60 – Alex
The phone rang inside the car and Sota pressed a button on the steering wheel, letting the car pick up Bluetooth, answering
the call.
“Alex, I want you to be very careful about this.”
Yuka’s voice floated to me through the car speakers, and I frowned.
Careful?
Someone had broken into the Dragon, left a warning for me there, then broken into my house and left another, next to my sleeping girlfriend. Anything could have happened to Joey, and I really didn’t want to dwell on the thought
“They will pay for this, Yuka.” I was beyond angry. I was seething and I felt Oliver’s hand come to my shoul
Hig to
bring me down a little. “First, they encroach into our territory, then they threaten me? That, I can handle. But to break into my house and leave a threat against Joey. That shit, I cannot stand for.”
Yuka sighed on the other end of the line. “I will have Minato, and his men meet you at the edge of the Ikeda territory. And I will ring Taro Ikeda and request a meeting between you and him.”
A meeting? This wasn’t going to be solved with a damned meeting. This would be solved with bloodshed.
“No. I will go in and-”
“Alexander Kazumi, you will do no such thing. Sota. Stop the car.” Yuka’s voice boomed through the speakers of the car and Sota pulled the vehicle over. “Now get out and leave me to speak with my pig–headed general.”
Both Sota and Oliver exited the car, closing the doors and I stared at the dash of the car. I could only imagine how pissed off Yuka was right now. He barely raised his voice at anyone, and never had with me.
“Alex. Listen to me. Please. I know what you are going through. Someone has violated your private space, put your love in danger. I’ve been there. But chasing down who you “think” is responsible will only bring more heartbreak. We do not want a clan war, in East Village. We have been peaceful for years. I’d like it to stay that way.”
I could understand what he was saying, but I also couldn’t give a fucking care in the world and diplomacy and ‘peace‘.
“You will go to the edge of the Ikeda territory and wait. Do you understand me?” I didn’t answer and Yuka raised his voice, just a little, and I closed my eyes. “Alexander. Do you understand me?”
Sighing. I nodded, bowing my head a little, and replied. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now, is Joey safe?”
“Yes, sir. 5
She is with your daughter and Pearl Reiji and his team are there too.”
“Well, you should have taken Reiji with you. Pearl can handle herself and you haven’t seen what Jade is capable of… Yuka chuckled, and I followed him. “Okay. Get to the edge of their territory and wait. Do not, and I repeat, do not set a foot over that line, until I have called you.”
“Yes sir.” The line clicked and I tipped my head back. “Fuck.
Inhaling deeply, I climbed out of the car and looked at both my driver and my best friend. They were at the back of the car, talking quietly, and Oliver turned. “Everything okay?”
“Define okay.” I spat, leaning against the car and Oliver came over to me, while Sota stayed at the back of the car. “I just got chewed by my boss, your father–in–law, So no, things aren’t really okay.”
“Alex, you know Yuka cares for you, like a son. He doesn’t want you to get hurt.”
“And what about Joey?” I asked, turning my gaze to him. “Someone was in my house, Oliver. In my house, standing over my girlfriend for god–knows how long, then left that Oni. They threatened her life.. and Yuka just wants me to ‘wait?” “Look, I know-”
“I swear to god, if one more person tells me they know what I am going through I am going to lose my shit. No one knows how fucking wild I am right now.” Oliver frowned, lowering his gaze and even though I knew I shouldn’t be taking it out on him, I was. “Someone Was, In. My. House.”
The phone in the car rang and I sighed, pushing my hand through my hair, as Sota walked back to the driver’s seat and climbed in, answering it.
60- Alex
I couldn’t hear what was being said, but I knew when Sota lifted himself back out, it was going to fester
going to fester my mood even more. “We have to go. Taro Ikeda will grant you an audience, but only if we are there by midnight.”
I looked down at my watch. It was twenty minutes to and I nodded. It would take at least ten minutes to get there, if not more. We had to get going. Climbing back into the car, I sat and brooded in the front seat, as Sota took us to the edge of Ikeda territory.
We arrived with five to spare, at the designated destination.
A small, run–down little business, right on the edge of Ikeda territory. Something in my gut told me to stay in the my anger won over and I climbed from the car, looking over my door at the building.
ut
There were lights on, and the smell of cooking, but no sign of movement, and I frowned, looking back at Oliver. He had a pistol in his hand, resting it against his thigh. He obviously felt the tension too.
Lights.
My eyes squinted at the bright headlights and my stomach dropped to my feet as another car came to the side of us, the window coming down. “Alexander.”
I blinked, “Yuka?”
He looked at our car and then to his driver. “You swap with Sota. Take my son–in–law home to his wife and child.”
With the swap done, and Sota now sitting in the driver’s seat, I turned and watched the car, carrying my best friend leave and I turned back to my boss. “Yuka-
“Alexander, get in the car. If you’re going to speak with Taro, you are going to have me with you. Then at least you might leave with your life.”
I frowned and opened the passenger door, climbing in next to Yuka and we slowly drove away from the little store, and deeper into Ikeda territory and possibly to our deaths.
