Penance

by K E Osborn

  Well shit, this got serious.

  “Yeah, I get that. Look I don’t know what’s happening with the club. Shit for all I know you’re about to head into an all-out fucking war with some fucking mob boss knowing the Defiance, but I’m just saying, don’t lose sight of living life, man. Things get hectic, life throws you rotten eggs, but fuck it. Scramble that shit up, throw it in the face of your enemies, and show them you can still function even while battling them. It all makes you stronger, Sensei. And from what I’ve seen, you have the balls to be one of the strongest.”

  He’s quiet for a pass and then lets out a small huff like he’s impressed. “You got all that from our small encounter today?”

  I smirk. “I’m good at reading people. Plus, I think you’re hot, and I want to get in your pants, so I’m buttering you up.” I let out a small chuckle at the end as I hear him let out a small, shocked gasp like he’s unsure of how to take what I’ve just said. “Kidding… kinda,” I murmur the last word as I smile and take another sip of my beer.

  Sensei takes in a long deep breath. “I have no idea how to take you, Ayla… damn… you’re completely throwing me off my game.”

  Raising my brow, I smile as a warmth floods through my chest. “Good. Should make for an interesting meeting when I see you tomorrow then, right?”

  He chuckles. “Yes… about that, is there a time that best suits?”

  “You’re so formal. Is there a time that best suits?” I mock in my lowered imitation voice of his again.

  “That doesn’t sound like me.”

  Chuckling, I smile wide. “Any time is fine, Sensei. I look forward to seeing you. Is anyone coming with you?”

  “Vibe will be driving the truck. I look forward to seeing you, too. Though, I’m yet to understand why.”

  I burst out laughing and nod. “I know, right? I give you shit, yet you still want to see me. You must be a masochist.”

  “I’m not sure about self-punishment, but I’m one of self-discipline. And about seeing you again, that is true. I’m sure you’ll make my time with you tomorrow, interesting… to say the least.”

  Pursing my lips, I nod. “I’m sure I can think of something to brighten your day and release some of the turmoil you’re currently going through.”

  “I do look forward to it.”

  “I bet you do, you saucy little minx,” I tease letting out a laugh.

  “You are a mystery, Ayla.”

  “I’m actually pretty straight up, take me as I come.”

  “Hmmm… I know a few ways to make you come, but unfortunately, I must go. Duty calls… until tomorrow, Ayla.”

  Smiling at the way he talks, which for some reason I find undeniably attractive, I feel the heat rising in my cheeks. “Um… okaaay. Laters.”

  The call ends, and I grin as I drink the last of my beer. He’s such an enigma. I’ve never met a man like him, so collected and yet so tormented. There’s something about him which draws me in. I want to know every little thing about him, and yet I have no idea why.

  As the last drops of beer drizzle down my throat, I grab the empty can and slam it onto the bedside table, the can crumpling in my hand as it collapses into a smaller shell. Just like the guys do it. I have a feeling Sensei would be shocked if he saw me do that. I smile to myself. Most guys can’t handle a woman acting like a guy. But I’ve grown up my entire life living with three men.

  How else was I supposed to turn out?

  Standing from my bed, my hands slide around my back and unhook my bra. It falls to the floor as I stride to my bathroom thinking about Sensei. His deep sexy voice, his tone, and the way he talks has gotten me a little hot under the collar. I need to cool off as well as wash today’s grease away. And maybe think about him while I’m all lathered up. I slide off my boyshorts as I take a deep breath.

  I need a shower.

  To calm me down.

  A cold one.

  Damn girl!

  SENSEI

  Ending the call from Ayla, my mind’s all over the place. She’s like no woman I’ve ever come into contact with before. She’s certainly going to keep me on my toes that’s for sure. Right now, though, I need to try and stop thinking about the semi hard-on I have from talking to her and go and do what I’m supposed to be doing, which is talking to Torque about what the hell our next move is going to be.

