“You don’t understand,” Koki replies, but he’s losing some of his stoic demeanour.
“Then make me. Because it seems to me, that there’s one rule for Dad and one rule for the kids, and guess who gets their world fucked up because of it?”
“He didn’t have a choice,” Koki says more forcefully, standing up and fisting his hands at his sides. Staring daggers at me.
I stand too. Face him head on. My fists clenched tightly. A mirror image of his anger and frustration and rage.
“Then tell me!” I yell. “Because Momo doesn’t want this and I’m thinking you don’t want to see your sister get browbeaten every single day until the fire inside her heart eventually dies. Watching her get a little smaller and a little more afraid and a little more vacant. Do you think I haven’t seen women in similar situations? Do you think hers is the only story where her life is not her own and is full of pain? Wake up, Koki! This won’t end at all well. The moment that man gets his hands on her, she’ll pay. And it’s a price far too high for one so precious. It’s a price I am determined she will not pay.”
I pause for breath; I’m breathing rather hard in fact. I don’t usually get this riled. At least, I don’t usually show it when I’m arguing a case.
I lick my lips and then say more reasonably, “Are you? Are you prepared to let her pay?”
Koki stares at me for a second and then snarls, “Fuck you!” and storms out of Drew’s office.
No one moves for several seconds. Then, Kelly quietly says, “There’s something seriously wrong with that dude.”
Both Drew and I let out huffs of breath; not really laughter, but a kind of release of tension.
Koki’s in pain. He’s suffering. And he’s so far down that rabbit hole, that he’s not prepared to help his sister avoid the same fate.
I don’t know Koki’s personal story. All I know is what I’ve seen. He’s easily angered. He’s tough but extremely loyal. Very much so to Nick Anscombe, who has undoubtedly saved his life in some way. And to Brook Osborne.
I cock my head, looking out of the still open doorway. But Koki’s long gone. Running. Something I never thought I’d see him do. Running scared.
For Momo? Or for Him? Him and who else?
Drew clears his throat, bringing me back to the room again.
“Finn,” he says. “If you want to try to run, we’ll help you.”
I stare at my best friend. At someone who has been a part of my life for over two decades. All through Varsity. All through our early careers. Right up until now when we’re finally pulling in the right clients and making the big money. He knows me. He’s been there for me. Much like Dom has. We’re the three musketeers. It’s us and them and to hell with everyone else.
They’re my rocks. My mates. I love them.
“No,” I say, softly. “No, I’m not running.” I look back toward where Koki has just left. Maybe I should reconsider this. But I’m not turning my back on my life because of Tadashi Ishikawa and Tanaka-sama.
I’m not going to make Momoko run, either. This is her city, too. Her life. Her florist shop.
No, we’re not running. We’re fighting. I just don’t know how we’re going to do that yet.
I say my farewells and walk out of ADK, hoping it won’t be the last time I see it. We’ve worked hard to get where we are. There’s a lot of us in this building. In this firm. I love my job. I love helping those who need it. And even if we didn’t find a legal solution to our problems, I’m not giving up. I can’t.
I won’t give up Momoko.
It’s late when I pull the car into my garage. The house is empty and dark, but thankfully undisturbed. I pull a beer out of the fridge and contemplate it. The condensation dripping on the floor as I stare blankly at the label. I thrust it back on its shelf and walk into the lounge, going directly to the drinks cabinet.
This calls for stronger stuff. I crack a bottle of Dimple and pour a good three fingers of liquid gold into a whisky glass. I down half of it in one gulp and then savour the rest while I stare out of the front window into the dark.
A soft knock on the front door disturbs my vigil. I toss down the rest of the glass and walk to the door.
Momoko stands there. Small. Fragile. Determined.
My heart soars.
“How did you get away?” I ask.
“I’m not a prisoner,” she says.
My heart breaks. Because she might not be a prisoner, but that does not mean she won’t go back to the cage.
We stare at each other for a long moment and then I open the door further and invite her in.
I’m a chump. I can’t say no. I might only have this night with this woman, but I take it. Willingly. Who is the prisoner now?
She walks across the threshold and I watch her with hungry eyes. As I close the door, I check the street. It’s empty. But I’m not a fool. Tanaka-sama knows where I live. So does Tadashi. I flick the deadbolt, set the external alarm, and turn to face her.
She’s wearing a very short denim skirt and knee high socks. Mini Mouse is on her t-shirt. She looks young and innocent and utterly free. Until she tosses her car keys in the air and catches them with precision and I notice the flick-knife hanging off the keyring. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s got nunchucks hiding on her person somewhere. I smile despite how bleak I feel.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d want to see me,” she says softly, carefully.
“Every day for the rest of my life,” I reply steadily.
Her smile is small and cracks what’s left of my heart.
“I’m sorry,” she says.
“No apologies,” I argue. “Not tonight. Not in here. Here you’re safe.”
Which is a lie if ever I heard one, because it was from here that Tadashi took her away.
“I don’t want this,” she says, and her voice grows husky with emotion.
I frown, but I’m certain it’s not me she doesn’t want so…
“Then why go through with it?” I can’t help but ask.
