By the time I found out you’d already gotten Ivy. So I’ve just been waiting for you.”
I was done listening to him. I did not know this man. I’m not sure I ever did. “Joe trusted you. Loved you and you betrayed him. For that alone I will kill you.”
I stepped onto the floor and he came at me. This was not a fight like any I’ve ever fought. This time I not only fought my mentor, an enforcer, someone who trained me and knew my weaknesses, but also someone I trusted and loved.
I shoved all that aside as I’d been trained to do. I stored those emotions in a little box and sealed it shut to deal with later. For now my sole focus was on stopping the ache in my heart. The only way to do that was for him to stop breathing. Best to get this over with quickly.
Tsang spun and lashed out with his blade at the same time, catching me across the bicep. My mind registered the cut but blocked out the pain, rejecting the numbness.
I followed him immediately, mirroring his turns without missing a beat. I caught him in the heart when he came out of his motion, driving the sword deep enough there would be only one outcome. He lowered his arms and shock transformed his features. He looked down at the blade and then back up at me, recognition in his gaze. He nodded once, rubbed the hilt before firmly grasping his hands around it and shoved it in deeper, falling to his knees in front of me.
I breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. Now all I had to do was live with the blood on my hands. But Ivy was safe. I’d never have to fear for her life again. I turned around but my body remained numb. All I could think of was getting to Ivy. I stepped on the elevator and went back to the main floor. I found Will in the living room waiting for me.
“Do I need to clean up?”
“What?” I was in a daze but recognized Will’s voice. I knew he’d asked me that question before tonight and each time the answer had been no. But for some reason I couldn’t answer it this time.
“Go, get in the car,” he ordered. “It’s right out front. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Go.”
I nodded my head and opened the door before walking out. I made my way down the stairs and found the car double-parked on the street. I got into the front seat, closed my eyes and waited. I don’t know how long he took. Time seemed to stop for me. Something inside of me had died tonight. The radio was on and an Evanescence song came on, the words resonated in my soul. I felt dead inside. I needed Ivy to breathe life back into me. I only had to hang on a little while longer. Keep the darkness at bay until I could just hold her one more time.
The car door opened and Will got in. “You okay?”
“Take me home, Will. I want to go home.”
“Hang on. Here.” He handed me my sweatshirt that I’d dropped on the floor. I took it from him and just held it on my thigh.
“And everything is going to be fine,” he said. “I took care of things in there. You’re clear.”
I heard his words but I was too tired to try to ferret out his meaning. I closed my eyes. When I opened them again the car was parked in front of the gym.
“One last thing,” Will said before I could let myself out of the car. I turned to look at him.
“What?”
“You’ll probably be questioned by the cops, at least to notify you about Tsang’s death. Tell them you were at the club but left early and came back here. That you were working out almost all night with Mark and me. That’s the pattern you’ve had for the last couple of weeks and easily verified by others.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Understand.”
I nodded. I did. “Thank you. And thank you for following me.”
I let myself out and unlocked the outer door. I took the steps two at a time. Mark still stood in front of our door just as I’d left him.
“You can go,” I told him and unlocked the door. I stopped in front of the closet with the washing machine and dryer. Looking down at myself, I was a mess. You couldn’t see the blood against the black of my shirt but I could see the spots. I opened the door and stripped, even taking off my underwear. I kicked off my boots and took off my
socks, then stuck them all in the washing machine. I put soap in and turned it on. I shut the door.
Naked, I walked into our bedroom, but I made it a point to keep my gaze down and not to look toward the bed. I didn’t want to see or go to Ivy until I was clean. Or at least as clean as I could get my skin.
I went to the bathroom. I turned on the shower and stepped into the stall, letting the hot water wash over me. I put my head under the water, my hands rested against the wall. I watched blood go down the drain and I couldn’t tell you if the water falling on my face came from the faucet or my eyes. I heard the soft click of the door opening that I’d closed.
