Chapter 11
Surprise Guests かかく
Riyu
Schooling my features I don’t allow the surprise I’m feeling to register on my face as Takashi and I enter the room of filled with men and are greeted by two faces incongruous with the scene before us.
The meeting is one of the the leaders of the Yakuza clans who hold sway over the entirety of of Japan, several areas of Europe, the Americas and activity making inroads into several countries on the continent of Africa.
The Shipmoore brothers being present is an anomaly.
The only thing more homongenous than the Japanese elite is the Yakuza.
Two Black British billionaires being present is unprecedented and screams just how deadly the situation with their sister, Prosperity has gotten.
To have them at the meeting is a statement of their power and sway among the men present and the connections they have been making since their sister disappeared.
“Hiyo” my brother and I give the barest of nods to the group at large.
They all bow at varying depths in response, based on the hierarchy present.
Stares follow us as we take our seats amongst the men across from one another, as is our custom.
We never present our backs, always covering the other twin, have done so since the womb.
Mother often says we were often found back to back or facing the other with our heads touching as if communicating telepathically.
“What do we owe the pleasure of this illustrious visit?” I train my gaze on the Kobe Yamaguchi-gami syndicate, the newest and the most ambitious of those assembled.
Eager to prove themselves to the other clans present, they are new and have ideas of modernization, which Takeda is not opposed to.
They are also in direct opposition to the Tatasumoto Syndicate and will use any opportunity that arises to one up the competition.
Kairi Tatsumoto-Savelle slides a glance to the two men who represent Kobe and utters in a cold tone.
“Explain.” Leaving “before we kill you and your guests.” left unsaid.
Him being present acting liaison between his cousin Tsuyoshi shows how enthralled his cousin is with his new pet.
The Yakuza prince has not missed a meeting in all the time we have been attending.
For him to not be present but send his second is speaks loudly to all present.
If he attended, he would have been forced to kill his pet’s brothers, so maybe that’s why were brought in — to challenge him. He obviously doesn’t want to upset her.
“We know someone in this room has or is aware of our sister, Prosperity. We have made it very attractive to the Kobe Yamachuchi-gami Syndicate to endeavor to aid us. There is no amount of money, connection at our disposal that we will not use to get our sister back alive and unmolested.” Porter says smoothly to the group at large appealing to the general avarice of the men assembled.
The Shipmoores still have much to learn about the Yakuza if they intend to hunt in these shark-infested waters. Loyalty among the men assembled around the table is paramount.
The Kobe brought them in as a power play but they would never betray the centuries long alliance among the factions here.
“How do you know she still lives?” I ask with a quirk of my brow just to fuck with them for daring to tread where sinners reign.
“She better be fucking alive, Takeda.” Bishop Shipmoore doesn’t raise his voice. Just quietly assesses my brother and me. Whatever they have discovered has led them to our door. “We hear you’ve had a little trouble keeping track of your own women.”
“Hai,” Takashi, chuckles. And I can’t help but let out a huff of laughter.
“We have our wives secured. If you’d like our help in finding out where your sister is, then we’ll be happy to help.” I cover smoothly, making a point not to look at the Tatsumoto envoy.
It was just a short a while ago my brothers and I, along with my cousins, all had a very eventful dinner party with none other than Prosperity Shipmoore and her new Dom, Tsuyoshi Tatsumoto.
The way she handled herself was a beautiful thing to see.
Still not quite where Tsuyoshi needed her.
I don’t see his interest waning anytime soon. I doubt he’ll ever release her.
In a word, he was smitten and I doubt very seriously he’s willing to give her up — he seemed dedicated to the challenge she presented. That night showed him in complete control of his muse but she remained unbroken. She was well taken cared of — pampered even.
Takeda’s don’t abuse women and my brother would have never given her to a man known to such behavior.
Still, she could be our very own Helen of Troy, the catalyst for one of the bloodiest wars between syndicates in our lifetime.
“You had to know her work would have brought her under the notice of some very powerful men. You failed to protect your sister, now you deem it appropriate to come and threaten us.” Takashi is seconds away from pulling his Katana from the way the muscle in his jaw ticks, if the coldness of his words is any indication.
