Addicted to Lust
Page 18
“Lucky the girl I snagged doesn’t care about my face or my hair,” Kohta said.
Aki glanced up to Kohta for the first time today. Aki’s jaw dropped. “You finally did it.”
Kohta’s long blond locks had been chopped short and dyed a vibrant persimmon red. Aki hugged the man he was so happy. Kohta’s gun, secured in its shoulder holster, pressed against Aki, but he didn’t care.
“I promised I would.” The dumb smile Kohta wore spread across his face. “It took some time to match my day off with this awesome hairstylist I found in Osaka.”
“It looks good.”
Kohta could’ve dyed his hair like a drunken badger and Aki wouldn’t have cared as long as the long blond locks were gone. The old style resembled their boss’s dead lover, and there was no way Aki could steal their boss’s heart with an idealized ghost walking around.
Aki poured hot water into the teapot. “You could’ve gotten a Kyoto stylist and had it done the week we got back from Hokkaido instead of making me wait almost a month.”
“I had to get the best.” Kohta shoved his phone in Aki’s face. “See how many flowers she has on Pictoria?”
Aki pushed the phone away. “Don’t you have a security check to run instead of distracting me while I prepare Father Murata’s tea?”
“I could hook you up with an appointment. You look like you need one.”
Aki pushed his bangs off to the side as the longer strands tickled his neck. Nao had never mentioned anything about needing a haircut, and with a war raging between his family and the Korean Blood Magnolias, it was a trivial matter.
Kohta still hadn’t left and still thought he’d be better use yammering. “I’m sure one of the brothers can answer a phone, but getting Nao to give you the day off will be a bit harder.”
“You know how rude and disrespectful you sound? And don’t call Father Murata by his first name. You do it every time and now even in front of the new recruits.”
Aki might’ve called Father Murata “Nao” in his thoughts, but he’d never dare let it pass his lips.
Kohta shrugged. “No one should work twenty-four seven.”
“Father Murata needs me.”
“Like I said, the condoms would be a bigger hint you want the boss to fuck you than those strawberries for White Day.”
“It’s White Day?” Aki faked surprise. There was no way he’d forget the day when men presented gifts to the ones they loved.
“My girl dropped hints about it all week, but Nao wouldn’t let me off two days in a row. These look good. Where did you get them?” Kohta reached out to grab one of the white-chocolate strawberries.
Aki slapped Kohta’s hand away. “I found them on the way home from the gym this morning. Thought they’d pair well with the tea.”
“If it was anyone but Nao, then I might believe you. Maybe it’s time you find someone else to have a pretend romantic relationship with.” Kohta’s tone sounded overly sweet, and maybe to anyone else it would’ve sounded sincere.
He walked off, and Aki stared down at the strawberries, reminding himself they would finally bring him happiness.
The attacks from the Blood Magnolias weighed Nao down and distracted him from deepening their relationship. He had all of Kyoto to keep safe in the Matsukawa’s control.
The White Day chocolates would give Aki the extra push to confess his undying love to Nao. They had kissed. Sure, Nao had apologized after, but Aki had felt all the longing and passion down to his marrow. Today it would change. Nao would see the time was right to act on both of their desires.
Nobu meowed, drawing Aki’s attention away from his fantasy to the hairless black cat. A recruit squeezed past them, and the commotion of the Matsukawa headquarters grew.
A half dozen purple-jumpsuit-wearing new recruits crammed into the kitchen. Some cleaned after breakfast, and others prepared a meal for the later risers, one recruit utterly failing.
“Pay attention, Minato,” Aki scolded the recruit filling Nobu’s food dish.
“I was following the instructions.”
Aki grabbed the bag and turned it to the handwritten instructions Aki had taped to the side. “I wrote the instructions on the package, since the package suggestions are way off. Don’t think you’re above following orders. And even if they’re written, Father Murata doesn’t want Nobu getting fat. Taking care of her is a step-up in responsibility. If you’re unable to grasp this, we can demote you.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hisona. It won’t happen again.”
