Chapter 34
CHAPTER 34
L akeshia
A one-pound weight slams on my chest, waking me. I lurch upright and find Marmalade tumbling to the bed. Despite the brightly painted walls, the late hour paints the room in semi-darkness. High shadows climb the walls, and the soothing nature of the room transforms into a forbidding space.
Tora has either blended with a shadow or returned home, but my two kittens emit nonstop mewling. It’s past their dinnertime and they must be starving.
I collect them and walk through the house toward the kitchen. Darkness lines my path.
Where is everyone?
“Takeshi? Shinji?”
Movement from the front of the house causes me to pause. The Kimura compound is one of the safest places on earth, yet I can’t help the instant spike in my heartbeat. After all, we failed to eliminate a threat.
As if sensing my disquiet, the kittens quiet and crawl into my pants pockets. Their tiny bodies tremble against my thigh. I rush forward on silent feet. Thanks to Takeshi, the kitchen has a ridiculous number of knives even though he rarely cooks. They’re all honed to peak sharpness. I need only one, but I take two, ready to hurl it at whoever crosses the threshold.
“Kimura-san?” Riu asks seconds before stepping into the kitchen and unknowingly saving his life.
“Dammit, Riu. You scared the shit out of me.” I relax and replace the knives on the magnetic strip where I retrieved them, and gather the ingredients for the kittens’ meal.
“Sorry, I thought I heard you calling out.”
“I did.” I look at the digital clock display on the microwave reading eight o’clock. “Shinji and Takeshi haven’t returned. Do you think they’re still downtown with Katsuo?”
A shadow crosses Riu’s face before he shakes his head. “The big boss doesn’t miss dinner with his kids unless there’s an emergency. And no one’s mentioned anything going down.”
“Okay, then.” I nod him away, but a sense of foreboding follows me while I bottle feed the kittens. Their greedy antics, usually enough to distract me, barely scratch my consciousness.
Something is wrong.
Although my husbands are adults and don’t need my permission for anything, their radio silence is unusual. Especially Takeshi’s. That man has an addiction to hearing my voice for the most mundane reasons, and he has no intention of weening himself off it.
I leave the kittens to entertain themselves and go in search of my phone in case I missed Takeshi’s call. No missed call, but I have a message from an unknown number.
My previous unease, that I haven’t successfully silenced, roars in my ears as I tap on the message and gasp. My phone falls to the ground.
I’ve no need to stare at my screen because in the split second I glanced at the message, the image has forever branded itself behind my eyes. Paul stands between my unconscious husbands with his hands bunched in their hair. He wears the same smirk he used when wooing me in college. What I thought was sexy and dangerous when I was younger is nothing less than pure evil.
I want to move, but my body won’t obey my commands. I want to blink and have the horrifying reality disappear, but my eyes won’t close and the picture in front of me won’t change. I can almost hear Paul’s voice taunting me, threatening me, and calling me a bitch.
“Kimura-san! Kimura-san!”
Finally, my hearing begins to return. Although Riu’s voice seems far away, his panic is urgent and forceful. I blink, relieving the dryness in my eyes, and he comes into focus.
“Riu?”
“Thank God. Are you okay?”
I blink again and again as tears fill my ducts to overflowing. I don’t know how long I stood frozen and unable to act, but I’m glad Riu’s panic is working to bring me back to who I am.
“Takeshi… Shinji… I have to… Where’s my phone?” I search the floor for my handset.
“Here.” Riu hands me my cell.
I unlock the device and hand it to Riu because I can’t risk another episode. “What does the message say?”
He blanches at the image. “I’ve got to call the big boss.”
“Not yet. First, tell me what it says.”
Riu raises his head, but can’t hide the pity from his expression. “It says, trade yourself for them to guarantee they live. I’m sorry Kimur?—”
“Don’t be sorry yet. We’re bringing my husbands home. Do you hear me? I’m bringing them back!”
“Yes, but how?”
Right. Other than my life, what leverage do I have? I pace the confines of the kitchen, racking my brain for ideas. I need access to Shinji and Takeshi if I have any hope of saving them.
