The Last Man Standing: The Surgeon and The Mechanic

by Clark, T. C.

  His hand went to his cock and he closed his eyes. He needed to take the edge off before he walked back in there. He had a bad feeling that Rhea was trying to rebuild that wall that was between them.

  He needed to explain to Rhea why he’d reacted like that. He knew better now. He would never turn his back on her again. He would have to earn back her trust. He was fine with that. He didn’t mind working to get her back—she was worth it.

  But one thing was for sure. She would come back to him. He didn’t have a choice. He wanted to live in her warmth once again. She’d shown him what life was supposed to be like, and there was no way he would willingly give that up.

  Like it or not, he was back to stay. He would give her the time she needed, but he would never let her go again.

  * * *

  Yuuto walked out of the bathroom twenty minutes later relaxed and refreshed. He’d needed that. Rhea didn’t look up as he walked in and instantly he knew something was off. He could feel the anger coming off of her. Rhea always shut off when she was upset. He’d found that out the hard way.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “I’m fine,” she said shortly. She kept her head buried in the laptop. She was writing down notes.

  “Do you want me to get you anything?” He tried again.

  “Yuuto, if I need anything I will get it myself. I got me.” Her voice was hard with annoyance.

  He sighed. She was definitely remembering the last time they’d been together. He turned on the fan and sat down on the edge of his bed. It was now or never. “Rhea, I need to tell you why I thought the baby wasn’t mine.”

  “Don’t bother with that, it won’t change how I feel.”

  “I want to say it anyway.”

  “Yuuto…”

  “Rhea, we have nothing but time here. I won’t let this go until you listen to what I have to say.”

  Finally, Rhea looked up. She opened her mouth and then closed it. A look of concern flashed across her face. She must recognize the bleakness in his eyes. It was a pain that he found hard to hide. The past was not something he liked to revisit. But talking about it openly was the only way they could move forward.

  “You know my father. So you can pretty much guess how my childhood was. He trained me to be the strongest since I was the oldest. He was thorough in his methods. By the time I was ten, my conscience was gone. My will was the Tanaka will. He broke me,” Yuuto admitted bitterly.

  “Where was your mother?” she asked quietly.

  “My mother was purchased by my father when his wife could not maintain a pregnancy. He purchased several women and because of them, he had three sons. The women earned their freedom when they gave birth. My mother, whoever she was, disappeared before I was born.”

  “Yuuto…”

  “Trust me, I do not blame her for leaving. My father would have eventually killed her if she hadn’t left. He had no patience for useless things. The woman you knew as his wife was just as brutal as him. To say no tears were shed at her funeral would be an understatement.”

  “How did you survive him?”

  “I had my brothers. When you have someone to suffer with you, almost all things can be tolerable. But my distrust of you did not start with my dad.”

  Rhea sighed. “What else happened?”

  “When I was twenty-one, my father told me it was time to extend our family line. He had handpicked a woman for me to marry from a neighboring clan.”

  “You didn’t have a choice, did you?”

  “With my father, there was no such thing as choice. He was nothing like your dad. I married Yuni as he decreed, and she hated me for it. Hated me in her heart. I didn’t know at the time that she blamed me for our marriage. She made me believe she was willing to make it work, that she wanted to honor our family’s arrangement. We tried for over a year for a child to satisfy my father and nothing happened. After a while, we went to a specialist and after several tests, I was pronounced sterile. I was happy, even at that young age. I’d come to see my father for what he actually was and I didn’t want to have any children for him to destroy. For the first time in my life, I stood up to him and I released Yuni from our marriage. I helped to secretly send her back to her family. I knew what he would do when he found out, but I didn’t care.”

  “What did he do?” Rhea whispered as she put one hand over his.

  “He had his men beat me so bad that I went into a coma for a month. But Yuni was free, and he stopped trying to force me into marriage. Eventually, I grew to hate him, and I killed a lot of people to get away. I think he’d come to fear me. In fact, I killed so many people that he was happy to be rid of me.”

