“She’s new, Lee. What happened to Chang?”
The Japanese billionaire rolled his eyes, unexpectedly, making her chuckle delightfully at his uncharacteristically juvenile gesture. Gloria was definitely rubbing off on the fifty-year-old.
“His wife is expecting and he wished to stay with her since she is very close to giving birth. You should have seen him, Logan. He had this smitten look on his face every time his phone rang. Who would take a bodyguard seriously that looked like a…how do you Americans say…a whipped puppy?” He shook his head. “I’m happy for him, but I wasn’t comfortable travelling with a bodyguard who looked so obviously distracted. The agency sent Miri to stand in for him.”
Her blue eyes flickered to the bodyguard. She was slightly uncomfortable by the even colder look in the woman’s black eyes. Okay, that’s creepy. Maybe trying to seduce her was not such a good idea. She returned her gaze to Lee to find him looking at her with amusement.
“I think it might not be a good idea either,” he whispered and they both simultaneously burst out laughing.
+++
“Renoir.”
There was a short silence on the other side of the line.
“Same time, same place?”
“Yes.”
The silence was a little longer this time.
“Same arrangement?”
“Yes.”
The phone was snapped shut, abruptly ending the call.
+++
The cold eyes bore into the back of the woman’s head. No, too messy. Maybe she should go for an area that would not bleed too much. But then, the idea of taking her out was to send out a message. To all the others who tried to stifle global Japanese expansion plans—more personally to her American counterparts. She had been dormant for a while now, enjoying life to the fullest.
Over the past three years she had settled into a domestic relationship and was actually considering retirement. She really did not need the money anymore. She was lucky to have made great investments. Now all she wanted was to get the job done in such a way that would make her peers quake in their boots before she returned to Tokyo and her partner.
The woman turned abruptly. She quickly averted her eyes. She needed to think fast and find an ideal place to deal with her.
Location, location, location…
+++
Pushing a stubborn curl behind her ear, the grey eyes studied the woman carefully. She had not changed much. She was still as arrogant as ever. To boldly meet her target like this was dumb, sick, or just plain arrogant.
“Excuse me, ma’am. Would you like a refill?”
The blonde nodded without looking up. Come on, look up, she silently encouraged the woman, but the blonde was obviously deeply engrossed in the almost-transparent slices of flesh on her plate.
“Will that be all, ma’am?” She put a slight forceful tone in her voice and was rewarded by a cool blue gaze. That’s more like it. I need you to take note of me, Blue Eyes. She smiled softly when she saw the slight interest in the blue eyes.
“Well, what else do you have to offer,” came the lazy drawl and although she held the woman’s eyes, making her own interest known, the pain searing through her heart surprised her.
“As an honoured guest of Kong’s, your pleasure is my business, ma’am.” She smiled, showing just enough interest without coming across as unprofessional.
This time the lust in the blue eyes was unmistakable. Insatiable devil, she thought as she bowed deeply, trying to hide her triumphant smile.
“I will surely take you up on your offer, miss.”
One of the men at the table laughed softly at their display and leaned closer to the blonde.
“No need to hang around anymore, Logan. I know where to find you when I need you.” He turned to the other gentlemen around the table. “I have arranged for a guide to take us out to experience the nightlife here. If you are ready, we could return to the hotel where Logan will meet up with us.”
The blonde speared the last piece of the blowfish with her fork and popped it into her mouth, chewing the deadly treat with open relish. The businesswoman’s eyes turned to her, holding her grey ones.
“I have to make a quick phone call first if you don’t mind.”
+++
Three rings.
“Renoir.”
“I have to cancel.”
Closing the phone slowly, Logan once again felt overwhelmed by guilt. Here she was cancelling a sex date to have sex with a stranger in the backroom of a restaurant. How ironic was that? She lowered her head slightly.
To be honest, she was worried. She was worried because she was not careful anymore. It was almost as if she did not care any longer. Why could she not stay faithful to her partner? She had yearned for stability before, hoping it would cure her from her meaningless sexual encounters. Now she was threatening her somewhat perfect existence with the same muck she had run away from.
She looked up finding herself alone in the dining room. Lee and his entourage had left already. She glanced at her watch. She still had an hour before she had to be at the office. Coming to her feet, she sighed deeply. Oh, Manu, why am I doing this to you…to us? But still her feet led her down the hallway, past the kitchen and to the backroom.
+++
Manu was watching TV when she heard the key in the door. Sitting up straighter, she reached for the remote and turned down the volume. The door clicked closed and for a few seconds, there was no other sound. Manu cocked her head to the side. Silence greeted her as she slowly came to her feet.
“Lo…”
She heard the jangling of keys, then footsteps followed. Logan’s form filled the doorway. Manu could not help but see the tension in her broad shoulders and the clenching of her jaw. The blue eyes were infinitely sad and she took a quick step closer to her lover.
“What’s wrong, love? You look terrible.”
