Chapter 8
Yuki
Feeling feverish from all the pain, I struggle to remain in a kneeling position while I wait for my father.
Every time I sway to the side, Yutaro either growls or slaps me.
It feels like I’m dying.
My left arm hangs limp at my side, and I struggle to keep my eyes open, my vision filled with spots.
When I was dragged out of the hospital, the doctor and nurses were very upset, but Yutaro didn’t care.
I wasn’t even given clothes. I’m still wearing the hospital gown and underwear, and it’s doing nothing to keep the cold from creeping into my bones.
I sway forward and catch myself with my right hand.
“Straighten up!” Yutaro snaps. “Your father is coming.”
Yutaro is my father’s guard dog and the most violent man I’ve ever met. He’s the sole reason my father is still alive and still the head of the Yakuza.
Earlier, Yutaro dug the bullet out of his shoulder and stitched the wound shut without so much as flinching. Apparently, he doesn’t feel pain at all.
Lucky bastard.
During the attack at the hospital, there was a moment I feared Augusto and his men had returned to kill me, but none of them seemed bothered with me.
I know I should be thankful, but I’m in too much pain to feel lucky that the Sicilians didn’t end my pathetic life.
I hear heavy footsteps, and a fresh wave of fear creeps over my skin. I try to straighten my spine, but I don’t have enough strength.
When my father comes into the room, I almost topple to the side, but my right hand slaps against the floor as I once again catch myself.
“The Sicilians know you’re a woman,” my father barks, and the next moment he steps on my hand.
I let out a whimper, and unable to remain upright, I fall forward while trying to pull my hand from under his polished dress shoe.
He grinds his heel against my fingers, and I can’t stop the cry from escaping.
Lifting his foot from my aching hand, Father remains standing near my head.
“You can be glad you’re still of use to me,” he says with a biting tone. “You will be trained to become a wife. You have three months, then I want you ready to marry whomever I choose for you.”
No. Please.
Tears sting my eyes because that’s worse than a death sentence. Even though I knew I would be forced into an arranged marriage, I had clung to the hope that Ryo would save me from the cruel fate.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to beg Father to have mercy on me, but then he grabs hold of my hair and roughly yanks my head backward so he can look at my face.
As if I’m nothing more than a piece of property, he looks at me with disgust. “She’s fucking ugly. No man will want her.” He lets out a disgruntled snort. “Have the doctor drain the fillers and make her look like a girl again.” His fingers roughly force my busted lips open. “Get her teeth fixed.”
I think I lost three or four during one of the beatings Augusto gave me.
Father lets go of my head, and when he rips the hospital gown open to expose my body, I’m filled with crippling shame. “She needs to lose a lot of weight. I want her to look like the perfect, innocent bride. She must learn how to cook and do everything that’s expected of her as a wife.”
“Yes, boss,” Yutaro responds to all the orders.
While the Sicilians had me, I prayed they wouldn’t kill me, but I’m starting to regret it. I should’ve begged for a quick death, instead.
When my father steps away from me, I struggle to pull the hospital gown closed again. Exhausted and in excruciating pain, I remain lying on the floor.
I watch as Father and Yutaro walk out of the room, then my vision goes black, and I drift in and out of consciousness.
Augusto
I’ve been in Tokyo for close to three months, and I’ve killed more than three dozen Yakuza soldiers.
I’ve also lost too many men.
Christiano wasn’t happy at all with the Yakuza and arrived in Japan two days ago, along with the other heads of the Cosa Nostra.
Yesterday, Tanako crawled out of his fucking hole and agreed to a meeting at a five-star hotel.
I’m fuming, and come hell or high water, he’ll pay for agreeing to meet with Christiano after avoiding me.
I will drain the fucker of every drop of blood in his body.
Sitting beside Christiano in a bulletproof G-Wagon, I clench my jaw as I stare down at my busted knuckles.
“I’ll let you handle things,” Christiano suddenly says.
My head snaps up to look at him. “Are you sure?”
He nods. “We’re here to offer you back up, Augusto. You started this war. It’s up to you to end it.”
When the brigade of cars pulls up in front of the hotel, I reply, “I appreciate it.”
We all get out, and surrounded by a small army, we head inside. My eyes lock on Tanaka’s underboss, and keeping my eyes on the fucker, I tell Christiano, “That’s Yutaro Kano.”
When we stop in front of the man, he bows his head to Christiano, then says, “Mr. Tanaka is waiting for you in the presidential suite. Follow me.”
Refusing to split up, all five heads take the same elevator to the top floor. On the way up, Rosie says, “I still think I could’ve stayed at home.”
