Crossing the Line

by Naomi Aoki

Brian was laughing at him, Kennosuke was sure of it. “If you take this to my uncle... this joke... he won’t be impressed.” He had to be missing something. “It’s not just milk powder...”

  “Bingo.”

  Drugs? What on earth was Brian thinking trying to broker a deal with Gou when an organisation on the other side of the world could never compete with their suppliers in China. Kennosuke couldn’t see any benefit in the arrangement base on time and cost alone. He moved closer to the table and inspected the tin. It didn’t look too much different from one you could find on a supermarket shelf. Didn’t appear to be tampered with and yet, he knew it had to be.

  “We can get it easier, elsewhere. Why would we want to wait for it to come from New Zealand?” Brian wasn’t perturbed by his words at all. He just sat there and grinned as though he’d won big in a gambling den as Kennosuke pointed out the plans flaws. “Would you even be able to produce the quantities we’d need? And of... what?”

  “The sample in this one is cocaine.”

  “You’re a cop. How did you get cocaine? It’s not like you can rock up to a dealer and buy it.”

  Brian rolled his eyes. “Exactly Kennosuke. I’m. A. Cop. It isn’t that hard.”

  “It won’t be worth it.”

  “Not with coke. But the product we’ve got to offer.... You know what? I’m not going to say anything more till tomorrow.”

  “Bastard,” Kennosuke snapped, wincing as his stitches pulled as he stormed into his room. He slammed the door and shut out the sound of Brian’s laughter as it chased after him.

  Chapter Nine

  Brian tried not to be cowered by the history contained in the walls of the main house as they pulled through its large gates. They hadn’t travelled far out of Kyoto to reach the rural area – one that was so different to the green pastures of New Zealand – and yet, it was like stepping back in time. He half-expected a Samurai to appear in front of him, instead of the deceptively fierce kimono-clad woman. Now he knew where Kennosuke’s mother got it from, though she wasn’t as subtle. He tried not to stare wide-eyed at his surroundings, but the soft chuckles drifting from Kennosuke told Brian he’d failed.

  Kennosuke lead him through the house to a large room, half tatami mats and the other hardwood floor, where Jamie, Gou and Kennosuke’s father, Soichirou waited. He gawked at Jamie sitting on the edge of the desk Gou sat behind, exuding the same dangerous power his husband did and Brian couldn’t help but chuckle. Looking at this friend now, it was hard to imagine that he’d once been a do-gooder who freaked at the idea of going one-kilometre over the speed limit. Maybe it wasn’t so hard to imagine that this Jamie could kill a man.

  Approaching the desk, Brian could sense how dangerously powerful Gou was as he tried to intimidate him with a hard stare. But it had no effect on Brian. He’d grown up around men just as scary as Gou and he couldn’t make Brian lower his head in submission. Instead he stood straighter, squared his shoulders and dropped the bag on it. Gou raised an eyebrow as he stared at the package but made no move to inspect it further. His distinct lack of interest in what Brian had brought pissed him off, however he swallowed back the curses he’d usually let fly. It wouldn’t be wise to anger the man in his own house when everyone in the room, but Brian carried a weapon.

  His gaze switched to watch Jamie as his friend didn’t hesitate to peek inside the bag. Brian bit his lip, struggling to hold back the laughter at his mate’s stunned expression as he pushed the plastic aside to reveal its contents.

  “So... Brian, what are you trying to say?” Jamie gestured at the tin as he spoke. “Did you knock Melissa up or something? You know, you could have just called to tell me you were going to be a dad.”

  “What? No. No fucking way is she pregnant,” he blurted out, as a heated gaze drilled into his back and not one caused by desire. Brian wanted to turn around and reassure Kennosuke that he wasn’t going to be a dad, that he wasn’t even seeing anyone right now. Wanted to tell Kennosuke he only wanted... Fuck those thoughts scared him almost as much as the idea of Melissa being pregnant. “I haven’t even seen her in months.”

  Jamie smirked, and Brian realised he’d been played. His friend was a fucking bastard. Not that he wouldn’t do the same. “Then, what’s in the tin?”

  “Dru-”

  “Who. The. Fuck. Is. Melissa?” Kennosuke growled.

