by Lynn Hagen
Not only was Roxy a very well-known and in-demand stripper, he owned his own hair salon. The man was as vain as they came, and very high maintenance. Takeo thanked the gods the man wasn’t his mate. He’d probably strangle him after claiming him. He had very little patience for pampered, spoiled men.
Takeo never understood those types of people, but then again, he had been born into harshness. He never knew what being pampered and spoiled was like, and he never wanted to find out.
He entered the shop, slamming the door against the wall as his eyes assessed the place. Roxy was standing by one of the chairs, his back turned to Takeo as if someone slamming his door open was an everyday occurrence.
“Take a seat,” Roxy said flippantly as he continued to work on whoever was seated. Takeo walked across the shop with no intentions of taking a seat. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Kamiko was the one sitting in the chair…and his fucking hair was cut!
Takeo whimpered.
“Do you like it?” Kamiko asked with hope shining brightly in his eyes.
Takeo could feel anger boiling inside of him as he looked down at the remains of Kamiko’s hair lying lifelessly on the floor. He had loved Kamiko’s long silky strands. He had fantasies about Kamiko’s hair dragging down his body. Takeo locked his jaw before he said something he would regret later.
“You don’t like it,” Kamiko stated dejectedly as he averted his eyes.
As badly as Takeo wanted to agree, he wasn’t out to kill Kamiko’s spirit. “It’s…different.”
“That means he hates it,” Roxy said as he popped gum in his mouth. “He’ll get over it. They all do.”
Narrowing his gaze at the spoiled man, Takeo pulled Kamiko from the chair and walked out of the salon. He had been counting to ten in his head, trying his best not to strangle the stripper.
It wasn’t easy.
“I’m sorry you don’t like it,” Kamiko commented as Takeo walked down the street, holding on to Kamiko this time. “I hated my long hair. I resembled a female.”
Takeo spun around, growling down at Kamiko. “You did not resemble a female. It was one of the things I loved about you!” He snapped his lips closed, seeing the devastation form on Kamiko’s face.
Blowing out a deep exhale, Takeo spun around and began to walk again. He wasn’t sure how to be in a relationship, and trying not to hurt someone’s feelings was new to him. He never had to be careful or mindful of his tongue before. And he never had to rationalize why he acted a certain way.
But Takeo found himself trying to figure out why he had lashed out at his mate. Kamiko was giving him too many firsts, and it was making him feel itchy inside.
“It will grow back.” Kamiko tried to reassure him as Takeo walked toward home.
Takeo knew it would, but that wasn’t the point.
What was the point?
Kamiko knew he shouldn’t have let Roxy touch his hair. He had been so fascinated with the salon that he had let the man talk him into it. He had tried to justify it with Takeo that he had looked like a female, but in all honesty, Kamiko had loved his hair.
That was the last time he would cave under pressure.
Now his warrior couldn’t stand the sight of him.
Kamiko felt tears begin to gather in the corners of his eyes. He tried to look nonchalant as he reached up and wiped them away. He didn’t want Takeo to see them. They’d just prove that he was a female, long hair or not.
Kamiko trudged alongside of Takeo, his lips pressed together to keep from saying anything. There wasn’t much he could say. Yes, his hair would grow back—in time. Kamiko just didn’t know if Takeo would stop wanting him in the meantime.
Maybe he could buy a wig?
“I’m sorry, Takeo. I won’t cut it again.”
“It’s a little late for regrets now, Kamiko.” Kamiko frowned. He was a full-grown man. He shouldn’t need permission to cut his hair. Granted, he felt kind of like he had been pressured into it, and if he had known how much Takeo loved his hair, he certainly would never have cut it. But he hadn’t known.
Takeo never said anything.
Anger started to burn inside Kamiko. How in the hell was he supposed to know if Takeo never said anything? What else hadn’t he said anything about? Maybe Takeo didn’t even want to have sex with him. It wasn’t like the guy had made a move on him in all the years they had known each other. Takeo had only taken what Kamiko had so obviously thrown in his direction.
