25. Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Chi
“The information you got from Oxy and the party, take two,” I say, as Akihito comes strolling into the room after mine and Andy’s long night. I can feel the tangles in my hair and my face rubbed raw, but I’m determined to keep things light this time around. I know I’ll have to consider all of the other things I need help with after this is over, but for now I’m focused only on the task at hand. If I get sidetracked, we might not beat these motherfuckers. And we have to beat them.
“Okay, as I was saying,” Akihito says, casually picking up right where he left off yesterday before I had a complete mental breakdown. “Our father and Daiki were not really getting along with the Kantoku-sha . But nothing seems to show hostility, just a lack of protection. And for a long time, they lived this way. Sort of in a hesitant peace, like a truce. But activity on their server shows their names discussed more than usual starting three or four months ago.”
“The break in,” I say and realize Andy has just said the same under his breath. We look at each other, and it would almost be cute if it wasn’t such a tense moment.
“That’s what I was thinking, too.” Akihito nods in agreement. “That even made our father see his weakness — his mortality. I never saw him after that, but I knew through discussions with Daiki. I think he was tired, to be honest. I think he was tired of sixty years of pretending.”
“I doubt he wanted to die, Akihito,” I say, unable to keep the defensiveness out of my tone. My tears threaten to break free again, but I get a hold of them this time. Maybe it’s just time healing my wounds, but I also think I’ve taken Andy’s words to heart in more ways than one. I’m letting the idea of those around me, who can help me, ease the pain. I’ve been vulnerable with a number of people. I don’t feel such desperation because I don’t have to be desperate. I have lifelines that I’m finally ready to use.
“No, I don’t think he wanted to die. I didn’t mean that. I think he wanted to be done with this way of life, and he didn’t know how to do it. So he began stepping away, even without preparing you for everything that would lie ahead, Chichi-san.”
I get that defensive feeling that I always get when someone threatens my title, birthright, or upbringing. But then I breathe out the feeling and try to remember that the men in this room with me are only trying to help me.
“Okay, so, the break-in. They realize he’s a mortal man with vulnerabilities. They remember I’m next in line. So, what? They decide to finish the job? To what end?”
Akihito thinks it over for a moment. “I don’t know if it’s a ‘they,’ Chichi. I think it’s a person within the organization who was going to do it with or without their approval. We were able to decipher some of the codes they used to discuss it as overseers, if that makes sense. They needed to know about it, observe, and decide whether to pass judgment. And they decided not to. In other words, the organization didn’t help them, but didn’t hinder them either. They allowed them to continue, sort of like saying, ‘May the best man win the Yakuza crown.’”
“The best man ,” I mutter under my breath. “I’m a woman . And they probably counted me out of the equation completely. But I will win.”
I feel Andy’s huge hand squeeze my shoulder, and his breath warm on my ear a moment later. “God, it’s so hot when you talk like that.”
My brother cuts into any dirtier language Andy might have in mind. “That is the hope, Chichi. But until then, it’s imperative that we find out who was behind it. We don’t know yet who it was, and there is no way to find out for sure from the information on this device. But I have a list of names.”
I gasp in excitement. I didn’t think I would get names today. This could narrow it down significantly. I know many of my father’s contacts — I have met them throughout the years. I know the shady and the shadier, who’s being blackmailed by someone, who’s being blackmailed by us , who’s got a mistress, who tried to strong arm my father into paying millions more than their services were worth. And, of course, the main question: who has itched for my father’s power the most?
“Don’t get too excited, Chichi. Many of his associates and political connections are on here.” He hands over a tablet with a list of what must be thousands of names, and my heart sinks.
After scrolling for a moment, I come across a name that piques my interest. “Chikhao Adachi. He was one of the men that our father had on my list of suitors.” I scroll a bit more, and just a few names down, I see another. “Sota Sasaki. The man who Papa beat to a pulp.”
“He deserved it,” Andy mumbles.
I smirk and keep looking. I don’t even have to scroll to find the next name. “His father, Hitachi, is on here, too.” I scroll again. “Jiro is on here. Mr. Romance,” I say grimly. I look up at Andy and Akihito and breathe out slowly, nodding. “They’re all here. Except Asuka. Unsurprisingly.”
Andy looks thoughtful before he speaks. “So, you think it might be one of them?”
“It makes the most sense. They all had a chance to woo me. I chose Asuka. They got mad. Every single one of them.” I blow air up into my bangs. “So, they took out my parents and tried to take me out, too.”
“Your mother is in the other room,” Akihito says, and I swear I hear a tinge of defensiveness in his voice. That’s when I realize I’ve called my father and Daiki my parents.
I swallow back a wave of grief that threatens to consume me. I haven’t spoken to my mother much while I’ve been here, but something has changed in the small talk and silence between us. Some hopefulness, I think. I don’t know how I feel about her after she ignored me all these years, whether on my father’s command or not.