  “Yuuto, you’re not sterile.” He had a feeling that was all she was going to say on the matter. She would not spend hours trying to convince him he was her baby’s father.

  “I know that now. After I left you, my aunt contacted me with some… important news. I went home. While I was there I looked up the clinic that pronounced me sterile and it didn’t take long for them to admit to the lie. Yuni’s family had paid a lot of money for them to convince me of my inability to have children. I found out then that she wasn’t a part of an agreement between our two clans. She was taken as payment by my father.”

  “Shit. That’s fucked up. From what I learned about your father, that sounds just like what he would do. He tended to use his payments to teach certain lessons to other clans. I’m surprised he is still alive.”

  “I know. I think he’s ruled our people with such absolute power that they don’t think they will survive without him. He demands absolute loyalty. He never leaves our home, and when he steps outside, he is surrounded by a circle of men that he uses as human shields.”

  “Yuuto, I’m so sorry.”

  “No, do not let my past upset you. I should have remembered the type of woman you are. I should have known that you only speak the truth. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. I don’t know how else to say this wasn’t about you. My life has been filled with lies. I thought about how much I’ve been manipulated. It hurt so much because I love you, but it didn’t surprise me. Everything I’d thought I loved betrayed me. I hurt you, Rhea. I’m sorry, but I will never do it again.”

  Rhea didn’t say anything for a while, and Yuuto took that as a sign to give her some space. He still hadn’t told her about why he had initially gone back to Japan or about the new bounty on his head. Now that his father knew about her, he had to be extra careful in how everything was handled.

  He pulled back the covers and slid under the cool sheets. The room was freezing, just like Rhea liked it. He needed to rest for a few hours before they got on the road. He watched her from the depths of the bed as she put away her things and gathered her things for her shower. She looked lost in thought.

  He hoped she would think about everything he said. Just before she walked into the bathroom, she paused and looked back at him.

  “Thank you for telling me, and I was wrong. The things you’ve said do change things. I’m not sure how, exactly. But I needed to hear them.”

  “Good. Now I must warn you. I don’t lose. I messed up, yes. But I’m not walking away again. You will be with me again, Rhea. No matter what it takes, I will get you back, and I will treasure what we’ve created.”

  “Really? You are warning me, Yuuto?” She shook her head in disbelief.

  He wouldn’t take back the words. He needed to be clear. He wasn’t waiting for a second chance. He was here to take it. “There is no other way to describe what’s happening. I will have you back with me in all ways. I just thought you should know this isn’t a game to me. What we have is special. I was confused for a moment. My past seemed to mix with my present. But I see the truth now. I won’t lose you again, and it’s only fair I give you a heads up.”

  Rhea looked at him for a minute and then nodded her head. Her almond-colored cheeks darkened. She was finally starting to understand how serious he was. He’d almost let his father win. He would have regretted it fore
ver if he’d walked away from Rhea.

  He was happy that he’d found out the truth. It made what happened in Japan easier to accept. He’d made his choice even before he’d realized the baby was his. Now he knew for sure it was the right one. All he needed to do now was keep them safe, and he would do that even if he had to wipe out his own clan.

  Three

  Chapter 3

  * * *

  Rhea opened her eyes and sat up. Something was wrong. She wasn’t sure what it was, but her gut never lied. It was three o’clock in the morning. She listened for any odd sounds and heard nothing.

  She swallowed as her stomach rolled. She patted her stomach gently. “Not now, little baby,” she said aloud to the dark room.

  Rhea needed to figure out what had pulled her from her sleep. She looked over at Yuuto who was still sleeping soundly. He wasn’t an easy man to wake. She’d teased him about that so many times before.

  She slipped out of the bed and walked over to the window. She peered through the broken blinds down at the almost bare parking lot below. Nothing looked out of place. She jumped back when she heard a grunt. She closed her eyes and listened closely. There was something happening next door.

