I nodded. “Yes.”
He dropped his arms to his sides, and I immediately missed the contact. “Okay, spit it out.”
What did it matter? This thing we had was only good for now. It wouldn’t last, it never does. I might as well put all of my cards on the table. “Nina did this to you. My sister, she was responsible for you being shot.”
Brody was quiet. He didn’t say a word. I couldn’t tell if he were angry, shocked, pissed, or anything. He had an excellent poker face. The moments that ticked by seemed endless. He just watched me, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like being scrutinized. Still, I held his gaze.
Finally, he responded in a measured tone. “I know. Jamal filled me in on a lot of the goings-on while I was out.”
“What? You knew but didn’t say anything?” I wasn’t shocked by much, but he’d surprised me.
“I figured when the time was right we’d discuss it.”
Wasn't he angry with me? He didn’t seem to want to punish me for Nina’s actions unless all of his affection towards me was an act. I looked to the heavens, the light finally dawning on me. “I get it. You want revenge. You want to punish me.”
“Revenge? Punish you? Are you serious? Why? You’re not making any sense.”
“Because it was my sister who did this to you. That’s how it is in this world. Someone does something to you, and you hit them back so hard that they’ll never think of making the same mistake twice.”
Brody cupped my face in his hands. “Not everyone in this world wants to hurt you, Gina.”
“Everyone has.” My hurt ran deep, and I wasn’t sure if he could help heal me.
“I haven’t and I won’t. You just have to be open to the possibility. You do realize, it’s possible to walk away from all of the hate and vengeance. Just walk away.”
I raised my chin and stared determined eyes into his. “You need to understand this. I will NEVER walk away if someone does something wrong to me. I promise you, I’m going to kill Nina, and it’ll be a slow and painful death. She probably won’t be the only one either, just the first. Then, I’m going to take my rightful place as the head of the Family Council. That is who I am. That is the real Gina Lee-Xiou.”
I must have left him speechless because he didn’t say anything as I pulled out of his grasp. He just watched as I turned around and walked out of the room.
Chapter 15
A couple of hours had passed since Dr. Weller paid Brody a visit. I hadn’t seen him at all during that time. Maybe he’d come to his senses.
I sat curled up on the couch reading through the information that Hahn sent over. They were newspaper clippings. Eli Nakamura, a member of the Family Council who’d voted for me to lead it, had drowned in a mysterious boating accident.
Wei Chan, another Council member who’d also voted in my favor, had a stroke and was now in a vegetative state. Smart. Nina was cleaning up loose ends.
Ang Woo had to be careful. He was probably next on that list or maybe me. I was not sure which order she was going to try to make her move. I rolled my head around on my shoulders.
I had to get Brody out of here and back to the United States. He didn’t understand how things were done. Walking away was not an option even if I wanted to, which I didn’t. Nina was going to pay for all that she’d done. I promised myself just as sure as my name was Gina Lee-Xiou.
She’d covered her tracks well while she was gone those fifteen years but not good enough. I had one more piece that needed to fall into place before I handled her.
“You have those energy drinks?”
His voice caught me off guard. I’d been so engrossed in the file that I didn’t hear him walk into the room.
I shrugged, and quickly closed the folder before he saw what was in it. “Didn’t think I would need them.”
“Why because you figured you scared me away? I don’t run.”
“I just felt you needed to hear the truth and not have your head all in the clouds like we might have something more than a fling.” When he sat down next to me, just the husky smell that was uniquely Brody’s was intoxicating; I wasn’t sure I could exercise any control. How was I expected to when he walked in the room shirtless and fresh from the shower? His hair was still wet. I wanted this man and not just physically. I scooted as far away from him as I could, given the size of the sofa.
“Think you’ll ever stop?”
“Stop what?”
“Running. Not only are you sprinting, but you're doing a fifty-yard dash from the only thing that matters. I’m guessing that you figure if you show me the ugliest side of yourself that I won’t want you. That if you reject me first, it won’t hurt as much when I reject you. Have you ever considered that I won’t reject you? That you might be wrong?”
I looked away. I wasn’t trying to hear what he had to say. There was too much truth to it.
“Jamal told me how you made sure everything was
