Chapter 25
CHAPTER 25
S hinji
The dark aura surrounding Lakeshia and Takeshi—and me to some extent—has finally dissipated. My limbs are no longer heavy and I don’t dread going through the day to find my loves isolating themselves in their pain.
Ever since coming home to see Lakeshia’s surrender amid Takeshi’s praises, our relationship has been less strained. And I, for one, am fucking over the moon about it. Lakeshia has a long way to go to fully deal with what her ex did to her. And Takeshi and I have to let her heal before pushing her into giving us a name. My husband is more patient than I am, but, for Lakeshia’s sake, I’m learning.
Lakeshia’s ex, whoever he is, is not long for this earth.
“Your trip to Texas has finally paid off.”
I snap my head to Takeshi who has a satisfied grin on his face. He watches the computer screen over Ichiro’s shoulder. I share a glance with Lakeshia joining the two men.
The monitor displays a map of the US with various color-coded pins representing warehouses, safe houses, stash houses, and residences of Tomasso’s capos. Before Lakeshia’s conversation with Perla, we only had Lakeshia’s intel, but a lot has changed since she gathered the information.
“If Perla hadn’t contacted her john, we wouldn’t know half of these locations or the people Tomasso keeps hidden. We can finally plan the first assault on their?—”
Takeshi’s phone interrupts Lakeshia, dampening her enthusiasm. I commend her patience. To think, for so many years she’s never gotten this close to getting one over on Tomasso, yet a path forward is at her fingertips and she has to wait while Takeshi takes a call. Thankfully, the conversation is brief.
“We have to go.” He pockets his phone and pointedly stares at me then Lakeshia.
Not a good sign.
“Ichiro, we want to strike Tomasso hard and where it hurts the most. When we return, I want a list of targets we should focus on first.” Takeshi nods toward the door and leads us to the garage instead of calling for a driver.
Once we clear the house, Lakeshia asks, “Where are we going?”
Takeshi opens the back door for her before answering, “The old house.” His terse response explains his choice of transportation. For long trips, no one has to sit alone in a chauffeured ride. However, driving solo a few miles down the road isn’t much of an inconvenience.
I slide into the passenger seat. “Who was on the phone?”
“Katsuo.” He glances at me before cutting back to the road. “He didn’t divulge much, but he specifically requested Lakeshia’s presence.”
I peer at her from the rear-view mirror. Including Lakeshia is cause for concern. The tightness around her eyes is the only clue to her dismay. I wink at her, as I swallow my misgivings. Whatever lies ahead, Takeshi and I won’t expose her to bullshit, even if it comes from Katsuo.
We pull up to the mansion and Takeshi leads us toward the office on the first floor. Although the home he shares with our ane-san has a home office, he rarely talks business there. Despite being the middle of the day, gloom descends with every footfall the closer we get to our destination. No sign of the weekend lightens the oppressive surroundings. Whatever mood Katsuo is in pervades the hall. My spine tingles in awareness, but what I’m guarding against remains unknown.
His mood could be resentment at leaving his family to deal with work or it could be business-related. Katsuo is a cool mother fucker on the surface, but underneath his calm exterior, he’s an evil asshole, who manifests a hundredfold when anyone or anything interferes with his family time.
We barely enter the room before Katsuo snaps at Lakeshia, “Are you pregnant?” He sits behind his desk, tapping a closed envelope on the surface.
The sun, as if in cahoots with Katsuo’s mood, hides behind a rare cloud, depriving us of sunlight and adding to the dismal atmosphere.
Lakeshia, Takeshi, and I share a glance in the gloomy room, but I can’t read their thoughts.
Do I want her to be nurturing my or Takeshi’s seed right now? Yes, the answer shouts in my head with a desperation only matched by my need to have her and my husband in my life. But with everything she’s going through, Takeshi and I have a silent understanding; we’ll let nature take its course without rushing or pressuring Lakeshia.
“Why is it any business of yours?” Lakeshia challenges instead of answering.
Katsuo glares at me then Takeshi for a silent communication. I’ve always marveled at their relationship. Personally, I love Takeshi’s voice and would rather talk to him than exchange thoughts in the weird way he does with his cousin.
“It seems what my cousin isn’t saying is your answer will determine if you stay for this discussion.” Takeshi turns to Lakeshia. “None of us will risk your life if you’re carrying our baby.”
