1.1 | The Yakuza Bride

Chapter 45

Out of the corner of her eyes she could see men in dark coats, surrounding her, drawing a tight circle around her.

'Mr Gonzales wants to see you,' the man said with his lips tugged into a sly smile.

Her hands hung awkwardly by her side. She didn't know what to do or where to go. Stray strands of her hair tickled her face as she stared defiantly back at her would-be captor, her eyes burning with rage.

Her knife would be useless in such a situation. Why hadn't she thought of bringing one of Leon's guns with her? Where was Val?

She cast a glance to the side. Run and die? Or go with them and die?

In a split second, she had brought her blade to press against his jugular.

She didn't know the man's name. He remained unfazed.

'Tell Mr Gonzales,' she spat, 'that I have a plane to catch.'

Juan's men, it seemed, could be as calm as he was. His arms remained by his side as he raised an immaculate brow.

'Mrs Federov,' he said, 'it would hurt less if you come with us without trouble.'

With a sudden jolt of boldness, she applied pressure onto the blade. A thin line of blood surfaced but he did not wince. Instead, he raised a hand to wave away the few guns that had been pulled out.

'Have you not looked around you?' he asked with a smile. 'Your husband's men can't get you.'

'I'll take my chances.'

'Chances?' he echoed before an ugly sneer replaced his surprised features. 'Then I think you should look up.'

With a frown creasing her brow, she slowly brought her face up, her eyes scanning the blocks of buildings across the road. What did he want her to see? Then her eyes widened and she let out a gasp. No way!

She shook her head over and over again.

'No, no, no,' she muttered under her breath, her tone desperate.

On the very top of the apartment block across the road, three men were standing in a huddle. No, not a huddle, for one was held back by a length of rope tied around his waist. Half his body was already over the edge.

'If you don't come with us,' he said, 'we will drop your friend over.'

'How can you?' she demanded. 'He isn't involved in this!'

They truly didn't care for human lives, did they? How could he mention murder so easily? There were plenty of pedestrians about, all seemingly oblivious to the fact that above their heads, someone was about to die. She increased her pressure on the blade and more blood trickled out. Could she do it? Her fingers trembled at the thought of killing this man.

'You can't do it, can you?' he intoned, voicing the thoughts in her head. 'It's not in your nature. You are just a little girl who came to New York to marry a mobster, so you should leave the killing to him. Besides, they will drop him if you kill any of us. You don't want him to die, do you?'

'You don't know me,' she snarled. How dare this man be so bold?

'We have eyes to see and ears to hear. He'll be a mess, your ex-boyfriend. Blood everywhere, broken bones, bits of brain, a smashed face.'

How could he say all those like they were just having an ordinary conversation?

'No. I won't go,' she said. She tried to make her voice as hard as steel, just like how Leon would do when he had to deal with difficult people.