by Kerri Ann
Dragging a finger past lil’ Whiskey causes deeper pressure within. “What about the baby?”
And that’s when shit shut down in the factory of love. Stepping back from Jamieson, I flick the button on my lil’ J to halt its procession before grabbing Jamieson’s discarded clothing.
“Carli?”
Tsking him with a waved finger, a talk to the hand move, and a tilted gaze, I am most definitely disappointed now. Traipsing to the patio door where it’s wide open, I smile evilly. “Happiness is about to be found in your hand again, Mr. Crown.” I toss his clothes into the breeze. “Fetch.”
“Carli. Why’d you—”
“Nope. Nope. No.”
“But what’d—”
“Nope. Not happening, Jamieson.”
Striding to the hallway door, holding it open and standing behind it, I wait for Jamieson to get the hint.
“You want me to leave here naked?”
“Yep.”
“You sure? Because you know my keycard went with my pants, so at some point, I have to ask staff to open my door for me as they check out my junk.”
“Yep. I’m good with that.”
Jamieson straightens his spine. With a wink, he walks right past me, proud and perfect. “I’ll see you in the morning, Katana. And we’ll have that talk.”
As I’m closing the door, I laugh at the circumstances. “Goodbye, Felicia.”
With a resounding click, and the echo of his feet walking slowly down the hall, the best part of tonight is the sound of a screaming maid.
My day is fulfilled. Chaos has done its job once more.
Carli
This morning, after a long, yet rewarding shower, I called Circe’s room. She’d asked me why Jamieson was naked and scaring the staff, and why she had to be scarred for life after seeing his minion, and why we were fighting in the first place. That last one should have been obvious. Male Crown.
I knew she had a good night. Actually, the animals surrounding us in the forest knew she had a good night. She’d mentioned holding out on Wyatt, but as always, Crowns’ have their persuasive tactics that can make you do just about anything. And Wyatt, from the kink she’s explained, could bend her like a pretzel and she’d ask how much further he wanted it. His funk is beyond fucked. She’s trying the persuasive tactics on me, but I told her I wasn’t feeling well, and that I wouldn’t be down for breakfast. It’s not totally a lie, but also not a truth either. I’m lying in bed, trying to erase all the fond memories of Jamieson’s wandering hands, alternating between shower, sticky self sex, and back to shower again.
Jamieson showing up, reminding me that I’m about to be a parent and he’s the other half to the reason why sucks. Yeah, my life has been gradually stepping into the darker, seedier parts of the Yakuza underworld, but I’m getting a grip on it and dealing in my own way. Dealing with him and his sexiness will not be as easy.
I shouldn’t have freaked out and told Circe. I should have kept my trap shut and dealt with it on my own. I’m good on my own, and I don’t need a man to make me complete. Stupid me. I’ll just have to deal now that he’s here, loving and despising it in equal measure.
So back to why I’m hiding out. If I’m here enjoying my Jai and lil’ Whiskey, then I’m not having to face him and his ‘music.’ I already ordered in what I want for breakfast, and I can sequester myself until I figure out what to do. As I’m rounding another silent orgasm, my doorbell rings.
“Just a second,” I call out, a bit louder and shriller than intended. “And if your name is Jamieson fucking Crown, you can go away.”
“It’s not. It’s Miori.”
Miori? Why the hell would she be looking for me?
“Give me a second.”
Cranking the setting on both toys higher, the crest approaches with a vengeance. Pulling the pillow over my head, squealing into it, my happy ending explodes out of me. As I come down, turning off both toys, then setting them in my en suite, I toss on a silk housecoat and walk to the door.
Clicking the lock and swinging it wide, I find Miori wearing only a housecoat like myself, looking uneasy. “Hey, Mi. What’s up?”
“I’m so sorry, Kaori. Really, I am so, so sorry.” Stepping to the side, I see Kato hiding behind her, the silenced gun he’s holding visible.
“Kaori. I hope we haven’t intruded?”
Questioning what’s going on isn’t necessary. Just figuring out how to survive it will be.
Knowing my smart mouth normally gets me into trouble, maybe this once I’ll dial it down a smidge.
