by E A Hunt
“People have come to me wanting revenge,” Rouva cut him off, shaking her head. “I don’t want that. And I told them as much. They weren’t happy.” She licked her lips and continued, “Some of them may still come after you.” She looked at Seamus, “But they are working on their own. I’ve had nothing to do with this. I left this city to start a new life, not to be sucked back into that one.”
“You won’t be,” Kendrik promised.
Everyone looked at him. Usually when they met, Kendrik was the most nonverbal of all of them. He was the most introspective. Hearing him confirm what they all were thinking was refreshing. Ren faced Rouva and said, “The deal is the same as we offered your mother’s girls, though yours is a little different. Your mother’s assets have been taken and that is what is caring for some of her girls. There was one account which had yours and your mother’s name on it. If you would like it, we can transfer it to you.”
“My mother had an account with my name on it?” Rouva asked, surprised. In all the time she’d known her mother, the woman had used money and cruelty to rule her kingdom and keep Rouva down as much as she could.
“She did,” Kendrik replied. He stood and, walking over to her, handed her the tablet he held. “It’s not much but it is enough to help you start over somewhere else, if that is what you desire.”
Rouva took the tablet and looked at the amount in the account. He was right, it wasn’t a lot. But it was enough to start over somewhere else. “Thank you,” she said, looking first at Kendrik then the other men in the room. “Thank you all.”
They nodded.
Rouva stood, “I would like the money and the chance to start over.” That was the only way she could get her mother out of her system.
“That can all be arranged,” Bram replied and opened his mouth to speak further when one of his men came rushing through his office doors.
“What in the hell?!”
“Ms. Audra -” the newcomer started.
“Audra? Where is Audra?!” Ren demanded, standing quickly.
“In the driveway,” the man breathed.
Ren ran out of the room towards the exit, when he saw Audra standing in the drive in only her underwear with their son in her arms and what looked like blood on her cheek. Ripping his shirt open he rushed over to her, “Get my car and get rid of the one she was driving,” he barked out to whoever was listening. He wrapped his shirt around her and cupped her face, “Audra.”
“I didn’t know where you lived,” she whispered. “I knew Bram knew and I was just hoping he could tell me where to find you,” she sobbed.
Ren wrapped his arms around her and their son. “I have you now Hana,” he said reassuringly, kissing her hair.
Chapter Seven
“Iain,” Audra whispered.
“Shh...Hana,” Ren rubbed a gentle hand over Audra’s head. “He’s here,” he cooed to his woman. She needed her sleep. The night’s events had finally caught up to her several hours ago when she’d been showering, washing the dead guard’s blood from her hands. He kissed her hair. The adrenaline she’d been running on since coming to Bram’s had finally worn off and he’d found her on the floor of the shower with tears streaming down her face and ice cold water raining down on her body.
He’d turned off the shower, wrapped her in a towel and carried her to his bed, tucking her in next to their son. Sensing they were safe, Audra had wrapped her arms around their child and closing her eyes, drifted off to sleep while he removed his damp clothing, slipping on sleep pants; and climbed into the bed beside her. He wrapped his arms around them both and thanked whoever he needed to for keeping them both safe.
“Keizo?”
Ren lifted his head at the sound of his father’s voice. His father had first been surprised by Audra and Iain’s appearance and then was fuming once Ren had given him an abridged version of the night’s events. Ren had promised to fill his father in more once he’d got Audra and Iain settled. That hadn’t happened yet because his Hana was scared and needed him more than she needed anyone else. “I will return Hana,” he whispered before slipping from the bed.
“Don’t be long,” Audra told him sleepily.
He smiled as he watched her snuggle into the pillow he’d been sharing with her. Facing his father, he walked out of the room. Closing the door behind him, Ren looked at the guard who was standing in the hall with his father and said “Watch the door. No one goes in and she doesn’t come out. If any harm comes to her or my son, there won’t be enough time for ‘I’m sorry’ to come out of your mouth before I remove your head from your body and mount it on my wall.”
“Yes, Keizo,” the man replied with a bow, before he moved before the door.
“Want to tell me why I have a grandson I know nothing about and why our people are cleaning up a mess on the other side of town?” Ren’s father asked.
With a small nod Ren turned and headed down the hall with his father beside him. As they headed towards his office, Ren told his father about both Audra’s attack in Japan and the one tonight. As he finished, he could feel his anger mounting. He wanted blood. He didn’t know whose - all he knew was that he wanted it and he wanted it now.
“I remember that night,” Toshi replied. “Your Uncle and I were monitoring you and several others as you received that shipment of poppy.” He shook his head, “There was no way you could have harmed Audra when you were clear across the city.”
“I know,” Ren said as he poured himself a thimble of Saki. His Uncle hadn’t trusted his son Hiro to handle a delicate shipment of the precious poppy seed, so he’d asked Ren to come and monitor the transfer.
“I want their heads Keizo,” Toshi sneered. “They robbed me and your mother of our grandson.”
