Shuai Lei Hu read the text from his older brother.
It was done.
The madness was truly over.
He took a long slow breath , feeling the tension knotted deeply between his broad shoulders ease a fraction.
Now that his depraved Uncle had been murdered by the boy from Taiwan, their father could help them take on the task of sorting out the two hundred year old business that belonged to their family.
They could finally begin to legitimize most of it.
Lei Hu knew that this would involve a mountain of paperwork and restructuring of the many businesses under the Donghai corporate umbrella.
It would be a massive undertaking. They would need to begin immediately.
He frowned, shifting the clutch impatiently , zipping past several slower moving vehicles, annoyed to find his thoughts straying once more to the memory of skin, smooth and pale as ivory, like silk beneath his hands.
Today they would discuss the fate of Daiyu.
The exotic slave boy who had killed mad Uncle Bingwen.
The boy, bearing a traditionally feminine name, meaning ‘Black Jade’, had done their family a great service, however unintentional.
His act appeared to have been born of pure desperation.
Shunyan, Shuai Lei Hu’s elder brother, would be waiting.
He was aware that due to their father Bojing’s poor health, Shunyan, as the eldest son, would be tasked with taking up the reins.
His own position would likely remain similar to what it was now, but with a higher status of second in command.
Overseer. Assassin. Bodyguard. Driver - because no one could maneuver like Stone Tiger in any car, on any road.
’Stone Tiger’, was the translated meaning of his name.
His father remained steadfast insisting that he had chosen this strong name for his second son, when such a forceful title was better suited to a first son and heir, because of a vivid dream of a gigantic tiger, carved from obsidian and golden topaz, emerging from the mist, guarding the front of an ancient temple - the night before Shuai Lei Hu had been born.
Bojing was proud of both his sons.
Both were large men. Both had trained well in martial disciplines and done well in school.
Shunyan was handsome and better with numbers. He kept a cool head with business and was known for being approachable and confident in both boardrooms and bedrooms. His social calendar was busy and he was rarely seen at any function without a beautiful woman on his arm.
Shuai Lei Hu’s features were harsh. Arresting rather than handsome.
His shrewd instincts and cold decisiveness were valuable assets running the vast casinos and money laundering , dealing with difficult bosses and negotiating collections when necessary.
Shunyan handled the finer operations with ease.
Shuai Lei Hu dealt with the darker business.
He smiled while he drove.
He loved his bossy older brother, but he knew it annoyed Shunyan to no end, that he was often mistaken as the younger sibling.
Lei Hu was taller than Shunyan by three inches. His shoulders were wider , his voice deeper and heard far less often.
Cold and diffident , his presence quieted conversations rather than invited them.
He was said to be intelligent when he could be moved to speak, but there were persistent rumours of ruthless violence and a dark temper that tended to dissuade most from approaching him.
His tastes were a source of whispered speculation as he had never been seen with anyone but bodyguards , businessmen or his brother, by his side.
The few women bold enough to approach him soon walked away with scarlet faces or lips thin with anger.
Certain phrases attached themselves to his name.
”I think ‘ mean prick’, might be my favourite after ‘ pig bastard’, although all insult to our departed mother aside, ‘ pig bastard’ hits harder, don’t you think?” His brother had said drily , shaking his head as he handed a fresh drink to him, replacing the one that had just been knocked out of his large paw by yet another scarlet faced female, now storming off through the wide eyed crowd of interested people avidly observing her angry exit.
He shrugged.
” She was wasting my time and her own. It was kinder to tell her. Thank you.” Shuai Lei Hu sipped the icy dark rum not bothering to hide his distaste at being dragged along to a yacht party that required formal attire.
Shunyan’s voice was brittle.
”Do you really believe that was the case? Dimitra didn’t seem to think so. She’s the daughter of a large investor, too. You will send a bouquet to apologize.”
“ You can if you like. I’ll sign the card if it matters that much. I meant what I said to her, we both know I don’t have time for tender sensibilities. Have you looked at the books with him yet?”
Shunyan nodded waving to an attractive woman smiling at him, her smile fading abruptly when she looked at Shuai Lei Hu.
Shunyan sighed and finished his second scotch.
”With our father? Yes. It’s a nightmare of lies and too many favours - and the boy.”
The boy.
Daiyu.
Impossibly beautiful.
Dangerous.
Skilled. Seductive.
Infuriating.
His cock stirred.
He swore as he had to slip the gleaming black charger between an SUV and a Hummer in the congested turning lane to reach the exit that would take him to the 23 story building owned by the corporation.
Almost there.