“Oh!” Lakeshia’s eyes widen before she shakes her head. “I’m not, so nothing to be concerned about.”
Disappointment burst inside my chest, but the harder I peer at her, the more she avoids meeting my gaze. She wouldn’t lie about something this important would she? Of course not. Especially not after being vulnerable and admitting she wants and needs me and Takeshi. As much as I’d like to explore why she’s shying away from me, Katsuo opening the envelope and spreading pictures onto his desk trumps my needs.
“Oh!” Lakeshia gasps, before covering her shock and wiping all emotion from her face.
Lying in front of us are pictures of three of Takeshi’s wakagashira-hosas with their throats slit and the word bugiardo carved on their foreheads. They’re the men my husband assigned to guard Katsuo while we handle Lakeshia’s revenge.
“Tomasso knows we have her.” Katsuo leans into his chair. “Do I need to step in and handle things?” He pierces Lakeshia with a glare. “Because if I do, you may not like the outcome.”
Takeshi stands in front of her, and I step to his side. We stand in solidarity, but Lakeshia wouldn’t be who she is if she didn’t sidestep us to also position herself by our side.
I take her hand and squeeze, imbuing the action with all the silent support I can in the face of Katsuo’s calm. “We know how to protect?—”
“This is no longer about her little feud with Tomasso. He’s dragging me in, making it my business.” Katsuo rises and slowly circles his desk.
Our boss is at his most deadly when he plots revenge.
“I want him taken care of now.”
“We were in the middle of planning our first assault when you phoned. We now have his entire operation mapped, and we’ve identified his closest associates,” Takeshi says, his body as tense as mine.
“You have five days.” He glares at each of us in turn. “Don’t be subtle. Reward his disdain with the energy he deserves.” Katsuo passes by us, his gaze lingering on Lakeshia before he walks out the door.
Lakeshia exhales a shaky breath while Takeshi and I exchange glances.
“We’ve got a lot to do in five days,” I say.
“I’ll make some calls when we get to the house.” Takeshi rounds on Lakeshia and cups her shoulders to stare into her face. “Chiisai senshi no megami, were you being honest with Katsuo?”
Of course, my husband would notice the slightest hesitation in her response to his cousin.
She shrugs him off. “Of course. Do you need me to take a test?”
I take her hands in mine. “It wouldn’t hurt. You haven’t had your period since you came to live with us.”
Lakeshia laughs, reversing my hold to pat me on my hands. “You wouldn’t have noticed because I wore a disc. Sex without the mess.”
For the second time, disappointment fills me, and it’s reflected in Takeshi’s slightly slumped shoulders.
“So, we should probably head back to the house. We have some planning to do! Imagine, in five days, I finally get to hit Tomasso where it hurts.” Lakeshia almost bounces out the door while Takeshi and I follow more sedately.
Try as I might, I can’t silence the voice in my head wishing she were pregnant.
Chaos. Every day since Katsuo’s command has been filled with turmoil. Considering it’s in my nature to wreak havoc, I should be in my element. Nonetheless, I’m not. It’s been two days since Lakeshia’s admission, and I’m still fighting my reaction to hearing she isn’t pregnant.
I should focus on the positive like we’ll have more opportunities. Because spending my nights fucking her and Takeshi is the highlight of my day. And after telling her she’s more than a womb, I shouldn’t be this affected. Yet I am.
“Shinji?” Lakeshia’s voice reflects the concern furrowing her brow.
I pull her to my waist and kiss the top of her ear, but the action doesn’t clear the creases from her forehead.
We’re on a shopping trip, though not a conventional one. While Takeshi handles the logistics of hitting a dozen strongholds at once, Lakeshia and I wait for our arms supplier, Evan, to reappear after asking us to wait when we first showed up. The building we’re in lies on the outskirts of Serenidad in a strip mall. A musty odor with an underlying scent of gun oil pervades the space.
“If you’re worried about being out in the open, let’s return to the house,” Lakeshia says.
“I’m not,” I assure her. “And we aren’t leaving before upgrading your arsenal. Your guns and knives are okay for defending yourself, but we’re going on the offensive.”
“Don’t tell me you don’t have enough weapons for little old me.” She bats her lashes, surprising a laugh out of me.
