Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“Thanks for the heads-up. You got any pictures or descriptions of my new friends?”
“Marilyn should have sent a file to your email in the last fifteen or twenty minutes with all the deets she has on these fuckers.”
“Good. Thanks.”
“West, you want backup?”
A smile formed on his lips as Alexei’s soft, earnest offer warmed the deeper parts of his fractured soul. “No, I’m good.”
“You sure? Because you know Soren and I don’t mind hopping on a plane first thing in the morning. We’re always down for a little mischief and mayhem in a new place.”
“Thanks. I’m good. I promise to call you first thing if shit gets crazy. There’s no way I’d let you miss out on this.”
“Damn straight, skippy. I’d never forgive you if I missed out on fun stuff.”
West hung up a moment later, the smile still lingering on his lips. Some of the tension that had tightened his chest and threatened to strangle him had dissipated, allowing him to breathe easier. Jin was still a strange place, but he felt better having talked to Kairo and Alexei. Yeah, shit was weird here, but he had people he could always depend on. People who would always have his back.
For now, he just had to figure out how to handle his meeting with Crown Prince Jin Long Wei, and possibly a pair of idiot assassins.
4
JIN LONG WEI
“Go away, Qin. I’m fine on my own. I don’t need you here for this,” Jin admonished for the third time since he climbed out of the car and started walking toward the park. He fought the urge to check his phone again and bitterly reminded himself that he hadn’t been smart enough to give Mr. West a way to contact him if he ran into an issue and couldn’t make their meeting. There was no text or email waiting to tell him that John wasn’t coming.
Qin continued to dog his steps. “You know nothing about this reporter. Or even if he is a reporter. How do you know he’s not an assassin sent by a foreign power to kill you?”
“That is very unlikely. We are beneath the notice of most foreign powers.”
“Then it’s someone trying to stir up a scandal. Someone is trying to capture some images of you with this man to damage your reputation.”
Jin rolled his eyes at the very idea. As if anyone would care or believe that he was in a compromising position with another person. It was his understanding that most of the kingdom was begging him to find a partner and settle into wedded bliss. They’d take any pictures like that as a good sign.
“Go away, Qin. I’m serious. How does it look for a prince’s assistant not to obey his wishes? If anyone is undermining my authority and creating a scene, it’s you,” he hissed. He tugged one last time at the cuffs of his shirt under his suit jacket and the ankle-length black coat he was wearing, noticing at last that he was missing a spare pair of footsteps on the concrete sidewalk.
That was when he made the mistake of glancing over his shoulder to see Qin’s little shoulders slumped and his head bowed. He tangled his fingers together in front of his chest on his phone. His clingy mushroom of an assistant was pouting, and Jin was weak.
Closing his eyes, Jin tried to harden his heart and pull together the words he needed to say to send Qin to the car or even the palace to wait for him. This was supposed to be one tiny hour to himself. Was that too much to ask?
Yes. Yes, it was.
“Qin,” he snapped and then caved. “You may tag along for this interview, but you must remain at least two meters behind me, and you may not interject your thoughts and opinions.”
Qin’s head snapped up and his mouth popped open in outrage, as if he couldn’t believe Jin would accuse him of butting his opinion into matters unsolicited.
Jin ignored it and marched to his assistant, one finger pointed at that open mouth. “And that includes snickers, sniffing, snorting, sighing, and any other noises. If you are tagging along, you are a silent shadow.” Jin turned around but stopped and swung back to Qin. “That also includes rolling your eyes.”
The assistant he had known since high school stared at him as though he were the most ridiculous creature to ever stumble along on two legs. “How could you hear me roll my eyes?”
“I know. I can feel it. Now, please, behave.” Jin started walking toward the meeting spot, followed by Qin’s steady footsteps. He didn’t want his assistant there, but it was a good idea. It was just that he was nervous, and knowing that Qin’s wide eyes were taking everything in was not helping with his growing anxiety. It was bad enough that he’d changed clothes four times for this meeting, vacillating between various suits and a soft sweater.