Maybe they weren’t even mates. Maybe Takeo was just trying to justify fucking him. Maybe—Kamiko inhaled sharply, trying to get air past the lump building in his throat. Maybe Takeo never wanted him at all.
When Takeo walked to the side of the building and started toward a shadow, Kamiko spun around and took off running back down the street. He knew he only had moments to escape. Takeo was faster than he was. The man was only slowed by his surprise.
Kamiko could hear Takeo shouting at him as he ran as fast as his feet would carry him. He had no idea where he was going as he cut around buildings and sprinted down alleyways. He just wanted to get away from the heartbreaking knowledge that Takeo didn’t want him, not really.
Kamiko ran around a corner and straight into a hard, fleshy wall.
He fell back onto the ground on his ass with a loud grunt. Damn, his ass hurt. Kamiko looked up, ready to either apologize for running into someone or chew them out for not looking where they were going—it all depended on their size.
When he saw the cold, lifeless eyes staring back down at him, Kamiko decided running was better than anything. He scrambled to his feet and took off in the other direction, praying with all of his might that his feet were faster than the man he ran into.
Kamiko had never been so glad to see anyone in his life as he was when he spotted Takeo running down the street toward him. He promised himself he’d be good and never cut his hair again or do anything to make Takeo mad if he could just reach the safety of Takeo’s arms.
Takeo was just a car length away when Kamiko felt a hand come down on his shoulder. Takeo shouted his name, rage filling his face.
Kamiko reached out for Takeo—and then Takeo was gone.
Kamiko’s screams filled the air around him until he couldn’t hear anything else.
Panahasi materialized down to the streets to see Takeo tearing Serenity City apart with his bare hands. He had heard the anguished cry from his warrior, a cry so profound, so heart wrenchingly pain filled that he could do nothing else but answer its call.
Takeo was tearing through the city, hell-bent on destroying it.
Panahasi had never seen a look of such agony as he did when he locked eyes with Takeo. The concept of loving someone that much was foreign to Panahasi, but he had to help.
“Tell me why you destroy your own city.” He had a feeling he knew when he didn’t see Kamiko by the warrior’s side. This was bad.
“He took him!” Takeo’s voice was gruff, anguished, and broken.
“Constantine took him.”
Panahasi knew that he would lose Takeo to the dark side if they didn’t find his mate. The man had been close once already. It was when Panahasi had first gone after Takeo for his training. The man’s eyes were void of any emotion, numb shells.
As they were now.
The look of pain was gone, and Panahasi knew that soon, Takeo’s mind would be as well. He had been the hardest one to train. Takeo had lived a life that not many survived. Baku was not a place to raise a family. It was a place to send the damned. He still wasn’t sure how Takeo had ended up living there, but he was amazed to this day that Takeo had been sane.
That wouldn’t hold true if the warriors didn’t get Kamiko back.
“Do you have any idea where Constantine might have taken him?”
Takeo’s eyes landed on Panahasi. They were lifeless as Takeo’s head slowly moved back and forth. He could tell that they were running out of time. Takeo was slipping fast.
As badly as Panahasi longed for a mate,
if this was the result, he wasn’t sure he wanted to find him. To see Takeo that dedicated to Kamiko was surreal. He’d seen some of the other warriors find their mates, but it wasn’t anything close to this. Takeo had bound his very soul to Kamiko.
“We need to see the keeper. More than likely Constantine has taken him where he held you.” At least he prayed that was true. If he was wrong, Takeo would be lost to him forever.
“I can’t remember,” Takeo said numbly. “I can’t.” Panahasi would rather see Takeo crying, railing against the world, threatening everyone on the street instead of this zombie trance he was in.
“It is the only way, Takeo. If we don’t unlock your memories, we may never find Kamiko.”
Takeo gave one short nod as he began to walk toward Panahasi. It was hard to see his warrior, who fought beside him for many centuries, turn into a shell. Takeo was brave, strong, and had come a long way since his days in Baku.
