81–Joey
Jake and Reiji were pacing the room we’d been moved into. As one crossed across in front of me, the next would do the same. Back and forth, crisscrossing, stressing-
Something was going on.
We’d been moved frorn the boat house, into a large, white–washed house, then down into the basement.
There was
s an interesting smell in the room
Beer and blood.
And there was a large square in the middle of the room, as if some kind of large makeshift tent had once been there. I turned my attention back to Yuka.
Some color had returned to his face, and his breathing had stabilized. The tube which had connected us for a little, while I
him some of my blood, lay on the floor, discarded. It’d done its job, allowed me to keep Yuka Takada alive.
gave
I was starting to feel woozy though.
It’d been hours since I’d eaten. I’d only had a small amount of water, instead giving most of the bottle to Yuka, and I had given him a little over a unit of my blood. My blood sugar would be low, and if I didn’t eat, or get to a hospital for a transfusion myself, I knew I would probably pass out in the next two hours
Then we would be fucked.
“Come on Alex..“1 muttered, checking Yuka’s heart rate.
“Oh, don’t worry, Jolene. I can tell you with certainty, your lover is on his way.” My gaze lifted to Jake, who had stopped pacing, and was peering at me, “I’ve been told he’s not too far away. It’s almost over.”
I frowned. “What’s over mean for you, Jake? Is it when Alex is dead, or when you are?
Jake tilted his head to the side. “You’ve gotten quite morbid, since you’ve started fucking my brother.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not “fucking your brother, Alex and I are in love and we’re happy and –
“Love” Jake threw back his head and laughed. “Alex doesn’t love anyone or anything. He’s a cold–hearted bastard. Always has been.”
I watched as Jake laughed and a chill went through me. My once–best friend was insane. Something had happened to him, and he’d hidden it from everyone so well.
“Do you know how many men Alex has dispatched in his time with the Takada clan? Do you know why they call him the Ghost of the Takada clan?” My stomach roiled with sickness as Jake came closer to me and crouched down in front of me. “He’s adept at getting into places he shouldn’t be. He’s hurt many people and killed many more.”
I shook my head. “No.”
Jake tilted his head to the side again. “What? Don’t want to think he’s touched you with hands that have taken a life? That’s what a Yakuza soldier does, Joey. They take lives, to better the clan, to protect the clan.”
My bottom lip trembled, and I stared at Jake. “Have you?”
Jake sucked his tongue over his teeth and my stomach threatened to exit my mouth.
“Where’s Phoebe?”
The thought he’d killed his wife, sat like a lead weight in my stomach. I might not have liked her, but she didn’t deserve to
die
“She’s gone back to where she belongs.” Jake said, climbing to his feet. “She didn’t see the clan’s bigger picture and decided to flake out of her deal. She went back to her master.”
I blinked, my mind trying to comprehend what he’d just said. “What?”
Jake chuckled. “You actually think I found someone like Phoebe attractive? Please. She was a means to the plan. A distraction. She’s always been a clan whore. Since she was about seventeen. Always hanging out with the wrong crowds, until someone offered her something she couldn’t refuse. Money and a smidge of power.”
Jake started to pace again, crossing paths with Reiji, who was now staring intently at his phone.
Jory
“Thobe is owned by Handa Eguchi, borrowed back to Yamota, so that this whole little schnozzle could be played out.” “What I still don’t have a fucking clue what you are talking about.”
And honestly, I didn’t.
One minute, Jake was carrying on about Alex and how much he hated him, then he’d switch to Yamota, then Eguchi and then back. Then he’d rant about Yuka and then be back at Alex again, throwing me in for good measure.
Jake stopped pacing and turned to me, crossing his arms over his chest. “Oh, come on, Joey. Use that big brain in your head. All I needed was to pretend to marry Phoebe, to draw Alex out of New York. I’ve known he’s Yakuza for years. How else would he be able to send Ma and Pa so much money, but not be able to tell them where he worked? Kazumi Enterprises? Really? You know what you get when you search that up?”
I had never thought to do that.
“A website that tells you it’s down for maintenance.” Jake chuckled. “And then I got mixed up with some shitty business deals and ended up in Yamota’s sights, and the moment he knew what my name was, I was quickly in his pocket.”
He started pacing again, talking and I knew as long as he was talking, he wasn’t trying to hurt either Yuka or me. It bought us a little time–although, I was starting to feel very, very tired.
“Yamota told me he wanted Yuka’s territory in New York, because it was some of the richest in the area. He wanted what Yuka had. But he couldn’t do it, with Alex in the picture. So my job was to get Alex out of New York.”
“The wedding”
Jake grinned “Yep.”
I thought it was too quick. That Phoebe was fake as fuck, that the chemistry they had was practically non–existent. “But why did you break my heart? I worshipped you, Jake. I wanted to be with you. I wanted to be your wife.” The grin fell from Jake’s face as I confessed to him. “I wanted to have children with you. I had been in love with you since I was twelve.” Jake came over, crouching in front of me again, this time, grabbing my hands. “We can still have that, Joey. We can be together We can part this ugly situation in the past. We can have babies and be happy.”
I snatched my hands from him and glared at him. “No Fuck you. You had your chance, and you ruined it. For what? Revenge? Your hatred for your brother has eaten away your soul.”
I moved
away,
putting myself between the pair in the room with me, and Yuka. I would protect Yuka with my life, if it came
“You’re right, Jake. You do have unfinshed business with your big brother, and this time, I hope he doesn’t break your nose. I hope he breaks your fucking neck