Maybe not.
He’s expecting it anyway.
I address Kato. “I was actually thinking of getting dressed and doing the same thing. Because, you know, holding people at gunpoint as they stand in bathrobes is normal in our line of work. Won’t you come in. Make yourself at home.” Stepping to the side allows Kato, Miori, Hiro, Kano, and a man I don’t know to pass. “Would you care for a cup of kiss my ass, Jiji?”
He looks at me with a flat expression. “Oh, Kaori, your mouth is your downfall.” Motioning for my sisters to take seats on the couch, Kato walks over. “Have a seat, Kaori. We need to change some of your arrangements.”
“I have the feeling you don’t mean with flowers.” Looking at my sisters seeming horribly nervous, I keep up the sarcasm. “You don’t mean with flowers, right?”
Walking toward an empty chair, he taps his gun on the table. “You may not like the arrangements for the flowers, unless you like funerals.”
I bypass that remark. “Kato, I’m frustrated. I’m seriously wondering what’s going on, and I’m a hungry pregnant lady. Tell me what you’d like and let’s get on with our lives.”
Sitting in the chair, neatly crossing his legs, Kato places the gun on his knee, leaving it pointed toward my frightened sisters. “That’s the point. I want the family business. It’s only yours because of my lackluster, imaginative brother.” He grinds his teeth. “No more. I’m taking what is mine.”
I shrug my shoulders and shake my head. “You actually think I want this life? You think I asked to come here? Are you kidding me? I wanted to stay in the states. I wanted the life I’d built as Carli, but no, Uncle. You dragged me back. Why? If you wanted this, why not take it and forget I ever existed?”
His tight smile is completely fake. “My brother’s will and my standing in the clan would have made it dishonorable to take that which was mine by force. But, if you offer it willingly, turning it over to me, I’ll leave you alone. You can go back to your precious American life.” His disdain and disgust is visible as he spews the words.
“Then toss me a pen, a knife, or a fucking gun to get on with it. If I have to sign it over I will, as long as you leave us alone. We’re your nieces. You didn’t need to come at us with a gun pointed. You just had to ask.”
I have the feeling there’s more to it than this. Otherwise, he could have done this while I was in LA, as he shadowed me for weeks.
He smirks. Shit, I knew there was more to it.
Why do I always have to ask the dumb questions?
Raising the gun, he swings it toward me. “Be careful what you ask for, Niece. You may not like the results.”
“True. I don’t like abuse on puppies, children, or picnics without coleslaw, but I’ll repeat, I didn’t ask for this.”
With another ring of the doorbell, I’m hoping to fuck it’s not one of the Crown’s. The staff he’ll ignore, acting like this is just a family meeting, but one of the Crown’s, he’ll use them as hostage and bait against what he intends to inflict.
When no one rises to get the door, I look at the statuesque pair of bodyguards slash muscle. “Are you going to get that, or should I?” I ask.
Looking at my uncle, then each other with vacant stares, I rise off the bed and walk over to the sentry. Looking through the peephole, it’s not staff with my breakfast.
“I’m a little tied up right now. Can we talk later?” I ask through the door.
“Look, I was an ass last night. A total fucking dick, and I need to explain it to you. Just let me in, Katana.”
“I’m sorry. No speaka Spanish.”
“Carli, open the door. I promise I’ll sit on my side of the room…you know, where you tossed my clothes? And you can sit on yours.”
Boy, does he have that wrong right now. “Yeah, right now is not a good time. Come back with your Girl Scout cookies—”
“Don’t be rude,” my uncle says. Turning to look at him, I see mirth, devious planning, and further damage in his gaze. “Open the door, Kaori. Let the man apologize.”
“That’s a hard pass. I’d rather not add to your body count, Jiji.”
Lifting the gun, flicking it toward my sisters, he shoots Kano. Hitting her in the leg, she screams out. Turning to her, Miori moves to help, but my uncle waves the gun. Looking at my little sister in pain, I want to rush to her side, but my uncle stops me. “Don’t move. Neither of you. Kano will be fine. It’s a flesh wound.” He looks back at me with sinister determination. “Now, Kaori I believe your guest shouldn’t be left waiting.”
