Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 101427 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101427 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
I rolled my eyes.
“Does she not know about your brother?”
“I’ve told her about you.”
“Has she never heard about your Claws?”
“She has.”
“And yet no bento box for me or our men?”
Behind us, the Claws’ boots crunched harder into the gravel. They were measured steps turning into something just shy of loud stomps which told me that every last one of them was very fucking pissed about not getting my Tiger’s food.
Up ahead, a voice cried out for help once—then again, shorter, as if whatever breath he had left, the bamboo had punched out of him.
I sneered and raised my voice. “I have other things on my mind right now. If any of you are fucking hungry, I will have my chef make you all a five-course meal when we return to the house.”
I caught the tail end of a low, muttered “Hmph,” behind me, but no one owned it.
Are they really serious?
However, Kaede made a sharp sound—leather tugging tight as he adjusted his gloves.
The gesture was pointed.
Precise.
Pissed.
Hiro wagged his lollipop at me. “We have eaten your chef’s food many times. We have not had hers.”
“Smells like betrayal to me,” Toma muttered. “I would have killed a man for a bite of those yams. Glazed in warm bourbon butter? They sounded good.”
I looked back at him.
Toma went silent.
However, probably feeling bold the twins tilted their heads in perfect unison.
One whispered, “Macaroni.”
The other, “And cheese.”
I didn’t know which one spoke first, but they both annoyed me. Rolling my eyes, I returned my gaze to the front. “We are not talking about this right now.”
Hiro continued, “I asked every Fang just to make sure that I was hearing this all correctly. Do you know what I discovered?”
“I don’t care.”
“Not one box had my name on it. No cute little flower. Nothing. It would have been nice to know what symbol she would have drawn for me. And, I’m told that she has pretty handwriting.”
“No one forgot about the Claws or you—”
“But, food for your Eyes? Your EYES? Seriously? They do nothing, but watch breasts bob, cunts squirt, and you cum. They have the easy life. We risk our lives for you. We shed blood.”
Daisuke coughed into his fist. The timing was too perfectly petty to be coincidence.
I didn’t turn around, but I could feel the weight of their gazes pressing into my back. It was clear they would not let this stupid thing go unless I explained.
I growled, “Listen and I will only say this fucking once. There was no intentional slight to any of you. She made boxes for the people that were there. That’s it. There are no favorites. She happened to have left-over food and decided to give it to the men who were at the club.”
“Have you not told her about the importance of your Claws?”
I glared at him. “I have.”
“Yet.” Hiro looked over his shoulder. “None of them received even a small gesture. A cookie. A cupcake. Dare I say. . .a lollipop.”
“There were no cookies or cupcakes.”
“That may be true, but I am not pleased.” Hiro gestured behind him. “They are not pleased.”
There was a rustle of jackets and shifting shoulders.
Sighing, I checked the Claws behind us.
They all frowned my way.
I grumbled. “None of this matters. When the sun hits the sky, my rule is in place. No one eats my Tiger’s food. However, my chef can make you all a special—”
“Oh yes. The rule. I was told about this rule.” Hiro scowled.
“Who told you?”
“Reo. He should have been sleeping but instead he was shoveling macaroni and cheese into his mouth with chopsticks just to not break the upcoming rule. That’s how good the food was. It was outrageous.”
“Him eating after surgery?”
“No. Your rule. It’s unacceptable. Therefore, I want you to hear this straight from me.” With that Hiro placed the lollipop back in his mouth and huffed. “The Claws and I are breaking that rule.”
“You all break that rule and I will personally break your legs.”
“Then, we shall fight after breakfast.”
“What?”
“If she can make you all dinner, then surely she can make us all breakfast.”
“My Tiger is not making anyone breakfast.”
“Then, we will fight.”
To my shock, Toma muttered, “I don’t need breakfast, but I do need vengeance. And maybe some of that cornbread that they said was drizzled in hot honey.”
“We already have a war to win.” I glared at him. “We will not shift our focus to a damned battle over macaroni and cheese.”
Hiro remained quiet which told me he had not only made his final decision, but he would be plotting to get my Tiger in the kitchen as soon as possible.
And against all logic, amusement broke through my exasperation.
Shaking my head, I returned my gaze to the path.
Hiro spoke, "You suspect your Tiger’s guards of being the traitors that got Reo hurt?”
“I’m not sure if it was all of them, but I am suspecting Watari.”