  Rhea walked back to Yuuto and tapped him on the shoulder. She was looking at the wall when he reached up and grabbed her. He rolled her under him. Before she could speak, he took her mouth. He kissed her deeply. Feeling his lips on hers erased her thoughts. She responded without thinking.

  His hand pulled off her silk scarf and tangled in her curly black hair. He held her head tightly as he devoured her. He kissed her as if she was the only thing in the world that could save him. He never hid how much he wanted her. She could feel the hard evidence of his need pushing into her stomach. If she didn’t speak up now, he would be inside her soon.

  Automatically, her body tightened with anticipation. Making love to Yuuto was like trying to survive a storm. It was hard to resist this side of him. Damn, she’d missed this. When she heard another sound, her common sense overrode her need for him.

  Her hands went to his chest and pushed. He looked down at her with sleep-filled eyes. He grabbed one of her hands and brought it to his mouth.

  “What do you need, Rhea?” His voice was hoarse with desire. She shuddered, something about Yuuto wanting her always made her go wild.

  “I think something is happening next door.”

  “That’s why you woke me? I thought you had decided to forgive me,” he said huskily. He dropped another kiss before she could say anything else. The weight of his body called to hers, but she ignored it.

  “Yuuto, we need to make sure nothing is going on. You said there was a bounty on your head.” Rhea pointed to the wall where she’d heard the loud banging. She smiled when he let out a loud breath and sat up.

  He looked grumpy and aroused at the same time. He ran a hand through his short black hair and stood up. He never slept in anything but his briefs. So she could make out every ounce of muscle as he walked over to the wall. Goodness, she’d forgotten how sexy he was. All lean muscle and grace.

  He went stiff when he heard the noise himself. His reaction spurred her into moving. She walked over to her suitcase and pulled out a gun and a small modified tablet. He motioned to her, and she tossed him one of his knives from the nightstand. He caught it and moved into position.

  She turned on the tablet and waited for the image to load. She moved over to the other side of the room and put up three fingers as the bodies in the room came into view. She pointed to where they were.

  At this point, they didn’t know if the people in the other room were a threat. She watched as one of the images took out the other two. Whoever that person was, they had skill. The other two people were laid out on the floor in seconds. Yuuto signaled for her to move back behind the bathroom door.

  She started to argue but changed her mind. This wasn’t the time to fight over who was in charge. She ran over to their beds and quickly made human-size lumps under the comforters. That would give them a little time to surprise their attackers.

  She kept the tablet trained on the wall as she moved back behind the door.

  She followed the figure as it left the room and walked over to their door. Clearly, this was about them. She lifted her gun with a steady hand.

  Yuuto gave her a look, and she nodded. They wanted whoever this was alive because they needed to figure out why they were here.

  There was a small click, and their door opened slowly. Yuuto moved behind the door so that they wouldn’t see him. Rhea felt her nerves turn to steel as it did so. She’d been in so many situations like this, the feeling barely registered in her brain.

  The person stepped inside and pulled up the door behind them. From the dimensions of the body, she could tell it was a guy. He was wearing black clothing and a black ski mask. As soon as he turned to look at the bed, Yuuto attacked.

  The first thing Rhea noticed was that they fought alike. Yuuto was the kind of fighter that didn’t waste energy. He didn’t do rage. Each blow was delivered to inflict the most damage. If he punched someone in the stomach, he aimed for the liver. The other guy was the same.

  Yuuto grabbed the man and threw him into the wall. He kneed him in the stomach, and the other guy bent over in pain. Yuuto moved in and elbowed him in the nose. The man threw his hands up.

  “I submit,” he said in Japanese. He took off his glove and revealed a small intricate tattoo on his palm. It was the same as Yuuto’s. Rhea didn’t lower the gun. Only Yuuto’s immediate family had those tattoos, so this guy had to be one of his brothers. Had he come to collect the bounty himself?

