Page 58 of Who Said Mobsters Were Scary?
I feel like a specimen at a museum, wincing on the inside as the men’s gazes focus on me. On their own, I don’t think anyone could be half as intimidating, but together, it’s a bit much.
“I thought you were joking when you said you’ve hired agaijin,” a man in his fifties with short hickory hair and a scar across his nose says, slamming his big hand on the table.
Chai’s jaw twitches, the action so subtle I’d have missed it unless I knew what to look for. His father, on the other hand, doesn’t seem bothered by the comment.
“He’s completed the mandatory training in a third of the time it usually takes, so Aran assures me of his capabilities,” Daichi states.
What? I had no idea!Obviously, I know I have been doing well, but I didn’t suspect it wasthatwell. Or that Chai’s father was keeping up with my training.
I want to stare and ask Aran a million questions, but I stifle down the urge and keep my mouth shut. Chai’s lips arch up in a barely-there self-satisfied smile that stays only long enough so I see it’s there.
The grumpy old guy scoffs, unimpressed. He looks like he wants to argue but seems to reconsider it when Chai aims a death glare his way.Oh, fuck, he’s defending my honor. That’s so hot.
Fisting his hand, the guy returns his attention to the Akiyama leader. “Still. Are you sure this is a good idea? We’ve never dealt with… foreigners.”
“Do not worry, Goro. Kwanchai and I have an agreement in place. After the trial period of six months, we will see if Leon Caruso is still around.”
Wah. Ominous. Good thing I like a challenge. If he thinks I got lucky in the arena match, he’s in for a surprise…and that’s not counting that me and his son are rubbing dicks together.
Goro doesn’t seem like he’s not worrying anymore, but doesn’t argue further either, opting to alternate between scowling at me and Chai. I get the feeling he’s not a fan of the Akiyama Group’s heir, though I have no idea why. I mean, just look at Chai—he’s handsome, capable, open-minded, sexy as fuck and has a filthy mouth I wanna see worshipping my cock. What’s there not to like? We haven’t exactly had much time to talk lately, but he’s mentioned some of his ideas to me, like expanding the legitimate businesses abroad so the revenue can come from there instead of the grayer areas the Group is involved with.
I’m not naïve though. I know there are certain things that can’t be changed, but he’s assured me on multiple occasions that neither he nor his father have any interest dealing in hard drugs or human trafficking. And that’s rare, considering the profits such ventures yield to so many crime organizations.
After a round of names and posts are called out to me, I am dismissed from the meeting. I return to my training, focusing harder than usual so I don’t think about how much I want to see Chai. We are leaving in two days, so I don’t have to wait that long before things are back to normal. Tomorrow, I have to fight a couple of the guys to prove to Aran I am ready, then in the evening he’s taking me to pick a vehicle. I won’t be using it immediately, obviously, but it will be here for me when Chai and I return from Bangkok.
After I finish for the day, I go into the communal showers. Just seeing Chai was enough to get me thinking about sex, so I rub one out. It’s a quickie, nothing fancy,just to get the edge off. Once I am dressed, I head out to meet up with Naomi and the rest at a club in Sakae.
The old guy with the scar from the meeting is smoking outside near the huge bonsai pots by the entrance. Goro was his name, I think. I dip my chin as I walk by him and greet him in Japanese, my arms covering with goosebumps when he gives me a nasty smirk.
Please, don’t talk to me. Please, don’t talk to me.
“You. Wait.”
His gravelly voice halts me just as I’ve reached the stairs. I take a deep breath and turn around, keeping my face in a mask of bodyguard neutrality.
“Mr. Goro. Can I help you with something?”
His eyes size me up from under bushy brows that only make his thinning hair more obvious. “Maybe.” In fast Japanese that I have no chance of understanding whatsoever, he says something to me, laughing by the end of it.
I clasp my hands behind my back, squeezing them into fists. I hate when people do that. As soon as the trip to Bangkok is over, I plan to take Chai up on his offer for intensive Japanese classes, because I’m tired of always depending on someone translating for me. Besides, the language has so many nuances and things you can pick up just based on the way someone speaks.
Putting a lid on my irritation at Goro for making fun of me, I smile. “I’m sorry. Could you say that again in English, please?”
He says something else in Japanese, extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray top of the metal bin nearby. “Ah, don’t mind me. I was just saying good luck. I think you’ll need it.”
I don’t like this guy. Not one bit, and not just because he’s a giant asshole. What’s his deal, seriously? I can stomachpeople underestimating me because I’m not Japanese or because I don’t speak the language yet, but the Kumicho himself okayed my trial period as Chai’s bodyguard. If he didn’t think I could do a decent job, he wouldn’t have put his son’s safety in my hands, so why the fuck does this lowlife think he can speak to me like that?
Before I have the time to do something stupid like beat the shit out of the asshole, his bodyguards arrive with his car, one of them opening the door. Goro brushes past me, grasping my shoulder with more force than necessary. “You should be careful, Leon Caruso. The Akiyama Group is no place for outsiders.”
Chapter 26
Leo and I arriveat Narita Airport in the early morning, just as the sun breaks the horizon. He pouts the entire way there, staring out of the window and sighing.
“Leo, let it go,” I say as the car stops and we get out.
He collects our suitcases from the trunk, curling his lip in distaste when the handle of his refuses to slide up.
“This piece of shi—”