  “Judge’s daughter... or was it the prosecutor’s?” Jamie began to answer. Brian wished he’d shut up. Then again, once his friend realised the similarity between all those he’d dated in recent years, his expression would be amusing. “No... wait, they had son’s. So, remind me which one was Melissa?”

  “Workmate. Evidence room.” Brian glanced at Gou, not surprised when the man grinned back, having made the connection between his partners. Jamie, on the other hand had not.

  “I didn’t think you dated workmates?”

  Fair question. Brian had always asserted that before, but things change. “I wouldn’t normally, but some bugger left incriminating evidence at a crime scene that needed to be retrieved or he’d wind up in jail.” Brian chuckled and rubbed at his jaw. “Stupid old man.”

  He saw the moment Jamie got it. His eyes going wide as the implication of Brian’s words sunk in and anger filled them along with something else Brian couldn’t name.

  “So, Mr I’m-not-a-good-cop, what is it that this-” gesturing at the tin. “-contains. Because while there is a market for this in some parts of Asia, it is not one I wish to get involved with,” Gou asked before Jamie could make a comment.

  “Coke... but that’s not what we want to deal in.” Brian threw another packet onto the desk that he’d kept hidden in his jacket. “This is what my father is offering, a supply of the best meth you’ll find this side of the Pacific.”

  He wasn’t boasting for the purposes of making the deal. Brian had seen the effects of the product his father had flooded the market with back in New Zealand. The high-end market, because only those with enough cash could afford to buy it and it was highly addictive. He found it amusing to watch his colleagues flail about trying to identify the source of it, only for Brian to destroy the evidence when they got close.

  “Is that right?” Gou leaned back, his expression darkened, and Brian wasn’t sure why. “And how do you know it’s good? Can you personally attest to its quality? Because if that’s the case... I won’t be purchasing.”

  Brain placed his hands on the desk, fingers splayed and leaned over it, his joking manner gone. “What’s the point in selling it, if you blow your own profits. Plus, what good would my cover as a cop be if I failed a drugs test.

  “Everyone at the station knows who my father is - some of the older officers have even arrested him in the past – they all believe it when I say I hate him and all he stands for. Of course, that is far from the truth -” he turned to face Jamie as he spoke, watching the myriad of emotions pass over his friends face with all the lies he now knew Brian had spun in the past. “-I am very much my father’s son.”

  KENNOSUKE’S JAW CLENCHED, his fingers burrowed into his palms as he listened to Brian and Jamie speak. Listened to the flippant way Brian spoke of his past partners as though they were nothing more than tools to be used and discarded in the end. The reminder of why he should keep his heart protected from Brian stung as it slapped Kennosuke in the face with the truth. Brian only wanted to have fun, and these pesky feelings Kennosuke had allowed himself to develop would never be returned. It was time to face reality. Anything Kennosuke thought he’d seen that said otherwise was nothing more than wishful thinking.

  Rage surged through his veins and scorched his skin. It consumed him with flames of green that only grew stronger, hotter the longer he remained in Brian’s presence. Kennosuke needed to leave, quietly sneaking out of the room and padding through the house. He stepped outside and stared at the three SUVs parked there before his gaze drifted past them to the storehouse on the other side of the driveway. His lips curled, and his fingers twitched;
maybe Shinichi had someone he could take his anger out on.

  His body tensed as footsteps crunched on the gravel behind him. Kennosuke hated that his first thought was of Brian, wishing he might have noticed and followed him. But it wasn’t. A wry laugh escaped as he watched his father approach.

  “You okay?”

  Ken breathed deep. “Nope. Not at all.”

  “If you’re going to have a problem working with him, I can make sure Gou turns the offer down,” his father, Soichirou said unperturbed by Kennosuke’s anger – the need to hit someone that radiated from him. “Because if he accepts this deal - one that will see us working with Brian’s family – then, Brian will be around more.”

  But it was what went unsaid that was cause for concern. His uncle intended for him to work with Brian to make the venture a success.

  “It’s fine. Uncle can’t make decisions based on my emotional hang-ups with a man. I knew it was only a fling... and I’ll get over it. But right now, I need to...”

