by Sara Fields
We walked by a great many closed doors and I imagined that each one was a bedroom with a girl locked inside it.
“What about the women?” I asked.
“They’ll be taken care of. I’ve got a number of things in motion,” he answered evasively. I opened my mouth to question him further, but when he put a single finger over his lips to signal my silence, I stopped. His hand squeezed mine in order to offer comfort. It reassured me and I knew that he was asking me to trust him. At that moment, I did.
The more we walked together, the more we stumbled upon men dead or dying. Several Japanese men in suits nodded in Dominic’s direction in respect, allowing us to pass without interruption. There were still momentary pops of gunfire from beneath us or off further into the building, but it had seemingly slowed from what I’d been hearing before.
“Did you start a gang war in order to come rescue me?” I asked quietly.
“Perhaps,” he answered, turning back with a wink.
He led me into an elevator next, which quickly took us to the ground floor. The front lobby was even more luxuriously decorated than the rest of the brothel, with bronze statues and jade vases full of flowers. It was elegantly simple in design and I found myself marveling at all the lavish features. A number of men came up behind Dominic, surrounding him and me for protection. The opaque front entryway doors slid open, and a man and woman walked inside.
It was Shinobu and Kai Tsukasa.
Dominic halted and brought me close to his side.
“You took something of mine,” he growled and Shinobu lifted his head and cocked it condescendingly to the side.
“All in the name of profit,” the kingpin answered.
“You’re going to pay for this,” Dominic snarled furiously. I squeezed his hand with mine and I visibly saw him pull himself back. He stood taller and took a deep breath.
“Why don’t we take this into my office and discuss this like real businessmen?” Shinobu offered. I gritted my teeth and Dominic stiffened by my side.
“Businessmen and businesswomen,” he corrected, and I smiled a little at his words.
“Follow me,” Shinobu offered, lifting his arm toward another hallway. He walked off with Kai close at his heels and the two of us followed. I watched as Dominic took the silencer off his gun and tucked the weapon into the back of his pants. I had no doubt that it was still loaded, and he would be ready to use it should anything go wrong in this meeting between the four of us.
The walk was thankfully short. Waiting outside an opulent carved wooden door was a single man in a suit. First, he patted down Shinobu and took a gun from him. He searched Kai next, finding nothing. The man searched Dominic after that, taking the weapon he had too. He lifted Dominic’s shirt, supposedly looking for a wire or any other weapons that might be concealed beneath. Dominic glared at him when he quickly patted me down too. The search was thankfully quick because there was nothing for him to find. When the man was finished, he walked away, his job complete.
After the search, we all filed into a small meeting room together. There was a heavy rectangular wooden table with a marble top and two plush chairs on either side of it. There was an extra chair at the end of the table. Dominic and I sat down on one side while Shinobu and Kai sat down on the other. I realized that I was sitting amongst the three most powerful people in the world. A single word from any of them could end in my death.
Or theirs.
Shinobu checked his cell phone and turned to Kai.
“Kiyoshi is waiting in the front lobby. Please bring him here,” Shinobu said to her and he turned toward us. “I don’t conduct major business without the opinion of my partner, Kiyoshi Takayama. He’s my second in command.”
Kai left the room and it was just the three of us.
“Understandable,” Dominic answered. His expression was calm, but there was a spark in his eyes that told me that he was up to something.
After a few more minutes, the door opened, and Kai walked inside with an older man on her tail. I noticed that the guard hadn’t come back to search him either. Kiyoshi shook Shinobu’s hand first in greeting before turning toward Dominic and bowing his head slightly. After that, everyone took their seats. Kiyoshi sat at the head of the table while Dominic and I took our places across from Shinobu. He waved his wife away and Kai closed the door, waiting outside for us to finish. The kingpin looked at me like he expected me to leave too, but I made no movements to. I had no intentions of leaving this room without getting the information I wanted. I held my ground. Eventually he got the hint and turned back toward Dominic.