Still, I didn’t lift my head. Not until I felt small soft hands on my back. They moved to encircle my waist and she plastered her tits against my back and held me tight.
“You should be asleep,” I told her.
“It’s my turn to take care of you now.” Ivy turned me around until I faced her and then placed her hands around my neck pulling my face down to her. She placed her mouth over mine and her tongue invaded my mouth.
I moaned, inhaling her deeply. I could breathe again. I tightened my grip on her waist and plastered our bodies even closer together. I guided her backward, pressing her against the tiled wall. I flexed my legs and grabbed her thighs, lifting her. She wrapped her legs around my waist. Her hands wound around my neck, and I raised her higher until we were perfectly aligned.
I felt between our bodies. Grabbing my cock, I eased inside her. She felt incredible. I sighed and bent my knees so I could push into her even more. She used gravity to bear down on me, taking me deeper inside her. I began to move, and with each stroke, her muscles clenched me, firing my blood, letting me know I was alive. I wasn’t going to last long so I increased my pace. I moved one hand so I could rub my thumb against her clit.
“Come for me, babe. Milk my dick. Come, then make me come. Take all of me.”
“Oh God, Maze. Oh God.”
She shook in my arms. Her muscles contracted both inside and out and that’s all I needed to trigger my own eruption into her waiting haven. My legs trembled. I lowered her legs so she could stand, and I rested my head back against the wall, still holding onto her waist. In truth, she and the wall were what held me up.
She kissed my shoulder. “I love you.”
I raised my head and moved the hair out of her face and placed it behind her ears. “You are my everything. I love you.”
We finished showering and toweled each other dry. She opened up a cabinet and found the first aid kit. I didn’t say anything as she took a large pre-medicated Band-Aid out then placed it over my cut. She kissed it when she was done. I picked her up, and naked, I took her back to bed. After laying her down, I turned her on her side so she rested with her back to me and I held her close against my body. I slid my arm around her waist and rested my leg between hers. She pressed back against me and took a hold of my hand.
“Sleep, babe,” she said. “Sleep.”
I wasn’t sure what tomorrow would hold for us. But as long as we faced it together I wasn’t going to give a shit. I would bring her no more harm.
Chapter Nineteen
Ivy
I heard the door open and Maze entered the outer room. I thought he’d come straight into the bedroom but he didn’t. Then I heard the washing machine going and I understood he must have turned it on. I wondered why he’d want to do laundry at dawn. I heard him in the hall near our door and relaxed back under the cover. I pretended I was sleeping but I saw when he stepped into the room—naked. When he went straight to the bathroom and shut the door, I sat up. My mind ran through all kinds of scenarios. None of them good. I heard the shower go on and I got out of bed. I had to know, had to be sure he was all right. He’d taken care of me earlier. I couldn’t help but feel he needed me now. I opened the bathroom door as quietly as possible and pulled the t-shirt I wore off, dropping it to the floor. I opened the shower stall and stepped in.
I turned him into my arms, drinking in the sight of him. I noticed the cut on his arm, it wasn’t very deep and the water had washed off most of the blood. Other than that there were no new marks on him. I breathed a sigh of relief. He was fine. Without a word we took care of each other. He needed the closeness and comfort I knew only I could give him as he gave me. And that’s what we did.
Afterward when we went back to bed. He held me in his arms and I pretended to sleep. I felt his body relax and his breathing even out. My Maze slept and I was glad he rested safe and sound, home with me.
My mind wanted to shy away from what happened to me earlier tonight and what I suspected Maze did to save me, what I knew he did even afterward to keep me safe, but I found letting it go was hard. I asked God for forgiveness and prayed we’d make it through this. The only thing I needed to decide, really, was if I wanted him to tell me the details. If I should ask or just let him tell me if he chose. I decided this was not something I could ask him and demand the details. I could give him that. I knew tonight whatever he had to do affected him. I refused to let it affect our relationship. His actions stemmed from love and a need to protect me. A weight lifted off my shoulders. I’d made my decision. The only one I could make. I would not press him.