“I didn’t mean to say that. But Daiki and Papa raised me, and I do see them as my parents.” This is yet another layer of shit I have to deal with once I have the time, but I just don’t have it right now. “Focus, Akihito. We need to figure out what we’re going to do about the fact that these men probably killed Papa and Daiki. And tried to kill me.”
Akihito seems to have shaken off his brief moment of having feelings, and he answers with another nugget of information that I didn’t even know he had. “It is overwhelmingly more likely that it was just one of them, not all of them together. The way this works is that you need approval from the Kantoku-sha , and then you are free to do as you wish when you get it. So, it is unlikely that they all petitioned together. No one would have wanted to share the power.”
I stare off at the wall, thinking hard. “Okay, so one of them did it. We have to find out which one. Who’s going to be at this party?”
Akihito’s face doesn’t change, but he nods at my understanding. “All of them.”
“Perfect,” I say. “What’s the plan?”
“Simple. You go with Andy. They won’t recognize you as the ones who broke in because, thank goodness, your masks were on every second you were under camera surveillance at Kantoku-sha headquarters. You need to see Asuka first; it would be bad form not to talk to your fiancé before making your rounds. But that’s not such a bad thing. He knows these men and goes to the same parties. Someone has probably taken an interest in him to ask questions about you, your father, and Daiki. You can ask him about that. It seems he has the emotional capacity to become jealous, at least in a childish manner, so try to make him angry when you bring up the other men. Then, we reassess who it might be and seek them out. We can try to have eyes on the other men while you’re with Asuka.”
I nod in understanding. Then I say something I know Andy won’t like. “I need to be in the room alone with him.”
“No way!” Andy shakes his head fiercely.
“I’m not asking for your permission.” I look into his eyes and can see the fight there, so I go for softness instead. “You know I’ll be careful. But he’s less likely to tell me something if you’re around.”
I see the stolidness slowly seep from him. “What if it’s him?”
I scoff. “You can’t possibly believe it’s him.”
“Haven’t you ever seen The Usual Suspects ?” When I regard him with curiosity, his eyes grow wide. “Have I seen a movie that you haven’t?”
A smile snakes across my face. “Apparently.”
It appears that this is one of his favorite movies, because he’s very excited about it. “There’s this guy that pretends to be harmless the entire time, all disheveled and sort of a simple-minded dude. And he tells this big long story about a murder, but in the end, it turns out he’s just been faking the entire time, and he’s actually a genius who made the story up completely!”
“Spoilers!” I say jokingly, smacking him.
“We’re watching it the second we’re done killing whoever we need to kill. I’m serious.”
“Can’t wait,” I say, staring intently at Andy, knowing that if my eyes could turn to hearts, this moment is when it would happen.
“So, it’s settled then,” my brother says. “Chi will take Asuka to a room where they can be alone. Andy waits nearby. I will go with the other guards to scope out the rest of the men while Chi works Asuka and you make sure she’s okay, Andy.”
“Yup,” I answer. But then I think of something. “Should we call Mara and Cas for this? I mean, I didn’t expect them to come until later, but this is a big party where we’ll hopefully get some answers.”
Andy shakes his head. “I doubt we’ll really get anything. I think it’s far too early, Chi. And if we did figure it out at the party, we would call them.”
I look off at the wall in contemplation. “If we figure it out, why wouldn’t we just—”
“No, Chi,” Andy interrupts. “We would not just gun them down at a party.”
I can’t help but laugh. “How did you know?”
Andy rolls his eyes. “You’re way easier to figure out than you think.” His face turns serious. “But really, this is going to be one of those evenings when we absolutely can’t make a mistake. We need to play this game perfectly. There will be no deviating from what is expected, Chi. Unless you have to make the unexpected move. Like the last lesson I gave you.”
I let out a breath of mock exasperation, but I’m smiling at the reference to the fantastic sex we had when he taught me that lesson. I don’t have time to think about sex now, though. “Okay, fine. We’ll play the game perfectly, and we probably won’t find anything out that gives us a full conclusion. Either way, the plan is to work all the guys on the night of the party, starting with Asuka. And after Asuka, I move onto the biggest suspect.” I look at Andy to make sure he’s on board. “Sound good?”
He nods once. “Sounds like a plan.”
I have to get out of this fucking mansion before I go crazy, and with the party coming up, I decide to see if I can find anything good to wear besides the dresses haphazardly thrown into my bag. I packed in such a haze that I barely remember what I have. I just threw a bunch of clothes together, not really thinking of the big events that lay ahead.
This trip out to the shops is more to get away from my problems for a bit than anything else. I’m looking to clear my mind and take a walk in a part of town that isn’t swarming with rich people. I have a lot weighing on my mind, and I want to shop without having to worry about breaking down in front of Andy or my brother.
Since I’m not nearly as famous in Japan and my father managed to keep my succession somewhat quiet, there aren’t too many people that know me here. I can enjoy a good deal of anonymity that I don’t have back at home.