  Shaking it off, I shift from my bed and stride out of my room to find Torque. I only came in here to grab my pendant. I’d taken it off this morning when I had a shower and forgot to put it back on in my mad rush for us to go to the pizzeria. Grabbing the silver cross in my hand, the cold metal cools my skin as the wings surrounding the cross remind me of the proud time when I received this necklace.

  Father looked down at me as I kneeled on my knees, head bowed, palms on my thighs, breathing harshly from an intense training session, and sweat beading on my brow from the blazing heat of the summer sun hammering down on the backyard of our Chicago home.

  “Raiden, you have done our family proud. You bring us honor. For that, you have earned the Maki family crest,” Father said making my chest fill with so much pride while I tried my hardest to fight back my smile, but failed.

  Father let out a small chuckle as his hand rested on my shoulder. “It is okay, son, you can relax now, your training is done for the day. Eyes up and accept your pendant.”

  My head snapped up so fast as my young eighteen-year-old eyes could barely contain their excitement. He held out his hand and in it was a simple pendant bearing the Maki family crest. A silver cross with wings on either side. My chest squeezed, and I didn’t know whether I wanted to cry out in jubilation or simply just cry because it meant so much. But my father moved in behind me and placed the pendant around my neck. The cold metal clung to my chest as I looked down, and a sense of pride washed over me.

  I knew he wasn’t my birth father. I had no real claim to the Maki clan, but he accepted me anyway, and for that, I was and will forever be eternally grateful.

  Smiling at the fond memory, I think of my father in the room beside me, and I wonder if his memory of that day serves him as well as it does me. I wonder if he knows the impact he’s had on my life. Hiro Maki shaped me into the man I’ve become, and I could not be more thankful for him in my life. Am I perfect… no, fucking far from it, but I have a moral code I live by, and that’s something a lot of people in this world do not.

  Dropping my pendant from my hand, it jingles against my chest as I walk to my door. Opening it, I head off in search of Torque. The clubhouse is livening up for the night, and seeing as it’s near dinner time, everyone’s pretty much here.

  I step up to Torque who’s on his cell as I approach—I try not to listen, but I can’t help overhearing his conversation. “Yeah, I know, but I want you to come in when my brothers aren’t all shot up and you have to suture them back together. Now it’s calmer in here, you should be able to get a real good feel for the place, and do anything you want.” There’s a small pause. “C’mon, don’t make me beg. It doesn’t look good on me.”

  I smirk as I try not to look too conspicuous, but he knows I’m waiting for him to finish.

  He looks at me and rolls his eyes mouthing ‘women.’ I raise my chin in acknowledgment as I let out a small chuckle, and his eyes light up. “Fuck, really? Okay… thank you, Foxy. You don’t know how much this means to me. You’re the top woman around here now, so trust me, you’ll be bossing them around.”

  He nods and chuckles lowering his voice. “I’m gonna do very bad things to that very bad mouth of yours tonight when you get here.” Torque lets out a booming laugh as I shift uncomfortably wondering if maybe I should come back another time. “Okay, baby, go… work. Let me know when you’re on your way.” He hangs up and turns raising his brow with a cocky smirk.

  I let out a small huff as he grips me on the shoulder and shakes his head. “Shit, man! You need to get yourself a woman. They might hold you by the damn balls, but it’s so fuckin’ worth it.”
/>
  “I’m glad to see you fucking happy, brother. It’s been a long time coming. Foxy’s certainly a little firecracker, and she seems to be your even match.”

  He chuckles and nods. “Yeah, she is.” He looks me up and down and creases his brow. “You look uptight. I mean more fuckin’ uptight than normal. What’s happening, brother?”

  We head toward the bar and pull up a stool. “This Yakuza business has me rattled.”

  He nods, his face taking on a more serious tone. “Yeah. I get that, and we need to get shit done. I still have no idea how the fuck we’re gonna go about this. I mean we have the Andrettis on our side, but what fuckin’ good is that if we’re outwitted and outgunned?”

  Nodding, I run my hand over my chin. “I concur… Ishikawa is, by all accounts, ruthless, calculating, and always a step ahead. I don’t know what his end game is… but I need to keep my family out of it.”

