12. Dominic
Sweat dripped down my face, and my chest heaved from the fight’s exertion. A tsunami had swept through my body and soul, leaving me breathless and longing for more.
In a matter of minutes, my life had changed.
I stared after Bree, unable to tear my gaze away from the door through which she’d just disappeared, fleeing from the ring. My heart pounded with a mix of adrenaline and desire so intense, it blazed a path through my veins.
Her magic was unlike anything I’d encountered before. It was seductive, almost erotic, and I’d wanted to bathe in her glory rather than fight against her. She moved with an experienced fighter’s grace as if she’d been training her entire life.
Yet I’d never seen someone with her magic fight or even train in this ring, and I’d made it a point to watch or keep up with most Subliminal matches over the years. There wasn’t a chance in hell I’d simply missed mention of someone like her.
As my dragon spirit flowed back into my skin, it roared in frustration, an urge to chase after Bree consuming every fiber of our combined being. The disappointment of losing my first fight only served to fuel my determination to win her heart, and an unspoken understanding settled deep within that she would be mine.
My chosen mate.
I wiped the sweat from my brow and took a deep, steadying breath. Silently, I promised to show Bree just how much I wanted her and the lengths I would go to prove it.
“Told you she’d wipe the floor with your sorry ass.” Chuckling from the sidelines, Frankie reached beneath the rope and grabbed the oath-keeper. She tossed the grey rock into the air once then slipped it into her pocket. “Such a shame I can’t convince her to fight for me, eh?”
I needed to use the ropes to pull myself to my feet, the unsettling power of Bree’s magic still coursing through my unsteady legs. Not to mention the bruises already forming along my jaw and ribs.
“Is she what I think she is?” No water witch I knew could wield magic like that.
The old woman clucked her tongue. “Not my secret to tell, lizard boy. Now get lost and stop pesterin’ us.”
Like hell I would. Straightening my back, I met her gaze with a fiery determination that burned to the depths of my soul. “The oath-keeper only stops me from discussing the fight, not from continuing to pursue Bree.”
Frankie’s lips quirked to the side. “Fightin’ dirty, I see. A dragon is as a dragon does, I s’pose. Welp, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She gestured to the front door as she headed for her office. “Show yourself out.”
I glanced back in the direction Bree had fled. The memory of her earlier singing swirled around me. It was an enchanting melody that stirred something primal within me. Her voice and the feelings it provoked solidified my belief that I knew what she was.
Her scent, a mixture of saltwater and jasmine, clung to me like an invisible tether that bound us together. Every cell in my body screamed at me to find her, claim her, make her understand that we were meant for each other.
However, following her wouldn’t do much good at the moment. I knew wherever that door led, she was long gone from here.
No matter.
I would figure out a way to win her over, and then she would be mine.
After a showerand change of clothes back at my Wharf penthouse, I settled into my leather chair and switched on the computer. My thoughts turned to the task at hand—planning the perfect surprise date.
One date.
That was all I needed to prove I wasn’t whoever she thought I was and win her over. I was sure of it. If the only way I could get her on a date was by surprise, then I’d make sure the entire night was unforgettable.
The idea of giving Bree a night filled with romance and adventure filled me with an unfamiliar eagerness. To everyone but my closest friends, I was a playboy and only good for my skill in the ring. Little more than hired muscle.
Hiding the truth was the only way to keep a target off my back. I would own the Sato empire by the time anyone figured my plan out, and by then, I would be unstoppable.
Deceiving everyone, particularly Ichiro and Kenzo, was one of the few joys in my life.
But for Bree, I would show a side of myself that most believed I was incapable of. One that was gentle, caring, and utterly devoted to her happiness.
As I considered the patterns of our lives thus far, a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. A janitor at Subliminal. Either fate had a sense of humor, or it was merely a cruel twist of irony that had brought us together under such unlikely circumstances.
She wasn’t exactly who she was pretending to be, either. Her magic might have been unlike anything I’d personally experienced before, but I recognized the signs from my studies of various Gifted types. She was a siren, or a mermaid as humans called her kind. I’d bet my life on it.
As far as I knew, sirens didn’t suddenly grow legs and walk on land. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had claimed to see a siren, on land or at all. If someone had, they kept it a secret. A closely guarded secret, since few in the Gifted population could keep secrets from someone as resourceful and wealthy as a Sato.