I head to some shops out of town with Riku and a couple of his guards. As I stroll through the rows of pretty kimonos, I realize that I’ve made a mistake. I can’t actually wear anything here to a billionaire’s party, because it’s all under $200, and I imagine that the other shops around here in this particular town are not going to have anything name brand and fancy enough either. The material isn’t real silk, the colors are too dull, and there are slightly pulled hemlines.
They are beautiful, and I buy several of them to wear to dinner in the mansion back at home, but I know that a room full of billionaires will realize the small imperfections and cast doubt and rumors about me that I don’t need while making a first impression. I sigh — sometimes I truly hate this way of life.
Just as I decide to pack it in for the day, I hear someone calling my name. I turn around in surprise and find a man I don’t know beckoning me. At first, I think it might be a fan that recognized me from American social media, but as I get closer, I realize he looks more like a security guard. I stop and look back at Riku and his men, who are right behind me, and turn with confusion again to the stranger.
“ Go-yohken wa? ” What is your business? I ask dubiously, straightening my spine and standing my ground, mostly so that my security can catch up to me. I want them to surround me more thoroughly to look as imposing as possible.
The man does not speak to me, but out of the sleek black Lexus behind him comes a man I do recognize from Asuka’s security detail. I’m taken aback — I immediately worry about how he could possibly have found out I was here.
“Chichi-sama.” He bows his head, and I’m torn. He’s called me by the honorific -sama, but has used my first name instead of my last. My father would have been called “Yano-sama,” by our last name, or some variation of “leader” or “boss.” But I decide to stop being so distrustful right off the bat and give the man a chance to speak.
“Asuka-san knows I’m here, I suppose,” I ask with more than a little exasperation.
“I was told to follow you to assess your purpose here, but don’t detect any dishonorable intentions,” he says noncommittally in Japanese. I narrow my eyes at him in anger, but allow him to continue. I’d like to hear every bit of what he has to say, unimpeded. “Shimizu-sama would like to extend to you an invitation once again to the family mansion on the cliffs.”
I smile tightly, just barely wide enough to be considered respectful, and shake my head. “And once again, I will decline. I am here on other business and must fulfill that.” I certainly don’t mention the party I’m going to tonight, since that would give them my plans for the night, and I want it to remain a surprise if possible.
The man bows his head. “Understood. Then they would like to invoke Clause Three of the agreement.”
I clench my teeth together and shake my head. Clause Three is one of the kōsoku-ryoku no aru kitei , or “binding stipulations” of the agreement that was signed by my father and Asuka’s. It stipulates that certain invitations must be accepted, and I suppose that they are insisting this is one of them.
I feel the flame of my anger rising, but I need to tamp it down to deliver a pragmatic response. “In case you haven’t noticed, my father is no longer with us. The contract must be updated with my signature, and I do not assent to such a stipulation at this point in time. I will have to review the new agreement at my leisure, in fact.”
Up until this point, I’ve been quite polite, I feel, by not entirely dissolving our agreement and starting fresh before this. But the fact is that, as Yakuza queen, I decide what our new agreement will hold and what I want to sign, and all Asuka can really do is suggest changes and threaten to pull out of it.
If he did pull out of the agreement, I’d still have a wide pool of men to choose from. I have the upper hand. I have the upper hand for the first time in my life, and when I finally realize that, standing here on this sidewalk in a place I’ve never been, with guards all around me who would protect me to the death, I finally feel as invincible as I should.
“I’m disappointed that Asuka-san felt the need to remind me of such a stipulation.” I frown lightly and cock my head to the side. “I’m quite disappointed, in fact. You can tell him this for me. Thank you.”
I leave with a smile on my face.
My brother and Andy are waiting for me when I get home. Of course they have already heard about what happened; Riku was with me. He was probably texting Akihito the entire ride back to the mansion.
“You should not have provoked him so, Chichi,” Akihito says in that annoyingly calm and rational voice.
“Why?” I toss my hair defiantly. “I don’t have to take that shit.”
Andy gathers my hair into his hand and pulls me backward, so my face is craned up to look into his. “We’re trying to keep a low profile, Chee-chee.” He draws his finger tenderly down my face. “You shouldn’t have to take that shit, but… yes, you kinda do.”
I sigh and close my eyes tightly. “I’m not some little boy’s prize. If we plan to move forward with this engagement, he’s going to have to realize that his entitled little games are not going to work with me.”
My brother strokes his chin. “There will be plenty of time for you to show him that in other ways. I know you have taken classes on strategy, Chichi. Remember that sometimes you must appear one way so that you can achieve something very different.”
Andy gives a long, dejected sigh that hits my neck and tickles the hair on my nape. “You know that, Chi. It’s why you chose him in the first place.”
I look into his eyes as he fully acknowledges that he knows all my games and schemes and accepts them for what they are. He doesn’t think I’m some ice queen, or that I’m making a terrible mistake. He’s not judging me. He’s just… so resigned. So sad.
I swallow hard, unable to take my eyes from his as the thin thread of my resolve slips further and further through my fingers. But I say what I need to say. “Yes, I did make that choice. And I will have to see it through.”