Chapter 29
CHAPTER 29
T akeshi
“Everything is set for tonight.” Ichiro rounds the desk to stand behind me. “I’ve emailed the details to everyone using an encrypted server.”
“Good work. Why don’t you take off until we need to regroup in a few hours?”
He nods and rushes out as if he’d waited for my permission all day.
“You’re worried.” Shinji approaches and I scoot my chair away from the table, preparing space for him to sit on my lap. He cups my face, searching my expression for the truth.
“Yes, tomorrow is the deadline for neutralizing Tomasso.”
“And?”
I mentally go over the plans again, seeking gaps in our strategy. No tactic is foolproof, but no matter how many holes I try to poke holes into our schemes, I can’t find a weakness. I should be happy, but unease dogs me.
The source? Lakeshia.
“I regret agreeing to Lakeshia’s demand to take part in the execution of everything we’ve planned. However, wrapping her in layers of protection and locking her away isn’t an option.” At least not one our new marriage can withstand. Her trust wasn’t easy to earn and it’s a treasure I’ll protect with the same ferocity as I’ll safeguard her life. I quirk my lips in a sardonic smile. “But we don’t have much choice now.”
Shinji rests his head against my shoulder and sits with me in the silence. There’s nothing he can say to change the facts.
My phone rings, breaking the quiet moment between us. Lakeshia’s number and a camera appear on the display. Shinji glances at the screen.
“I need something upstairs. Join me when your call is over.”
I nod absentmindedly as I push accept and wait for her image to appear. On the screen, Riu walks behind her, close enough to intercept a bullet while giving her some privacy.
“Is Kori keeping you hostage?” I ask.
Lakeshia laughs. It’s the most carefree laugh I’ve heard from her yet, and I sink into my seat. Although only two days have passed since the ambush at Evan’s shop, something in Lakeshia flipped. She’d mentioned not making friends for fear of Tomasso’s retribution, but with our unplanned commitment ceremony and her determination to foster her other dreams, she informed me and Shinji she wanted to explore a friendship with Kori. She left four hours ago on her mission, entrusting me and Shinji to finalize our plans.
“As if! Although… she loaded me up with tons of food and would continue to talk my ear off if Masanori hadn’t shown up for lunch. Personally, I find no joy in dodging his eye daggers because Kori talks to me rather than him, so I left.”
“Makes sense. So why call when you’ll soon see me?”
She shrugs and a sheepish grin spreads across her face, lighting her features up and hypnotizing me with her beauty. “My husband once told me he enjoys hearing my voice. And since I was thinking of you, I didn’t want to wait until I got home to hear and see you.”
I sit speechless at the gift she’s unwittingly given me. Ever since Shinji’s warning about not pushing or demanding she call me, I found a method to cope. I take candid photos of her and Shinji to quiet my urges. My favorite is of them sleeping. Lakeshia nestles in Shinji’s arms, his lips glancing her forehead while her mouth quirks as if she’s having a pleasant dream. She deserves to dream of good things. Maybe that’s why I end up accessing this picture more than any other when I can no longer silence the doubts and fears. But hearing her voice and seeing her in action while doing the most mundane task trumps a photo.
As Lakeshia enters her ride, she continues to playfully flirt with me, and I can’t help but love this side of her. I look forward to after we handle Tomasso if it means she lowers her other shields. Nothing will please me more than discovering other aspects of her personality, especially ones that bring out her giddiness.
She continues our conversation for the duration of the short ride from Katsuo’s and into the house until she stands before me. She leans over to brush her lips against mine, and I thread my fingers through the hair at her nape to prolong and deepen the kiss. I nip her lip, seeking entry and she opens for me. Her body softens until she can no longer stand on her own and she winds up in my lap, grinding her ass on my awakening dick.
I release her to admire her swollen lips. “Shinji’s waiting for us upstairs.”
With a wicked smile, she leaps from my lap and pulls me from my seat. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Lakeshia doesn’t stop pulling until we reach the threshold of our room, where we pause with matching frowns of confusion.
“Shinji?” I call since he isn’t visible.
“Be right there,” he yells from the bathroom.
Lakeshia and I enter the room with more caution than I recall ever doing. Neither of us pays attention to the flickering candles, the soft music, or the flower petals strewn across the mattress.
“Do you like—What the hell?” Shinji halts halfway into the bedroom. “Did you guys…” He points toward the bed.
“No way—” Lakeshia shakes her head.
“I put my money on Tora no senshi,” I say wryly and nod toward the black cat currently sitting on our headboard as if overseeing our domain.
“But why…” Lakeshia approaches the bed.
Immediately a plain orange tabby and a harlequin patterned bicolor white and orange tabby in the middle of the bed blink awake and zero in on her. They wield their tiny mewls more effectively than a targeted drone strike, and their aim is our tender hearts.
Shinji joins Lakeshia by the bedside.
“We’re giving them to Katsuo, right?” Our wife glances between me and Shinji who gasps at the idea.
I shake my head, experiencing a moment of déjà vu and already able to predict Shinji’s next reaction.
“Takeshi? I don’t do cats. We can’t keep them.” Panic replaces her confusion and she backs away from the bed.
Tora levels a glare at her from his imperious position on the headboard.
“Chiisai senshi no megami, did you think you hid all the things you’ve bought for Tora ever since you moved in? For someone who doesn’t do cats, there are a lot of toys, treats, and food here.”