“Don’t start,” Christiano grumbles. “We’re here to show a united front.”
“I know,” she mumbles. “But this is not my thing. I’d much rather sit behind my computer.”
“If you hate it so much, get married and put your husband in your place,” our capo dei capi replies.
Rosie lets out a snort. “I’m not even dating anyone.”
“Want me to arrange a marriage for you?” Christiano says as the doors slide open.
“Hell no! Over my dead body,” Rosie gasps.
“Then stop complaining.”
Half our guards walk ahead of us, and it takes close to thirty minutes for the Yakuza and Cosa Nostra to search each other to make sure there are no weapons in the suite during the meeting.
Raffaele and the other underbosses aren’t with us, in case something goes horribly wrong.
When we finally step into the suite, I take in each of the men until my eyes land on Tanaka, who’s sitting on a plush couch while sipping a drink.
His gaze touches on me for a second before he looks at Christiano. “Mr. Falco. I’ve heard you’re following in your father’s footsteps, but I’m surprised you don’t control–”
Christiano stops in front of Tanaka and narrows his eyes at him. “Finish that sentence, and any hope you might have to stop this war goes out the window. I don’t have time to waste, so let’s get this meeting started.”
Tanaka clenches his jaw and signals with a hand in the air. When a server brings trays with drinks, Christiano takes a seat on the other couch while shaking his head. “We won’t drink or eat anything.” He gestures at me. “And you’ll talk to Mr. Vitale.”
When Tanaka turns his attention to me, I just stare at him, my hands itching to break his neck.
After a tense minute, Tanaka gives in and asks, “What do you want, Mr. Vitale?”
“An apology.”
The man lets out a bark of laughter. “For what?”
“For the shit that went down in your club three months ago when my brother was shot and my men were killed.”
“You killed my men, too. Will you apologize to me?” he asks. I almost let out a growl, but then he adds, “And you brutally tortured my daughter.”
Instantly, the guilt I’ve been carrying around wars with my anger. Fighting for control over my emotions, I say, “She was disguised as a man.”
Tenaka nods. “True.” His eyes flick to Kano. “Bring Yuki out.”
While his underboss goes to get Yuki, Tanaka smirks at me, looking like a cat that ate the canary.
What is this man up to?
I cross my arms over my chest, and when Kano comes down a hallway, holding onto a beautiful woman’s arm, my lips part in shock.
Unless she’s a damn shapeshifter, that’s not the woman we tortured.
My gaze flicks over every inch of her petite frame, taking in the white dress that’s pretty fucking short and the flats on her feet.
As my sight locks on her stunning face, I can’t find any trace of the woman I beat up. Then, for a fleeting second, her eyes meet mine, and shock shudders through me.
That’s one thing I’ll never forget. The fear in her eyes.
Holy shit.
“This is Yuki, my daughter,” Tanaka says.
“After she healed from being tortured by you, we reversed the process that made her look like a man. It was no longer needed after you learned the secret that she isn’t Ryo.
” Again, Tanaka smirks, a gleam in his eyes.
“But I had the world fooled for over a decade.”
Jesus Christ. This poor woman had to pretend to be a man for such a long period of time? Fuck, the procedures she must’ve undergone from a young age.
This is easily the most insane and cruel treatment of a human being I’ve heard of in my life.
Tanaka snaps at his daughter, and for a moment her eyes drift shut as if he’s just given her an impossible task to perform.
She takes a few steps closer to me, and when she moves down to her knees, every muscle in my body tenses.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Vitale,” she says, her voice trembling. “I shouldn’t have stared at your brother and his wife when they visited the club. Because of me, this war has started, and I ask for forgiveness so it will end.”
A violent tremor shudders through me, and I can’t keep the growl out of my tone when I say, “Get up.”
She quickly scrambles to her feet but keeps her head bowed.
I can’t believe her father made her apologize to me after what I did to her. That’s next-level fucked up.
Angry, my eyes flick to Tanaka, where the fucker is sitting on the couch like it’s his throne.
“Yuki isn’t the one who owes me an apology.
” I take a step toward Tanaka, and it has Yuki flinching hard.
Looking at her bastard of a father, I continue, “Your men hurt my brother and killed my guards. You will apologize on their behalf.”
“No apology will make this better,” Tanaka says, refusing to give me what I want. “The men are dead, and your brother survived.” His eyes flick between Yuki and me. “There’s a way we can stop this war that’s taking up too much of my time.”
“And what would that be?” I mutter, my patience wearing thin.