“Politics,” she says. “Simple politics, Finn. If I don’t, the Triads win. If I do, the Yakuza scare them away.”
“We can fight the Triads.” I’m sure that’s not the first time I’ve said this.
She shakes her head. “It is not in our nature to lean on others. We fight our own battles or we carry the shame.”
“Momo,” I say. “I’m not just some other guy offering to help you. I’m…” I’m not sure what to say.
Part of me is reluctant to admit how I feel. Rejection is such a reality. But I want her to know. I want her to see I’m good enough for her. That, I guess, I’m good enough to fight for, too.
“They will kill him,” she whispers.
The world stills.
“Who will kill who?” I ask quietly,
“The Triads. They will kill my father. It’s why I’ve been drawing their attention away.”
“You’re protecting him?” I ask.
She nods her head. “They found out who he was six months ago. I have quietly been taking out their minor members ever since.”
“You’ve what?”
“Your words, Finn.” She offers a smirk. It’s adorable, despite the hair-raising topic. “I’ve tracked each one down and either roughed them up or ruined their business prospects.”
“You’ve disrupted their drug deals,” I guess.
“Put a spanner in their works,” she agrees, still smiling slightly. She’s so beautiful. This woman is fearless. Except she fears her father and bringing him shame.
“Does your father know?” I ask.
“No. He would not approve.”
“Of you fighting? Or of you sacrificing yourself for him?”
“Both, I suppose,” she says, moving to the couch and taking a seat. I should have offered sooner. But I’ve been too shocked to move from where I’ve been standing.
I move now and sit beside her, taking her hand and staring into her face. She’s talkative. She wants me to understa
nd. I’m trying, but it’s still such a fucking mess.
“Tell me more,” I encourage. I could listen to her all day.
“The Triads realised what I was doing.” She laughs slightly, it’s definitely self-deprecating. “But not until they’d made some of their partners pay for the disruption of their business.” Oh, I’m not liking the sound of that. “Things got out of hand,” she admits. “I thought if I kept them busy, they wouldn’t go after Papa. It worked. But they started killing off drug dealers who they assumed had stolen their merchandise and broken their chain of command.”
My mouth hangs open as I stare at her.
“You stole their drugs?” I finally find the wherewithal to ask.
“I wasn’t going to leave them there once I knocked out their deliverymen.”
I start laughing, but there’s really nothing amusing about all of this.
“People died, Finn,” Momo says.
“Drug dealers,” I offer.
“People who died because of me.”
She’s right. I sober. “You weren’t to know. And how many can there have been?”
“Eight.”
“Eight?”
“I was keeping them busy.”
“Damn, Momo. You are brilliant.”
She’s not sure whether to smile or not, so I lean forward and offer her a soft sweep of my lips over hers in a barely there kiss.
“Brilliant,” I say against her skin.
“Well, anyway,” she says, smiling shyly. “They figured out it was me and not them. Not the deliverymen.”
“So they tried to abduct you,” I guess.
She nods her head.
“When was the last drug dealer killed?” I ask, putting a few things together.
“Last Thursday.” The night before I met her and just over a week ago.
That’s why CIB were moving on the Triads. Eight dead bodies would get any police force excited.
“So, now they know,” Momo says. “And they’re after my father again. While keeping an eye on me.”
“By trashing your business,” I finish for her.
“My hands are tied, Finn. If I go to the police, the Triads will strike. They haven’t yet, because of Tadashi. His presence alone in Auckland has stalled things. If I don’t do this, we lose Tadashi, we lose what little protection we already have. If I do go ahead with the wedding, then we also get the Yakuza behind us.”
“Why did your father leave Japan?” I ask carefully.
Momo looks uncomfortable, but then shakes her head, as if clearing her mind - or making a decision - and says, “He did not like the direction they were taking and when his objections were noted, they took my mother.” Holy shit. “They had her for seven days before Papa found her. He killed all her guards. Left a message for our Oyabun, the head of our family, and then fled.”
“And here you are,” I say.
“And here we are,” she repeats.
I stare into her soft, dark eyes. I see the heart of this woman. The loyal, fierce, beautiful heart of her. She is so strong. And it tears me apart. Because if she were weaker, I could get her to run away with me. If she wasn’t Tanaka-sama’s daughter, I could get her to leave this all behind. Turn her back and abandon her responsibility.
But I know all about responsibility. I know all about fighting for the greater good. Not backing down. I know about loving someone so much that you’d sacrifice yourself for their freedom.
It’s what Tanaka-sama has done. It’s what Momo will do. I’m thinking Koki is sacrificing something as well.
It breaks my heart.
I reach up and cup her face, knowing this is all we have. This moment.
“How long?” I ask. How long have we got before the axe falls? How long have we got inside our bubble?
“The wedding has been brought forward,” she whispers, tears streaming down her cheeks now. “Sunday,” she says. “We have until Sunday. He’s let me have that long.”
Her father knows she’s here. He’s let her go, knowing she’ll return and do what’s required.
I can barely breathe.
“Sunday,” I say. It’s too soon. “We have time,” I add. Fuck.