“For jobs like this, I don’t. I discard anything traceable after an operation.”
She bobs her head with a hum. “Makes sense. You don’t want to keep anything hot on you in case you’re caught.”
My supplier returns from a back room. “Sorry for keeping you. I have what you need downstairs.”
We follow him to another room behind a hidden door. Shelves of assault rifles line the walls. From the corner of my eye, I glimpse a rocket launcher. One thing I love about this country is the easy access to the kind of guns that can sweep through an army of people. In Japan, we make do with blades. It’s more dangerous, more personal, and at times more satisfying. Seeking vengeance with knives is a method I’m not opposed to, as it reminds me of the precious life I have.
A side glance at Lakeshia reminds me why I prefer the guns option for this attack. Despite witnessing her ability to defend herself, I’ll hedge my bets for her safety.
“I want everything,” I say.
“Ah, Shinji, I don’t know how to operate some of these.”
I wrap my arm around her shoulder. “You don’t need to for this outing, but if you want to learn afterward, I’ll be more than happy to provide you with lessons.”
“So this trip is also for you.” Her grin elicits my own.
Evan packages our order as I glance around. “Where’s your crew?”
Evan jerks. Without meeting my gaze, he shrugs and returns to packing my weapons. “Oh, you know young folk and their fucked up priorities.”
Hmmm. His response sounds reasonable, but my instincts are slowly waking up. Evan and I have worked together for six years. Never has he done a deal without a helper or two.
“Oh, look at that.” Evan pulls his phone from his pants. “Their ears must have been ringing. Give me a second while I get one of my guys to help us.”
“I’ll have Riu pick up the product. Lakeshia, let’s go. We have more stops to make.” The lie falls off my tongue, sweeter than honey. My urgency is clear enough she doesn’t question me.
Steps away from the door, Evan slams it in our faces. “Sorry, Shinji. I can’t let you leave. A very important person wants a word with the woman who's with you.”
“You son of a bitch. You realize if I don’t get to you first, Takeshi will make you beg for death.” I search the wall for a seam I can leverage to open the door.
“Shinji, Evan isn’t too smart, is he?” Lakeshia whispers.
“What do you mean?”
She glances behind her at the weapons Evan left behind.
“Either that or he’s hedging his bets. The door can withstand a heavy barrage of bullets, so as long as we’re separated, he’s safe.” I hand her a gun. “Gear up. I saw some Kevlar over there.” I point to the corner near the RPG.
“Kevlar? Did you special order my size?” Lakeshia motions to her torso, reminding me the body I love isn’t standard.
“Right. When we get out of here, I’ll rectify my error.” I pull a vest over my head and secure it. “I’ll be your Kevlar. Stay behind me.”
She eyes me up and down.
“I mean it Lakeshia.”
“Okay, I’ll stay behind you as long as I don’t have an opening to protect you.”
Fuck! Now’s not the time to get turned on because my woman wants to shield me as much as I want to shelter her from harm.
She arches her brow and folds her arms. Nothing I say will sway her. I can’t afford to be distracted by her sexiness, but I’m always weak for Lakeshia. Is this how Takeshi feels when she defies him? How the hell does he keep his cool?
“Shinji, someone’s coming,” she whispers, pulling me out of my musings.
I turn over the table in the center of the room and collect as many bullets and guns within easy reach. I grab Lakeshia’s nape and drag her closer for a kiss. I don’t linger despite wanting to sink into her and get drunk on her taste.
The sound of the door sliding open is my cue to get in position. I aim toward the exit, but the motion stops, leaving a sliver of space separating the wall and door.
“Lakeshia, that’s your new name, right?” A man’s voice from behind the safety of the door says. “If you stop playing games and come with me, the boss would like a word. You’ll be safe, I promise you.”
“For how long?” she shouts.
“Keep him talking and stay here,” I whisper as I creep closer to the sliver of an opening.
“That’s not up to me to decide. Take that up with the boss. Now, are we doing this the easy way or the hard way?”
“Easy for me means you turning your ass around and forgetting my name.”
He exhales a loud, exasperated breath. “The hard way it is.”