Knowing Logan well, she expected her to blow her off with some lame excuse and therefore was shocked when the blue eyes suddenly filled with tears.
“I can’t handle it anymore. I thought I could, but I just can’t.”
Deep, sorrowful sobs raked through the blonde’s body as Logan hugged herself tightly. Alarmed, Manu quickly stepped closer wrapping the sobbing woman in her arms.
“Oh, Logan, what’s wrong, baby,” she asked gently as she held her lover close to her heart.
This was totally uncharacteristic of Logan to break down like this. The business woman was iron-willed and very rarely showed her true emotions. Because she knew what she was looking for, she had seen that Logan was a little stressed the past two days, but she could not gauge the true extent of her anxiety. She held her tenderly as Logan cried until only sniffles remained. She gently swung the blonde up in her arms and carried her over to the couch where she sat, cradling her in her arms.
“If…If I t…tell you it would mean the end,” came the soft voice.
“What do you mean, my love?” She quietly lifted Logan’s chin from where it was buried against her breasts. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The blue eyes were dark with torment. They stared at her unblinkingly for a while before Logan looked away. Her usually steady hands were shaking as she rubbed over her eyes.
“I’ve been…I haven’t been honest with you, Manu.”
She nodded encouragingly. She was never one for suspense. Her job offered her way too much of that.
“Manu, I…I…” Logan stumbled to stuttering halt, her blue eyes scared. “I’ve been cheating on you for the past six months.”
+++
With the confession out in the open, Logan quickly looked away, scared of what she might see in those expressive amber eyes. When the silence stretched for longer than two minutes, she slowly turned back to face Manu. The amber eyes were unreadable as they looked back her. Unnerved by the uncharacteristic tension in her lover’s usually relaxed posture, she quickly looked away again.
“I’m sorry, Manu.”
Her voice thickened with emotion. “I never wanted to hurt you.”
“I know, Logan.”
The blue eyes filled with fresh tears.
“Can you ever forgive me, Manu? Please?”
This time the amber eyes were sad as they looked at her.
“I’ve known about your affairs for a very long time, Logan.”
Logan’s eyes widened and she felt a sharp pain pierce her heart. She had known all along and did not say anything—even when she had lied about it to her face. Oh, how Manu must have hurt knowing that she was lying. She felt the tears spill over, streaking down her cheeks.
“Oh, Manu…”
“I had six months to mourn the death of the confidence I’ve had in our relationship.” For the first time since they had met, Logan saw Manu wipe away a tear. “I don’t want to make you feel worse than you do already, Logan. But I have a few things to get off my chest as well as a few answers I need from you.”
Taking a shuddering breath, Logan nodded. To be fair, she owed Manu this much.
“I understand.”
The amber eyes hardened suddenly, making her stiffen slightly. For the first time she realized that there were so many layers to the woman she had been dating for the past two years. Looking closer at the tall, muscular woman, she was shocked that she had never seen it before. Emmanuelle did have a dangerous aura about her, deadly to be sure. The tall woman slowly lifted her from her lap and placed her gently on the couch next to her and stood up.
Stunned, by how her quiet, reserved lover had changed in the blink of an eye into the flint-eyed, deadly-looking stranger, Logan warily watch Manu pacing the thick carpet restlessly. The long legs came to an abrupt halt right in front of her.
“Can you tell me why, Logan?” The husky voice was calm.
Showtime, Logan, she told herself and sat up straighter. For a few seconds she debated how much she should tell, but discarded the thought immediately. She would tell the truth. Even if it would aid in Manu’s decision to leave her.
“I’m a sex addict, Manu. I’ve never admitted it to myself and I’ve never ever told anybody.” The only reaction was the slight widening of the amber eyes. “This is not an excuse. I should’ve confided in you a long time ago instead of going out and cheating.”
Logan watched anxiously as Manu pushed her fingers through her short curls.
“I know it’s a disorder, but we have a lot of sex together. What exactly were you looking for in the other women?”
Logan felt her stomach drop at the question. This was the most embarrassing for her to admit. She took a deep breath and made eye contact with her lover.
“I like it rough.”
+++
Manu nodded and came to sit on the couch next to a visibly nervous Logan. She was stunned by Logan’s honesty as well as her willingness to open up. It was obvious that she was more than willing to try and save their relationship.
“Like your alter ego Renoir.”
A loud gasp.
“You…how do you...?” Logan slowly lowered her head and Manu felt so incredibly sorry for the blonde. There was still so much to talk about and she was already struggling. But they need to get through this if they stood a chance at saving their relationship. She knew now that it was an illness, a treatable illness. But did she love Logan enough to want to try again? She had enough secrets of her own. She wondered what Logan’s reaction would be to her revelation.
“As much as you like it rough, you still prefer to remain anonymous, Logan.”
A puzzled look came into the blue eyes. “What…What are you saying?”
“Your escapades as Renoir usually took place in the dark. Am I right?” At Logan’s hesitant nod, she continued. “All this time that you were cheating on me, especially as your alter ego, Renoir, you were having sex with me. Even earlier in the backroom at Kong’s.”
