Beautiful Dragons: A Thriller Read online

  BEAUTIFUL DRAGONS: An Assassin Thriller

  By Matthew James

  Description:

  The lone survivor of a vicious double-crossing, Violet burns with revenge. The Beautiful Dragons, a centuries-old, all-female clan of assassins, is no more, their ranks decimated by the attack. Once one of the most feared "organizations" in all of Southeast Asia, the women were attempting to take down a human trafficking ring when things went wrong.

  Bloodied and bruised, Violet is rescued and given a choice: Work for the CIA, or die. After they promise her the vengeance she seeks, she accepts the offer and immediately gets moving.

  The Violet Dragon does not fail, nor does she rest. The job will get done...even if it kills her in the end.

  ALSO BY MATTHEW JAMES

  Standalone Titles

  Dead Moon

  Beautiful Dragons

  Dark Island (Coming Soon)

  The Logan Reed Thrillers

  Plague

  Evolve

  The Hank Boyd Adventures

  Blood & Sand

  Mayan Darkness

  Babel Found

  Elixir of Life

  The Hank Boyd Origins

  The Cursed Pharaoh

  The Dane Maddock Adventures w/ David Wood

  Berserk

  Skin & Bones

  PRAISE FOR “THE HANK BOYD ADVENTURES”

  “BLOOD & SAND takes readers on a spellbindingly treacherous journey that also manages to have fun along the way!”

  —Rick Chesler, Bestselling author of HOTEL MEGALODON

  “The Hank Boyd series has been added to my must-read list!”

  —J.M. LeDuc, Bestselling author of SIN

  “The next Hank Boyd Adventure can’t come soon enough!”

  —David McAfee, Bestselling author of 33 A.D

  PRAISE FOR “BERSERK”

  “What should you expect when you mix adventure, complex and humorous characters, ancient science fiction plot with contemporary consequences, magic weapons, and scary monsters? A great story!”

  —C.K. Phillips, Bestselling author of

  COMES THE AWAKENING

  PRAISE FOR “PLAGUE”

  "PLAGUE erupts from the pages in a steroid-filled tornado of terror and shock!"

  —SUSPENSE MAGAZINE

  “PLAGUE is filled with action, monsters, and our new favorite hero, Logan Reed. Need a cup of coffee and the next book!”

  —THE MR. CAFFEINE SHOW

  "PLAGUE is a monstrously thrilling read!"

  —John Sneeden, Bestselling author of THE SIGNAL

  PRAISE FOR “EVOLVE”

  "A rip-roaring action/adventure that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go, with compelling characters who will stop at nothing to protect one another. Looking forward to the next installment!"

  —Richard Bard, Bestselling author of BRAINRUSH

  PRAISE FOR “DEAD MOON”

  “DEAD MOON is a high-octane thrill ride filled with action, suspense, sadness, and of course, monsters! An amazing read!”

  —Zach Cole, author of KAIJU EPOCH

  To those of you who leave a review online.

  They mean a lot, thank you.

  BEAUTIFUL DRAGONS

  An Assassin Thriller

  By Matthew James

  1

  Tokyo, Japan

  She eagerly awaited her client’s arrival, doing whatever she could to ward off an onrushing headache. The air within the brothel was congested with smoke, sex, and loud, thumping music. The latter was the “perfect rhythm to screw by,” something she heard one of the armed guards say while walking to her room.

  When she grabbed the doorknob to enter, one of the brutish men asked her, “Two girls tonight?” He looked past her and saw six other women, each in front of their own rooms.

  Playfully, she faced the goon and winked. “It seems that your bosses are looking for an extra special night.” She also looked at the other girls. “We have two in every room tonight.”

  It was a lie, of course, and after entering and closing the door, she promptly hid in the closet and waited until the room’s real owner arrived. Once the other girl arrived and shut the door, Violet made her move, forcefully taking her spot. She would play the role of someone who made a life for themselves while on their back.

  She, however, was something far different than those employed here. Violet and her six sisters made their living on their feet, cutting the throats of those that deserved to die.

  “Stay hidden and stay quiet,” Violet told the frightened and now gagged woman. “If you alert them, you will join them in death.”

  Calling the woman a “woman” was a bit of a stretch too. Most of the girls within the sex house were barely eighteen. The one she just bound and silenced in the same closet she just burst from couldn’t have been more than sixteen…maybe younger. The men that frequented places like this were the scum of the earth in Violet’s eyes. But the ones that happily funded establishments like this…they were even less than that.

  They needed to die.

  Human trafficking had been a big problem in Southeast Asia for a long time, even more so in the last two decades. The buying and selling of girls, to be nothing more than sex slaves, was something the Beautiful Dragons vowed to stop. The seven deadliest women in Asia fought to free those who couldn’t fight for themselves.