And me of the woman I love, thought Ren. He downed another thimble of Saki. “You will have their heads father. Bram, Seamus and Kendrik are working their contacts to see what they can find out and I’ve put out some feelers. This wasn’t random. Audra has lived in this city for years and no one has connected her to me. Now that I’m back in her life someone has made the mistake of going after her and our son.” Ren shook his head, “There’s something going on here. And when I find out what it is, I will not only put a bullet in whoever is responsible, I will cut off their heads and mount them on my wall,” Ren vowed.
“Keizo?”
Both Ren and his father turned to face the new voice. Ren waved the man in. His people called him Keizo. Only friends and family called him Ren. “What do you have?” He questioned.
He wanted Audra’s apartment cleaned out of her and Iain’s things - they weren’t going back there ever. And he wanted to know if the people who’d attacked them had left anything behind that could be used to track them
Bowing, the soldier replied, “There wasn’t much in the form of knowing who attacked Ms. Audra and osanai musuko (little son),” he said. “But this was found as we were cleaning the apartment.” He reached into his pocket and presented Ren with the syringe. “We are not sure what it is?”
Ren took it from the soldier, “Where was it located?” He already knew the answer - this was what one of the assailants had tried to use on his son.
“In osanai musuko room,” came the solemn reply, “It seemed to have been left behind.”
“Thank you. Let the men know we will have a service for those who were lost once Ms. Audra and osanai musuko are up to it.” Ren replied. Audra’s whole detail had been taken out by these people
“Yes,” with a bow to both Ren and Toshi, the soldier turned and walked out of the room.
“What do you think it is?” Toshi asked.
“I’m not sure. I’ll have Doc Carl analyze it later today,” Ren replied. Placing the syringe on his desk, he wondered who was sick enough to inject a substance into an innocent child.
Morning rays and the fact that her son had his feet in her face woke Audra from an adrenaline/exhaustion induced sleep. Removing her son’s feet from her face, she slowly sat up and took stock o
f the room she had been put in. She gave a little smirk, realizing it was Ren’s. She should have expected him to put them in his room where he could protect them if need be. Sliding from the bed, Audra headed for the bathroom. She had a lot to do today. First, she needed to head to her apartment and see if it was still in one piece, then she needed to figure out a new living situation because she and Iain were not going back to that apartment. Finally, she needed to go into her office because she had meetings and potential clients that she needed to contact and reschedule. Finished using the washroom, Audra was washing her hands when she saw her personal products on the bathroom counter mixed in with Ren’s. How ... drying her hands, she turned and headed back into the bedroom. She walked over to one of the chests of drawers and, opening it, saw her bras and panties neatly placed. Opening another, she found her t-shirts, and another housed her jeans. “He didn’t,” she whispered. Closing the drawer, she started opening doors until she found the walk-in closet - it had her business clothes on one side and Ren’s suits on the other. Audra fumed. This was not happening. Turning back into the bedroom, she quickly dressed before she stormed over to the door, opening it to a boulder of a man standing in the middle of the doorway. “Excuse me,” she snapped.
He faced her, “Sorry Keizo no tsuma (wife of Ren), but I have orders to not let you leave.”
Not let her leave? Why in the hell would he give that order? “If you want to keep breathing you will move out of my way,” Audra told him. She was not above hurting someone when they were keeping her from her goal. And her goal right now was to find Ren and demand to know why in hell all her things were at this house.
“No disrespect Keizo no tsuma, but I am more afraid of Keizo then of you,” he replied with a slight bow.
She would change that. “Let Keizo know he has five minutes to get here or I will take you and anyone else out, trying to leave this estate.” Audra gave a sweet smile before she slammed the door in the man’s face. She hadn’t walked three feet from the door before it opened and the man, dressed in a pristine white shirt and light grey dress pants, who was the bane of her existence right now walked in through the door. Before Audra could ream him out, Iain’s small yawn had them both looking towards the bed.
“Morning Mommy, Otosan (Dad),” he said with a smile.
“Morning Iain,” Ren replied.
“Morning baby,” Audra walked over to her son. “How are you feeling this morning?” She questioned her son. He had slept through their escape and her retelling of the attack at her apartment.
“I’m better, can I have breakfast?” Iain asked his mother.
“Cook has made a huge breakfast for you,” Ren informed his son. He walked over to the bed, scooping up the boy in his arms, “Come let’s get something to eat and then you can meet your Grandfather.”
He turned, grasped Audra’s hand, and headed out of the room. Security followed behind them. He kissed his son’s temple. He’d been worried Iain wouldn’t accept him when he was told he was his father, but all his son had done was ask where he had been and whether he would stay forever. He assured Iain he wasn’t leaving him and that he’d been in Japan - which opened all kinds of questions from his son about the country. Walking into the dining room, Ren released Audra’s hand and put Iain down on one of the chairs, facing a plethora of food.
“Mommy look they have oatmeal!” Iain marveled.
“I see darling,” Audra replied. Her son loved oatmeal.
“Is that my grandson I hear?” Toshi asked as he walked into the room. He’d been itching to see Iain for most of the morning, but Ren had kept him at bay. Audra and Iain had needed to sleep off the night before. Toshi had understood but it didn’t stop his eagerness.
Iain stood from his chair and gave his Grandfather a bow before reaching out his hand, “I am Ishiro – Ren Iain Tsao,” he intoned a formal greeting, with a puffed-out chest.
