Owned by the Yakuza: A Japanese Mafia Bad Boy Romance
Page 10
“Tadao, I was so scared,” Oriana sobbed. She was trembling.
I pressed our bodies together, rubbing her back. Slowly, she stopped shaking and her breathing became steady. “You never need to be scared again, Oriana,” I said. “I promise, nothing will ever happen to you again. You are mine. I won’t let anyone try to hurt you. Ever.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Oriana
オリアナ
I sat in an armchair wrapped in a blanket while the others got to work cleaning the mess that had been left behind.
The police came and left with very few words. Coroners collected the bodies of the dead Shimazu-kai, our wounded were taken to the hospital and the news trucks had managed to snap a few pictures while we weren’t looking. The rest was up to the Himura-gumi now. The authorities turned a blind eye to the yakuza activity again.
My parents had been murdered by the yakuza, but in the official reports it was listed as an accident. Had they known that it was the Shimazu-kai all along? I felt hot tears forming behind my eyes and pulled the blanket tighter.
“Oriana,” Tadao sat down beside me.
I looked up. He was dirty, sweaty, bloody and tired. His usual crisp white shirt was a mess. He had blood smeared across his cheek and I was pretty sure that it wasn’t his. His black hair had been swept back and off to the side to keep it out of his eyes.
Tadao touched my hand gently. “Are you ok? Did you want to go to the hospital with the others?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m not hurt… on the outside.”
“Do you need to talk about it?” Tadao asked gently.
I tried to stay strong, but failed. I let out a sob and wiped my face with the blanket. “Ugaki killed my parents.”
Tadao gasped. He was silent for a moment. “I was hoping that it wasn’t true,” He said softly.
“What do you mean?”
“When I texted you last night,” He glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was five in the morning. “Wow, it seems like an eternity ago,” He muttered and then shrugged. “Anyways, when I texted you last night it was because Masaru, one of our best men, did some research and found out that your father didn’t only owe money to the Himura-gumi. He owed money to other yakuza groups too, but had escaped them all when he moved and started going by a different name five years ago.”
“That’s why I couldn’t find any documents from before the move,” I whispered.
Tadao nodded. “Yeah,” He went on. “So the Shimazu-kai must have finally tracked him down…” He trailed off. “And well, you know the rest.” He clenched his fists. “I’m so sorry you got caught up in this.”
We were cut off as a young shatei approached. “Himura-san,” He said with a stiff bow. “I’ve checked the entire club, there’s no sign of Sora or any other Shimazu-kai.”
Tadao frowned. “I see. Thank you.” He waved the boy off.
Like a jealous school girl, Sora had betrayed us all and she had gotten away. But, if I knew anything about the yakuza I knew that you couldn’t hide from them forever.
I looked down at my hands. They were scraped from trying to open the trapdoor.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find her,” Tadao said. “I don’t understand why she would betray us like that.” He ran his fingers through his hair. Now I knew why it was sticking up like that.
I couldn’t help but smile. My smile turned into a giggle and then into a laugh. I turned my face away, lost in a fit of laughter. It felt good to laugh, I couldn’t remember the last time that I did.
The corners of Tadao’s mouth twitched as he tried to contain a chuckle. “What is it?”
“Your hair,” I said after regaining my composure. I wiped a tear away from my eye. “It’s all sticking up.”
“Oh,” Tadao made a fruitless attempt to flatten it. He shrugged. “Maybe it’s time to go home and clean up.” He leaned towards me and kissed my cheek. “We should have a shower before we get all dirty with each other.”
I shiver ran through me. He was right. What was done was done. There was only one thing I could do now. I had to move forward. I had to keep going to school. I had to keep living my life.
I turned my head and pressed my lips against his. Even after all of this sadness, my heart was bursting with love. I found him. My other half. I was the Yin to his Yang. I grasped his hand.
Tadao helped me up and we walked through the lobby. It looked like a warzone. Glass and bullets were scattered over the floor. Blood was soaked into the carpet. A clean up crew had just arrived and was unloading their supplies.
The crisp morning air filled my lungs. The sun was rising, tinting the sky with a pale pink. Tadao held my hand tightly once we were outside. He looked at me straight. “I need to know something.”
“Anything,” I said.
“Do you want to be with me?” He asked. “After everything that happened tonight, I’ll understand if you need some space.” His grip was so tight. It pained him to ask me this, especially after swearing to never let me go again.
I couldn’t find the words to express the feelings inside me. Instead, I kissed him. “I’m yours,” I promised. “Now, let’s go home.”
