by Shawn Bailey
Tomahiko defended his family. “Not too much of that anymore. In fact, most groups have disbanded. There are only two known groups that are still active.”
“One of them being the Akiyama Group,” Luke said.
Tomahiko nodded. “The other is the Chang Conglomeration.”
“The guy who kidnapped you.”
Tomahiko stopped eating. He looked literally shaken.
“Are you afraid of him?” Luke asked.
“I was fifteen.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Tomahiko said.
Luke gave up for the moment and went back to eating the delicious ramen. Later, Tomahiko’s grandfather came to the table to meet Luke. They talked for a while. Luke tried to pay for their meal, but his grandparents wouldn’t hear of it.
“We can’t buy him fancy cars, but we can treat him and his friends to a meal every so often,” the grandfather said in English.
They got back on Tomahiko’s bike and rode off. The next stop was at one of the temples. They didn’t go inside, but just admired it from a distance. Later they attended a festival. Tomahiko treated him to dessert, a shaved ice and red bean concoction. It cooled Luke off a bit. Tomahiko used the men’s room, too, and then the two of them went to see a beautiful Japanese garden. The pond was filled with colorful koi and there were so many flowers and plants.
“Uncle used to bring me here as a child, and I would play amongst the greenery while he rested.
“Why hasn’t he married?”
“I think because of me. He is engaged to Jasmine. She makes Uncle smile.”
“But you’re not a kid anymore.
“Yes, I know. She’s pregnant.”
“Really?” Luke asked. “Are you getting a little brother or a sister?”
“A cousin. Hopefully a male. If it is a girl it means that I will have to succeed Uncle as oyabun.”
“Does he have a tattoo?”
Tomahiko nodded. “It’s a soaring eagle. I wanted a bigger one, but Uncle told me no, meaning it would show through most of my costumes and make people nervous.”
“I’d want a cool dragon,” Luke said. “He’s right though, about you. Don’t they hurt?”
“Yes, they itch, too,” Tomahiko said.
It was late when Tomahiko dropped Luke off at the hotel.
* * * *
Tomahiko looked behind on the way back to the compound. The car behind him had been following him for a while. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Tomahiko kept riding. The car continued to follow him. He didn’t recognize it. There were two Japanese men in the front seat. It was hard to get a good look at them while trying to keep his bike on the road. Tomahiko turned a corner. The car and several others followed him. One thing Mikuni had taught him is never bring trouble home. So going straight to the compound was out of the questions. So was going to his uncle’s place. Tomahiko was trying to get back to the highway. One of the cars moved into the lane next to him and tried to run him off the road. Tomahiko stayed on the bike. The one behind him tried to bump into him to. This time the drivers were successful. Tomahiko fought to keep control of his bike as it left the highway and headed into the woods. The three cars followed him. The men got out. Six against one was not good odds, but he was prepared to fight. He did manage to get in a couple of good hits before one of the guys pulled out a stun gun and tazed him. Tomahiko went down. He saw a truck pull up.
“Put his bike in the back,” one of the guys said.
Tomahiko remembered getting dumped into the back seat of a car. Then he passed out.
* * * *
A pair of inquisitive brown eyes stared down on him when he awakened. “Who are you?” Tomahiko asked.
“My name is Koji Ueda, and I am about to save your ass.”
Koji was a cute guy with bleached blond hair and an okay build. Tomahiko tried to sit up and the room seemed to move. “I don’t understand. Where am I?”
“Rikuro’s place,” the other guy said.
Tomahiko groaned. “What am I doing here?”
“He kidnapped you, again.”
“He told you about that?”
Koji shook his head. “He never tells me anything. He and I are dating if you must know.”
“I don’t know whether to congratulate you or not.” He was more interested and trying to figure out a way out of this situation. “You said you were here to save my ass. Why?”
“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” Koji asked sarcastically. “You’re drop dead gorgeous and the competition.”
