Crossing the Line

by Naomi Aoki

  He watched Jamie once more sign documents, those these ones were a mere formality. The land sale well underway even if the land agent wasn’t aware of it.

  As they headed back to the car, he resumed his two-paces behind Jamie and watched the real estate agent take off down the road and the real business could begin. Drawings that made little sense to Kennosuke when he first saw them yesterday, made even less sense today even if they’d been increased to A1 size. It still looked like jumbly mess of lines and numbers. He stood next to Jamie, feigning interest as the two men poured over the documents and gestured at the future building site. Neither seemed to care that the temperature was dropping as they discussed the location of the milk powder plant and the building that would hold the more lucrative part of the operation. Kennosuke, however, wished he’d grabbed a heavier jacket to pull on over his suit, shivering as an icy wind picked up.

  “Ken!”

  “What?” His fingers were numb, nose red and his ear were beginning to sting.

  “We’re done.”

  “’bout fucking time. I’m turning into an icicle.” Kennosuke stomped back to the car, trying to get the feeling back in his feet. “How long till we start to see something for our investment?” How long until they needed to return?

  “Six weeks, or thereabouts.”

  Kennosuke groaned. He had no idea if the timeline was fast or slow. He thudded his head on the seat and closed his eyes, he had six weeks to push Brian out of his mind – his heart – so the man no longer threw him off balance. He could do it. He hoped. “We will stay in a motel next time, right?”

  He opened his eyes and stared at Jamie who’d gone silent. Kennosuke half expected him to say ‘No’ and he could see Jamie was thinking about it, hands gripping the steering wheel tight. It wasn’t like he wanted to make Jamie chose between him and his best mate, but Kennosuke couldn’t stay around Brian again.

  “Okay. We’ll try to book a motel for next time. But I’m not promising more than that.”

  Kennosuke wanted to groan in frustration. “That’s... that’s good enough for me.” But somehow, he knew that when they came back to New Zealand they’d be staying at Brian’s.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Brian pulled into the drive, turned off the engine and sat there. He needed to get out of the car, the heat inside already leaching out now that the heaters were off and soon it would be icy cold like the air outside. But Brian was exhausted. He really couldn’t be buggered moving.

  The night had been busy; one of the worst night shifts in a while. No, groaning as he rested his head on the steering wheel, it had been the worst he’d experienced since returning to Invercargill. And not just because it had been busy, but because of who’d been involved. He could have done without the drama stirred up by the young shitheads trying to join his father’s gang.

  A light shone bright into the car and Brian lifted his head. He opened the car door as the rumble of the motorbike sidling up beside it grew louder. Brian knew who it was, expecting the man to arrive like he did every night Brian had to deal with the crazy antics of new recruits or sometimes simply because he’d had a rough shift in general – though those nights Brian would call him. In the dim hazy light of the winter dawn they could talk without fear of being noticed or until the cold forced them inside.

  He folded his arms across his chest and glared at the man, waiting for him to dismount and remove his helmet. “What the fuck happened tonight? Since when did the Devil’s Knights pick fights with our guys... and at the fucking Frog? And shit... don’t get me started on the young fucker from earlier in the night... I mean shit, why the hell did he think it was a good idea to run from the cops?”

  Brian began to pace, before turning back to the man who stood there silently taking all his anger. He stopped, reached into his vest and pulled out several packets he’d had stashed there. “But he should thank his fucking stars it was me, and not another God damned cop who caught up to him when he crashed. I wouldn’t have been able to keep his stupid fucking arse out of jail, if they’d found this on him.” God, he was so fucking furious.

  “Finished?”

  He breathed out, slow. “For now.”

  “So, can we go inside? It’s fucking cold out here and this isn’t a discussion to have out on the street.”

  Brian’s shoulders sagged, he shouldn’t have spoken any of his rant outside. Spinning on his heels he strode up to the door and paused. He listened to the rolling of wheels on concrete as the motorbike was moved out of sight and then for the thud of heavy boots coming back toward him. Brian yanked out his keys and fumbled with the lock before taking a steadying breath remembering Jamie and Kennosuke were inside. Didn’t need the reminder that Kennosuke was asleep in his bed.