  His father grinned, clasped him on the shoulder and squeezed. “Shinichi has two in the pits. I’m sure he’ll let you have a go at them and when you’re done... calmer, return back to the office because your wrong, your input does matter.”

  Kennosuke watched his father walk back to the main house, not moving until he saw the door close behind him. He spun on his heels and hurried to the storehouse, the men standing guard outside scuttled out of his way sensing his rage. Stepping through the door Kennosuke blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dim light before he strode across the concrete floor to where Shinichi stood. He looked in the direction Shinichi was staring; at the man in the middle of the floor bound, blindfolded and drowning in the stench of fear. This man would be too easy. Kennosuke wanted someone who wouldn’t hesitate to fight back, not one who was already broken. Simply spilling blood on the floor wouldn’t be enough. Kennosuke wanted to hurt.

  “Didn’t think I’d see you in here today,” Shinichi pushed off the wall and smiled at Kennosuke, sizing him up. “But I’m guessing this is no social call, is it? Someone’s got you itching to spill blood... and your own.”

  Kennosuke didn’t need to confirm Shinichi’s suspicions, the man had known Kennosuke since he was a child and knew how to read his moods. He’d been the one who’d taught Kennosuke how to kill with or without a weapon in hand and had served as the Araki-gumi’s main enforcer for the last ten years. The fearsome reputation Shinichi had earned himself, Kennosuke knew was well deserved.

  “My old man said you might have someone.” Kennosuke shrugged off his jacket and passed it off to a younger member before rolling up his sleeves.

  “Might do. What are you in the mood for?”

  “Not him-” jerking his head at the man in the chair. “-I want to use my fists. Want them capable of fighting back.” Kennosuke kicked off his socks and shoes knowing his grandmother wouldn’t approve if he walked back to the main house in bare feet or bloodstained shoes. He scrunched his toes relishing the feel of the cold concrete beneath them.

  Shinichi sniggered. “Yeah, I have someone.” He gestured at two men nearby who hurried across the room. Kennosuke watched as the shoved the lid off one of the pits – holes in the ground that had once been used to store root vegetables – and pulled a prisoner out. He grinned noticing how much they struggled to contain the man, while the one bound to the chair whimpered as the heavy doors of the storehouse slammed shut.

  “Perfect.”

  Kennosuke felt his anger ebb away with the first satisfying punch and the sickening crack of a nose beneath his fists made him grin. Chest heaving, he wiped an arm across his forehead and stared at the bloodied man at his feet, not moving. His mind clearer now than it had been thirty minutes earlier. Kennosuke took the towel offered to him by Shinichi, wiped the blood from his hands, wincing as it scraped across the much-wanted bruises on his knuckles. But they weren’t the only injuries Kennosuke had received; the feisty-man managing to land a few blows of his own.

  “You’ve ripped your stitches. Not surprising though.”

  Kennosuke heard Shinichi speak and stared down at his abdomen, blood seeping through the threads of his white shirt. “Probably.”

  He tried to shrug off Shinichi’s concern, but sat down on a nearby stool and not at all surprised to see the groups doctor walk into the room. Kennosuke guessed his father would have requested the man’s presence the moment he’d stepped back inside. The doctor however was not so impressed, muttering something about nephews taking after their idiot uncles as he rummaged through his bag for supplies to re-suture the wound.

  “SO, HOW DO YOU PROPOSE we do this? The cost of purchasing commercial product to hide the goods inside of is going to be too expensive... unrecoverable,”

  Gou’s questions weren’t unexpected, Brian and his father having prepared answers for any concerns the Araki-gumi head might have regarding the deal. Yet, he couldn’t remember any of them, his mind to busy wondering where Kennosuke went. He had to push past it and concentrate on what Gou was asking, this deal was to important to lose simply because his brain had gone on holiday.

  “No, we’ve considered that too. All we need is Jamie’s signature on these-” pulling out already prepared legal documents and dropped them on the desk. “Then you’ll be a proud owner – well, part owner – of milk powder manufacturing plant, with a meth lab on the side.”

  He’d been quite proud of the solution he’d devised. Not every shipment of milk powder would need to include meth, leaving them a tidy – legal - profit on the side. Getting consents to build the plant would be a matter of formality and pass through without issue. The dairy industry was strong in the region and the new plants were being built to service the needs of the growing export market, many in partnership with foreign companies.