“This isn’t a competition. Rikuro doesn’t play fair.”
“He has sent for the barber. He wants him to cut your hair.”
Tomahiko tried not to show emotions. “It will grow back.”
“What is he to you?” Koji asked.
“Nothing,” Tomahiko answered. “He stole my virginity a very long time ago, and in his warped mind he thinks owns me.”
“Oh,” Koji said. “I figured it was something like that. A man doesn’t commit such a serious crime without a reason.”
“Yet you love him?”
Koji looked up quickly and nodded. “My father approves of him.”
“But he loves me,” Tomahiko said.
“Yes, I know. That is why I’m going to help you escape.”
“Don’t get yourself hurt. Rikuro is not a very nice man, especially if you cross him.”
“Yes, I know, but I can’t lose him to you. He’s all I have.” The young man left the room.
Tomahiko got off the bed. He still foggy in the head from whatever drug they used to knock him out. He walked toward the en suite, used the toilet and then returned to the room. There was another guy in the room waiting. “You must be the barber.”
The guy nodded. “That’s a lot of hair. Do you have something special in mind?”
“Something manly,” Tomahiko said. He sat down in the chair without putting up a fuss and let the guy get to work.
* * * *
A frantic Ki woke Luke out of a sound sleep.
Luke sat up in bed. What’s wrong?”
“Tomahiko is gone?”
“What do you mean?”
“He wasn’t in his room this morning when I went up to call him for breakfast. He never came home last night.”
“Maybe he stayed by his uncle,” Luke said, yawning.
“He didn’t. We’re at Mikuni’s,” Ki said.
Luke sprang from the bed. “I’m on my way.” He got off of the phone with Ki and called Adam and filled him in on what was going on. “Tomahiko is missing. He didn’t return home last night.” He dressed while talking to the speakerphone.
“Why don’t you let his people take care of this,” Adam said.
“You don’t understand. What if it was Frankie?”
“Be careful, Luke.”
Luke grabbed his phone charger, wallet, and gun and headed out of the room. He rode the elevator down. He ran through the lobby and out of the front door. A black limousine waited at the curb. The window lowered.
It was Mikuni. “Get in. Someone has my nephew.”
Luke climbed into the limousine and the driver took off.”
“Do you think its Rikuro Chang again?”
“I don’t know.” Mikuni said. “We have a lot of enemies.”
I bet. “Where is his lair?”
“How the hell should I know? His last known area was across town. He could be anywhere now. He’s not going to make it easy for me. Dirty bastard.”
“Tell me what happened and what we’re dealing with,” Luke said. “Would he hurt Tomahiko?”
“We’re talking about a lunatic,” Mikuni said. “What we consider pain is pleasure to him.”
Luke took that as a yes. “What did he do to Tomahiko the last time?”
Mikuni shrugged. “Tommy won’t tell me. He was in pretty bad shape when I got him back and he still has nightmares.”
They ended up at Mikuni’s ma
nsion instead of going off to find Tomahiko. “What are we doing here?”
“We need backup. Do you think Rikuro will just let me walk into his place and just take Tomahiko? It took me a month to get him back the last time.”
They didn’t have a month. The tour was moving on in a couple of days.
“Rikuro is a very intelligent man, so he won’t just take him back to his mansion. No doubt he’s been planning this for a long time.”
They entered the home without being searched this time. He followed Mikuni out of the back door to another building. The place was packed with yakuza members, including someone he didn’t expect to see. “What is he doing here?” Luke asked.
“Saving your man’s ass,” Edward said angrily.
“Let’s try to keep emotions out of this,” Mikuni said as he sat down on his throne. “Edward is the best tracker in the world. If Tomahiko is still in Japan, Edward will find him.”
Luke pouted, realizing Mikuni was right. “What did you tell Noel?”
“The truth,” Edward said. “He wasn’t too happy about this, but he does understand the severity of the situation.”
“What about the tour?”