The sounds of Jamieson pounding on the door, shouting questions is unmistakable. On one hand, I’m glad the doors are thick or he’d have had it open and been shot in the process. On the other, I’m saddened that I’m dealing with this alone and he couldn’t be a hero. I always wanted a hero.
Jamieson
Living in the mountains of Colorado, you recognize the sound of gunshot. Even with a silencer, its unmistakable. A gun was fired in Carli’s room. What the fuck is going on? Carli is trying to shy me away.
Banging on the door with every bit of strength I own, the solid wood doesn’t budge. I want in there so bad, my insides are on fire. I’m livid that I’m helpless to do anything out here. It’s wrong. I need to know what’s going on.
Pounding harder and harder, the door is finally unlocked. Slipping through quickly, I nearly knock Carli down as I barrel through.
“What the fuck is going on, Carli? I heard a gunshot.”
Touching her arms, I check her out. I don’t see that she’s bleeding, and that’s good. Peering into her sitting area, I find there’s quite a party going on. There’s Hiro, one of the bodyguards I met the other day, her two sisters, a guy I haven’t met, and Kato, the guy who’s supposed to be Carli’s right-hand man with a heavy-duty gun in his hand. Kato is controlling this. I have the feeling this is a coup.
On the couch, bleeding, is one of Carli’s sisters, Kano. Knowing now who was screaming and why, it’s awful, but in a tiny way, I feel better it’s not Carli.
“So nice of you to join us, Jamieson.”
Turning to Kato, the prick who has no right to address me as such, I sneer. I’m livid, but also cautious. He has the ability to knock us off before we can blink. “My name is Whiskey to friends. Mr. Crown to those who don’t know me, and only Jamieson to Carli. You, asshole, are no better than a piece of gum on my shoe shooting defenseless women.”
He shrugs off my comment with a wave of the gun. “Very well. Have a seat. Join us for a while as we settle a family squabble.”
“It’s a bit more than a squabble, Uncle. Wouldn’t you say?” Carli snaps back, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
Well there’s a twist. He’s her uncle. I know my family was messy, but they’d never hurt another this way. This is fucked up.
Looking at the girls, and especially Kano, I see the hole in her leg is oozing, but not flowing. No arteries were hit. Good. She won’t die on the couch as we figure out how to stop this.
“So,” tapping the gun on his lap, “Where were we again? Oh. Yes. We’re talking about how you’ll turn over control to me.”
Clearly frustrated and anxious to get to her sister, Carli speaks up. “Fine, it’s all yours. Are you carrying paperwork around that I can sign? Or is a notary ninja on the way here?”
We’re sitting close enough that I can touch her hand. Gripping it, giving it a squeeze, I’m trying to warn her to cool the quips. She doesn’t need to egg him into killing all of us. I may not like it, but Kato has the upper hand.
“Dear niece, it’s not that simple. I’m sure you understand that. There’s only one way out of the family.” Rising from the chair, he walks over, but stands just out of reach. Curling his upper lip, he shows his madness. “No one leaves.”
Without warning, he points the gun at Carli. I react as fast as I can. Pushing her to the side, tossing her off the bed, I hope to save her. With a sickening click, I hear her grunt out in pain as the bullet hits.
Lying motionless on the floor, Carli doesn’t make a sound as Kato turns the gun on me. “Tsk, tsk, Mr. Crown. You just stay right there. You have no business in this family affair.”
Even as he points it at my chest, I glare. “Fire away, you fuck. But make it count. I’d hate for you to miss.” I’ve learned over the years, living in the mountains, the cold can burn as harsh as fire. Wait until he finds out how cold I can be. If he misses, I’ll take his ass down.
“Oh, I intend to.” Spinning toward Miori and Kano, he shoots again, this time, nearly hitting Miori. Thankfully, she reacted and pulled both her and Kano to the floor behind the table at their feet. Hitting the couch instead of her, it gives me a moment when his back is turned. Rising fast, I place an arm around his throat, and grab his gun hand in the other, wrenching his arm around. Still trying to fire, he shoots wildly. Hitting the floor and around the room, we dance for control. I’m larger. I have more weight behind me, and it’s not my first time brawling. This fucker’s going down, even if I have to go with him.
