Chapter FIFTEEN

604 52 4
                                    

River O'riley

"Frankie.. Xiāoshī de gōngzhǔ.." Like a mythical creature from a long lost legend, Frankie Xiao exists before my very eyes.. "You're the vanishing princess.. Fei Xiao's missing daughter.." I gape at her with a disbelieving daze..

I am not proud of myself for the thought that occurs, but it does and there is no sense in denying it..
She must be worth millions.. The Red Dragon would pay a hell'uva lot of money to get her back..

What would Li Jun be willing to do in order to keep that from happening?

"I am." She climbs to her feet and bows her head..

"Fuck me dead." I blow out a leery breath, following her to my feet..

"Are you angry, Master River?" She wraps her arms around herself..

"At you? No.. I'm just a bit-- It's a fekin' miracle you're alive, Li--Frankie.." Suddenly she is like a whole new creature, an exotic treasure, Triad Royalty.. A crown jewel far more complicated than I had begun to conceive..

"I like better when you call me Lilly.. I feel different.." Her gaze drops meekly.. "Don't want to be Frankie anymore."

"Aye, then that's what I'll call you.." I take a hypnotised step closer..

I can't believe I found Fei Xiao's lost daughter..

I can't believe how fucking beautiful she is.. Or that she wants my cake.. "I knew you were precious, Lilly, but this-- Your Da's gotta be lookin' for ya like a madman! If we go to The Dragon--"

"Can't go home.. Nobody will believe.. Disgusting lies.." She rubs her tattoo and shys away at the suggestion..

"What if I make them believe?" I insist.

She curls her fingers through her hair to tug at it anxiously.. "You can't-- River--"

I reach across to stop her wasted worrying.. "Lilly.. You won't change me' mind on this.. You can'ae see what needs to be done.. But I can.."

Adamant tension wires her petite shoulders tight.. "I don't want this.."

"What do you want?" The thud in my chest beats like a deafening drum in my ears..

"To stay here.. With you.." Pleading with me though dark half moons, she melts my defences to mud..

My foresight is fast becoming increasingly murky.. I sigh.. "I can'nae keep ye' locked up in my apartment forever.. How is that any different to what Li Jun did? You told me to be good.. This is the only way I know how to do right by ya.."

She shifts on her feet.. "Don't know.. Want to believe.. But.. It's so hard.. Xīn luàn rú má.."

She uses the Chengyu-- 'Xīn luàn rú má.'
A chinese idiom that translates to something like; having thoughts in a whirl or a chaotic sense of centre..

I take it to mean that she is confused and unsure. "Lilly.. I can'nae imagine yer' father wouldn't be happy to see ya again.. He's been lookin' for you--"

She balls her hands into fists.. "I am not the same."

"What if we get rid of that.." I point towards the tattoo behind her ear, the one that brings her shame and self hatred because it brands her as something she is not..

"Is it possible?" Fascination flashes though her glimmering gaze and she blinks softly though sharply upswept eyes.. Eyes that captivate me and dull my willpower to resist her loveliness..

My chest is stricken by guilty desire and my head swimming in adulterated thoughts.. Dirty and diluted dreams spiked with masculine toxicity..

Urges deep in me that dictates my need to keep her all to myself.. To protect her and provide for her.. To see her shiver in delight instead of fear.. To make her mine.

Lord.. I know that I am a corrupted, damnable man.. I will repent.. I will pay penance.. Just give me the strength to save her.. From her past and from myself..

"O'course.. You could cover it up.." I shrug lightly, as if it wouldn't be a big deal, without having the heart to mention that it will probably hurt some..

She pouts in confusion, screwing up her face like I am talking nonsense..

"A tattoo on top of a tattoo.. Like this--" I elaborate, holding out my wrist to show her the inside of my forearm where Zoey had covered the janky tattoos of my youth with dragon scales.. "There's still a scar.. But you can'nae see it.." I take her fingertips and bring them to the skin so she can feel the slight ridges hidden beneath Zoey's expert shading..

Lilly's satiny touch traces over the hidden defects with burning curiosity as she considers the option.. "Will it be something different?"

She slinks closer, peering up at me from beneath dark lashes and a swathe of bubblegum bangs.. "Aye.. It'll be whatever you want it to be.. You can be whatever you want to be, Wallflower.."

"I want to be with you, River.." She sighs in dramatic whimsy, her eyes wide like a cartoon doe and pink pouty lips pleading with me to kiss her..

"I wanna be with you too.." I rasp needily and my hands shake with a power like I've never known as my touch trails over the smooth shapely curve of her elegantly swan like neck.. Flesh like fine China, pearly white and aglow shivers beneath my fingertips as her lovely almond-amaretto eyes fixate on mine..

"Oh, Master.. Please.." Her soft pink lips part upon a breathless sigh of desire that burns me with it's innocence..

I am no master.. Not hers.. Not even my own.. I am pathetic, weak and corrupted, defenceless to those base instincts that swell and rise to swallow me whole..

"Don't call me that." I growl, too harshly for my own liking, drawing her closer to taste her creamy complexion. I brush aside her pastel-pink silk strands to kiss her neck, breathing in the sweet waxy scent of lily and vanilla perfume..

Except she doesn't wear any perfume.. She just smells that fucking delectable all on her own..

"Ohh.. Umm.. River--" She whimpers.. "Want to be yours.. Forever.."

A howling, insatiable hunger grows out of control in the pit of my stomach, and I struggle to swallow it back down.. Because she isn't really mine.. Not at all..

Scooping her up in my arms, I carry her up the hall, passed Lovey dozing in her cot, all the way to the bedroom, where I set her down.. "Let me show you how it's s'posed to be, Wallflower.. Let me give you the power you need.."

"How?" She whispers, her trembling fingers clutching onto my forearms so tightly her nails bite and pinch at my skin..

"I'll give you control.." I take her nervous little hands in mine as I step back, sinking down to sit on the end of the bed so that she has the advantage of standing over me.. "You can do whatever feels right.. Or nothin' at all.. Whatever you want, Wallflower.. I won't stop you, I won't get mad.. I'll give you everythin'.. Every part of me.. Lilly, I'll be yours.. Nǐ xìnrèn wǒ ma?"I ask her if she trusts me, dangerously desperate for her to say yes and igniting with excitement when she chews her bottom lip, and nods.. "Shì de, wǒ xìnrèn nǐ.."

TIGERLILLY- THE BRAVO BOYS [book two]Where stories live. Discover now