“I don’t take movements against me very kindly, Shinobu,” Dominic began. His tone was low and laced with a very deep sense of anger that terrified even me.
“I have no quarrel with you, Mr. Porter. My issue is with the Mikaelses and their failure to help my family when they were asked,” he answered.
I gritted my teeth.
“I offered my own assistance and the power of my father’s and my company in exchange. I run the corporation in my father’s absence. It will be mine one day and you’d do well to remember that,” I said in return.
Dominic didn’t quiet me. Instead, he just let me speak.
“Why did you ignore my offer and kidnap me instead?” I pressed. Shinobu turned his hard, ruthless gaze on me and I lifted my chin in defiance. He wasn’t going to intimidate me. I wouldn’t allow him to.
“Your value as a commodity was far greater than your role in your father’s company. I have a great many businesses I could turn to in order to hide a great deal of the money I bring into the family. You, though, are something entirely different. Young. Pretty. Used to being in charge. That brings great value to the establishments I run,” he answered.
“Regardless, your taking of Brooke Mikaels is a direct slight against me, Shinobu,” Dominic said. “I don’t care if she could have made you money. You will answer for that.”
“What can I do to make it up to you?” Shinobu asked.
“Where is Seth Mikaels?” Dominic answered quickly.
“That’s quite a high price to ask for, considering he insulted me and my family by refusing to grant me an avenue in order to make a portion of my cash flow legitimate. What else can you offer in exchange?” the kingpin pressed.
“The dissolution of my anger. I am a very powerful man with very powerful friends that could make your way of life and your own position crumble right out from under your feet,” Dominic threatened. I shivered at the furious undertones of his speech. I didn’t doubt him, not even for a second.
Shinobu didn’t answer. He was clearly unaffected by Dominic’s words. He hardly even blinked at the warning and instead sat back and crossed his arms over his chest with a certain amount of arrogance in his movements.
“You have a money laundering problem. I could solve that for you in less than an hour,” Dominic offered and Shinobu lifted his bushy eyebrows in consideration.
“Now that is quite an offer, Mr. Porter. I’m tempted to accept,” he answered.
“It comes with a price though. From this day forward, Mr. Tsukasa, you will no longer conduct business with the Mikaelses. You will come to me instead,” Dominic continued.
“Or what? You’ll bring the Kobe family to war against me instead? Like you did today?” Shinobu countered.
“I consider the Kobe family to be a close friend. Unlike you right now, Shinobu,” he replied in a harsh warning.
Kiyoshi, Shinobu’s partner, was watching the entire exchange in silence. As the tension grew thicker, he sat forward and placed his elbows on the table, leaning toward the rest of us.
“Gentlemen. Let’s keep things civil now. There’s no need for a declaration of war here. Not only would that be dangerous for the family, but it could affect many of the Japanese people in the crossfire,” he scolded gently and Shinobu sat back.
“You’re right, Kiyoshi. Let’s handle this like men, Mr. Porter,” he said.
“I think that wo
uld be for the best,” Dominic answered.
For several seconds, silence permeated the air around us. I knew it was my time to take charge.
“Where have you taken my father? Mr. Porter has agreed to your terms, so as a sign of good faith, you will reveal his location,” I said boldly. Shinobu turned toward me and I could see the annoyance in his eyes at my brazen words.
“You will answer her. She is an extension of me and any slight against her is a direct insult aimed at me,” Dominic added firmly.
“I don’t conduct business with women,” he retorted.
“You do today,” Dominic replied with conviction.
Shinobu tensed and gritted his teeth. He clearly wasn’t used to being told what to do.
“You agree to make the resources I need available, Mr. Porter?” he asked. He needed confirmation.
“I will. You have my word, Mr. Tsukasa,” Dominic assured him.
Shinobu sighed and his shoulders visibly fell.
“Your father is being kept in the basement of a bar downtown that I am involved with. It’s called Gaslight and the owner is a close friend of the Yamaguchi,” he finally answered.