Knowing the balcony doors are wide open, I work us toward that side. Still trying to control the gun, clipping off shot after shot, I finally gain the upper hand. Wrapping my hand around the hilt, gripping the warm semiautomatic pistol, I twist it enough that he releases it.
Pushing him away from me, pointing the gun at him, I take in the scene. Hiro, the big bastard, is on the floor where a stray bullet hit him in the head. The other asshole is hiding behind furniture, but he too didn’t escape unscathed. His wheezy breathing tells me he’s taken one to the chest.
“Miori, Kano, are you two okay?” I ask.
“Yeah.” Still hiding behind the coffee table, their heads pop up. “We’re okay. Kaori?”
Looking over, she’s lying still on the floor, a small pool of red is pooling beside her body. “Check on her please, while I deal with this fucking piece of shit.”
Rising off the floor, Miori runs over.
I keep Kato in my sights. I’m not giving him another chance. “How is she?”
“Breathing, but she’s losing a lot of blood. We need to get her help. Kano, too.”
Pulling herself up, Kano sits on the edge of the chair and winces. “I’m fine. I’m just worried about her.” Pulling out her phone, I assume to call for help, Kano starts speaking in Japanese.
I pull my attention back to the wretched man in front of me. “You tried to kill your own flesh and blood.”
“You’d never understand this life. And your American lifestyle is so soft, it sickens me. Kaori was just the same. Weak and soft, always wanting to make things better for the slaves, the dirty useless trash that work in our shops. She was never going to be a good Obayun. Never,” he shouts, spitting the words like venom.
“Well, you’re right there. I don’t get your tradition and bullshit honor code, but there’s no honor in killing your family.”
Closing her phone, Kano pipes up. “The police are on the way, and one of the choppers are fueling to take her to the hospital in Osaka.”
“Thanks, Kano. How are you?”
“I’ll be fine.”
I turn to her sister. “Miori, has the bleeding stopped?”
“I can’t stop it, but I’m trying to keep pressure on it.”
“You don’t get it—” Kato starts.
“You’re right, I don’t, and I don’t intend to. So you just stay there while we wait for the police.”
>
Smiling darkly, moving forward, I raise the gun as Kato tries to advance on me. “Nope. You stay right there.”
With a sinister smile, he takes another step. “You won’t do anything, Jamieson. Soft, weak, spineless sad sack. You’ll do nothing.”
Clipping off a shot, straight out into the vacant air, it whizzes right by his ear. “Try me,” I say, determined to show him that I have no compunction about him living or dying.
“That was close, but,” he takes another step, “you still won’t do anything. I dare you, Jamieson.”
Man, I really hate this guy. “One more step and I’ll show you how cold I can be, Kato. You shot the woman I love, and both she and my child could be dying right now. Do you think your life is worth more than theirs?”
“I think that you’re too scared to take a life, that you won’t do what’s needed.” Tempting me, taunting me, he moves to step forward once more.
So I shoot.
Jamieson
Watching the act in slow motion, seeing the bullet, seeing the stain on his shirt and the shock on his face when he realized I had more balls than he gave me credit for, that was worth it in the end. Will I have nightmares about it at some point in my life? No. I feel at peace that his life was forfeit when he shot his own family with the intention to kill.
As his body slumped to the floor, I knew it was over. Thankfully, they were now safe. Dropping the gun, I race to Carli’s side, skidding to a stop on the floor. “Carli,” I say, touching her face. She doesn’t move. Feeling for her pulse on her neck, I notice it’s faint. “Miori, go wait for help. I’ve got her.”
“Just keep your hand here,” she says. Placing my hand over the wound, Miori quickly runs off.
Looking at Carli’s pallid color, I talk to her, hoping she hears me. “Hey, Katana. You can’t bug out, lady. Who the fuck is going to give me a hard time? No one. And you can’t train this child to do the same thing if you both die on me. So get your shit together.” Tears threaten the corners of my eyes. I can’t fathom the idea of her gone and taking our best chance at a wonderful future with her.