“Call the number from the text,” I demand, hoping Paul’s voice won’t have the same effect as seeing him on my screen holding the people who’ve given me extra reasons to live and fight.
My husbands are at his mercy but I can’t let Paul keep affecting me. Is it because he takes me by surprise? I don’t know, but maybe if I steel myself against seeing and hearing him, I’ll have a chance of moving forward.
Once Riu does as I ask, I snatch the phone and listen with my heart pumping through my chest. I whisper to myself, “It’s just Paul. It’s just Paul.” I try to picture him and succeed too easily.
His face swims before my eyes, my vision narrowing to his boy-next-door looks. Nothing about his smile reveals the monster underneath.
“Kimura-san?” Riu’s voice helps to ground me as I begin to lose myself again.
Why doesn’t Paul answer? The call ends without going to voicemail.
“Riu, do me a favor.”
“Of course.”
“If you see signs like I’m not all here, do whatever you need to return me to my senses. If it means slapping me across my face, do it.”
Riu steps back. “I could never.”
“Yes, the fuck you can. Because it means saving Shinji and Takeshi. If I’m willing to suffer the pain, you can damn sure endure a little discomfort.”
“But the bosses?—”
“Won’t find out from me. Their lives are on the line Riu.”
He reluctantly nods and closes the gap between us.
“Okay, I’m going to call again. If I zone out, put the phone on mute and bring me back, no matter what.”
He grunts though he would prefer any other assignment than this.
I redial Paul’s number.
This time, he answers after the third ring. “If it isn’t my sweet ex-girlfriend, Sheila, the knife-wielding bitch.”
“I don’t go by that name anymore,” I manage through the tightness in my throat. I grab the corner of the kitchen counter, feeling the hard corner digging into the soft flesh of my palm.
“Yes, Zio Tomasso told me, but you see, I have a history with Sheila. She’s the last cherry I popped. The last pussy I fucked. She’s the last time I felt human. So, I have to keep Sheila’s memory alive until we meet face to face.”
During Paul’s tirade, Riu’s face registers shock, but it’s taking everything in me not to black out. My vision blurs around the edges, and Paul sounds like he’s talking to me through a cave.
“I can give you that, but I have terms.” The words barely make it out from my numb lips.
“You think you can negotiate with me?”
“If you want what’s left of the Giamettis to rebuild, you will. I have the Kimuras and the Oliveris on my side. I can guarantee they won’t touch you if you agree to my conditions.”
Paul lapses into silence, and Riu grabs my phone to put us on mute.
“The bosses will never agree to give you up.” His fierce frown could melt steel but doesn’t deter me.
“Katsuo will,” I counter. “My life isn’t as important as Takeshi’s, and he’ll bear the consequences of this decision even if it means Takeshi never speaks to him again.”
Riu meets my glare but his silence acknowledges the truth in my words.
“Alright, let’s hear what you want.”
I puff out a breath in partial relief. More obstacles will arise, but this one is one I can overcome. I unmute the phone. “First, Tomasso must be at the meeting with you.”
“What? Thinking you can take both of us on your own?”
“Not at all. But if I’m going to die, I want to tell him what I think of him to his face, first.”
“Fine, he’ll want to watch your death, anyway. What else?”
“I get to say a private goodbye to Takeshi and Shinji.”
“I’m no fool. Why would I leave you alone with those two?”
“If you don’t, they’ll ignore the truce I negotiate for you. Not even Katsuo will be able to stop them from hunting you and keeping you barely alive and in constant pain.”
Another pregnant silence fills the air as Paul mulls over my latest demand.
“Your argument has merit. I’ll agree to it. Now?—”
“I’m not done.”
“My generosity is depleting fast.”
“Don’t worry, this is my last request.”
He grunts but allows me to continue.
I glare at Riu, a silent command to remain mute. “Whatever you and Tomasso do to me, leave me intact enough for an open casket when you give them my remains to the Kimuras.”
Riu opens his mouth to protest, and I slice my arm through the air, silencing him. It’s hard enough negotiating my death. I have to block out what my husbands’ reactions will be when they discover what I’ve done and what I’m hiding. I can’t dwell on the life growing inside me, or the fact I’ll never hear my child call me Mommy.