“Tory and Adam have been briefed and the tour will continue just without Yukizumi and us,” Edward said. Ki and the other two are under protective custody.”
Mikuni spoke to his people. “That bastard Chang has my precious nephew. Leave no stone unturned and bring him back. Edward will act as your leader in this venture, so please put aside your animosity and work with him. Luke, too.” He called two guys forward. They approached with two black boxes. One walked to Edward and the other walked over to Luke and opened the boxes. Luke peered inside. It was a gun. A good one. Edward took his out and two bullseyes came down from the ceiling. Edward raised his gun and shot at his target. He hit it dead center.
Luke took his gun out of the box. He pointed his gun and began shooting at it until he emptied it. He hit the target dead center each time.
Edward looked at him oddly.
“I grew up in New Orleans. No explanations necessary,” Luke said.
“Damn,” Mikuni said, sounding impressed. “Go get our prince and bring him back. The future of our organization is in your hands. Even though Tomahiko is much more prepared now at twenty-six than he was at fifteen, we have to take into consideration that eleven years later Rikuro is, too. It is no secret that the man loves my nephew, but he hates me more.”
Luke couldn’t think straight. Tomahiko could be anywhere out there. “Has anyone notified the police?”
Everyone looked at him like he’d said a bad word.
Mikuni shook his head. “We take care of our own, Luke. Do you think they would lift a finger to help find a yakuza offspring?”
This was Japan. What did he know? “No, but we have to do something. Just the thought of some other guy having him is driving me insane.”
“Spoken like a true mate, but you have to keep your wits about you, Luke. We’ll find Tomahiko, but we’re going to do it our way.”
Luke felt helpless and useless. He didn’t know the town or what to do. He had no choice but to put his trust in Edward Green. “What do you want me to do?”
“Just hold tight while I put out some feelers,” Edward said. Edward took out his cell phone and began making calls. He and several of Mikuni’s top lieutenants and trackers checked airlines, railways, and boats to see if Rikuro had taken Tomahiko out of the country.
“Our people have taken over his mansion. It’s been deserted, but we have several of his guards,” Edward said. “They’re being questioned as we speak.” Hours later, one of Rikuro’s guards finally squealed. “Rikuro has taken your songbird to a fortress in the mountains.”
“Then let’s go,” Luke said.
“Don’t be stupid, Luke,” Edward said. “Have you ever been in the mountains before?”
“No, but if you can do it, I can, too.”
“You must really love Tomahiko,” Edward said.
“I do. I miss having him near me,” Luke admitted. “Just tell me what I can do to help to get him back.” It didn’t take long for Luke to understand that he was way out of his league. Edward brought out maps of the mountains and put them on display for all to see. And plans were made on how to navigate the dangerous terrain. Time continued to go by. Mikuni had Luke taken to Tomahiko’s room where he was told to rest. Everything in the room reminded Luke of Tommy. It was a room fit for a prince. He lay down on the antique white bed with the mosquito netting. Pictures of Tomahiko as a baby and small child were on the walls. Their baby was going to have dark hair, too. Luke remembered how visually shaken Tomahiko had appeared when Rikuro’s name was mentioned. Luke didn’t know what the man had done to Tomahiko back then, but he knew he had to get to him before something happened again.
* * * *
“Come forward and let me see you,” Rikuro Chang said to Tomahiko.
Tomahiko walked farther into the room with the marble floors and counters, and the dinette set for two.
“Much better. Now don’t you feel better now that I’ve had your hair cut?”
It did feel lighter, but the decision wasn’t Rikuro’s. Tomahiko shook his hair. The man had given him Moe bangs and a bowl haircut.
“Now I can see that exquisite face. You don’t look a day older than you did eleven years ago.”
The man had had his people bathe him and put silk pajamas on him after cutting his hair. Tomahiko bowed and sat down across from Rikuro. The man was still deviously handsome. Mother Nature had been kind to the yakuza boss. “You look well, too.”
