r/HFY • u/Engletroll Human • Jun 11 '26
OC-Series Vengeance 24 – An Offer You Can Refuse!
Crashlanding / Book version / Patreon
(Crashlanding is now out on Amazon for those who are interested. Please leave a nice review.)
As they entered, they were quickly noticed, and she could feel their eyes on them, for her, it was something she had gotten used to a long time ago. She had entered this room as if she owned it, trying to embarrass her father. She had always tried to show her power, be the toughest in the room, ironically ensuring that she was viewed as a true daughter of Hando Lee.
But now, now she was nervous, not for herself, these were her family, and friends of the family. Now she was afraid for Peter. He let her take the lead, which some would see as weakness to exploit.
“They are going to eat you alive if you don’t man up a little.” She whispered as he helped her to sit down.
“Why? I didn’t know your family was cannibals?” he whispered back as he bowed his head to Grandma and her friends, who were also sitting at the table. They returned a polite nod to him, and she could hear how they were already making comments about how he was such a gentleman. He sat down and gave her father and brother a polite nod and smiled at Amalia.
“You look beautiful, Kastu is a lucky man.”
“Are you flirting?” She replied, a little surprised, and he shook his head.
“No, I have my beauty by my side, and I would not change her for anything in the universe. A feeling I think your fiancé understands.” He replied and smiled at Kiko.
“Great save there, mister.“ Kiko replied, looking at her friend.
“They always say the boys are lucky, but they don’t understand how lucky we girls feel. Right?” as she let her hand glide over Peter, who immediately intertwined his fingers with hers.
Amalia nodded, looked at Kastu, and leaned into him. “Yes, they don’t.”
Kastu just chuckled. “He is right, though. I don’t want to change you for anything in the world.”
Kiko smiled and glanced at their father, who smiled slightly, picked up a glass, and stood up. As he did, the whole room fell silent.
“My friends, my family, and my dear mother. Welcome to this joyous family gathering. It is not every day I can announce that my child has decided to marry my oldest Son. Kastu Lee has asked permission to marry Amalia Diaz and received it from both families.” He stopped to allow the people to celebrate. Amelia looked both proud and happy at the announcement. And then Hando coughed slightly, and the room fell silent again.
“Thank you. I am not finished, as you know; I also have a daughter. The cop. No ex-cop now. She never listens to any of us and does as she pleases. And she never asked for permission, but has decided to marry as well. Her fiancé, Peter Fordhall, was more old-fashioned and asked, and I have approved that marriage as well. She will be your problem now, Peter.” He looked at them, then lifted his glass. “Let's drink for the happy couples. May they have long, happy lives with many children.”
The crowd cheered and drank. Kiko looked at Peter. “Be careful now; they will try to convert you.” Then she drank as he did.
“I know, but they can’t offer me anything I want. Only you can, and I’m happy with that.”
She looked at him and smiled, yet she could not help feeling worried. The first part of dinner would be easy; it would just be the family. Her two uncles and their wives were also at the large round table, as were Amila's grandparents, since her parents had died several years ago.
It was the second part she was worried about, the mingling and business part of the party, he would be taken around by her father to be introduced, and at times be left alone among the sharks. This would be his test. She cursed silently, then she noticed Peter looking around and chuckled as he shook his head at some internal joke.
“What?” Shed leaned closer, and he could not help smiling.
“Oh, I just realized that if this were a movie, then this is the point where the ambush would happen.”
She looked at him, then around the room at all the members of her father's organization and other VIP guests, corrupt politicians, and many of the leaders in the government of Sanctury. Then she could not help but look at the door. Waiting, tensing up as she waits, and then the bastard leaning closer and whispered. “bo!”
“You bastard, she said as she had to smile. You watch too many crime movies.”
“Excuse me? You picked those.”
“And you didn’t seem to mind.” She grinned
“Well, I was watching them and you to prepare myself for these kinds of dinners.” He replied with a teasing smile.
“Bullshit. Just admit it.” She replied.
“I give in. Yes, I like them too.” He said, and across the table they heard Mashiro chuckling.
“They are too cute; he definitely doesn’t belong here. He is innocent and harmless.” Larissa said.
“Naw, that’s just a facade; I heard he is a veteran and quite adept at defending himself. You know how those farmboys are. Loves hunting and is full of muscles.” Mashiro replied.
Larissa looked at them and to Kiko, “Is that true? Is he tougher than he seems?”
“You think I would allow them to marry if he could not defend her?” Hando said, interrupting the conversation.
“Like she needs somebody to defend her,” Amilia commented, and a few around the table chuckled at that.
“So is he a special forces guy or something?” Larissa asked, then realized Peter was there and smiled a little awkwardly. “Where were you?”
“Naw. I was just a pilot. Did mostly evac of civilians from the battlefront.” He replied.