I silence everything because I could never live in a world where Shinji and Takeshi make the ultimate sacrifice and leave me to live without them. Especially since there’s no guarantee I’ll survive this pregnancy. How can I abandon them when they have a chance at life? And if they’re alive, they can find someone to fill the hole I leave behind.
I beat back all the dreams I allowed myself to dream these past weeks, and say, “And in case you think you can fool me by agreeing, only to destroy all existence of my body, giving the Kimura family my corpse is non-negotiable. They’ll expect my body. My whole body.”
“Fucking bitch.”
“Yes, I know. Do we have an agreement?” I hold my breath, waiting for him to call my bluff.
I don’t have the leverage to negotiate for two families, but I’ll do everything in my power to bring my husbands to safety.
“Call once Kimura and Oliveri officially agree to the truce.” Paul disconnects, but his anger spices the air.
Or maybe the heat is coming from Riu. Lord knows his glare can scorch a skillet pan.
“May I speak now, Kimura - san ?”
“Sure, you can blister my ears on our way to Katsuo’s.”
During the short ride to Katsuo’s house, Riu does his best to discourage me from my current course. I listen with half an ear, my mind racing with loopholes and schemes. Despite my resolve to face death with dignity, I can’t squelch the hope kindling in my breast. And if I can’t defeat my own optimism, I’ll have to plan to satisfy it.
Before the car rolls to a full stop, I jump out without waiting for Riu. At the door, I bang hard and repeatedly, disregarding the young children sleeping inside.
Katsuo swings the door open, his aura emitting a murderous intent until he sees my panic.
“They took them. They have Takeshi and Shinji.” I storm past him and head to his home office.
“Impossible. They’re in Felicidad finishing what you started.”
I stumble at his revelation and swing around to face Katsuo. “Felicidad?” I shake my head. With everything going on, I cannot deal with the news that they left Serenidad without me. Not after Paul. “Is that how they were caught?”
“What gives you the impression they were caught?”
I toss my phone at Riu, unable to force myself to look at the photo. “Show him.”
Katsuo’s lips thin.
“I also spoke to Paul before coming here.”
Without another word, he charges in front of me toward his office, and Riu and I follow with the same urgency.
Ensconced behind closed doors and separated from his wife and kids, Katsuo leans against the desk and folds his arms. “Explain.”
“The Giamettis want to trade me for my husbands, and I intend to give them what they’re asking for.”
“Shinji would protest. And if Shinji objects, Takeshi won’t agree.”
I square my shoulders and meet Katsuo’s glare. “It’s not up to them.” Katsuo unfolds himself and I stall him with a raised hand. “Before you shut me down, I have a plan.”
He listens while I detail my conversation with Paul and the thrown-together plan I came up with on the ride.
“Too many flaws, not enough time,” he mutters before lapsing into silence. “Why are you so certain I’ll sacrifice you for my cousin?”
“You haven’t embraced me as family yet. Maybe you blame me for bringing my vendetta into your lives. Maybe you find it hard to trust me. I don’t know, and I don’t care. We have one thing in common: we’ll go to the ends of the earth to save Takeshi.”
“I can’t fault your logic.” Katsuo steps behind his desk and picks up the receiver of his desk phone. “Listen carefully and don’t interrupt.” He speaks into the handset, but I have no idea who he’s talking to. “First, the Giamettis took Takeshi and Shinji. Second… I said don’t interrupt. Second, I need you to bring Kori here. What about don’t fucking interrupt me don’t you understand? Get your ass over here with Kori, and I might answer them. Third, I want a list of all available men. They need to be on standby, ready to move the second I give the go-ahead.”
If the person on the other end has something to say, he’s out of luck because Katsuo hangs up the phone and snares me with a glare. “I’ll follow your plan for now, but the second I see signs it’s not going as planned, I take over.”
“I’ll agree to anything if it means?—”
“I know.” Katsuo turns to Riu. “Go to the other house. Get every shuriken, kunai, and small blade from the dojo. If we’re hiding weapons to sneak to Takeshi and Shinji, they should be small and light enough to remain undetected.”