  He ignored the door shutting quietly behind him as he headed for his bedroom first. Brian glanced over at his bed as he tugged his vest and shirt off, pleased to see Kennosuke still sound asleep. He wanted to join him; to crawl beneath the covers and wrap his arms tight around him. To maybe wake him and burn off this angry tension within him... But it wouldn’t – couldn’t happen. Brian’s own actions had ensured it and Kennosuke had made it perfectly clear that what he wanted was more than what Brian was willing to give. He let out a soft sigh filled with regret and dropped his clothes into the hamper. Closing the door behind him, Brian headed into the living area where another who didn’t need such platitudes waited.

  “So, what happened?” Brian took the beer Kayde had grabbed from his fridge and sat down next to him.

  “No idea why the fight erupted. The boys said they didn’t start it. One of them mentioned seeing a stranger... not one of the Devil’s Knights... an Asian man they’d never seen around before whispering in the rival gang’s ears before the fists started flying.” Kayde took a swig from the bottle and Brian watched him swallow, blinking when the action didn’t stir his blood like it usually would. “We don’t start fights at the Frog... if we want to brawl we head to the Northern because it isn’t a damn cop bar and the damages cost less to fix.”

  Brian tipped his head back and growled in frustration. At least the repairs to the Frog wasn’t a problem he had to deal with. Yet normally even if they boys had stirred up shit at the Frog – the busted tables and bloodied noses – Brian could have dealt with it. Could have kept his cool and made the charges disappear after the men spent the night chilling in a cell. It was the other shit that happened he could have done without.

  “You did all know that the booze bus was out tonight and where, right?” Kayde nodded, shifting closer and pressed his body against Brian’s. He relished the warmth, but nothing more. “Then why the fuck did I have to chase the shithead after he busted through the stop until he crashed outside of Bluff?”

  Brian’s hands curled as he remembered watching it happen. Curses had flooded his patrol as he flicked on the lights and sirens speeding after him down one of the busiest streets in Invercargill, even at one in the morning. Remembered the anger and concern that filled him as he watched the youngster lose control as he tried to drift around the corner, hitting a patch of ice and careened down the bank. Another few metres and the idiot would have hit the rocks instead of green frost tipped grass. Hell, the fucker should have been glad his handgun was locked in the trunk of his patrol car, because his desire for violence increased when the fucking idiot mentioned what he had stashed beneath his seat – five hundred dollars’ worth of meth.

  Kayde’s hand landed on his thigh, caressing it and the tension drained from Brian’s body even if his cock showed no interest. He made no attempt to remove it, but he wasn’t going to encourage Kayde either even though a damned hard fucking was what he needed. He tipped his head back and stared at the door behind him, pleased it was still closed. Kennosuke. Fuck.

  Turning to face Kayde, he grabbed his hand and lifted it from his thigh. “God, as much as I fucking need it, I’m going to have to say-”

  “Don’t let me stop you.”

  Brian flinch
ed at the harshness of the voice and twisted in the seat to find Kennosuke standing behind him. Shit the man moved quick. How had he not noticed he’d gotten up. Kennosuke didn’t hide his anger, his devastation from Brian and it hurt to see. Put his hackles up too.

  “It isn’t what you think, Kennosuke.”

  “You don’t need to justify yourself to me. We aren’t anything... mean nothing.”

  Fuck. He shifted his attention back to Kayde who’d began to move from the couch, a chuckle drifting from his lips.

  “I’m going to leave you to it, Brian. I can see you’ve got quite the...” not finishing his sentence under the weight of Brian’s glare and hurried to the door.

  “What? You’re just going to let him leave? Aren’t you going to chase after him?” Brian jumped as Kennosuke’s voice came from next to his ear. “It sure looked like he was up for a fuck.”