  “Seriously?” Brian turned to look at Jamie confused. Sure, fine Jamie had studied history not commerce, but Brian hadn’t even done that and even he could understand why Jamie’s signature was the only that could appear on the paperwork.

  “Gou can’t sign it, or it’ll become a bureaucratic nightmare. The Foreign Investment Office will get involved... questions will be asked, and career damaging connections might be made. It can only be you, Jamie.”

  “But, what exactly is it that Jamie is signing?” Kennosuke’s voice filled the room, startling Brian. “And Jamie, don’t go doing something just because you like the sound of being a CEO.”

  Anger boiled in his veins as he turned to stare at Kennosuke. Hands curling tight as Brian saw the blood staining his shirt and the satisfied grin on his face. He’d almost believe Kennosuke had buggered off somewhere to fight, then fuck if it weren’t for the lack of blush Brian knew always tinted Kennosuke’s skin afterwards. But more importantly, was that blood Kennosuke’s or someone else’s?

  “You could have put another fucking shirt on,” Jamie said before turning back to the documents in front of him. “It’s not like you don’t keep spares out there.”

  Brian clenched his fists tighter, fingernails digging into flesh and his jaw ached. Jamie’s comments implied that Kennosuke did this regularly and Brian began to wonder how often it went beyond the need to pound his fists on flesh. Did Kennosuke fuck those he fought here too, just like he’d done with Brian back in New Zealand? Another wave of unwanted fury flooded Brian and it was only the not very discreet cough from Jamie that dragged his heated gaze away from Kennosuke. Not that looking at Jamie and Gou was any better. Their cocky know-it-all grins just as infuriating as the blood staining Kennosuke’s shirt.

  “We’ll get our lawyers to look over it, Brian and will let you know if we want to proceed with the deal before you leave.”

  “One week, Jamie.”

  “Quite aware of that, Brian. I booked the tickets. Now for fucks sake, take Kennosuke back to the apartment and I don’t know... fuck him? Just do something that will kill the fucking tension between you before it crushes everybody else.”

  Brian shoved his hands in the p
ockets of his pants and scowled. It wasn’t going to happen. He’d kept his hands off Kennosuke for this long, resisted the urge to drag them man to the nearest bed or shove him against a wall, and he wasn’t going to give in now. There was only one week left of his stay here in Japan and then he could return home, find someone else to fuck and move on from Kennosuke. To give in now, with the annoying emotions circulating through him would create complications Brian didn’t want. Ever.

  Chapter Ten

  Jet lag was a bitch. Brian groaned and took a swipe at his alarm clock as it blared annoyingly loud. He failed, knocking it to the floor instead and sent it skidding across the floor. Brian cursed, regretting his decision to return to work fourteen-hours after he’d arrived back in New Zealand. Bloody stupid idea and coupled with the early morning bite of a southern winter, his jet lag only got bitchier.

  But Brian couldn’t stay in bed. He threw off the covers and braced himself against the chill settling on his skin as his feet hit the cold hardwood floor Brian had yet to carpet. The plan had been to get it finished before winter except he found himself using his holiday time to visit Japan instead. He should have asked his sister to sort it out for him, he just hadn’t given it a thought with everything else going on.

  Crouching down Brian reached under the bed and grabbed the alarm clock, still screeching its painful tune and turned the damned thing off. He dropped it onto his bed and stretched. Tiredness still lingered and the warmth of his bed, the heavy covers he could hide beneath tempted him to return. Brian sighed, padded out of the bedroom and down the hall to the bathroom, grabbing a towel from the linen cupboard on his way past. Steam soon filled the small bathroom and he stood beneath the hot water as it cascaded over his body, pushing the cold away until he had no choice but to step out.

  If Brian hurried he’d would have enough to eat breakfast before he needed to be out the door. Thankful that the drive to work only took twenty minutes in rush hour. Brian snorted, there wasn’t a rush hour here in Invercargill, not after what he’d experienced in Japan. He added another thirty seconds in his head to his intended leave time, needing to answer the texts Jamie had sent. And then, another thirty as he snapped a picture of himself in uniform and sent it to Kennosuke, grinning at the reply: Bastard.