The Masseuse (22 page)
Smiling up at him, she shrugged her thin shoulders. “As well as I could be,
oppa
.”
Ramsey nodded easily.
Oppa
was a term of respect for an older male, and despite him telling her numerous times she didn’t have to refer to him by that name, Sarah held onto it. She was traditional that way. Born and raised in Busan, South Korea, she seemed intent on keeping certain things with her despite her new setting.
“How’s Bastian?”
Sarah’s smile faded slightly, but she answered anyway. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in almost a week.”
Ramsey frowned. It was times like these when he was tempted to force Bastian and Sarah to divorce. It was clear to anyone with eyes that they were both miserable in the marriage. “Sarah…”
“Thank you for taking us to the circus,
oppa
.” She smiled, but the sadness in her eyes remained. “Lily has been asking to go for months.” Her eyes landed on her daughter, who was weaving through the crowd searching out more stalls to buy things. “Cirque du Soleil is one of her favorites.”
He nodded. “You don’t have to thank me, Sarah. You’re family.”
Sarah’s eyes caught his again, and she smiled and nodded. “I don’t have to thank you,
oppa
. I want to.” In her smile, Ramsey remembered a shy but beautiful seventeen-year-old who’d been promised to him. He’d never wanted an arranged marriage and had argued with his grandfather over it too many times to count, but when he’d seen her first, he’d faltered. He’d been young, just twenty-one, and being around a beautiful girl who thought he hung the moon had stroked his ego. Despite her beauty, he’d rejected the marriage, instead choosing to pursue his education abroad, and Bastian had taken his place.
Not only was Sarah beautiful, she was the only daughter of Kwan Min Ho, leader of the
Chil Sung Pa
or the Seven Star Mob. Both his grandfather and Kwan had wanted the alliance and didn’t care how it came about. One grandson had been just as good as the other for Kwan, but Sarah hadn’t had a choice. It was why he insisted on giving her one now.
“If you’re unhappy with this…arrangement, Sarah, you don’t have to stay in it.”
She blinked rapidly, before shaking her head. “Where would I go,
oppa
? Back to my father in disgrace?”
“No.” He shook his head and frowned. “As I said before, you’re family and I take care of family.”
She stared at him for long moments, before she asked, “Would you take me in, Kang Jae?” Her eyes moved around and fixed on something. He followed her gaze to find Lily standing at a stall with stuffed animals, chattering happily with the vendor. In her white muslin dress and green and white sandals, she looked a vision. “Would you take
us
in?”
Ramsey might have answered in the affirmative if he didn’t know there was more behind the question than just giving her a place to stay.
“Sarah, I...”
She suddenly shook her head and inhaled deep. A blush stole over her cheeks as she took a step back, “I’m sorry,
oppa
. I didn’t mean…what I meant was that I’m fine.” She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Lily and I are fine.”
They caught up to Lily at the booth with stuffed animals.
“Uncle Ramsey,” Lily began, eyeing all of the other stuffed animals in his arms before holding up another one. “Can I have this one too?”
“Lily,” Sarah chided. “You already bought so many—”
“But Ma…” Even as she spoke, Lily gazed at him hopefully.
“It’s okay, Sarah,” Ramsey said.
Sarah smiled as she surveyed his arms. “You don’t have space for anymore,
oppa
.”
Ramsey chuckled and looked for the two men who’d been escorting him around since the FBI raid. He didn’t usually move around with shadows, but after learning of the leak in his family, he’d been more cautious.
Looking back to Sarah, he smirked. He’d just found space.
***
“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
Jezebel gripped the rim of the toilet bowl and shook her head. “No.”
“Do I have ‘idiot’ stamped across my forehead?” Delilah muttered with a scoff. “You’ve been sick every day for the past week and you’ve been guzzling down my Ben & Jerry’s ice cream like it’s going out of style.” Jezebel frowned. It wasn’t Delilah’s ice cream. She’d bought it. “You’re pregnant with Ramsey’s baby.”
“Go away.” Morning sickness had just turned into general sickness because it was just after 7 at night and here she was, hanging over the porcelain bowl, feeling like her intestines were about to come through her mouth. It felt even uglier than it sounded.
When her sister didn’t reply, Jezebel sighed. Delilah had actually listened to her. She flushed the toilet, before pushing her body upward. Moving to the sink, she turned on the tap, and washed her mouth out, before washing her face and the back of her neck.
She hated Ramsey Stone! Not only was he involved in illegal dealings, he’d knocked her up and in doing so, had given her a perpetual sickness bug! She groaned as her body began to burn up. She needed to get out of this suit!
As she stood to her full height and undid the buttons of her shirt, she found Delilah standing just inside the bathroom door, arms crossed over her chest and staring at her.
“I thought you left.”
Her sister smirked and rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why.”
Jezebel shook her head, stripping down to her underwear. She heard the water for the shower turn on and Delilah walked past her. “I’ll make you some tea. Tea always made me feel better after being sick.”
Her sister was at the door when Jezebel sighed and murmured, “Thanks.”
***
After filling Grant’s arms with stuffed animals, Lily was finally satisfied with her purchases. For his acquiescence to her demands, Ramsey had received an enthusiastic hug. Now, arms swinging at her sides, she walked ahead of them in the direction of Ramsey’s truck. There were other children milling around and every so often, one would run into her and they’d talk and laugh, before moving on. A few boys approached her and Ramsey felt his heart swell with pride when she looked over her shoulder and pointed at him. His scowl drove them away fast enough.