I awoke the next morning to the sensation of being surrounded and aroused by the man I love. He suckled at my breast and his fingers stroked against my clit. My sex immediately readied for him. I was wet. He slipped a finger inside me.
“Mmm,” I murmured and opened my eyes to look into the storm filled gray of his.
“Good morning,” he said. A grin on his face.
I entwined my arms around his neck. “I’ll say.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Perfect. You?”
He smiled. “The same.”
“Is it…” I had to know. “Is it over?”
“Yes.” He lowered his face to mine and kissed me. At the same time he removed his hand and eased himself inside me. Flicking my clit at the same time, causing my inner muscles to spasm. I raised my legs and crossed them over his waist. He shifted and pushed even deeper into me until I felt his balls rubbing against my lower lips. He pulsed inside me, and I shuddered as heat built in my core. With each stroke, he took me higher onto the summit until I stood at the top and fell over the side. He didn’t give me pause, but picked me up and took me to the heights again. He moved faster and I kept his pace. He took me to the edge and together we dove over that cliff. He grasped my hands in his as he came and squeezed our fingers together.
“Never leave me, Ivy. Never.”
“I won’t.”
We spent the entire morning making love, never leaving the bedroom. We ignored the buzzing of both our phones. It was as though we needed to make sure the other was fine.
My face would be a mess for a few days, and that slice on his arm needed another Band-Aid. He’d rubbed some salve on my face and I put a Band- Aid on his arm. Other than the one bathroom run to take care of those things, we hadn’t left the bed. About midday my stomach rumbled.
Maze laughed then placed a kiss on my belly. “I think someone needs some food.”
“I guess someone burned up all the fuel I’d previously stored.”
He rolled away from me and grabbed his cell. He read it for a minute. “You better check your phone and call Dante so he doesn’t come over here. He left me five texts and three phone messages. I’m going to call Will and have him go get us some breakfast.”
“You’re right I better call him. What…what should I tell him?”
He sighed. “The less the better for him. Tell him you’re fine and we’re taking a few days to spend together. In fact, I like that idea. We’re taking a vacation. But we’re not leaving this room. I’ll have Will make a grocery run so we don’t have to get take out every day.”
I smiled, liking the idea of taking a vacation at home. Enclosed with him, protected from the rest of the world. “I’m not sure it’s part of a bodyguard’s description to make grocery store
runs.”
Maze laughed and it reached his eyes. I was glad. I never wanted to see the kind of despair I saw in them last night.
I sat up, grabbed my phone, and called Dante. He was happy I was all right and to hear from me. But he was understandably angry at my vague description about why I’d disappeared. I explained to him I just needed some time to think and went off by myself for a while. I told him Maze and I had worked things out. I wanted to spend a few days with Maze, so Dante and I had to put off training for a week. I figured by then my face would have cleared up enough I could be around Dante without him asking even more questions, or worse, think Maze hurt me. I shuddered to think what would happen then. I knew Dante cared about me and God alone knew what he’d try to do to Maze and what Maze would do to him.
I hung up the phone. Maze lay back on the bed and rubbed his fingers up and down my arm. I’d heard him call Will and tell him what we needed.
“Everything go okay?” he asked.
“Yes. Dante naturally wants to know what happened. Not sure he believed me when I said I just wanted a little time to myself. But he accepted it.”
He nodded. “It’s for the best.”
“I know. I just hated lying to my friend. I’m not exactly sure what I was lying about.”
Crap. I didn’t want to challenge him in any way as to what happened last night.
He leaned forward and kissed my shoulder, then placed his arm over his face. “Trust me it’s best that you don’t.”
He lowered his arm and looked at me. I lay down and turned on my side. He turned to face me and placed his hand on my hip. I put mine on his chest. There was something else going on here. I could still sense an underlying sadness inside him.
Maze (The Ballerina Series #2) Page 15
