I had been on vacation at the time, visiting my mother in Tokyo when Snow arrived, but apparently, she grilled Carter about me.
She told him she thought that I was “cute” and he somehow managed to convince her to stay until I got back a few days later.
I think he gave her a job cleaning up the shop after hours and set her up in a semi-decent motel for a while.
When I arrived back at LAX, he picked me up with Snow and Sariah in the back of his truck.
The introduction, while welcomed, was something I don’t even remember because once I set eyes on her, I knew I wanted her for my own.
And when she looked at me the same way, with a shy smile on her lips, and the gentlest blush to her cheeks, it made it obvious that she felt the same way.
At first, everything was normal.
I took her out sight-seeing around Los Angeles, scooted her around Hollywood, and even took her to a couple of big-time premieres. I think she changed her mind about her Rocky Mountain Life after that because she asked me if it would be possible to continue working at the shop as our cleaning lady.
But I had other plans for Snow, and while we’re still working on them, she does her best and gets rewarded when she succeeds.
What I subject her to is always done out of love and never malice like Uncle Abner would do to her, and I think that’s why she’s a little more trusting with me.
Not that I really knew him, only stories that I heard from my father. He was so angry that his sister Hina, married an American man that we spent the day of their wedding back in Japan.
Hell, I didn’t even know that Snow was my cousin until she spilled to me one night about all of the abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of her father.
That’s when it all clicked.
And since Dad made damn sure that I never spent time at Hina and Abner’s house growing up, I didn’t think anything of it when I found out.
To me, Snow is just another perfect, broken girl in the world and she’s mine to protect.
Tonight though, that may change on a completely epic level, but Snow knows that no matter what happens, when this is over, she’s going to come back home with me.
* * *
I’ve parked the car at the end of Slauson Avenue and cut the engine. My fingers are drumming nervously along the steering wheel wondering if maybe I should get a little closer to Sariah’s place.
I run a hand back through my hair then whip my gaze in Snow’s direction when I hear the passenger side door open. She smiles at me before she steps out, and I watch as she walks around to the front of my car and waits patiently.
Taking a deep breath, I turn the key in the ignition so that I can brighten up the street with the headlights. I’ll help her at first, but the rest she has to do on her own.
Stepping out of my vehicle, I press the alarm button to lock the doors, then walk around to Snow who lifts her neck and waits. The leash in my hand seems heavier than it should, and while I know that this is for the greater good, I’m still having trouble reconciling the potential sacrifice of it all.
“We’re going to go for a stroll, pup,” I tell her softly as I clip the leash to her collar. “I’ll take you to the end of the street, but when we get to Crenshaw Boulevard, you’re on your own.”
Snow pushes her hair behind her ears and places her hands on her hips. I can see the defiance in her stance, and I hope she isn’t planning on giving me any trouble or I’ll just end up dragging her the entire way to Sariah’s front door.
“Are you ready?” I ask in a stern tone, giving her leash a tug and the defiance disappears almost instantly. Her hands drop to her sides as she reaches down to pull up on the waistband of the obviously too big for her shorts, then drops down to her knees.
“Good girl,” I commend her as I give the leash a tug and she follows behind me as closely as she can.
I take a deep breath and keep my eyes forward, though occasionally glance around. I’m not afraid of anyone here or any potential situation I may find myself in, but Snow is another matter entirely.
I fear forhersafety because she belongs in this neighborhood about as much as Sariah does.
I shake my head as I let out a breath. I hate that some places seem to be subjected to such blatant scrutiny because I know firsthand how it feels to be looked down on for being from somewhere else entirely.
However, tonight, the streets belong to me and if I have to, I’ll remove my shirt to gain respect and have a bounty placed on my head.
It’s the least I can do for the girl I love that’s already suffered so much.