I communicate calm to him with the steadiness of my gaze.
Porter cants his head in our direction. “Indeed.” His response is noncommittal. Rising from the table with their eyes trained on all the men present, they bow, pivot, then leave us in silence in their wake.
“You deserve death for this.” Kairi flicks lint musing before sliding a glance to the two Kobe men who visibly swallow.
“Bringing outsiders —”
“They offered four of their shipping fleet for cargo to us to be shared among everyone present if we found their sister.” Ren Kobe interjects with a bow of apology for cutting Kairi off.
“Hai, we have a vast network. Between the lot of us we can find her and if she’s not here, we have still made an ally.” Botan, the younger man adds.
They want so badly to be seen as important to the men assembled unaware they have ran afoul of the most powerful ones at the table.
The group at large is unaware of the significance of Prosper Shipmoore’s disappearance and they will never know.
However, Kairi, my brother and I are all very aware they will never get their sister back as long as Tsuyoshi Tatsumoto wants her.
From the last I saw them together he was no where near tired of her.
He’s no less obsessed with her than I am with Ev or Takashi with Bridget.
Just as I would bury anyone who dare try to take what’s mine, I have no doubt the head of Tatsumoto Yakuza would be no different.
“Ah, well, good intentions and all of that.” The cold calculation Ryogi the kaicho of Sumoyosi-kai of is not lost on me. The preeminent yakuza syndicate aside from Tatsumoto speaks with a chilling coldness to the group at large.
I almost feel sorry for the young Kobe men.
I don’t expect for them to be topside long.
Ryogi is know for being a cruel, OCD, Psychopath.
I don’t expect him to let this go. Orphaned young and raised by this grandmother, Fusea one of the few whom leaders of any clan Ryogi is as ruthless as they come.
“If the girl can be found then this alliance can be formed. Get the word out that she should be returned posthaste and unharmed. If she’s already dead, then it’s unfortunate, but we won’t be so inhospitable as to inform her brothers of such sad tidings.
Now, shall we get back to the business at hand?
” His gaze reaches every man before turning to what he deems and more pressing issues.
Darkness greets me when I enter our penthouse suite. Deciding as I was due to return to Tokyo for the next two weeks, I didn’t like having Ev away from me while I attend this series of meetings, so I brought her with me. I could tell the isolation was getting to her.
The cliff-side home is a paradise, a veritable fortress of solitude. I can tell she was slowly losing her mind there without any stimulation. A bright mind like hers needs to be challenged. Something I realized as soon as I took her the first time.
It wasn’t on my agenda. I had no intention of bringing her back into the city until she is either pregnant or sufficiently conditioned to our new normal and her place in my life.
On a lark I brought her back. Time will tell if I’ve erred.
Takashi seems to suffer from the same affliction because I could smell his wife on him in the elevator.
“Hiyo,” looking over the living room, I see the smooth lines of Ev’s form on a settee facing the view of the city. She’s waiting for me in the dark, for how long I don’t know but it reminds me of the early days when I’d first brought her here to live with me.
“I’ve always loved this view.” Looking out into the Tokyo night, her words are soft — wistful even. I don’t know if it’s the longing in her voice, but something in me softens.
“Hai.” Trying to suppress the memories of all the nights I took her in this very room — in front of the wall to wall floor to ceiling window. She’d greet me in nothing but the diamond necklace gracing her curves.
“Hungry?” she asks, like the epitome of domestication has sprung up within her.
We both know it is a lie. She hates anything to do with cooking and often scoffed when Flower would insist on cooking for my brother when she had five stare chefs at her disposal.
Still, my lovely wife plays her part well.
“Not really.” Mouth quirking with cynicism, I watch her shift to face me.
The meeting ruined an already trying day. Handling the tech arm of Takeda with my other two leads, Takashi and Hisashi — men with very diverging temperaments and ideas about how to proceed in their approaches to clients and work. I often find myself mediating between the two.
“You’re the balance, my brother,” Akchiro assured me when he gave us the edict to work together.