No, there was more to Bree’s story, and I was determined to discover it all.
Regardless of who or what she truly was, I knew one thing for certain—she had awakened something within me, a fierce desire to protect and cherish her that went beyond mere attraction. I would stop at nothing to claim her as my mate.
Jou rumbled his agreement before settling in for a nap.
After jotting down my ideas, I called my closest friends for a virtual group meeting on my computer. One by one, Rin, Keiko, and Aaron’s faces popped into view on the video call.
Sweat dripped down Rin’s cheeks as the camera bounced, hints of greenery flashing behind him. Running, yet again.
In the video next to his, Keiko’s black hair spread across a white pillow beneath her head. She blinked sleepily and rubbed at her face. Pulling all-nighters was typical for an assassin.
In contrast, Aaron sat at his office desk, most likely awake and working since the sun came up. His typing didn’t cease despite connecting to the call.
“What’s up, boss?” Rin asked, his face red.
We were all equals, yet Rin had coined the nickname “boss” for me as a pseudo-leader. Apparently, I was the glue that bound us all together over the years.
“I need a favor.” I was going to break my promise to leave Bree alone in the best way I knew how, which meant I needed reinforcements.
Stifling a yawn, Keiko quirked an eyebrow. “Awful early for a favor.”
“Not all of us live such glamorous lives as you,” Aaron muttered, never once pausing his typing.
She rolled over and rested her cheek on her arm. “Oh yes, having to scrub blood and guts from one’s body before downing a few Ambiens just to sleep is so glamorous.”
At that, the accountant stopped typing and looked directly into the camera. “You take Ambien because you drink an exorbitant amount of caffeine every day. You love what you do, guts and all, and yes, attending extravagant parties to learn your marks’ routines is considered glamorous.”
Her lips curled into a devious smirk, revealing the slightest hint of fang. “Touché.”
Rin slowed to a stop and grinned, though his chest continued to heave with deep breaths. “That’s my girl.”
These three could continue for hours if I let them. “If you’ve finished with the pleasantries?”
Keiko covered her mouth with a hand, stifling another yawn. “Out with it.”
Carefully avoiding any details regarding the fight due to the oath-keeper, I told them where and how I’d found Bree, her real name, and explained my date idea. The plan earned equal parts taunts and laughs, but they all agreed to do their part.
Now I just had to wait until evening.
The landline rang. My friends’ banter fell silent as they watched me anxiously. Only one person used my landline, and it was never just to chat.
With a sigh, I lifted the receiver. I didn’t keep much from my friends, so there was no need for discretion. “Yes, sir?”
“There’s a large shipment coming in tonight,” Ichiro said. “I need you to ensure it gets here without any trouble.”
My grip on the phone tightened. “With respect, sir, can someone else go in my stead? Perhaps Kenzo? I’ve a prior commitment.”
It was a long shot, and risky to even ask without drawing the old man’s ire. But she was worth the risk.
His grandfather’s voice was sharp. “What commitment?”
“A personal one.”
A heavy silence fell over the line before Ichiro answered. “As much as it pains me to say, I need the best. I will not ask you again. Do not disappoint me.”
Gritting my teeth, I knew arguing would be futile. “As you wish.”
“I’ll have Akio send you the details. And, boy?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Don’t fuck this up.”
The line went dead.
Replacing the receiver, I laughed humorlessly. I couldn’t afford to fuck anything up. Unlike Kenzo and my other cousins, the old man wouldn’t hesitate to kill me for one wrong move.
I returned my gaze to my friends’ knowing faces on the monitor. “I’ll have to postpone the date.”
“Call him back and tell him no.” Keiko sat up and glared into the camera. “He treats you like shit. I mean, way more than the rest of us.”
Frustration and disappointment rolled through my thoughts and emotions like thunder, but my determination to win Bree over didn’t waver. I wouldn’t let this setback discourage me. “This is important for the plan, but I will make this date happen sooner rather than later.”
We’d spent years putting our plan into action, ensuring no one could take over the Sato businesses except me. I couldn’t rock the boat now with the end almost in sight. But once Ichiro officially named me as heir, I’d sink that ship faster than the Titanic.
As I wrapped up the call with my friends, I couldn’t shake the feeling that winning Bree’s heart had become more than just a challenge. It was as if fate had set us on a collision course, destined to change both our lives forever.