  What was even worse was that the top boss wasn’t a man, she was a lady. Unfortunately for Violet and the others, no one knew who she was. The only thing they had to go on was her professional name: Madame. She was knee deep in the business of slaves—millions of dollars deep. She had enough money to buy the best security outfit in Tokyo too. Originally, they were a local gang with ties to the Yakuza—the infamous crime syndicate in the region. Now, they were much more than just a gang of past members and degenerates who didn’t get accepted into the “family.” Today, their numbers were greater, and they were quickly becoming a small army.

  The Gilded Blade, Violet thought, adjusting the see-through negligée she just “borrowed” from her new friend. No matter what was required of them, she and her fellow Dragons would do anything to complete their objective. All seven of them took the place of one of the girls “on the job.”

  Violet checked herself out in the window’s reflection and sighed, being able to see everything her body had to offer. She was the oldest of her clan, but her thirty-five-year-old age was hidden behind impeccable genes, not that she considered herself old, by any means. She could just as easily pass for someone ten years younger because of it. Which is good. These bastards prefer them young. She also stayed in fantastic shape and ate extremely healthy, which allowed her physique to remain in peak condition.

  Besides herself, Violet also saw another in the reflection. She looked exactly like the youngest Dragon, Ruby. They both had the same piercing green eyes and they each shared the same caring smile. They also shared the same ferocity when “on the job.”

  Ruby was the newest member of the clan, taking over for the retired assassin of the same title two years prior. When a Dragon was replaced, the new member took her moniker and roster spot within the organization. The change gave each name’s built-up lore within the crime world an almost immortal aura. There was always a Dragon of the same name.

  There had been for centuries.

  The day Rio Kimura joined the family of killers was the day Violet was reborn. It was also the day Rio officially ceased to exist. That was almost twenty years ago now. At sixteen, Rio—Violet—was the youngest Dragon in the group’s existence. She also became the most decorated and, more importantly, the most feared.

  Breathing in deep, Violet readied herself for what was to come. She a
nd the others would lull their targets into submission and then tighten the noose. If they could cripple the Gilded Blade hierarchy, they’d be able to wait and watch from afar as a ripple effect took place. It would be easy to trace the movement throughout the region too—specifically the financial district of Tokyo. The most disgusting of sleaze wasn’t hiding in the back alleys or even in the basement of nightclubs, they were hiding in plain sight, posing as some of the country’s best and brightest.

  That’s where most thought the “Madame of Tokyo” was now.

  Practicing a lust-filled grin, Violet combed her hands through her jet-black, shoulder-length hair. She slowed her movements some, knowing it would drive her client crazy.

  Rolling her eyes at the ridiculousness of it all, she let her perfectly straight hair flop back into place, her fingers passing through the purple-tinted ends. The hair color was a tradition in their order. Each Dragon wore hair highlighting their position’s namesake. They did the same with their attire too. The color was truly their identity. It further added to the mystique of their name’s long history.

  Unlike some of the other “gangs” in Japan, Violet and the others were well-funded. They had several backers that believed in what they did. With that money, came some pretty impressive technology.

  “Are you in position?” she asked in a whisper.

  Six “yeses” answered her, all transmissions going into and through their earbud communication devices. It was the only toy they’d have on them during the mission. Each girl was thoroughly checked before being allowed entrance into the building. The men doing the searching were often left out of the festivities upstairs so they copped as many feels as they could to make up for it.

  Violet almost broke the man’s wrist when he slid his hand in between her legs. She responded by snapping her thighs together and twisted her body sideways, earning a growl mixed with a squeal. Before he could retaliate, she was ushered up to the third floor, blowing the enraged guard a kiss as she did.

  Fingering the bracelet on her left wrist, Violet smiled. Well, maybe the earbuds aren’t the ‘only’ toy we have. The simple looking jewelry was her own design. It had become a standard within the group a couple of years back.

  The final confirmation came from Ruby. Tonight was her first official operation on her own. Technically, all seven of them were involved in the assignment, with each of them having a target inside a private room. Things could get out of hand in a hurry if something unforeseen happened.

  Violet wanted to reach out to Ruby, right then and there, and assure her that everything would be okay. She held back, though, not wanting to undermine the girl’s abilities in front of the others. She was young for sure, but little nineteen-year-old Ruby was as savage as the rest of them. Her red pigtails, vibrant lipstick, and slight frame made her look harmless, as did her standard schoolgirl-inspired attire.

  What she lacked in physical strength, she more than made up for in merciless rage.

  Much like Violet, Ruby’s past was an unpleasant one. But unlike Violet, Ruby’s childhood was far more brutal, physically. And with their pain, Violet and the others taught Ruby how to hone the accompanying anger into a useable fuel. Being able to tap into that reserve was key. Violet’s mentorship gave Ruby’s life a new meaning. Instead of being a victim, Ruby was now in charge of her own life. And considering that most of the girls involved in places like this were minors, Ruby was more than happy to take out her pent-up emotion on the people responsible for sexually abusing them.

  She loves her dagger too.

  Violet’s preferred weapon wasn’t a knife. It was, in fact, hidden inside her ordinary looking bracelet, an accessory they all wore.