“Good. Now make sure her box is clean.”
The recruit bowed, then scurried off.
None of the new recruits were getting properly trained with so many of the Matsukawa resources going to the war. Aki’s shoulders slumped under the weight of the lack of training it would no doubt bring.
Aki opened the cabinet and shuffled through the tea tins, then grabbed the cream oolong. It was Nao’s favorite and mellowed him out. He had a meeting with Jun, the Matsukawa’s street leader, and for the past month the meetings had grown more violent. Last time Nao had thrown teacups at Jun’s head until he promised to do better.
Aki opened the jar, and the tea’s buttery aroma filled the air. Even though he enjoyed green tea more, he’d grown to appreciate oolong. He spooned the rolled leaves into the teapot’s wire basket.
The front door opened, and with the loud greeting from the house recruits, it had to be someone important. Aki’s eyes narrowed. Nao didn’t have the meeting for another twenty minutes, and no one deserving of such a greeting was supposed to be there.
The stairs creaked. Aki ducked out of the kitchen to find Jun and his entourage. He was in his late thirties but looked like a high schooler wearing an overpriced foreign suit.
“You’re early,” Aki called out.
Jun curled his fingers around the railing. “I have a meeting with Father Murata, remember?”
Of course Aki remembered. He was Nao’s damn secretary. He was the one who’d suggested Kurosawa tag along at the next meeting to prevent Nao from bashing Jun’s skull in with a teapot when he delivered more bad news.
“Kurosawa isn’t here yet,” Aki said.
Jun shrugged.
“And Father Murata enjoys a few minutes of tea and quiet meditation before the day begins.”
“That’s right, you still haven’t gotten rid of his morning wood,” Jun said loud enough for Aki to hear.
Aki ignored him while Jun’s group chuckled. Only Kohta knew the truth about Aki’s total nonrelationship with their godfather, and even then, he joked about it with the same vigor as everyone else who whispered it behind his back.
“You will have to wait.” Aki stood firm.
“Twenty minutes, then?” Jun strolled down the stairs.
Aki groaned, grabbed the tea tray, and headed upstairs.
The Kobayashi brothers guarded Nao’s office. The identical twins had been brought on as extra bodyguards a few weeks back.
Aki stood before them while Nobu meowed at the door.
“Put the tray down so we can search you,” Subaru said.
“Let him in,” Nao’s voice came through the door.
Aki always enjoyed the extra bit of privilege Nao hadn’t even given the top-ranking Matsukawa.
Subaru opened the door and closed it behind Aki.
Nothing could be more perfect than Nao Murata. The power behind Nao’s intense stare made Aki want to beg him to pin him against the nearest wall and show him the full magnitude of his strength. Each time Aki laid his eyes on him, Aki remembered why he strived so hard to be needed. Nao’s black hair kissed the nape of his neck. If only Aki could be that hair and kiss that neck.
Aki swallowed back his desire and followed proper protocol. He bowed to Nao before setting the tea tray on the desk. Nobu completely ignored any decorum, jumped up on the desk, and batted one of the pens onto the floor.
If Nao ever smiled at him the way he did the cat, Aki’s heart would struggle to keep pace. Ins
tead Aki received Nao’s typical restrained smile, his bright-brown eyes lacking the same joyful luster.
“Did you sleep well?” Nao asked.
“Very well. Thank you for asking.” Aki thickened his Kyoto accent, getting a little side smirk from Nao. “And yourself?”
“Fine.”
Nao never mentioned how Aki woke him up from his nightmares on an almost nightly basis. How often had Aki fantasied about slipping off Nao’s yukata and—
“What tea have you chosen today?” Nao asked.
Aki removed the wire basket of leaves and showed them.
Nao examined the leaves. “The cream oolong.”
“How perceptive you are, Father Murata.”
“With that buttery scent, it’s impossible to think of anything else. Look at how those leaves expand. It’s a perfect oolong.”
Nobu hopped into Nao’s lap, demanding his attention as Aki poured the tea.