At his side, Sarah chuckled. “What are you going to do when she starts dating,
oppa
?”
Ramsey smirked. “She’ll be twenty-one and more than capable of taking care of herself then.”
She laughed at that, eyes sparkling as her face glowed happily.
Lily was approaching the parking lot when Ramsey called to her, “Careful, Li!”
The sun was setting, but there were bright lights in the parking lot to show guests to their cars. As he watched, another girl ran up to Lily and the two began chatting. Very soon, Lily was holding one of the girl’s ribbons and they were chasing each other around happily.
“Lily told me about your friend,” Sarah began softly, stealing a quick glance up at him.
“My friend?”
“Jezebel.”
He nodded.
“I thought she’d be here today, and I’d be able to meet her.”
“She was busy,” he said. She would meet her eventually.
“So it’s serious,
oppa
?”
“Yes.”
Sarah smiled. “I’m glad. I sometimes worry about you.”
His brows furrowed as he looked down at her. “Why?”
“You need a family.”
“I have a family,” he reminded.
She nodded, but continued, “A wife and children,
oppa
. I’m glad you found her.”
They continued walking and Ramsey remembered his promise to Lily. “Sarah, how do you feel about a puppy?”
Instantly, Sarah looked confused. “A puppy?”
“Yes. I was thinking of getting Lily a pup—”
Tires screeched loudly in the distance and Ramsey heard a scream—a child’s scream—before it cut off abruptly. Ice snaked down his spine as he jerked his head up and looked for his niece. Around him, people were screaming and yelling. As if in slow motion, a black sedan sped past, almost hitting people in its haste to get away. Dropping the stuffed animals, Ramsey ran in the direction of the growing crowd, pushing through screaming and weeping bodies to the center.
The first thing he saw was her dress. He’d teased her about the white dress when he arrived at her condo to pick her up, and she’d confided that Sarah had made her wear it. Lily didn’t wear white because she always got it dirty, but she’d managed to keep it clean for Sarah’s sake. The pristine dress was now streaked with red and black—blood and tire marks. Her body was contorted at an impossible angle, and she was too still.
“Somebody call 911!”
“Is there a doctor in the crowd?”
“…just ran over that little girl!”
The sounds faded in and out as Ramsey stared down at his niece, willing her tiny body to move, to breathe. As seconds passed and it didn’t—she didn’t—Ramsey tossed his head back and released an anguished cry. Falling to his knees beside her, he brushed her matted, bloodied hair from her face. His hand trembled, but he placed two fingers to her neck, praying for a pulse, just a pulse no matter how faint.
And then he was being dragged away and paramedics were surrounding her. Ramsey stared at them in shock and confusion. At that moment, sound came back to him, almost deafening him. He heard a cry—a cry more anguished than any he could release—and looked in the direction. Sarah was on her hands and knees wailing as Otis stood by, watchful and ready. Ramsey went to her, lifting her into his arms, and burying her face against his neck.
“Nooooooo!” she moaned, fighting him. “Nooooooo!”
Ramsey held her tighter, and began a brisk walk to his truck. After depositing her into the backseat—she’d fainted at some point and Ramsey knew that was merciful—he turned to the shadow who watched him gravelly.
“Otis, take Sarah home and stay with her.” He handed the man his car keys. “No one comes in or goes out of the condo.”
He turned back to Grant, who was jogging back to him. “Anything?”
“He was too fast,” Grant muttered, visibly winded from chasing the car, and holding something up. Ramsey looked closer. White flowers?
“He threw this out of the car.” Despite his clenched jaw, Ramsey managed to say, “I’m getting into the ambulance with Lily. Follow us.”
The man nodded once.
As Ramsey moved back to his niece, who was now wearing a neck-brace and an oxygen mask, he whipped out his cellular phone and called Vince. Someone had run over his niece and he wanted answers. He wanted to know who’d ordered it, because there was little doubt in Ramsey’s mind that this was no accident. The driver had tossed a bouquet of lilies out of his window. He wanted to know everything about the events that had just unfolded, but more than that, much more than knowing anything: Kang Jae Ramsey Stone wanted blood.
Author’s Note
Well, I certainly hope you enjoyed this tale. I know many of you are screaming, “What? That’s it? Is it really over?” and the answer is, “Yes, this story is over, but there’s more to come!” The next story in this saga is called “The Dragon” and should be out shortly. Thank you all for reading and I’ll be back!
Author’s Biography
Violette Dubrinsky is the author of the Dark God, Warrior, Crescent Moon, and Moonlight Sagas. She is currently a full time graduate student and part-time writer. She enjoys creating stories with strong heroines and the leading heroes who “tame” them…and by tame, she means, learns to accept their stubborn, unchangeable ways. Violette is currently working on the sequel to
The Masseuse
, sequel(s) to
Taken By Moonlight
, sequel(s) to
Warrior
, and a host of standalone stories.
Violette can be reached at [email protected], on her website (below) or on Facebook (below). She loves feedback so feel free to email her, leave comments on her blog, or Facebook her (the quickest way to get a response). And be sure to check out the free reads of her website.
Website
: violettedubrinsky.wordpress.com
Facebook
: https://www.facebook.com/violette.dubrinsky
The Fantasyland
:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/violettedubrinskyfantasyland
Author’s Other Works
Colorblind (Amazon Bestseller)
Taken By Moonlight (Amazon Bestseller)
Under a Crescent Moon (Amazon/All Romance Bestseller)
Warrior
Bound
Fallen
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