“And don’t forget the cat beds,” Shinji interjects. “We already have most of what we need to care for them.”
“You can’t be serious. Shinji, they must be Tora’s kittens. Let him be responsible for them. We shouldn’t encourage him to be a deadbeat dad.”
I cover my mouth to hide the beginnings of a chuckle. This is the only panic Lakeshia should ever experience. On any given day, she’s beautiful and sexy and the epitome of my ideal woman. Now I can add cute to the list because she’s never been more adorable than she is now as she tries to convince Shinji we can’t become cat parents.
“I doubt Tora sired them. Neither of them has a black spot,” I point out.
Lakeshia glares at me for my unsolicited observation, and it takes everything in me to keep a straight face.
Shinji picks the two kittens up and holds them next to his face while widening his soulful eyes and pouting at Lakeshia. “Please, can we keep them? They’ll be a great addition to our family. And think how protective they’ll be of our kids when we have them.”
Lakeshia silently implores me with a helpless furrow of her brow.
I shake my head. “Don’t look to me for help. You’ve known from day one I won’t deny Shinji anything he wants, but I dare you to try when he’s like this.”
“Takeshi!” Lakeshia’s frustration leaks through and she jolts as if she’s stopping herself from stomping her foot.
I walk over to Shinji, and the solid orange cat wiggles its butt before launching itself at me. I catch it and it climbs my arm to settle on my shoulder before it peers at Lakeshia with its green eyes. Shinji switches his hold of the bicolor kitten to cradle it in his arms.
“Please, Lakeshia?” As if in harmony with Shinji’s pleas, the kittens meow at Lakeshia until her shoulders slump.
“They’re so tiny. Aren’t you afraid you’ll hurt them?” She asks while slowly closing the distance between us.
Is she even aware she’s moving toward the kittens with her hand outstretched?
“Not even a little. We’ll out-cat-parent every cat parent who came before. Won’t we?” Shinji nuzzles the kitten in his arms.
Meanwhile, the cat on my shoulder that hasn’t stopped staring at Lakeshia gages the distance between us and leaps. It barely makes its destination but manages to dig its claws in her sleeve. She rushes to support the kitten before it falls, but the intrepid animal rallies and scrambles up her body, curls on her breasts, and immediately begins purring.
“I guess he’s a boy,” Shinji grins.
“A boy with good taste,” I add, rubbing the area between its eyes and nose.
“And I’ll bet Shinji’s holding a girl.” Lakeshia shakes her head and succumbs to temptation by petting the little engine on her chest.
From the corner of my eye, Tora leaps from the headboard and onto the floor, soon disappearing through the door.
“I don’t know whether to admire that feline or fear him.” I direct everyone’s attention to the strutting animal as he exits. “I bet he pulled a similar stunt on Katsuo because I never understood why he never got rid of him when he appeared out of the blue.”
“I don’t know. I doubt anyone stands a chance when Tora’s made up his mind,” Lakeshia says.
“Much like Katsuo.” I chuckle, realizing my cousin successfully hid that he’s met a foe he couldn’t beat.
“And I’m not convinced these aren’t his kids either,” she adds, twisting her lips, already committed to keeping the cats even if she says otherwise.
“But they’re ours now. Aren’t you? Yes, you are.” Shinji nuzzles his cat.
“I’m going to have to stop you there. They’re yours. Not ours. So don’t look to me to play Mommy.”
Shinji takes one second to glare at her before reassuring the cat in his arms. “She’ll come around. Give her two days of your cute faces and little meows and you’ll have her wrapped around your fingers.”
I pull Lakeshia to my side and relish having her next to me.
“Is this what I have to look forward to?” Lakeshia twists her lips.
I chuckle at how quickly our husband falls in love. “Not even half of it. You haven’t seen him with Katsuo’s kids.”
I will always be in awe of Shinji’s ability to never doubt his feelings. I should have known that day he returned from New Jersey talking about he’d found her that Shinji was in love from then. After all, it took him all of five seconds to tell me we belonged together. He was right about me. He’s right about Lakeshia. And now, I’ll trust his judgment with these kittens.
“There’s no reason to attack me. Now, we have some shopping to do. These babies need bottles, formula, heating blankets…” Shinji walks around the room extinguishing candles as he continues to list items we need for the cats.
“Good thing there’s the internet and same-day delivery.” I follow behind him to relight everything he’s snuffed. “Because I’m not going to waste the effort you made.”
“Right.” Shinji retrieves his phone and quickly orders everything on his mental list for our new family members.
I nuzzle Lakeshia’s cheek. “Thank you, chiisai senshi no megami.”
“For being as weak as you and spoiling our husband? You’re welcome.”
“Now that they’re settled, it’s time we take advantage of the next few hours until it’s time to leave.” Shinji pulls his shirt over his head and heads toward the bathroom. “And the first thing is a bubble bath with my husband and wife.”
I grin and follow without taking over as I’m prone to do. Having Shinji and Lakeshia call me their husband within an hour has mellowed me. Even after fifty years, I doubt I’ll tire of my title in their lives.
“Shinji, no touching our wife until I give the word.”
“You can’t touch me, but that doesn’t mean, I can’t indulge.” Lakeshia takes my command as a dare and caresses our husband from behind, manipulating his nipple with one hand while trailing the other down his torso.
Shinji’s dick rises and points toward me. I’m going to enjoy every second of the next few hours together.
“Keishi-kun…”
I grin at his whining. After all, I haven’t mellowed out that much.