Manu watched as the news sunk in. She watched as the blue eyes widened in horror, fear, and then confusion.
+++
Logan’s face was as white as a sheet as she averted her gaze. How was it possible? How could she not have known? She tried to recall some of the moments she had experienced with the faceless woman. They would meet in a dark dungeon in an exclusive nightclub. No words were spoken, except for the lewd comments coming from her as she allowed the larger woman to take her over and over again. She felt her cheeks burn at some of the acts they had committed together and the shame that washed over her made her stomach roll. What must Manu think of her? What was Manu thinking as she begged her, like a bitch in heat, to ravish her?
“Even before we started dating, I knew about your trips to the dungeon,” Manu said softly, jarring Logan from her thoughts. She looked up to see that the amber eyes were a little softer now. “In fact, that was where I saw you first.”
“What…why were you there. I mean…except for the obvious reasons.” Logan sighed at the sight of a dark brow lifting. “What I want to say is that I can’t see why you would go there.”
The amber eyes darkened. “I was there to meet someone who frequented the dungeon. After seeing you there I wanted to know you better and went back again until I managed to get closer to you.”
For a moment it was quiet in the room as they looked at each other. Logan shook her head slowly and lowered her head. Manu had wanted to meet her even though she knew why Logan went there. How could she have messed this up so badly?
“I’m so sorry, Manu.” Logan could hear herself say in a raspy voice. “I love you so much, but…but it…I was trying so hard.” She felt tears leaking from between her close eyes. “I wanted to be different for you. Wanted to be a better person for you.”
She felt a soft breeze and looked up to find Manu standing before her.
“I know, Logan.”
“Do you still love me, Manu?” Logan asked in a tiny voice, scared to believe that she might still be able to salvage their relationship. She saw Manu hesitate and felt her heart sink. It was too late.
“I do love you, Logan, but I can only stay with you if you are willing to get help for your addiction.” The amber eyes bored into hers. “You are strong, one of the strongest women I know, and I am convinced that you can beat this thing. You can also count on me to be there with you every step of the way.”
Logan nodded eagerly, a tremulous smile on her lips. Looking into the golden gaze of her partner, the magnitude of love she felt for this woman surprised her. She loved her more at this moment than ever before. She felt her heart expand with emotion, filling her chest and spilling over her lips.
“I love you so much, Emmanuelle.” She felt fresh tears trickle down her cheeks, blurring the image of Emmanuelle.
“Come here,” Manu said softly. Logan felt herself wrapped up in the strong arms of her lover. “Hush, now. I promise you everything will work out just fine.”
+++
They stood like that for a few moments as Manu felt a heavy load lift off her chest. It was liberating to have everything in the open, almost everything. She felt Logan burrowing deeper into her embrace and smiled weakly. She would be stupid to underestimate Logan. The woman had one of the sharpest minds she knew and it would not be long before she snapped out of this emotional dip to question her. Logan was sure to query her presence at the dungeon. After all, what would a shy, high school French teacher do at such a place? Maybe it was time for her to come clean too.
She gently held Logan away from her and looked down into her eyes. She was surprised to see a brilliant smile on the blonde’s beautiful face. She lifted a questioning eyebrow and saw the smile widen even further.
“I think you’re the sexiest woman alive and I am so happy that you’re my girlfriend.”
Manu grinned and planted a soft kiss on the upturned lips. “That’s good to know, my love.”
A slight movement out of the corner of her eye, made her head snap up just in time to see a flash under the harsh florescent lighting of the room. She quickly pushed Logan away from her, not ca
ring that the blonde tumbled over the sofa and rolled onto the carpeted floor. With a practiced side-step her hand snaked out and snatched the blade out of the air. Manu felt it slice through her finger as she twisted it, ready to launch it back to where it came from. Her eyes caught sight of the intruder and she was momentarily surprised by the identity of their unexpected visitor. It took a second to sum up the situation, seeing the shock register in the eyes of the assassin. She slowly dropped her hand with the dagger still clutched in it. She was unarmed, except for the dagger and it would be stupid to throw it, especially knowing that the assassin could have an arsenal of weapons stashed on her person.
“What an unpleasant surprise to find you here, Mystique,” came the heavily accented voice.
Plastering a fake smile on her face, Manu studied the black clad woman before her. Her eyes searched the assassin’s body for hidden weapons. Her gaze trailed over the woman’s tight leather pants and boots. She would have more blades stashed there. She also saw how the waist band of the pants strained tighter around the woman’s thin hips, cutting into her skin. That was a clear indication that she had a weapon pushed into the waistband behind her back. She rarely wore leather clothing to a hit, knowing that these little tell-tale signs were a dead giveaway and could be fatal. She fingered the blade in her hand and made a mental search of all the places in the lounge where she had hidden a weapon. The closest would be the Glock hidden under the large sofa. She only needed a diversion to get to it.
Blood Oaths Page 9