  Unlike Violet, Ruby’s favored tool of death was a blade—a nondescript dagger. It was the same blade that she used to carve lines into her inner thighs as a child. Being repeatedly raped by her stepfather at the age of twelve did a number on the girl’s psyche. Ruby would’ve been in jail for his murder if not for her mother witnessing them in the act. The woman confessed to letting it happen and was subsequently arrested for allowing it.

  Yuki—Ruby—was sent to live in a foster home.

  That’s when Violet and the Beautiful Dragons came calling. Their “housekeeper,” Ms. Cho, heard of the girl and visited her, posing as a social worker. It took only fifteen minutes for Ms. Cho to convinced Yuki to run away and join them. What she did wasn’t legal, by any means, but that’s what Ms. Cho’s job within the organization was. She was in charge of all their eventual recruitment. That was her calling in life, one that she performed admirably and unselfishly.

  It also meant that she was the one responsible for saving their lives.

  The clan’s keeper had a vital role for the family’s existence—and that’s what they were, a family. Whether it was the lovely woman who held the title now or the one who did five hundred years ago, the Keeper of the House of Dragons was kind of like a team advisor. She also played the role of an adopted mother too, if the need should ever arise.

  Thankfully, Violet’s story wasn’t as horrifying as Ruby’s. She was orphaned as a child and bounced around from foster family to foster family, never finding “the one.” The solitary experience hardened her heart, making it difficult for the next family to connect with her. In the end, she—Rio—ran away to live on her own. For four years, she lived on the streets, becoming an expert in stealth, hiding from those who wished her harm. She had also become a master thief—an honorable one at that. She only stole what she needed to survive and was never violent. Her goal was to see the next sunrise not to cause anyone any trouble or physical harm.

  One night, she tried to enter an exquisite home unannounced and was caught red-handed by a lady who would later introduce herself as, Ms. Cho. The woman was forty at the time and an expert swordswoman. Among other things. She studied the old ways—the ways of the female samurai, the onna-bugeisha.

  Also, known as the bushi, samurai were highly-skilled fighters in feudal Japan. Women learned to fight as the men did so they could defend their homes while the men were away in battle. Ultimately, the female samurai sometimes engaged in those same wars, fighting as heroically as their male counterparts.

  That’s when the Beautiful Dragons were born, starting with Empress Jingu herself, Japan’s first female monarch. Her status as a warrior would be described as “legendary” because there was little, to no, proof of what she truly did. She was truly an enigma within the historical community.

  And few outside the Dragons knew why.

  Empress Jingu didn’t want anyone to discover the inception of her private army of assassins, purposely erasing history itself to do so. She preferred that the group operated out of the shadows, doing what couldn’t get done in the public limelight. A super-secret sect of female combatants could get infinitely closer to their targets without detection than any man could.

  Like now, Violet thought, her ears perking up as someone entered the room. She didn’t turn, however. Patience was essential. If you looked too eager, you didn’t belong in a place like this. The girls employed here were professionals and acted the part. She would wait for the man to acknowledge her first. Then, acting as one of the establishment’s ladies, she’d emote the bogus seduction and get to work. She needed to be calm and wait for the right opportunity.

  The door creaked open, barely audible over the pulsating dubstep music. Violet was beginning to be thankful for the annoyance too. It would hide the noises her client—her target—emitted while he died.

  “Well, hello…”

  Turning on the practiced acting skills, the mostly naked Violet spun and ran her hands through her hair, just like before. Not only did the move melt most men’s hearts, but it also stiffened another part of their anatomy. She allowed her silk nighty to fall open, fully exposing her chest to the newcomer.

  “Hi there,” she replied, studying everything the guy gave her. What he did give her was something unexpected. The Gilded Blade member looked downright
ordinary. He wore thick, black-rimmed glasses, had perfectly-styled dark hair, and a cleanly shaven face. His clothes were flawless too. A simple black suit and tie with a crisply-ironed, white, long-sleeve shirt. He was a man to bring home to mother in every sense of the term.

  Minus the shoulder holster and gun.

  It wasn’t until he undressed that Violet saw what truly lay beneath.

  The stranger was covered in traditional Japanese tattoos and built like an Olympic triathlete, lean and toned. Violet instantly deduced that she needed to be extra careful with this one. He would be able to defend himself with gusto. Proving her point, he pulled a classic straight edge razor from his pocket and set it on the nightstand, setting it next to his already discarded holster and pistol.

  Well, at least he’s unarmed.

  “We match,” she said, turning back towards the window, letting the silk top fall to the floor. Violet had a traditional dragon tattoo that took up a large portion of her upper and lower back. It was mostly in shades of black and gray, except where there were, of course, purple accents.

  She glanced over her shoulder in time to see the man smile slightly. He was buying the performance so far. As she spun again, she got another look at the razor.

  Killers, not “security officers,” carried blades like that. And by the way he held it, even for that split second, he looked extremely comfortable with it in his hand. The weapon, like Ruby’s dagger, was an old friend for sure.

  “Come, sit,” Violet said, moving to the bed. She climbed on and kneeled at its foot. “Let me remove the stress from those strong shoulders of yours.”