  Torque nods. “Yeah, brother. Don’t worry, they’re safe and welcome here. I won’t have any harm brought to them. But I need to know how you wanna play this.” He looks around the room subtly then back to me. “I haven’t told our brothers about your connection to Ishikawa… yet.” He takes a breath. “As president, I gotta inform our brothers of any issues that might affect them, and we should be taking a vote on this shit. So… do you want them to know, or keep it on the down low for now? But Sensei, I won’t keep this quiet for long.”

  Clenching my jaw, I grimace. “My brothers will all be wondering why my family is here… without giving them a reason, they’ll start to draw their own conclusions. We’re a family, a brotherhood… I shouldn’t hide anything from them.”

  Torque slaps my back in approval. “Good call, brother, but you had to be the one to make it. I’ll call church. You wanna tell them, or me?”

  “I think it’s better coming from me.”

  He nods once. “Done.” He swivels on his stool bringing his fingers to his mouth and lets out an almighty whistle that resounds through the clubroom.

  Everyone stops and turns to look at us. “Patched members, emergency church… now!” he calls out, and we stand from the stools and head for the chapel. He looks at me giving me a stern but silent stare as we walk together toward the chapel. We enter through the large, cream double doors, and I move straight for my seat. Torque walks off to the head of the table. Everyone else strides in and takes up their positions as the doors close behind Surge with a heavy thump. He takes his seat next to me, his arm still in a sling from the shot to his shoulder. I let out a huff as that typhoon soon swirls in my stomach. I have no idea how my brothers will take the news I am about to bestow on them, but I hope they take to it with the knowledge I had no idea that Ishikawa Yakuza would come to Chicago, and I have no idea what the hell Aiko Ishikawa’s plans are.

  Torque bangs his gavel as a general chatter dies down in the room, and I glance at him as he tilts his head high. “Brothers, I’ve called church to discuss the Yakuza on our doorstep. It seems they’re closer to us than we originally thought. We all know Ishikawa has something up his damn sleeve, but there’s more to the story. I’ll let Sensei take over…. you have the floor.”

  Everyone’s brows crease as they turn to me. All the attention suddenly has me feeling tense as I clear my throat. I wrack my jaw to the side and look to Torque who nods his head in a gesture of reassurance. It’s all I need to help me get started. “When I was only sixteen, Father came to me one day after a training session. He was calm, collected, and told me gently he was not my biological father.”

  Trax raises his brow. “You’re telling me, the man we have in the sleeping quarters isn’t your father?” His voice is curt, almost like he’s angry.

  Taking a breath, I simply nod. “That’s correct… but it’s also incorrect.”

  Trax snorts out a laugh. “Fucking hell, your gibberish trips me out sometimes, brother. Start making sense, will you?”

  “Let the man fuckin’ talk, Trax,” Torque interferes.

  “He may not be related to me by blood, but by all accounts… he is my father. He raised me, made me into the man I am today. I wouldn’t fucking be here if it weren’t for him and his teachings.”

  “Okay, I think we’re gonna need to bring your parents in here to help us the fuck out. You good with that, Sensei?” Torque asks, and I simply nod.

  He tilts his head to Ace who stands, exiting the chapel to fetch my parents.

  “So why the hell is he and the rest of your family here?” Trax asks bluntly.

  Sighing, I glance at Trax not knowing how he will take this news. He’s so volatile at the moment, any little thing could set him off. Hell, he could turn on me for all I know. But I steady my shoulders and brace myself. “Aiko Ishikawa, he comes from the same precinct in Japan my mother hailed from. She was married to him in Tokyo before she managed to fake her own death and flee for her safety. When she fled, she was pregnant with me…” I pause for a moment trying to build up the strength to tell my brothers the truth of our situation. “Ishikawa is… my blood father.”

  Everyone sits up taller, their eyes almost bursting from their sockets as Trax’s mouth opens wide— for once he’s stunned into silence.

  “Holy shit,” Surge murmurs under his breath as I glance at him sideways.

  Torque moves forward in his chair placing his fists on the table. “As you can see this is a big fuckin’ deal. We don’t know why Ishikawa is here, but it seems too big of a coincidence he chose Chicago out of all the states to settle down in.”