“Thank you,” I replied, ensuring to show my gratitude.
“Before we talk about the specifics of our arrangement, I want to clarify a few things first,” Dominic began. “I have a great many friends in many places, including some that may surprise you. Isn’t that right, Kiyoshi?” He paused and stared straight at Shinobu’s right-hand man, who leaned back and smiled dangerously in the kingpin’s direction.
Kiyoshi cleared his throat and adjusted his collar, before pulling a wire out onto the table. Someone had been listening to this entire conversation.
“That is correct, Mr. Porter,” Kiyoshi answered.
Shinobu stilled and turned toward Kiyoshi. His eyes narrowed first in disbelief, causing the wrinkles in his forehead to deepen before his entire face turned red with anger.
He’d been outmatched and he knew it now. The person he trusted most in the world was no longer his ally, but Dominic’s.
“You would betray me? What about honor? What about duty to the family?” the kingpin shouted as his face turned even more scarlet with fury.
“Mr. Porter offered something far more valuable to me than your alliance, Shinobu,” Kiyoshi answered.
“What could be more precious than my friendship?” Shinobu snarled.
“My freedom and your position,” he answered and Shinobu howled with fury.
“You see, I’m in prison because of you and through Mr. Porter, I walked free this morning. My sentence has been dropped and I’ve been offered immunity in exchange for my testimony. There’s a great many charges about to be brought against you,” Kiyoshi explained.
“What are you talking about?” he whispered dangerously. Dominic chuckled.
“There’s a laundry list of various charges. There’s enough to keep you in prison for a very long time. Not only that, but you’ve been deemed too dangerous to be held in any of Japan’s prisons, so you will be transferred to a jail in Colorado called the ADX Florence. It’s one of the most secure prisons in the world. You’ll be lucky to even see the light of day, or so I hear. You most certainly won’t be able to contact anyone here because there are no phone calls, especially not international ones. Not only that, but each prison cell has no direct access and is cut off from all the others, meaning you can’t make any friends. You have one with your name on it waiting especially for you. I’ve made sure of it,” Dominic explained.
“You can’t do this,” Shinobu countered. “What do you want? Money? Power?”
“I have plenty of both, Mr. Tsukasa,” Dominic replied. He took the wire that Kiyoshi had been wearing and crushed it in his palm, effectively cutting off communication with anyone who was listening on the other end. “I don’t need yours.”
“There has to be something you want,” Shinobu exclaimed. His brows drew together, and his forehead wrinkled with heavy lines of worry. He was scared now.
“This is how it will be. In your absence, Kiyoshi will take over your place as kingpin to the Yamaguchi family. He and I have formed an alliance and will see to the continued growth of the Yakuza and ensure the protection of the Japanese people. That being said, your presence is no longer required,” Dominic continued.
The sound of heavy boots slapping against the tile floor of the lobby echoed outside the door. Kai shrieked and the door to the conference room flew open. Japanese military and police in heavy combat gear stormed in and surrounded Shinobu in a matter of seconds.
“Meet some of my friends, Mr. Tsukasa. You’re about to get very well acquainted with each and every one of them,” Dominic replied.
“You can’t do this,” Kai screeched. The police had taken her into custody as well and I wasn’t sorry to see that in the slightest.
“I can and I will,” Dominic replied. He turned away from Shinobu and offered his hand to Kiyoshi instead, effectively cutting off communication with the former kingpin. “It will be a pleasure working with you, Mr. Takayama.”
“As it will be with you, Mr. Porter,” Kiyoshi replied as he strongly shook Dominic’s hand. He grinned and ignored his partner as the police dragged him out the door. Shinobu didn’t leave quietly, but no one listened to a single word he said. No one cared because he wasn’t the boss anymore.
Dominic was.
He’d taken Shinobu from his place of power with terrifying ease. Shinobu had once considered himself king here in Japan, but he’d pissed off a much more powerful man and now he had to pay the price. In a single day, Dominic had taken him from his place as kingpin and destroyed everything he held dear. Not only that, he’d also taken his longtime and closest ally in Kiyoshi and turned him against Shinobu.