  Yuuto must have felt the same because he stepped back as she walked up with the gun. “I suggest you remove your mask slowly. My finger can be a little reckless on a trigger,” Rhea said in Japanese.

  He slipped off the mask. He looked a lot like Yuuto except he still had long hair. He had a wicked bruise on his right cheek, and there was a cut on his lip. Rhea shivered; his eyes could do the same emotionless look that Yuuto excelled at.

  “Hello, Haruaki. So father sent you.” Yuuto grabbed his pants and dressed quickly.

  Yuuto looked worried. Rhea moved closer to Haruaki and examined him closely. He was a bit thinner than Yuuto and also slightly taller. He kept his eyes trained on Yuuto as if he didn’t quite trust what he would do next. She understood his frustration. Yuuto had given her zero signs of what she should do. Was he friend or foe?

  “Yes, he sent me and two others. But as you can see, I’m here alone. You can put the gun down. I’m not your enemy,” Haruaki said directly to Rhea. He seemed sincere, but she wasn’t going to take any chances.

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that line before. Excuse my manners if I keep my gun pointed at you.”

  “How did you find me?” Yuuto asked. He positioned his body between them. She could tell by the tense set of his shoulders that he didn’t trust his brother.

  Haruaki looked unconcerned. This must be normal for the Tanaka brothers. They watched each other warily, looking for a sign of what to do. This is what their father had done to them. He’d created toxic relationships in order to keep them under his control. She really needed to get to Japan and kill that man.

  Over the years she’d relied so much on her family. Every time she’d needed them, they came through for her. Even her father, who was seventy now, would show up here with a gun if she called and told him she was in trouble. That’s what family was supposed to do.

  “I found you through her,” Haruaki said, pointing to Rhea.

  Her eyes widened, and she looked from Yuuto to Haruaki. “How is that possible? I don’t have anything on me that can be tracked.”

  “Yes, you do. My father knows you’re pregnant with Yuuto’s child. I broke into the pharmacy and put a tracker in the bottle of your prenatal vitamins. From there, I followed you to your home and waited for Yuuto to show.”

  “You did what!?” Rhea was outraged. Who did this guy think he was?
r />   “You know I’m not going to let you hurt Rhea. Why are you telling me all of this?” Yuuto asked.

  “Because I’m done with this. I’m not going to kill the only brother I have left. Not for him, not for anyone. That’s why I had the men wait. I needed it to seem like I was following you so when I went dark, our father would assume it was because we were getting close.”

  “Okay, so what do you want?”

  “I want out of this life. The only way I can do that is with your help. I am willing to help you and Rhea right now if you are willing to come back with me and kill our father. You have to know that he won’t let you be free, and as long as you love something in this world, he will always have the upper hand.” Haruaki looked at Rhea as if he’d made his point.

  “How can I trust you?”

  “Does it matter? You killed our brother for her. I should be wondering if I can trust you.”

  “What is he talking about?” Rhea asked.

  “It’s not important. I chose you. I will always choose you. What kind of plan do you have? Our father is a smart man. He keeps human shields around him at all times. He won’t walk outside without them. How do we get close enough to kill him?”

  “I have a plan, but it’s risky, and I won’t reveal it in front of her. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I heard your conversation. You have to take care of NICON first, and then we deal with father.”

  “Okay.” Yuuto nodded and grabbed their bags. He turned to Rhea, who still had the gun pointed at Haruaki. “Let’s get ready to go. We can alternate driving, and you can rest in the car.”

  “Just like that, you are going to trust him?”

  “If he does anything outside of helping, I will kill him, and he knows that. You are a strong woman, so I know he won’t be able to take you easily. I need his help, Rhea. As long as my father is around, our baby will be in danger. After this is over, I will have to deal with him. If Haruaki is telling the truth, then I want his help.”