Seconds of silence follow his statement. Tension tightens my neck. I don’t know what I need to prepare myself for, but I’m on alert. A canister flies through the gap. Wisps of smoke spray from one end. Without thinking, I cover my nose, catch the smoke bomb, and lob it back through the gap before sliding the door shut on our side.
I slam my body against the panel, trying to hold it in place despite not having leverage. The first heavy thud releases the strain on my body. A domino effect begins as more bodies hit the floor. When enough time elapses, I say, “You can come out now.”
Lakeshia launches herself into my arms, and I wrap her in an embrace.
“We’re not safe, yet. We still have to find a way out.” I grin sheepishly at her. “I may have locked us in when I closed the door.”
“No!” She rushes beside me to inspect by running her hands along the wall. After a few seconds, she rests her head against the surface and sighs. “Shinji, you have the oddest luck.”
Intrigued by her odd tone, I join her.
She twists her face up to mine. A relieved smile brightens her face, transfixing me to the spot. “There’s still a gap, too small for our fingers to push through, but something we can work with.” She straightens, her shoulders firm and determined. “Help me find something to leverage this bitch open some more before the assholes on the other side wake up.”
While searching the room, I bag guns, ammo, grenades, canisters… everything we can walk out of here with in a rush. Lakeshia finds a machete and works the door open. A couple men start to rouse, but Lakeshia ends them as potential threats with bullets to the head.
“Leave a survivor for questioning. And Evan if you see him. He gets special treatment.” I shoulder two heavy duffel bags and a hard case with the launcher, while she binds her chosen hostage with strips of his clothing.
I dash to the car, on the lookout for other enemies, and load our goods in the back. I quickly return to retrieve Lakeshia and Tomasso’s man and place him in the trunk. Evan is nowhere to be found. We make our getaway and Lakeshia calls Takeshi to inform him what occurred.
He’s on speaker and my husband’s joy at hearing Lakeshia call him transmits over the waves. Sadly and predictably, his mood swiftly changes to anger once she shares the details of our recent experience. “I’ll find Evan. You two get home where you’ll be safe.”
“Can’t do, Keishi-kun. We’ve got a guest who needs to answer for what went down.” I turn onto the highway, driving farther away from the strip mall that will disappear in a couple hours.
“Alright head to the valley house. It’s remote and has everything you need to question Tomasso’s man.” Takeshi hangs up, but I can tell he isn’t happy with the arrangement.
Instead of heading directly to the house, I drive around while watching for tails. By the time I’m certain no one is following us, we’re halfway to Los Angeles. I pull over to a gas station to refill while Lakeshia goes into the convenience store for snacks.
Thumping noises emit from the trunk. The asshole is awake and not happy. I surreptitiously search for surveillance cameras. There are too many for me to do what I need. Not to mention, there’s a car pulling into the station that will spell trouble for me if they get curious. Instead, I take my gun and partially open the trunk to poke the barrel into the space.
“If you want a chance to walk away from me alive, you’ll settle down until we reach our destination. Otherwise, I’ll kill you and everyone around right here, right now,” I growl the warning, making sure the people behind me can’t hear.
Taking his silence for an answer, I slam the trunk and turn only to freeze at the sight. Walking into the convenience store and passing Lakeshia on the way, is a vision from my past I’m not supposed to see.
I fled across the country to escape her and the power she has to make all the dreams at my fingertips crumble. I spin around and hop into the car, hoping I’m in time to hide my face. I can’t fall apart now.
Lakeshia will have questions I’m not ready to answer. I’ve never been prepared to explain to anyone this aspect of my past. Not even Takeshi knows.
I shudder out a breath trying to even my breathing and appear normal for when Lakeshia joins me. Of the three of us, I’m supposed to be the non-problematic one, the one who gets through life with a joke and easy manner. We’re still helping Lakeshia navigate her issues, I can’t add mine to the mix.
The door opens and closes as Lakeshia settles herself in her seat. “I got you an iced tea.” She hands me a cold bottle and I gulp the liquid without tasting it. “And we should probably head to the place Takeshi mentioned.”
I nod and start the car. As I pull out, the woman Lakeshia unknowingly crossed paths with exits. A part of me wants to memorize every line and expression on her face, but she isn’t a part of my life anymore. It’s taken ages to come to terms with this reality, so I swallow the years of yearning and shift my focus to the road.
The past has to stay there, where it can’t destroy me again.