Riu nods, his scowl from earlier gone now that I have Katsuo’s support.
Suddenly, the adrenaline high I’ve ridden until now dissipates and exhaustion weighs down my limbs. My legs sustain me enough to carry me to the sofa where they give out and I sink into the welcoming softness.
For the next half hour, quiet settles in the room, but I can’t relax under Katsuo’s unsettling and unrelenting regard. Although seated behind his desk, he still cuts an imposing figure. I don’t have time to pander to my cousin-in-law, but if I could read him, maybe I could concentrate on how to handle Paul when I meet him face-to-face.
The door to the office swings open, and Kori enters with wide eyes while wearing a panda pajama shorts set that clings to her hips and unbound breasts. Her sleepwear is cute but her curves add a sinful element no one can deny.
And the man stalking in behind her isn’t even trying with the way his eyes devour her.
“Couldn’t you have let her put on some decent clothes?” I jump to meet Kori halfway.
“Lakeshia?” Confusion and fear cause her voice to tremble. “Why am I here?”
“What did Masanori tell you?” I take her hand and lead her to the sofa.
In the corner, I spot a folded throw. I unfurl it and wrap Kori beneath.
She smiles as if I’m a godsend, and I glare at Masanori. I haven’t forgotten her confession from the farmer’s market where she revealed he terrifies her.
“Mr. Kimura didn’t say much. He came, pounding at my door, and threatening?—”
“That’s an exaggeration. I told you what you needed to know.”
“That I had to take a drive with you? I didn’t know why or where or…” Kori glances away, a shudder running through her.
I hug her to me and glare at Masanori. “Did you mention Katsuo sent you?”
He sneers and turns his attention to his cousin. “I did what you asked, now what the hell is going on?”
Katsuo steeples his fingers and rests his chin on them while studying Masanori.
“Sorry, oyassan.” Masanori closes his eyes and inhales and exhales three times. Once the angry lines smooth from his face, he opens his eyes again. “What’s the situation and how can I help?”
Katsuo relays everything we’ve discussed. During the summary of our plans, Riu returns with a bag and sets it on Katsuo’s desk.
All eyes turn to Kori.
“Can you play your part?” Katsuo asks her, the warmest he’s been all night.
“I’ll do my best, anything to help Takeshi and Shinji.” She approaches the desk, clutching the throw tight to her chest.
Kori unzips the bag and unpacks the weapons inside, hefting each and discarding them one by one after some mental calculations. “Razors would be the easiest to hide. These,” she points at the kunai blades, “Are too heavy. It will be challenging enough to bake a cake that looks like the bottom of a cake box without raising suspicions. The weight will be another issue.”
“Can you do it in three days?” Katsuo asks.
“Three?” I leap from the chair. “We need to move like yesterday. We don’t know what horrors Takeshi and Shinji are suffering at Paul’s and Tomasso’s hands.”
“They’ll be fine as long as our agreement is in place,” Katsuo says. An unexpected note of compassion in his voice catches me off guard.
We spend all night discussing and fine tuning a plan with more risks than holes in a sieve. But we don’t have many options, and we’re exhausting the ones we have.
Once we agree on our next steps, everyone files out, leaving me alone with Katsuo.
“Takeshi mentioned you have an adverse reaction to Paul whenever he shows up. Can you overcome it?”
“I have to,” I whisper. “I have no other choice.”
He studies me for long moments before sighing. “Why do I sense you’re willing… no expecting to enter enemy territory and not walk out again?”
He’s right, but I’ll never admit it to him.
“When you see your husbands, if they see what I see written all over you, your plan will be dead on arrival. They won’t let you leave the room they’re held in and will make a last stand to protect you.”
Again, he’s right. Katsuo’s on a roll tonight, spitting facts and taking no hostages. Even so…
“Something you should know about me is I’ve spent half my life nurturing my vendetta against Tomasso. If you add up all those years of loathing and planning, they still wouldn’t come close to what I’m willing to do for my husbands. And what my husbands want, my husbands get. And they want me. So, even if I have to make the wildest gamble of my life and face off with the devil himself, I’ll return home with my men.”