Panahasi walked beside Takeo as they headed down into the underworld.
If this didn’t work, Panahasi had a feeling that Takeo wouldn’t survive.
Takeo felt like he was walking through a dream. Nothing around him seemed real. Kamiko was gone. And the last things said between them were heated words. Kamiko’s despondent eyes haunted Takeo as he followed his leader down into the underworld.
He really didn’t care anymore.
His feet felt heavy, as if walking through quicksand. The more he thought about it, the more he really did like Kamiko’s new haircut. It made him look pixie-like. He wanted to tell his mate that. He wanted to tell him that cutting his hair was okay.
He wanted…
“Have him sit over there,” the keeper said as he walked over to his desk. There were books strewn about. Some books were open, some closed, but they all were in a stack that looked ready to fall over at any moment. Scrolls lay in stacks all around the room and maps were either hanging on the wall or lying open on the floor.
Takeo’s eyes wandered around the room as the hole in his chest grew. He’d never gotten a chance to tell Kamiko that he loved him.
Takeo would give anything to go back in time and stop his harsh words from leaving his lips.
He watched as the keeper busied himself around the dark room.
There were bookshelves everywhere with skulls and candles, books and bottles placed haphazardly on them.
“Here we are,” the keeper mumbled to himself as he grabbed a bottle containing a strange green liquid. The liquid swirled around inside the glass, reminding Takeo of smoke.
“Can you access his memories?” Panahasi asked as he sat down next to Takeo.
Takeo heard the words, but nothing was registering right now.
The only thing he truly wanted to hear was Kamiko’s musical voice.
He was so pure, so innocent that Takeo feared Constantine would strip his mate of all that was good in him.
“It will unlock even the darkest of secrets.” Takeo knew the two men were about to find out things he had kept hidden even from himself. Things that Takeo was not proud of, things that would make a mortal man go insane.
But Kamiko was worth anything he was about to reveal.
Kamiko was worth Takeo’s life.
Chapter Seven
Kamiko glared at Constantine as the man circled around the table he was chained down to. As terrified as he was, Kamiko was not about to show this man fear.
He didn’t deserve it.
Kamiko would die before he gave it to him.
As Constantine walked back in front of Kamiko, he clamped his lips tight. The bastard wasn’t going to get anything out of him. Which would be impossible anyway since Kamiko didn’t know anything.
He wasn’t sure why this man had a hard-on for him, but whatever the reason, Kamiko wasn’t going to crack under whatever pressure the man placed on him. He was mated to a warrior, and Kamiko was going to make Takeo proud of him.
Takeo was the only person Kamiko had in his life, and he wasn’t going to let his man down. For too long he had craved belonging to someone, belonging somewhere, and now that he was Takeo’s, Kamiko wasn’t letting go.
Even if he had let Takeo down. The warrior might not want him, but Kamiko was holding on to the hope that he had been mistaken.
“Do you know why I kidnapped Takeo to begin with?” Constantine asked as his bottomless eyes stared at Kamiko for an answer.
Kamiko refused to give him one.
“I see you are just as stubborn as your mate.” Whatever.
Kamiko was proud to be compared to Takeo. If this smug bastard was about to kill him, Kamiko would go knowing that he loved Takeo with all his heart.
Too bad he never got the chance to tell him. That would be his only regret. He should have told the warrior that he was the very air Kamiko breathed. He wanted Constantine dead for robbing him of that opportunity.
“He was the one who had locked me away so long ago. Do you know what it’s like to live in those detention cells?” Kamiko remained quiet.
“No matter,” Constantine continued, “I will have my revenge by taking you away from the warrior. He will know what it’s like to lose everything. I made sure Takeo wouldn’t remember this place. It’s someplace I like to bring those I want to play with a little longer. And you”—Constantine ran a knuckle down Kamiko’s face, making him want to vomit at the touch—“you will be my honored guest here. I will make sure you see true horrors before you die.” The words chilled Kamiko to his bones, but he kept a stoic face.