And then I kiss her. And she doesn’t say no.
Chapter 16
My Wife Has Mad Hacker Skills
Eric
The heat from the hard-drives makes a bead of sweat trickle down between my shoulder blades.
Or, you know, that could be because Amber is sucking my cock.
I let my head fall back, the fluorescent lights above blinding me, and then I close my eyes and let myself fall into Amber’s magic. She’s on her knees, beneath the main screens, big wide eyes staring up at me, soft, dark curls framing her face.
I don’t leave my head back for long before I have to watch her cherry red lips stretch wide over my straining erection. Her lipstick matches her nail polish, and I watch in a haze of lust and utter ecstasy as her hand pumps up and down my cock, matching the rhythm of her head as her mouth keeps swallowing me.
“Fuck,” I say, staring transfixed at this beautiful woman on her knees before me. “Fuck,” I add, because what else is there to say?
Amber hums. An alarm chimes in the background. And then her free hand slips into the opening at the top of her jeans and she starts to get herself off.
My hands find her hair and I dig my fingers into the long strands, wrapping a few around my wrists, and holding her face still so I can rock my hips, gently fucking her perfect little mouth. It’s hot and so wet and she sucks better than a fucking Dyson. I feel my balls tighten, electric sensations zing down my spine, and then I’m spilling over her tongue and down her throat as I groan out loud, my harsh breaths reverberating around the control room.
Best day at work ever!
The fucking alarm chiming greets me as I come back down from heaven.
“Baby,” I say, “my turn.”
“Someone’s tripwire…” she starts.
“Fuck that, I want to taste my wife.”
She giggles that fucking sexy sound she makes, halfway between a husky laugh and an innocent chuckle.
“Up on the chair,” I order, tucking myself back into place as I stand. “Feet up on the desk,” I add, watching her swing herself onto the seat after slipping off her jeans and underwear. She strips like a pro. I snort softly at that. Of course she does. She’s perfect.
We’re not likely to be disturbed, so I take my time. It’s late Friday night and we’re the only ones here at ASI. The building’s shut up tight and the door to control is controlled only by us. The light from the multiple screens shines over Amber’s lithe body, as her heels find the desk and she spreads herself for me. My cock jerks awake again.
My back to the light show, I slowly lower myself to my knees between my wife’s glorious long legs, offering up a soft kiss to one inner thigh, and then the other. My old knee injury barely bugs me anymore, especially when I know what I’m about to do next. Saliva pools in my mouth as I inhale her scent. She’s turned on.
Of course she’s fucking turned on. I am the man! But I can make her wetter. I can always make Amber wetter.
I run a finger down her centre and watch as her eyes get hooded and she stares at what I’m doing. When I get to her entrance, I push my finger inside and then just as quickly pull it out again and continue my glide through her moist folds. I find her puckered little hole at the rear and rub some of her juices over it, then pull my finger back up, repeating the process.
When I get to her clit, I pinch it.
She gasps, throws back her head, and gives me a whole body shudder.
I slide two fingers down between her legs, thrusting them inside as soon as I reach her entrance, and then pulling them out and travelling on. I make it to three fingers before the alarm distracts her.
“Who is that?” she demands, looking past me to the screens.
Not gonna happen. Whoever the fuck it is can fucking wait. We’re doing a double shift because
of the fucking shit that’s gone down at CIB today, and we’re missing Family Friday because of it. I love Family Friday. I love seeing Amber letting go with Gen and Kelly and all the rest of the women. I love watching my baby-girl, Cadie, playing with Ollie and Harry and Sam and all the other kids.
I love coming home to our house and making love to my wife when she’s happy and tipsy and so fucking relaxed. Trying my damnedest to put another baby in her belly.
Family Friday rocks and having to work through it fucking sucks.
I chuckle to myself as I replace my fingers with my tongue. I slide it down Amber’s crease, dip it inside her hot little pussy, and move off down the path already determined.
“Ric,” she says, sounding breathless.
“Yeah, Dancer,” I murmur against her clit.
“Hurry up,” she orders. “I think someone’s tripped Finn’s perimeter alarm.”
“Fuck,” I mumble, and debate whether to stop or not. But Amber’s hands go to my head and she presses my face to her pussy and I have to trust that she’s watching the situation up there while I’m attending to her needs down here.
We are a team, after all.
I lick and nuzzle and nip and fuck her cunt with my tongue and fingers, growling with the urgency of it, the delicious taste of her in my mouth, the scent of her on the air. She rocks and fists my hair and grinds herself against me and in no time at all she’s coming all over my mouth and chin and nose.
Awesome!
“Oh, fuck,” she says, as I slowly lick and kiss her down from her orgasm. “That was too intense.”
“Good, huh?” I drawl, thinking I am so the fucking man, right now.
“Yeah,” she says, sitting upright and pulling away from my touch. “Someone’s definitely triggered Finn’s external alarm.”
Motherfucker! Is that what made it so fucking intense?
She smirks at me as I come to my feet and I know she’s pulling my leg because she’s a little minx and I let her. She owns me. Heart. Body. And soul.
Sweet Seduction Sayonara Page 14