Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 96404 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96404 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“He’s lying,” Akira says with a gentle shrug of his shoulder. “His mouth wanted my dick as much as his body begged for my knife.”
Red creeps up Ren’s neck. “If you show Boss evidence, Akira will be implicated, too.”
“Not if I simply crop out his face from the picture.”
Ren stares between Akira’s calm expression and my taunting one. “You’re both in on this? Did you make him do that to me just to trap me?”
“You trapped yourself the day you shot Sebastian and nearly killed him.” I point a finger at his shoulder. “Mess with him or with me again, even under my father’s orders, and you can kiss your fucking career—and life—goodbye. I heard Kai likes to torture first before cutting people to pieces.”
“Fuck. You.”
“What did I say about that language?” Akira asks in a disapproving tone.
“And you!” Ren snarls at him. “Fuck you both, you weird fuckers.”
I tap my chin. “You might want to wipe all the blood and cum off before saying that.”
Ren snarls again, and as he storms past me, Akira calls after him, “You better be prepared for your punishment, brat.”
The guard pauses, his lips pursing before he leaves, his angry steps echoing down the hall.
I stare at Akira and then at his hard cock. “That must be painful and unsatisfying.”
“It wouldn’t be if you hadn’t shown up.”
“So it’s my fault?”
“You think it’s mine?”
“I’d offer a hand, but I’d rather have it cut off.”
He points at his cock that’s losing its erection, then wraps his yukata closed. “The thought of your hand is enough to turn a sinner into a priest.”
“Screw you.”
“Again, I would’ve screwed someone if you hadn’t come in here.”
“I thought you were asexual.”
“I thought so, too. Turns out, I’m just selective.”
“And Ren of all people is the one you selected?”
He smiles, it’s rare and filled with pure sadism. “He could use some discipline. A lot, actually.”
“He’s loyal to my father.”
“If I want it, his loyalty and everything he has to offer will only belong to me.”
“That’s not how it works. He’s a high-ranking member of the Yakuza and he breathes that reckless lifestyle. If you try to force him to join you in peaceful Kyoto, he’ll probably blow your car up.”
“He would.” His lips pull in a smirk that holds so much pride. “But let me worry about him.”
“Since when are you into knife play?”
“I’ve always loved knives and flesh. Oh, and blood.”
I frown. “When we talked through the letters, you never mentioned knife play, only breath play.”
He pauses, fingering his yukata’s belt. “I’ve developed a fetish.”
“You realize I’ll use that picture against you, too, right? I’m glad you found your drive and your choices, knife included. No hard feelings. I’m just looking out for myself.”
“And Sebastian, obviously.”
I ignore the sharp twist in my stomach and hold on to my cool. “Don’t bring him into this.”
Akira approaches me, then sniffs me like a dog. “I can smell him on you, wife. You’ve been carrying his scent and his marks for fucking weeks. You really thought I wouldn’t notice?”
“You…knew.”
“Of course.”
“Then why didn’t you do anything?”
“In the early Edo period, there was a famous rônin samurai named Miyamoto Musashi who was known both for his skill and his quirkiness. Many other renowned samurais challenged him to a duel, but they were all killed even though they were better skilled than him. Do you know why he won every time? It’s because he changed his tactics to fit each opponent’s weakness. If they were stern, he was playful. If they were playful, he was rigid. Being fluid and ever-changing is what gets things done, whereas brute force will sooner or later lead to someone’s ruin.”
“What’s your tactic for us then?”
“I’m still watching, just like Musashi did before his duals.”
“Don’t you dare hurt him.”
“Don’t you dare threaten me again and we’ll talk.”
“I mean it, Akira. If you do him any harm, your family will receive the picture. Your father is still alive, so you can’t own the Mori fortune just yet. He can still strip you of the leading position and hand it to your brother on a gold platter. Don’t force my hand to ruin the empire you’ve been building all these years.”
“My, Naomi. I didn’t know you had this much fire inside you.”
“I have a fucking volcano, if you want to see.”
He smiles, but it quickly vanishes. “There’ll be no divorce. Play your role or I will throw you to Abe’s wolves.”
“Then I will just bury you and Ren in return. You’re not the only one who knows my weakness.”
“You better check on your weakness then.”
The adrenaline wave slowly dissipates. I dislike Akira’s apathetic tone and face. I’ve known him long enough to realize that means he’s pissed and will soon become vindictive.
When I found the chance to threaten him, I couldn’t possibly let it pass. But maybe coming on this strong wasn’t such a bright idea.