24. Kenzo
CHAPTER 24
KENZO
Nice. What a fucking word.
The sunset blazes across the sky as I drive down the highway to the steakhouse. It’s a beautiful mix of pink and red, but nice obliterates everything in sight.
Dice is posted outside of the private dining room, scanning the scene, a vein throbbing in his neck, and Ronin bows his head when we make eye contact. He’s been working with Dice, and his blistered knuckles show it. Enforcing isn’t glamorous work, but it’s better than cleaning the boss’s toilets like the other wakashu. Still, even if Ronin gets to skip that part of the entry work, he’s not jumping into negotiations. He has to guard with Dice.
Inside of the private room, dark mahogany wood covers each wall. Deep-tufted leather seats line each table. Usually, we meet on our own grounds, but when it comes to particularly important clients, we make exceptions, and the CEO and owner of Golden Honor Firearms likes his steaks.
The CEO stands, greeting Tomo with a firm handshake. Gray hair saddles the sides of his head, and his brown eyes paint him in a comfortable ease.
“ Watashi wa Harry-san desu. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu, ” he says, bowing deeply and speaking decent Japanese. My name is Mr. Harry. Pleased to meet you. My Japanese skills are shit, so I’m impressed. I give a short clap. Tomo dips his head at the CEO.
“Mr. Harry! Thanks for agreeing to meet with us,” Tomo says. He gives me a wink, making sure I’m in on the humor. Calling him “Mr. Harry” is a joke, since he introduced himself that way in Japanese. Mr. Harry laughs like he knows why Tomo is amused.
Tomo ushers Niko forward, and Niko shakes Mr. Harry’s hand. “Niko,” he says.
“He’ll be taking over for me once I retire,” Tomo explains. Niko’s upper lip curls, and it’s obvious his eventual rule over the yakuza is in question now, with Tomo’s actual first-born son outside of the dining room, guarding the negotiations.
Tomo nods at me, and I offer my hand to Mr. Harry. Tomo continues: “This is my financial controller, Kenzo.”
I’m always amused by how oddly formal the title sounds. But it’s easier than saying, “he runs public relations for Samurai Corporation, handles the drug dealers, and blackmails corporate bigwigs.” Financial controller. It’s a nice term.
Nice. There’s that fucking word again.
I grip Mr. Harry’s hand. “Mr. Harry,” I smirk. “Golden Honor Firearms in the flesh! It’s about time you honored us with your presence.”
“Pleased, so pleased to be here.” Mr. Harry tilts his head, then nods to Cherry. “And the beauty back there?”
She presses her lips together but doesn’t offer her hand. “Cherry,” she says.
“She’s my daughter,” Tomo explains. Usually, he brags about her martial arts training, but with Mr. Harry, he keeps it simple. Is he trying to keep Mr. Harry’s defenses low? Or is he trying to be “nice?”
“Nice to meet you all,” Mr. Harry says.
Nice. That word haunts me.
We take our seats around the table, and a server brings us water and our choices of liquor. Music hums through the speakers, but in my mind, Johnny Cash’s gravelly voice sings, “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.” I envision Patrick’s blond curls on top of his wiry body, and I split his skull down the middle with a machete.
Patrick Petrus. A nice man. A nice man who deserves a nice death. The part that kills me is this isn’t just about jealousy—that I wasn’t the one to take Vi’s virginity. It’s about her safety too.
He’s supposed to be her family, and he’s the biggest predator of them all. A bottom-dweller ready to cannibalize his own cousin.
I should be focused on the meeting. Harry and I are both smooth talkers who wash over deals and make fortunes a reality, but my mind is scattered. Vi’s words repeat in my ears: Just be nice to him. Please, Kenzo.
The fact that Patrick and Jay manipulated Vi into believing they were protecting her dominates my thoughts. She never had a chance. It stews inside of me as I try to make sense of it. Maybe it’s a lie. Another way to deceive me and make me lower my defenses around my wife. Maybe Vi is the mastermind here, using me for her own gain.
That doesn’t feel right though. There’s something else lurking beneath the surface. Vi is just doing what her uncle and cousin say, which means they’re working for themselves or working for hire.
I should push this as far as it can go. I should keep Patrick alive until I figure out the true purpose here in Vegas. And Vi told me to be nice, and by sitting here, not doing anything about it, I’m being nice.
But every breath of air is one too many for Patrick.
“Kenzo?” Tomo asks, interrupting my thoughts. “You all right?”
I scan the room quickly. I drifted off into my thoughts and have no idea what we’re talking about. I can’t focus. Not until I take care of Patrick.
I take a deep breath, then smile at Mr. Harry.
“Excuse me,” I say. “I’ve got some pressing business, but I’d like to reschedule for a private meeting. I’d love to get your insight on the future prospects of Golden Honor Firearms. Perhaps we can host you at the Gilded Stage?”
“Of course. I love the Gilded Stage,” Mr. Harry says. “Strippers always make business negotiations so much better.”
We shake hands again, and I bow my head at Tomo.
“I’ve gotta take care of this,” I say in a low voice. Tomo nods back and doesn’t ask questions. He trusts me, just like I trust him.
“Tell me later,” Tomo says.
I acknowledge Dice and Ronin on the way out. I momentarily consider asking Dice to send a few of his men my way in case Patrick tries to run, but this is a job I want to take care of myself. It’s the best way I can guarantee holding onto Vi’s wishes to be nice.
Be nice, Kenzo, my mind mocks. He was just trying to help her, Kenzo.
My wife wants me to be nice to her cousin. It’s such a simple task.
And I will be nice.