Toshi smiled, “I am Jiro Toshi Tsao,” he replied taking his grandson’s hand. “Your grandfather,” he released the little boy’s hand.
“Like Momma’s Dad?” Iain asked.
“Yes, just like your Momma’s Dad,” he replied, before he turned his gaze to Audra. She was quite lovely. He’d been a little worried years ago when he’d been told his son was dating an American woman who was of African and Canadian descent. Not everyone in their culture appreciated what other people could bring to the table. Toshi was not one of them. His Mieko had been of mixed heritage. Her father had been an American white military man and her mother Japanese. Mieko’s father had died in a training accident a year after her birth and her mother had been forced into an arranged marriage by Mieko’s grandparents. Her new father hadn’t liked the fact Mieko wasn’t of pure Japanese descent and had treated her terribly. So terribly that by the time he had meet his wife, she had thought very little of herself. His, Toshi’s, family had embraced Mieko, showing her that she was worth more than she could have ever imagined.
“Audra, it is nice to finally meet you,” Toshi said, with a small bow.
“You also Jiro Toshi,” Audra replied with a bow.
“Please call me Toshi. It is not every day a lovely woman gives me a grandson and takes the gloom away from my son.”
And she had. With Audra by his side, Ren seemed happier and more at ease. He turned to his grandson, “How about we have breakfast and get to know each other? Then later I can show you your Grandmother’s garden.”
“I’d like that,” Iain replied, retaking his seat.
“So would I,” Toshi replied, sitting next to the little boy.
Audra was about to sit when Ren pulled her away from the room. They didn’t stop until they were across the hall from the dining room and incased in a very nice office. “You cleaned out my apartment,” she started without preamble.
“And you have an issue?” Ren questioned, closing the door.
Audra pulled her hand from his. She had more than an issue. “Should I even ask if I have an office anymore?” She was positive the answer would be ‘no.’
“I keep an office in a building we own in the city center. You can work from there where I can keep an eye on you.” Damn she looked good in her painted-on jeans and curve-hugging t-shirt.
“Keep an eye on me? What am I, a child?” Audra asked. She was not going to lose what she’d worked so hard for just because Ren was on some power trip
“You, Hana, are definitely not a child,” Ren replied, walking over to her. “But I want you protected so you will be working with me in my office in the city.”
“That’s not me working Ren. That’s me losing clients because they won’t want to be patted down every time they come to a consultation,” Audra knew no one would be able to enter unless Ren was sure they weren’t a threat.
“If they have a problem with that, then you don’t need them as a client,” Ren told her. He knew she liked to work. Even in Japan she had talked about how working gave her freedom. He knew better than to try and stop her from doing what she loved.
“You...ugh,” Audra turned from him, his closeness was doing things to her. Making her want to kiss him or have him hold her like he had last night. “You should have talked to me Ren,” she admonished, putting some distance between them before she faced him once more. “You should have consulted with me before you did any of this.”
“Did you consult me before you got your tattoo?” Ren questioned. As he’d dealt with business this morning his mind kept flashing back to Audra in the drive of Bram’s home and in the shower. He’d tried to shake the images of her matching deep red bra and panty set or the fact she had been naked in his arms once again, when he realized what his mind was trying to tell him. He closed the distance between them grasped the hem of her shirt raising it slowly exposing her sign of Yakuza to him. “A red dragon’s, my family’s protector, head being cradled by a light pink and red koi fish?” he described as he pulled her shirt over her head. He raised his brow at the tattoo which snaked half way up her left side and part of
her back.
It was quite beautiful and was much like his own. While her koi fish was cradling the dragon’s head, his had its tail wrapped around the koi fish protecting it from all who could potentially do it harm.
“It was going to be a surprise,” she told him. While he’d slept, she’d taken pictures of his tattoo which covered his left pectoral and ended just slightly up his neck. She’d wanted to make sure she mimicked it perfectly … “Since I was your woman, hoping to one day be your wife, I wanted to have a matching tattoo on a slightly smaller scale. So if anyone saw a hint of it, they would know I was yours.”
He traced the tattoo with his fingers and her intake of breath was music to his ears. “It’s beautiful Hana,” he said, bending his head. “But not as beautiful as the woman whose body it adorns,” he finished, placing his lips on hers.
Deepening the kiss, Audra placed a hand on his cheek. It had been so long since she’d been kissed by someone who wasn’t her son. “Ren,” she moaned. She wanted him so very much. She hadn’t been touched intimately by any man since him.
Even when she thought about another man touching her, Ren’s face would come to her and she’d feel so repulsed she’d back away from the man she was attempting to be with. She’d finally realized that her heart and mind only wanted Ren. Would forever want Ren.
“My Hana,” Ren replied kissing her along the jaw. “My beautiful Hana,” he lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Ren turned and walked them over to the desk in the office. Sitting Audra on its sturdy surface, he reached for the button on her jeans. “You will work in my office Hana,” he reached into her jeans and slid his hand into her panties.
“I like my office,” Audra replied reaching for his slacks. “Ah…” she cried out, when he brushed her clit.