Page 81 of Pragma
“You’ve been trying to undermine me since I got thewakagashiraposition. And I have to confess, it was fun for a while. Your pathetic attempts were at times entertaining.” Aki’s expression hardens, his jaw tightens while his downturned mouth opens, exposing his teeth. “But I warned you not to touch what’s mine. There’s no coup de grâce for you.”
“I-I didn’t touch him.” The traitor swallows, glancing at me as I pass the cane back to Aki.
“But you sent that idiot to do it. Don’t even try to deny it.” He pushes the end of the cane against his throat before the traitor can continue. “It was your turf, you knew the restaurant owner since you were kids, who, by the way, had a bag filled with cash in his office, the same exact amount of money you took out of your account a day earlier.” He yanks the cane back and presses the end on Ishida-san’s inner thigh, right near his family jewels.
“No. No! You-you are making this all up. I want to talk to thekumicho!I demand to—” His agitated blabbering is stopped by the chewed cinnamon gum hitting his cheek.
Why does Aki like to do that? It’s childish and pointless.
“I didn’t do anything. Thekumichodid. She tricked you so well, you never saw it coming. Idiot.” Aki signals Masa and Yuna to pull the man up.
“You should kneel at my feet, you scum! Being part of the yakuza meant something before your grandfather stole the title from my uncle. I’m the rightful heir, not a crazy psychopath with a taste for blood,” Ishida-san shouts, fighting against the hands forcing him to move.
“Untie his hands and place one on that crate.” They follow thewakagashira’sinstructions while the traitor keeps twisting.
Aki opens his palm toward me, and I know what he wants without asking. I unsheathe my gun and place it in his hand—my fingers linger a little longer around his before I let go.
Later, he mouths, making me want to put a quick bullet inside Ishida-san’s head so that I can take Aki home and fuck him until tomorrow.
Aki points the gun toward the crate, but the man is still futilely trying to escape by writhing and wiggling. “Yuna, stop the squirming, otherwise I’m going to blow his dick off instead.”
She lands a vicious hook into his guts and then impales the back of his hand with her knife on the crate, successfully making him stop moving and crying out.
Karin claps with enthusiasm at her girlfriend’s ruthless method. Then a shot resounds, and the traitor’s pinky gives a short fly before rolling on the floor and stopping a few inches from Soma’s foot—he doesn’t look up from his book.
A traitor always deservesyubi-tsume. Ishida-san lets out a long scream as drool drips down his chin.
“Let’s move to the main dish, shall we? Karin, bring your bike here.” He gives me the gun back and the cane.
“Okay,Akira-san.” She skips happily out of the room.
“I enjoy fucking up traitors, but for you…I’ll make an extra effort.” Aki smiles evilly at him.
“Tie him up with the chains,” I order them. I grab the cane with both hands, and with a firm motion, I break it on my knee. Then, looking directly in Ishida-san’s half-lidded eyes, I throw the broken pieces at his feet.
Yuna kicks the back of his knees making him fall on his belly. “Are you going to perform Evil Santa’s Sleigh, Akira-san?”
He nods at her.
“What is that? If I can ask, Mr. Boss.” Masa is helping Yuna tie the man’s hands with the metal chains.
“I don’t want to ruin the surprise.” Aki sends a sinister look at Ishida-san.
When the feet are restrained as well, they hook them together with the hands, leaving a metal tail that will be used to drag him. The traitor’s back is arched, forming a C with his spine, hands and feet pulled backward.
“I’m going to enjoy this,” Yuna declares, just as Karin enters noisily, riding her neon green Kawasaki Ninja. She stops a foot from the traitor, lifting a cloud of dust over his bound body.
I tap on my pack of cigs until one comes out. Then I light it up and drag a puff. The menthol helps cover the blood and motorcycle exhaust smell.
“My baby is all yours.” Karin bows toward Aki and then steps back on ballerina’s feet.
“Do you want him gagged again,wakagashira?” Soma asks.
“No,” Aki states nonchalantly. “I want to hear him screaming.”
For now, he’s coughing and wheezing.
I toss my cig on the ground and step on it. When Aki walks to the bike, I follow him. I outstretch my hand to help him mount it. He rolls his eyes but takes it.