  “When he saw you, did he know who you were?” Trax asks, his voice stern and low.

  My hands roll to the sides in a gesture of uncertainty. “I don’t fucking know. If he did, he didn’t show it.”

  Ace appears in the doorway with my father, looking stoic, and my mother, her eyes to the floor as they walk in. I sigh as I watch my parents file into the chapel. I hate that it’s come to this. I hate that my mother is probably going to have to tell her story. She already appears so defeated.

  “Hiro, Shinobu, welcome to the chapel. Please take a seat,” Torque offers.

  Surge and Chains to my left both stand and walk to the back of the room offering up their seats next to me. Mother sits beside me and Father next to Torque. I don’t miss Trax eyeing them suspiciously.

  The damn fool.

  “Thank you for having us in your clubhouse, Torque. We do appreciate your hospitality,” Father relays and Torque nods as I reach out for Mother’s hand. She’s still looking down at the floor.

  “You’re welcome to stay for as long as the threat is critical, even then, your family’s always welcome, Hiro… but, our club is up against a new adversary here, and Sensei tells us you have had… dealings with him?”

  Mother visibly shudders, and I grimace as I notice everyone look to her, including Father. He exhales and nods. “It’s true, we have dealt with Aiko Ishikawa in the past. But we wish for him to remain… in our past.”

  I tense up as Torque rolls his shoulders. “The thing is… he’s not going away. And for us to know who we’re dealing with, we need to know more about his background. What kind of man he is… do you understand?”

  Mother sniffs, her head finally lifting as she looks Torque right in the eyes, hers glistening with salt water. “Aiko Ishikawa is a beast!”

  “Shinobu, you don’t have to—”

  “Hiro, I need to,” Mother interrupts him.

  Father swallows a lump down his throat and reaches out taking her other hand in his. She has me on one side and Father on her other supporting her through this.

  She looks around the room to each of my brothers. The vulnerable, timid woman suddenly looking more fearless. “The way you treat a woman, says a lot about a man. About his character, about his humanity. In all of you…” she stops and pauses looking at Trax, “… all of you, I see humanity in your eyes. I see deep down, a kindness. You may look rough, you may act rough, but deep down you have heart.”

  Trax breaks his eye contact wit
h Mother and looks down to his lap as Mother turns peering back to Torque. “When I was forced to look into the eyes of Aiko Ishikawa as he repeatedly beat me…” she sniffs, tears slowly falling down her cheeks, “… as he…” she pauses closing her eyes tight, “… as he continuously and violently raped me, over… and over again… I saw no humanity.” Her hand breaks free from mine wiping her face from her tears as my hands ball into tight fists. “I saw no heart. He has no soul. He is emotionless, a cold, calculating monster… nothing more.”

  Silence fills the chapel as I grit my teeth feeling sick from hearing the story all over again. Knowing she went through this is a pain no child should ever have to know.

  “How did you escape?” Trax’s voice is low like he’s unsure of whether he should be breaking the silence in the room.

  “I was in an arranged marriage with Aiko. My family traded me to get them out of a tough situation. The marriage was not filled with love. I didn’t even like Aiko. Not when the man repeatedly beat me, raped me, made me do unspeakable things. I tried my hardest to take as much alone time as possible.” Mother glances to Father, that look of adoration crossing their faces I often see from them as she manages a smile. “That’s when I found solace in Hiro. We met in the gardens. He found me battered and bruised. He made me remember there was beauty in my tainted world.”

  His fingers gently stroke up and down her hand as he looks at her lovingly. “Seeing you so badly treated. I needed to get you away from him. Away from Tokyo,” Father replies, and Mother nods.

  “So we forged an escape plan.” She sniffs. “Over the torturous years with Aiko, I formed a friendship with one of Ishikawa’s underlings. We hatched a plan where the underling would find two cadavers of the same stature as Hiro and myself… not a nice job, but we were desperate.”

  You can feel the tension in the room, my brothers all listening to my parents’ escape plan with intensity even though they know they obviously got out.