He knew that Constantine was trying to evoke some kind of emotion from him. But Kamiko wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
He might not know how to physically fight, but there were other ways to fight, and Kamiko was fighting Constantine right now by not giving him what he wanted. He could see the irritation in the demon’s eyes from his refusal to speak.
The chains that bound his arms began to rattle, echoing in the concrete room as Kamiko shook uncontrollably. Constantine removed a long whip from the wall, pure evil showing in his eyes as he turned back around. Kamiko braced himself, refusing to close his eyes as the sound of the whip cracked through the air.
His flesh felt like it was being peeled away from his body, but Kamiko refused to cry. As badly as he wanted to scream, he kept his lips tightly closed. Kamiko held on to images of Takeo taking him, mating him, and that was what he concentrated on as Constantine continued to bleed him.
Takeo was a handsome man, gentle, kind. He had always taken his time with Kamiko, showing him things that he could only dream of. The man had made him laugh on so many occasions that Kamiko had lost count. He was glad that they had become friends before lovers, and then mates.
It gave him a chance to see the real Takeo.
Kamiko smiled as he remembered the first time he had laid eyes on Takeo. The man had entered his room from the closet, scaring the daylights out of Kamiko. But after spending the night convincing Kamiko that he meant no harm, Kamiko had let his guard down and placed his trust in the warrior.
A trust he still gave Takeo to this very day.
“You smile as I whip you?” Constantine bellowed in outrage. “I must be losing my touch.”
Kamiko turned his head, refusing to answer as he slammed his eyes closed. He knew the blows were going to come harder, faster, and he wanted to melt away from this place as he thought of his warrior.
The last thing Kamiko saw before he blacked out was the smile that always seemed to be on Takeo’s face whenever he visited.
He took that smile with him as he was swept under in the sea of unconsciousness.
Takeo clenched his jaw as he stared at the building he had escaped from. He had all his memories now since the keeper unlocked them.
Memories Takeo wished he could have kept locked away.
He remembered the hours of torture Constantine and others had inflicted upon him. It rivaled the memories Takeo had of Baku. He wasn’t sure how he was standing here sane after remembering everything
the demon had done to him, but Takeo was grateful for that small miracle.
He had tried to walk through a shadow into the building he was now staring at, but the place seemed to negate his powers. He was going to have to go in the old-fashioned way, through a door.
“Can you take us to where he held you?” Wayland asked from beside him.
Takeo remembered the way he had escaped. Finding it again would be no problem. He only hoped he found Kamiko down there.
But then again, after remembering his two-month tour here, he prayed his mate wasn’t anywhere near the underground rooms. It made his chest feel as though it were being crushed to think of Constantine or any of his men laying one hand on Kamiko’s soft skin.
“I’ll show you the way.”
“Then let’s get moving.” Wayland grunted as he raced across the compound yard. Takeo, along with Panahasi, Einarr, and Deandre, followed close behind. The warriors crept softly, placing their backs against the stone wall of the building.
“Our powers won’t work in there,” Panahasi said as he inched closer to the door. “We have to rely on brute strength from here on out.”
Takeo had plenty of that. He had enough pent-up rage to take down the entire demon realm. He was going to teach the vile demon about taking what was his. He was going to pull Constantine’s entrails through his ass as he bled him dry for even thinking about coming back for vengeance.
When a demon was tossed into the detention cells, they needed to stay there. What could be so complicated about that? He arrested them, they were locked away. They escaped, he killed them. It seemed simple enough to Takeo.
He knew deep down in his soul that Constantine wasn’t going back to the underworld. No, the demon was going to die by the time Takeo was done with him.
There was no pity in him for the evil that walked the earth.
The warriors slid into the building undetected as Takeo showed them where he had been held. The cries rang out through the hallway as they descended into the basement. The cold chill returned as Takeo quickly walked. He remembered the cold. He still felt it in his bones since the keeper had unlocked his memories of this place.