“I’m sure Aki would enjoy you sitting on his lap every once in a while.” Nao scratched her cheek.
“She likes you more.”
“But she’s both of ours.”
The words filled Aki with longing. Since they’d gotten back from Hokkaido, their morning talks had had a few flirtatious words here and there and the insinuation that he and Aki had become Nobu’s shared cat parents. What good were cat parents if they weren’t dating? Nobu would want her parents dating.
Aki pushed the cup of tea forward. Their fingers brushed together, but the touch was gone too quickly for Aki to cherish their connection.
Nao took a long sip of tea, and Aki could imagine himself being pressed against Nao’s lips like the cup. Nao would see him. Really see him.
“Made wonderfully as always,” Nao said.
“I don’t deserve such praise.”
“Nonsense. You deserve that and much more.”
Aki’s cheeks grew hot. “We’re running low on that particular tea. I’ll order more after the meeting has finished.”
Condensation collected on the tempered white-chocolate strawberry. A droplet of water slid down the chocolate and ran down the bright-green matcha stuck on the lower half.
Nao leaned forward. “These strawberries look interesting.”
“Oh yes, I found them in a window display at one of the historic shops on the way back from the gym.”
In reality Aki’d had them specially ordered, and since the shop had a relationship with the Matsukawa, they’d agreed to open early for him. He’d feared keeping them in the fridge overnight would result in Kohta being an idiot and eating them.
“They look delicious,” Nao said.
“I hope they bring you pleasure.”
Nao picked a strawberry and bit down. The chocolate snapped in his mouth. His lips pressed together, and he let out a small moan. Nothing made Aki happier than hearing that moan. He could close his eyes and think of all the other things he could do to make Nao cry out in the same pleasure.
“These are delicious,” Nao said. “Have you tried one?”
Aki took one from the stack. Nao took another bite.
“It’s nice to have a sweet treat with all this commotion going on with the Blood Magnolias. We kill them, and they pop up someplace else.” Nao slammed his fist down on the table. “They’re Korean cockroaches.”
Aki hadn’t heard the insults before in or out of the yakuza. He was a quarter Korean, but like most of the mixed-raced yakuza, any unfavorable heritages weren’t a topic of conversations.
“Jun had better come with some good news for once, or else Kurosawa won’t be able to protect him.”
Aki nodded along. In the past, their morning conversations had never been about work, but work consumed more and more of Nao’s days.
Nao’s left eye twitched. His jaw slackened like he wanted to speak, but only a gurgled groan escaped.
Aki blinked. “Father Murata, are you all right?”
The teacup slipped from Nao’s hand and banged against the table.
“Nao?”
His body slumped out of the chair. Then he landed on the floor. A thud reverberated across the room. He hadn’t even bothered bracing himself.
Heat rushed through Aki’s body, his pulse pounded in his ears, and his scream cracked with panic. His heart didn’t stand a chance.
It couldn’t be the end. Nao had only begun to give their love a chance. What would even be the point of breathing if Nao wasn’t by his side?
Aki leapt out his chair and propped Nao’s head up on his lap.
Nao’s eyes rolled back in his head. Even the shallow rise and fall of his chest stopped.
“No,” tore from Aki’s throat.
The door opened.
Talking, shouts came from the men, but blood pumped so hard through Aki’s veins their words were distant echoes.
All Aki’s senses locked on trying to hear Nao’s breath. Until Aki couldn’t hear it anymore.
“Traitor!” someone shouted, and then it was picked up by the others.
They yanked Aki, shouting in his face, but their words couldn’t be heard over Aki’s single thought.
Nao’s dead.
Continue reading here: https://books2read.com/yakuza5
Also by Amy Tasukada
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Addicted to Lust (Coming Soon)
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The Yakuza Path: One Thousand Cranes
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Year One
Happy Merry Christmas
Year Two
Would it Be Okay to Love You? Box Set Books 1-3
Year Three
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The Yakuza Path Series Box Set 1-4