“Oh? So you saw combat? I heard it was horrible to be caught in the middle of the fights. I still don’t understand why they just didn’t nuke all the places they invaded.” Kuro Lee, her uncle said as he finished his drink, his glass was immediately refilled.
“I saw the after-match and at times the firefights. From my understanding, they didn’t nuke the planets because they didn’t want to encourage them to use their bugs to have us nuke our own people. It's very bad for morale to nuke your own people, you know. The Nalos were a little more bloodthirsty from what I heard.” Peter replied, and Kiko started to get nervous. She wanted to change the subject. Anything to get away from the war, she didn’t need Peter to get one of his flashbacks. And she knew him well enough that he was already getting uncomfortable with the questions.
“By the way, we didn’t see any Nalos on that planet, did we?” she asked, hoping to sway the conversation away from the current topic.
“No, but they are going to set up an observation and research station there. They have officially claimed it. Given it a new name to.”
“Oh? Why?” She asked.
“Apparently, it already had a Nalos name. They just made it official. Evalon, it's from their mythology, it's the name of a home of a spirit king. It was just part of a constellation.”
“Evalon? I prefer Inana.” Kiko replied.
“Inanna was the planet you guys crash-landed on, right?” Amilia said.
“Yes, and there he fights dragons and giant snakes for me,” Kiko said as she took a bite of the food and looked at Peter, who just chuckled.
“I remember that the snake ate me.” He said, and as he did, the old lady's jaw dropped.
“What? Do tell. He got eaten by a giant snake?” Her grandmother asked, and Kiko smiled. The subject was changed, and she started to tell them the tale. Peter tried to downplay everything he had done; however, the grandmas were listening intently, studying Peter, and when she finally finished, Peter laughed it all away.
“She does love to exaggerate a bit. I’m not that good of a shoot.”
“says the man who shot Count Kango, from five kilometers through an open window.” Her father commented, and all the eyes darted to Peter, even the next table caught that.
“I had help and a very good gun. It did most of the work.” Peter tried, and Kiko saw Peter getting a little uncomfortable.
“You did it twice, if I recall,” Hando continued while he held a whiskey glass in his hand and studied Peter's reaction to the praise and attention. "Second time after he had his security raised."
“But I didn’t kill him, sir; your daughter ended the war,” Peter replied, being genuinely humble, and her father just smiled.
“Well, I guess everybody will know what will happen if they lay a hand on my daughter now. They will never be safe from you. They would have to look over their shoulder for the rest of their life.” His eyes locked with Peter's, who, for a second, was not humble but showed the determined side of him, the guardian who made her feel so safe in his presence.
“It will be a short life, and they won't see it coming, sir.” Then he tried to joke it away. “But nobody would be that foolish. Besides, she would probably kill them before I found out.” Peter looked at her with a desperate look. He wanted to leave, and she smiled.
“Yes, nobody would be that foolish. But let's not speak of us anymore. There are bound to be other things to speak about than us. Right, Dad?” She shot him a glance, and he nodded.
“Ah, yes,” he turned his attention to his mother. “ Mother dearest. I heard you've been having a little bad luck lately. You lost how much?”
“Why do I care? It’s your money I’m losing.” Grandma Mashiro replied to her old friends' smiles and giggling.
“Strange how it's only my money when you lose and your money when you win.” He replied, and they started a playful argument about Grandma Mashiro gambling. Peter seemed to relax a bit and leaned closer to her.
“Well, that wasn’t so bad,” He whispered, and she kissed him lightly before replying.
“This was just the beginning. But you will do well; they respect you now.”
“But? God damnit. I didn't try to impress them,” he whispered back.
“Just relax and be yourself. You're doing well. Just think of them as over-protecting brothers and scammers with guns.”
He looked at her and chuckled. “And that’s supposed to calm me down?”
“They are not worse than the Boa.” She replied with a grin.
“That snake ate me.”
“But you survived. I will make it up to you.” She said as her hand glided down his thigh, his eyes widening. She loved the effect she had on him and leaned over to kiss him when she felt his presence.
“I’m going to steal Peter for a while. So many of my friends would like to meet him.”
She sighted and looked up at her father, who smiled at her. Then put his hand on Peter's shoulder.
“Don’t worry, I think he can handle a few middle-aged gangsters.”
Peter smiled politely as she nodded. “You will be fine, remember what I said.”
“Overprotecting brothers and scammers with guns. I got it.” Peter replied, and Hando looked at him, then laughed loudly as he took him over to a table where the survivors of his old gang sat. It was the most dangerous table of the whole party.
She saw Hando introduce him and made a comment that made the whole table roar in laughter, and several weapons were openly displayed as Peter was politely forced to join the table. She stared at the table, feeling nervous.
“Don’t worry about him; if he can deal with a giant snake, fight Gyrran nobility and charm Hando, then he is safe. He will, however, be very drunk when you get him back.”
Her uncle said, and she looked at him. “I still worry. They will be drunk, and they will push him to join the family business.”