  “I don’t want to fuck him,” he growled, watching Kennosuke stomp into the kitchen. “I’d rather be fucking you.”

  “What was that?”

  Brian got up from the couch, stalked across to the kitchen and boxed Kennosuke against the bench. “Then again, maybe I should’ve taken Kayde up on his offer... it’s not like you’re interested.”

  “That is not what I said,” Kennosuke growled placing his hand on Brian’s bare chest. Brian made no move attempt to move it, struggling to keep his breathing steady as heat bloomed from where they touched. “I told you ‘No’ to casual fucking. I want more than that. Deserve it. I’m not interested in this hot and cold game you are playing.”

  “Fuck, Ken.” Brian bit his lip as Kennosuke’s hand drifted across his chest. “It’s not a game! Do you know how fucking hard it is right now not to bend you over the God damned bench and fuck you? But... I don’t do commitment. Don’t do distance.”

  “Then, there can be no us. No fucking. Ever.”

  Brian leaned forward and swallowed back the groan wanting to escape as the action pushed his body harder against Kennosuke’s – and they were both hard. “Then, you’ve got no reason to get shitty if I choose to fuck someone else.”

  He pushed away from the bench and left Kennosuke standing there. Brian headed for his bedroom, sick and tired of it all, especially the stabbing pain in his chest that he wanted nothing more than to ignore.

  KENNOSUKE TENSED UP as he walked into the busy Kansai terminal, his gaze flicking in every direction looking for danger. He knew it wasn’t there, but he couldn’t stop himself believing that it hid in the shadows. Asides from when he picked Brian up from the airport, the last two times he’d been here had turned into frightening situations – his uncle being shot beside him and Jamie being kidnapped in front of him. The passage of time had done nothing to lessen the impact of the memories conjured up, with the image of his uncle splayed out on the pavement, blood pooled around him still clear in his mind. Kennosuke struggled to keep his heart rate steady and his breathing even as he kept pace with Jamie, heading for the vehicles waiting outside.

  If Jamie could appear calm, then so could he.

  They could have flown into Narita or Haneda in Tokyo. Jamie had offered. But it would have meant a four-hour trip on the shinkansen to get back to Kyoto rather than the forty-minute journey up the motorway. Kennosuke had shaken off his trepidation and told Jamie just to book their flights in and out of Kansai, that he would be fine. Right now, as they walked through the busy terminal he’d give anything for a weapon – blade, gun, it didn’t matter – that he could use if needed. The lack of one was only adding to his anxiousness and knowing Takeshi still hadn’t been found only made it worse.

  “What happened between you and Brian yesterday?”

  “Huh?” It wasn’t the question he’d been expecting, thinking that if Jamie had overheard it he might have already mentioned it. “I’m guessing you heard.”

  “It wasn’t hard. Brian’s neighbours probably heard you both going at it.”

  “Great.” His head thudded heavy on the car seat. “Nothing happened. Nothing at all.”

  Jamie didn’t comment. Didn’t ask either, simply stared at him, expecting Kennosuke to explain it more detail. It infuriated Kennosuke, knowing Jamie could wait patiently forever for him to talk because Kennosuke would soon crack under pressure.

  “Fine! Yes, I’m still attracted to him... but he’s not worth my time. I know Brian’s your friend Jamie, but the guy is a prize arsehole and I already deal with enough of them at work.”

  “Yes, Brian’s my friend.... Practically a brother. But you’re family too Ken.”

  God, Kennosuke wanted to laugh. He’d told Jamie those same words over and over when Jamie was struggling to deal with his uncle; the forty-something-year-old man had done his best to be act like a bratty teenager. Now, Jamie had returned the sentiment, except there was one more phrase the man had yet to utter and as silence descended over the vehicle, Kennosuke hoped Jamie wouldn’t say it. He breathed a sigh of relief as the SUV pulled up outside of his apartment and got out of the car, only for Jamie to grab a hold of his arm.

  “Don’t give up on him Ken.... I promise it will be worth it, he isn’t always such a jerk.”