I stared at Dominic as all this came to light. I realized just how far his power reached at that moment and it was terrifying and comforting at the same time.
He’d positioned Kiyoshi as kingpin, but even I knew that he was only a placeholder. Dominic was the true leader of the Yamaguchi family now.
He owned so many people, from the Japanese military and the police, to kingpins of multiple powerful Yakuza families, to even those in the government or in business. It was like he practically owned the country of Japan itself.
Staring at him now, there was no doubt in my mind that he had more control and influence than anyone else in the world.
He was the real boss. I knew that now.
He offered me his hand and I took it, allowing my eyes to lift to take in his intense gray ones. His fingers pulled me in and his placed a gentle kiss on top of my forehead.
His possessive movements reminded me of one other thing.
He not only owned the rest of the world. He also owned me.
Chapter Twelve
Brooke
For the rest of the day, Dominic and I oversaw the shutdown of Shinobu’s brothel. All the women were offered their freedom and Dominic ensured Kiyoshi that there would be revenue streams elsewhere that didn’t require the trafficking of women. He also told the new kingpin that if he found out that the Yamaguchi were taking part in the operating of brothels, he would be very disappointed. When Kiyoshi asked what might replace that influx of money, Dominic assured him that he would place a number of the Yakuza into Vegas casinos, as well as the new ones being planned right here in Japan.
Kiyoshi was so extremely satisfied with his new position and at having Dominic as an ally that he didn’t argue a single point. He seemed to me to be a less intimidating man than Shinobu and I took a liking to him right away.
“Thank you, Mr. Porter. You are welcome here in Tokyo all you like and there will be a penthouse suite waiting in a hotel nearby for whenever you need. I will have it prepared for you tonight, if you would like,” Kiyoshi offered.
“I would like that. I’d also like a list of items to be waiting in the suite for when I arrive. I will text it to you shortly,” Dominic replied. Kiyoshi nodded in understanding
.
“We should go get my father,” I interrupted, and Dominic shook his head.
“The police were on their way to rescue him the moment Shinobu said the words. Kiyoshi’s wire was transmitting straight to them. Word will take a little while to spread of the exchange of power, so it’s not safe for the two of us to go ourselves. Kiyoshi has much to take care of once the news of Shinobu’s arrest breaks across Japan,” Dominic explained.
“Indeed, I do. But the Yamaguchi had systems in place should Shinobu be killed or arrested, so I will begin by enacting many of those,” the new kingpin replied.
“For now, I’m going to ensure Brooke has something to eat,” Dominic said.
“Take one of the hostess suites downstairs. It’s all on the house. The chef will prepare whatever you like,” Kiyoshi responded.
“Thank you, Mr. Takayama,” Dominic replied, while bowing his head.
“It is my pleasure, Mr. Porter,” Kiyoshi said. He bowed at the waist, ensuring to bend down far deeper than Dominic had. He very clearly acknowledged Dominic’s authority and was bowing so low as a sign of respect.
Dominic led me out of the conference room and down another floor to the restaurant on the ground floor. There were a number of private rooms with rice paper doors and we were seated in one far in the back. The woman that sat us ignored the spots of blood on our clothes, for which I was grateful. I had a feeling that it wasn’t the first she’d seen of it in this restaurant considering what had been above it.
We didn’t order anything, but a train of food began to pour in. From fried shrimp and vegetables, to dumplings, to fried octopus balls, we were inundated with all the bar foods that were served here at the restaurant. Expensive sake and cocktails were carefully served along with both hot and cold noodle dishes. There was fish and barbeque chicken and even some Japanese curry. Before I knew it, I was too full to eat another bite. I tentatively sat back and sipped at the sake in front of me, feeling a nice buzz tingling just beneath my skin.
“That was delicious,” I murmured, and Dominic grinned.