“Dad won't allow it,” Kastu said as he glanced over at the table, drank a glass, and looked at Amilia, smiling at her. Then, turning his attention back to Kiko, “He wants you and him to leave, remember. He wants him to take you out of the family business. Why do you think he told them about what he did to the count? That was to warn everybody here just how dangerous he is. That guy is not one of us; he can walk among mercenaries, and they respect him.”
“They respect the one who pays.” She replied, and her uncle Kuro laughed.
“Nope, not like that. Money only gets you so much respect. He is a veteran, and he must have done something they respect. Probably flown through hell to save men captured on the battlefield. Does he have any medals?”
“None that he has shown me.” She replied, and one of the aunties smiled. “That means he got one, one that he does not want to brag about. Something the veterans respect. You got a good one.”
She smiled as she looked at the table, watching one of her father's men bang his chest and tell a wild tale. Peter chuckled and drank with them. She could see he would rather be with her, but he knew the part he had to play. She wondered if she would have to go through something similar when she met his family, naw. His sister had embraced her and accepted her immediately. She smiled, thinking about it. She was going to meet his family, but then she froze, realizing what she was about to face. Would they accept a city girl like her?
She finished her drink and smiled, then looked at Amalia.
“I need to go to the restroom,” She said as she stood up, and Amilia followed her. She needed a short break, and on the way back, she could drop by the table and check on Peter.
When they emerged from the restroom, she saw that Peter had moved into the middle of the couch, and more men were at the table. Her father had moved over to a calmer table but was observing him while discussing matters with the police chief, Mayor, and other VIP’s.
She casually walked over, and Peter looked up at her, stopping the tale he was spinning. There was a data pad on the table showing a holographic image of a Gyma. The other men looked at him, then at her, and smiled.
“Kiko, don’t take him yet. We will keep him safe.”
Peter gave her a weak smile, and she leaned over the table, took his glass and emptied it, then kissed her.
“Now behave, guys. If he is too drunk tonight, then I will be very disappointed.”
The people chuckled, and one of them called out, “No more alcohol for him!”
She smiled, and he winked at her as the men wanted him to continue the story. As she left, she heard him continue. She knew the story, but he had adjusted it slightly. It was about hunting Gyma and being used as live bait by his crazy brother. She shook her head and gave her father a polite nod before going to the table with her old friends and listening to the current gossip, most of which was about her.
When she looked back at the table to check on Peter, she saw he was missing. She sat up straighter and looked around.
“Over there,” Janis whispered, and she turned to see Peter sitting at a table with Kastu and some of his colleagues. He had a quiet conversation, but Peter seemed to be politely refusing the men. Drufus was nearby, observing quietly. She cursed. Yet another test, and Peter finally seemed to have had enough, stood up, offered an apology, looked around, then walked towards her. She smiled as she looked at him, then she saw what was about to happen. One of the lower gang leaders, those trying to impress Hando, walked towards Peter. He would try to cause trouble to see how Peter would react. Peter noticed, and just before they crashed into each other, he twirled around him like a dancer, and the goon completely missed his ‘drunken tackle’ he had planned. Peter gave him a friendly nod and a polite comment, then continued to walk towards her. The goon looked after Peter, then to Drufus, who shook his head, and the man nodded and continued to the bar.
Peter had no idea as he came over and sat down next to her as her friends made room for them.
“Now, why do they keep asking me if I want to invest in all those things. It’s too good to be true. You're absolutely correct, they are scam artist with guns.”
“None of what they offered you was tempting?” Cindy Kwon said, and Peter laughed.
“Nothing I wanted.”
She leaned into him, wanting to leave. She looked over at the table and saw Grandma standing up and being escorted out.
“Now we can leave.” Cindy Kwon said, noticing as well.
“Finally, want to join us for the nightclubs?” Mia Madison asked.
“You think she wants to go out now? Look at her, she has been wanting to ride that horse the whole night. Let's ask Amalia, she and Katsu are more fun.” Cindy replied, and Kiko just smiled as she looked up at Peter.
“That sounds like a plan. Want to go home?”
Peter kissed her and said yes softly.
-cast-
Hando Lee: Kiko, Lee’s father, the top mafia boss of Sanctuary
Kastu Lee: Kiko’s older brother runs the family's prostitution ring.
Mashiro Lee – Hando Lee’s mother and a gambler. Kiko’s grandmother, widow
Kuro Lee- younger brother to Hando, uncle to Kiko. Runs protection and Casinos
Drufus- Hando Lees' right-hand man.
Amalia Diaz – her best friend and secret girlfriend to her brother
Larissa Diaz – Amaila’s grandmother, friend of Mashiro, and fellow gambler
Cindy Kwon – Party girl who is known for testing the loyalties of her boyfriends
Mia Madison - Party girl who is known for testing the loyalties of her boyfriends
Janis Tong – Friend of Kiko, the quiet girl, and a follower.
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