EPILOGUE
Tatsuya
竜也
Kenichi’s condo was full. All of the kyodai had come together to visit and hear the stories of his western style wedding in Oregon and the honeymoon in California. He came back with a bit of a tan. Cassandra was even more bronzed. They had brought back gifts for everyone.
“And this is for you, Tadao,” Cassandra handed him the last gift. Every omiyage had been meticulously wrapped. She must have spent hours putting everything together.
Tadao looked at Oriana. They were sitting squeezed into one arm chair, she was practically sitting in his lap. They exchanged smiles, their eyes were glowing with affection.
As usual, I was sitting wedged in the corner of the couch, watching the others laughing as they opened their gifts that Kenichi and Cassandra had brought back from their honeymoon in California. So many bottles of wine. Whenever a comment was sent my way, I replied sarcastically or with a joke, depending on what was required of me.
On the surface, I was happy for Tadao and Oriana, who had made it official after the fiasco in the hostess club. A life and death situation like that could make anyone fall in love. Inside, I was more than a little envious.
I sighed and stood up.
“What’s wrong, Tatsuya?” Kenichi said as I turned for the door.
I gestured to my side, where I had been hit during the shootout with the Shimazu-kai. “Feeling tired,” I lied. “I think I’m just going to go home for the night.”
“Don’t forget your wine!” Cassandra chirped.
I held it up with the other hand. “Got it. Thanks again.”
“Take it easy,” Tadao said with a smile.
“Sure,” I waved and left without another word. I couldn’t stand all the cheerfulness in one room. Truth was, I was exhausted. Not of the fight that happened only two nights ago, but I was exhausted from everything that had happened since the late Himura-sama had been killed. Ever since then, we had been fighting an uphill battle with no time to repose.
I could feel the exhaustion in my bones. I sat on my motorcycle, revving the engine and feeling its power beneath me. I lit a cigarette.
Everything around me had changed. Done a complete one-eighty. But I was still here. I was the same. The ruthless attack dog that was good for only one thing – killing. It seemed like everyone was finding their purpose as our organization shifted. The family was becoming tighter and business was booming.
I was static.
I looked up to the sky and watched the clouds passing over the moon. Alone again tonight. Maybe not for long, if I could find some random broad to seduce. Forget my problems for a few hours. Then maybe drink this entire bottle of red wine. What a night.
“Hey, Tat, why are you just sitting out here?”
I looked over at Kaoru. I frowned. �
��Why did you follow me out here? Go be with them.”
Kaoru chuckled and shook his head. “Nope, not while my best friend is being all melodramatic without me.” He sat on his bike. It was always parked beside mine. No one could tell the difference between them except us. Mine had a scratch on the right side from a stray bullet. His was perfect. Another analogy for my fucked up life.
“So. You wanna go for a ride?” Kaoru asked.
I grinned and pulled my helmet down over my head. “Let’s go, loser.” I flipped down the visor and gunned the engine. I shot down the empty street like a rocket with Kaoru nipping at my heels.
What else was there for me in this world? I had the yakuza. I had fast bikes. I had good wine and expensive smokes. I had piles of cash and all the girls that money could buy.
I had the night.
COMING SOON
Don’t miss the next installment of the Yakuza series…
Bound by the Yakuza
ヤクザによって拘束
Ariel London
“Tell me your secret and I’ll tell you mine.”
TATSUYA
I’ve never met a girl like her before. She’s not some innocent flower that needs protecting. No, she’s a blood-thirsty demon just like me. She completes me. No matter what happens, I’ll do anything to make her stay. I’ve been harbouring a terrible secret for too long. Will she be the one who can chase the darkness away?
Expected release: Late September 2016
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OTHER BOOKS BY ARIEL LONDON
Yakuza Bad Boys Series
(in suggested reading order)
Claimed by the Yakuza
A Japanese Mafia Bad Boy Romance
CLICK HERE TO READ FOR FREE WITH KINDLE UNLIMITED
Owned by the Yakuza
A Japanese Mafia Bad Boy Romance
Released August 2016
Bound by the Yakuza
A Japanese Mafia Bad Boy Romance
Coming September 2016!
Stand Alone Romances
The Vampire’s Treasure
A Paranormal Vampire Billionaire Romance
CLICK HERE TO READ FOR FREE WITH KINDLE UNLIMITED
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ariel loves romance stories about bad boys and alpha males. She puts her BFA to good use by writing down her fantasies and sharing them with the world. She lives for coffee, cats and reading the latest steamy romances – the sexier, the better!
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