11 Chapter 11
Seoul, Korea
Khan Building
It was as if history was repeating itself, and this time it only took ninety-seconds on the job instead of years.
Apparently, as their mother Evie Blanchar would say, it was a curse to look that good and to have the phenomenal bone structure that he has. As much as Kita thought it was merely her way of boasting of his partial French genetics, it apparently had merit because it was the bane of his existence and professional career.
Kita stepped out of the elevator into the lobby and ran into Lucien.
Instantly Lucien’s smile fell when he saw the look on his brother’s face.
“What happened?” Lucien asked.
Kita glared at him.
“Did you get us fired already?!” he whined. “Come on! I just perfected my Korean. Do you have any idea how hard that is to do with my ears?”
Kita shook his head and stepped around him, but his baby brother followed.
Guilt would not work this time.
“Talk to me, what happened?” Lucien asked, grabbing his brother’s arm when he started for the doors leading to the street.
Kita pulled away from him. “Lula promised this would be different, and that this time it would not be like my last assignment. She promised it would not be a horny, troublesome little girl with boundary issues!”
Lucien pushed his hand through his shaggy hair; he had no idea what in the hell his brother was going on about, or what happened.
“Okay, and?” he offered.
Kita’s nostrils flared. “That troublesome little girl already tried to!”
Lucien gave him a look. “I am scared to ask what she tried if you are this angry. Did she eat all of your stupid cheesecake? Spill something on your suit? Lord knows what happened to the last person that spilled something on that damn tie,” he scoffed, flicking Kita’s black silk tie.
Kita glared at him, straightening his tie. “She tried to kiss me,” he grumbled under his breath then turned and hurried through the sliding glass doors leading to the outside.
The laughter that followed caused Kita to growl in irritation.
“Yes, find amusement in my distress,” he scoffed.
Lucien laughed even harder, hurrying after him. “Yes, I am. Brother, you have an ego I am most certain one can see from space. You accuse every woman of trying to seduce you, and a few men if I remember correctly. Remember Madame Moulin? You told Maman-”
“That horny creature offered me money to spend quality time with her?” Kita finished for him. “It was not in my head! I was barely fourteen and she was trying to seduce me. It was very traumatizing for a young man and if we were in a country that actually frowned upon such lewd and demoralizing actions I would have pressed charges.”
Again, Lucien was laughing at his brother’s distress.
It was an ongoing joke in their home about how prude their big brother was. For a while their mother thought he was gay, but Lucien knew that wasn’t it at all.
Women terrified Kita, regardless of him being as talented and lethal as he is, women scared him…
Even if he would never admit to such.
“Come on, let’s grab a coffee while Lula takes care of the introductions,” Lucien offered. “There is a café across the street that has an impressive collection of banana milk based drinks. I think you will like the goguma latte.”
Kita looked at his brother. “You know I do not like sweet drinks when in a mood,” he reminded him. “And you know I do not want to be here or doing this-”
“But Japanese culture dictates that we take care of our aging parents,” Lucien finished for him before the reason could leave Kita’s lips. “Maman and Dad will be okay either way. They saved their money over the years, and if it ever got to the point of needing money you know it would only take one call and they would be in a palace, or three if Lula can reel him in.”
Kita shook his head; that was an entirely different matter, but tradition dictated that the eldest heir take care of their aging parents and in order to do that he needed a job.
“You do not need to do this for our parents,” Lucien reiterated. “You have to do it for your own soul or conscience clearing reasons. I understand that, I just do not understand what those reasons are, Brother, but I respect them as always. Let’s get something to drink and eat, and then maybe you will be less moody.”
“I am not moody,” Kita grumbled and headed across the street when the light changed.
“Irritable? Retaining water? Perhaps you are menstrual?” Lucien offered, walking with him.
To his surprise, Kita chuckled and his hard expression softened some.
“Possibly,” he admitted, causing Lucien to smile wide. “I have been feeling rather bloated and fluffy lately. I am horribly out of shape.”
Only the baby of the family could remove the stick from Kita’s butt.
“Oh yes, out of shape,” Lucien dryly agreed, rolling his eyes.
The eldest of the heir of the Yasuhiro bloodline had a body that was masterfully honed with muscle definition that was impossible to find. When words eluded him, which was often, Kita worked out to organize the mess of thoughts or emotions consuming his mind.
Exorcising demons by exercising was not the way Lucien does it.
His way involved dangerous speeds and adrenaline, both of which he was promised by Lula he’d get his fill of on this assignment. Not that stress ever got to him, but he did rather enjoy jumping off and out of things with either a parachute on his back or cord around his ankles.
This was supposed to be a fresh start for two of the three, the baby of the family just along for the ride and excitement the assignment might provide. Instead, it appeared as if history was repeating itself already for one of them, and the other feared the mistakes of their past their brother would make next.
They should have never taken this assignment.