  He stilled, it wasn’t a promise Kennosuke was prepared to make. He shook Jamie’s hand off and headed for the stairs leading to the apartment. Kennosuke gripped the railing and stared up at the floors, reluctant to walk up them. An irrational fear of what might be waiting for him at the top, even though he knew his apartment had been under twenty-four-hour guard the whole time they’d been gone. He took a deep breath and refused to let his fears overcome him.

  Kennosuke had only been gone from the apartment three days. Five if he counted the time spent travelling and yet it felt like weeks. Flicking on the lights, he left his suitcase leaning against the wall and kicked off his shoes. A strange sense of foreboding crept over his skin as he stepped further into the apartment, forcing its way through the dust laden air. Someone had been here. A stupid crazy thought considering the surveillance the apartment had been under – the whole damned building had been. Kennosuke couldn’t ignore it. The hair prickling on the back of his neck and he moved quick to see if anything had been disturbed.

  Everything had been left exactly where he left it, Kennosuke quickly noted as he tugged off his jacket and dumped it on the couch. He reached over and grabbed the gun still shoved behind the cushions before heading into the kitchen. Opening cupboards and drawers he could find nothing different, not even the fridge had gained any suspicious packages, well except for what had grown on the food he should have thrown out before he left.

  Yet his uneasiness only grew as he headed for the next rooms. The long since healed wound stretching across his abdomen ached as Kennosuke headed for his bedroom. He took a deep breath, calmed the tremble in his hand and pushed open the door, gun raised in front of him. Clothes lay scattered across the floor, drawers open and half empty, while other items were sprinkled amongst them. Well, Mum hasn’t been here. His dirty laundry still overflowed the hamper and there was no sign that anyone had been here. Turning he stepped back out of the room and into the small bathroom, but it too was empty. Not even a scrawled threatening message on the mirror existed and he began to doubt the crawling feeling in his gut.

  One last room to check.

  Breathing deep; unease raced down his spine, Kennosuke kicked open the door to the empty bedroom. It had once been Jamie’s before he moved in with Gou and Brian had slept in it for three weeks. No traces of either men were left in here, just a solitary bed and an empty wardrobe remained. At least that’s what Kennosuke had been expecting. It was not what he found. Lowering the gun, he stood in the middle of the room and stared at a wall that should have still been blank.

  Anger, panic strived to take over his mind, but Kennosuke remained calm enough to pull out his phone. He snapped a picture of the photos on the wall of him and of Jamie, knives used to pin them in place and the message scrawled across the wall in what he could only assume was red ink: You, are bo
th dead.

  Scrolling through the numbers on his phone Kennosuke made a call he knew would not be welcome. “We’ve got a problem. Someone has been in my apartment.” His words silencing the curses that erupted from Jamie and Gou. Ending the call, he sent them the pictures of the message that had been left.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Brian sat on a bar stool in the busy pub, one hand tapped along with the music – a mix of pop and rock that suited the mixed crowd filling the Frog on Friday – and the other gripped a bottle of cold beer. He let his gaze linger on the crowd gathering, keeping a watch for any that might cause trouble even though he was off duty. Technically. Unofficially he, and his colleagues sitting with him at the high table, were looking for a group who were believed responsible for the spate of brawls breaking out between the cities gangs.

  In the opposite corner from where Brian sat he could see businessmen relaxing in booths. Suit jackets unbuttoned, and ties stuffed in pockets while their faces grew red with each shot they downed. On the other side, another group stood at a high table covered in the remains of the cocktails they’d been drinking. Brian snorted as he watched their antics, hen’s nights could be quite amusing, so long as he wasn’t the one having to deal with any of the aftermath.

  “Seen anything yet, Brian?”

  Brian placed his beer on the table, fingers fiddling with the already peeling label and turned his attention to his colleagues. “No. Plenty noisy though... You?”

  “Maybe... the young constable replied, gesturing with his bottle in the direction of a group behind Brian. “They’re... not regulars. Don’t look comfortable in this place at all.”