Rikuro chuckled “Eat. The cook has gone to a lot of trouble to make your favorite ramen.”
Was there nothing the man didn’t know about him? That meant he had somehow gotten his grandmother’s recipe. If he had harmed one hair on her head, he would personally kill him. “What have you done to my grandparents?”
“Nothing,” Rikuro said. “I am not in the business of harming senior citizens. I just had a nice long talk with them and your grandmother willingly gave up the recipe.”
That meant he had either followed Luke and him yesterday, or he had found out about his grandparents another way.
“They’re going to be my grandparents too as soon as we marry,” Rikuro said.
Tomahiko had heard it all before. Rikuro wanted to make Tomahiko a part of his family, too. What did he plan to do with Koji? Maybe he thought he could have both of them. The food smelled good. He hadn’t eaten anything in twenty-four hours. Tomahiko picked up his chopsticks and blessed his food. He had to keep up his strength if he was going to survive. He sampled the ramen. It was delicious. “Why did you do this?”
“Don’t pretend that you don’t know how I feel about you,” Rikuro said. “We would have been so happy together if your uncle and Edward Green hadn’t interfered the last time.”
“But I’m no longer a cute kid. I’m a grown man.” The man had taken his virginity and stolen his innocence. Tomahiko could never love someone like him or forgive him.
“You are still mine,” Rikuro said. “I have been in love with you since the first time I laid eyes on you. Time has just improved the original package. You are as beautiful now as you’d been then.”
Tomahiko ate more of his food. “I have been with other men.”
Rikuro stopped eating. “Yes, I was aware of Edward Green’s interest in you. I will never forgive him for touching another man’s property. I also know of your little dalliance with that public official.”
He did not mention Luke. Good.
“I cannot erase what they have done to you. I can only say no one will ever touch you again, except me. You are mine. The sooner you accept this, the easier it will be.”
He sounded just as bad as his uncle. He was a grown damn man and didn’t belong to anyone but himself. Tomahiko decided to play along until he gained his freedom. “What about my career? I’m supposed to be on tour.”
“Why do you nee
d to work?” Rikuro asked. “You don’t need the money. Your father left you a very wealthy young man.”
“I like performing,” Tomahiko said. “It keeps me focused.”
“I already know about your illness. I have taken the liberty of having your prescription filled. There is also a place here where you can dance until you tire yourself out. I’m prepared to let you use my body to help out, too.”
Tomahiko looked up after the last sentence. “You mean sex.”
Rikuro laughed. “Yes, I assure you that I am just as good if not better at pleasing a man now as I was eleven years ago. I am sure you won’t have any complaints in that department.”
Tomahiko shook away the awful memory. “You hurt me.”
Rikuro apologized. “A mistake on my part. I was young and horny. I understand now that not everyone shares my particular interests in BDSM.”
It angered Tomahiko that the other man didn’t really see the evil in his ways. He should be in jail for what he’d done to Tomahiko, all in the name of love. The man didn’t know the meaning of the word. “If you love me so much, why did you go to so much trouble kidnapping me? Why didn’t you just court me like a normal suitor?”
Rikuro laughed. “Do you think your uncle would have allowed me to date you?”
“He might have,” Tomahiko lied.
“Don’t play me, Tommy. Your uncle would never agree to let you date the enemy.”
“Things are changing,” Tomahiko said. “The world of the yakuza is coming to an end. The two of you will have to learn to live in polite society sooner or later.”
Rikuro laughed again. “You mean legitimize?”
Tomahiko nodded. “Both of you are rich, intelligent men. You can establish any kind of business you want. You don’t have to dominate or kill to show power.”
“What sort of business do you see me in, Tommy?”
“Telecommunications.”
“Technology?”
Tomahiko nodded again. “Electronics are the things of the future. You can get in it now and make a very comfortable living.”
“Is that what your uncle is going to do?”