man in an expensive-looking suit. He was built like a linebacker.
“More assassins?” Tom said casually. He pushed Evey off him and stood up. He faced the man down as the form approached them swiftly.
“Don't get in the way, Tom,” the man said. Tom mused that he would have this guy on the floor in seconds, and then would go pluck one of those fat-looking coconuts from the nearby trees.
“You don't know who you're dealing with...”
Tom tried to deliver a karate punch, but his forearm was immediately captured by his opponent’s huge hands. Tom felt his arm twist around behind his back, and a pain like a hot knife shot into his shoulder. He crumpled to the ground.
“ Ahh. God damn it…”
A high-pitched ringing sound broke the air, and he suddenly couldn't move. He clutched his hands against his ears. All Tom could do was flop onto his back, and watch helplessly as the huge assassin approached the screaming Evey. He saw massive hands reach for his lover’s throat.
********
“This one is with me, slut.”
The gray and black world came crashing back into existence.
Tom felt like he'd been thrown from a thirty story building as the ground under him suddenly returned to solid cold concrete floor. He rubbed his head and shook it from side to side violently. A smoky haze was lifted from his thoughts, but he still couldn't focus.
“Fuck. Fuck. Where--”
“Relax, Tom,” said Keda, who was kneeling down over him. Behind Keda was another man Tom didn't recognize, a slim Japanese man with wild hair, wearing a purple dress shirt. Tom gave a bleary wave to him. The stranger nodded in acknowledgement.
Tom realized he was back in the club. He sat up as Keda handed him a glass of ice water, from which he took a grateful gulp. He looked around for Evey.
“Where's...?”
“Over there.”
Keda thumbed to the wall behind himself. Tom saw Harold's huge form holding up a girl he recognized as Evey by the throat. She was choking out an apology.
“Mr. Saldana... I'm--”
“If you say sorry, I will snap your useless legs.”
“ Harold. For God's sake, what are you doing? ” Tom cried out in protest, trying to stand. Keda and the guy in the purple shirt gently held him in place.
“Stay back, Tom,” Harold commanded. Tom obeyed. “This is my fault. I apologize. I'll take out my frustration on this one.”
Evey no longer had her cute brown haircut. She had long black hair that was totally obscuring her face. Her fingers seemed longer with prominent knuckles, almost emaciated. Tom suddenly understood what was going on, and groaned loudly, no longer trying to stand up. Tom took a long sip from his glass of water, and Keda released him. He felt like the biggest idiot to ever walk the earth.
“She snared you,” Artie's voice cut in from behind him. Artie knelt down next to Tom and patted his shoulder. “You lucid?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I'm back. I hit you, didn't I?”
“Yeah, and you hit like a bitch.”
“I guess I should be thankful for that, then.”
“Yeah, I should too.” Artie's laugh. Tom was actually glad to hear it.
Harold turned his head back and barked back at Keda.
“Shinichiro, get those two out of here. This was a bad idea. Take them to Shibuya, or Roppongi, I don't give a fuck. I'll catch up.”
“Yes, Harold.”
Harold turned to look at Tom. His grip tightened around Evey, whose arms looked suspiciously longer than they had a moment ago.
“I apologize, Mr. Bell. There's a thousand American dollars in my account with your name on it, to make up for this little mishap.”
Tom shook his head.
“That's...”
“Get a decent drink and a real woman. I'll meet you later. Okay?”
Tom nodded his head dumbly, still bleary from the ordeal. “Sure thing, Harold.”
Harold smiled at Tom warmly. His face returned to a death glare as he turned to look back at his captive. Keda couldn't shuffle them out of there fast enough.
As the door to the stairwell snapped shut behind them, Tom
“More assassins?” Tom said casually. He pushed Evey off him and stood up. He faced the man down as the form approached them swiftly.
“Don't get in the way, Tom,” the man said. Tom mused that he would have this guy on the floor in seconds, and then would go pluck one of those fat-looking coconuts from the nearby trees.
“You don't know who you're dealing with...”
Tom tried to deliver a karate punch, but his forearm was immediately captured by his opponent’s huge hands. Tom felt his arm twist around behind his back, and a pain like a hot knife shot into his shoulder. He crumpled to the ground.
“ Ahh. God damn it…”
A high-pitched ringing sound broke the air, and he suddenly couldn't move. He clutched his hands against his ears. All Tom could do was flop onto his back, and watch helplessly as the huge assassin approached the screaming Evey. He saw massive hands reach for his lover’s throat.
********
“This one is with me, slut.”
The gray and black world came crashing back into existence.
Tom felt like he'd been thrown from a thirty story building as the ground under him suddenly returned to solid cold concrete floor. He rubbed his head and shook it from side to side violently. A smoky haze was lifted from his thoughts, but he still couldn't focus.
“Fuck. Fuck. Where--”
“Relax, Tom,” said Keda, who was kneeling down over him. Behind Keda was another man Tom didn't recognize, a slim Japanese man with wild hair, wearing a purple dress shirt. Tom gave a bleary wave to him. The stranger nodded in acknowledgement.
Tom realized he was back in the club. He sat up as Keda handed him a glass of ice water, from which he took a grateful gulp. He looked around for Evey.
“Where's...?”
“Over there.”
Keda thumbed to the wall behind himself. Tom saw Harold's huge form holding up a girl he recognized as Evey by the throat. She was choking out an apology.
“Mr. Saldana... I'm--”
“If you say sorry, I will snap your useless legs.”
“ Harold. For God's sake, what are you doing? ” Tom cried out in protest, trying to stand. Keda and the guy in the purple shirt gently held him in place.
“Stay back, Tom,” Harold commanded. Tom obeyed. “This is my fault. I apologize. I'll take out my frustration on this one.”
Evey no longer had her cute brown haircut. She had long black hair that was totally obscuring her face. Her fingers seemed longer with prominent knuckles, almost emaciated. Tom suddenly understood what was going on, and groaned loudly, no longer trying to stand up. Tom took a long sip from his glass of water, and Keda released him. He felt like the biggest idiot to ever walk the earth.
“She snared you,” Artie's voice cut in from behind him. Artie knelt down next to Tom and patted his shoulder. “You lucid?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I'm back. I hit you, didn't I?”
“Yeah, and you hit like a bitch.”
“I guess I should be thankful for that, then.”
“Yeah, I should too.” Artie's laugh. Tom was actually glad to hear it.
Harold turned his head back and barked back at Keda.
“Shinichiro, get those two out of here. This was a bad idea. Take them to Shibuya, or Roppongi, I don't give a fuck. I'll catch up.”
“Yes, Harold.”
Harold turned to look at Tom. His grip tightened around Evey, whose arms looked suspiciously longer than they had a moment ago.
“I apologize, Mr. Bell. There's a thousand American dollars in my account with your name on it, to make up for this little mishap.”
Tom shook his head.
“That's...”
“Get a decent drink and a real woman. I'll meet you later. Okay?”
Tom nodded his head dumbly, still bleary from the ordeal. “Sure thing, Harold.”
Harold smiled at Tom warmly. His face returned to a death glare as he turned to look back at his captive. Keda couldn't shuffle them out of there fast enough.
As the door to the stairwell snapped shut behind them, Tom
Similar Books
