Page 65 of Pragma
He didn’t go on any dates in the last few days. I didn’t ask him about it, not wanting to break the glass bubble I created aroundus. We’ve been working as usual, dividing our time between the construction company and the moreactivefamily tasks. Ling Wang has gone underground, but Masa is on it, and he’s confident he’ll find the fucker soon.
I hear from Joel every day; I even went to see him again—Aki invited himself too—and we met Focaccia, the cat he rescued, and then ate pizza together with Marco. I felt the urge to punch the rude mobster a couple of times. He’s a little too dominating with Joel, but my brother looks happy, and it could be good for the two organizations to more than tolerate each other. So for now, I’ll just keep watching him.
Strangely, Aki behaved slightly less cheekily than usual. Having his body thoroughly satisfied thanks to all the fucking might have mellowed him a bit. Whenever we get alone behind closed doors, my dick finds its way inside that tight hole of his.
Since the off-limits veil has been removed and I’m allowed to touch him, just being in the same room together is hard on my control. When I see him, I want to fix his thick messy locks, feel the smoothness of his skin on my lips, hook my thumb into the collar of his designer shirt, and pull him against me. My need and desire for him are escalating.
Kumicho’s phone call this morning was the first crack in our bubble.
The door to her suite opens.
“River-san,dozo ohairi kudasai,” one of Kumicho’s men invites me in.
“Arigatou gozaimas,” I thank him.
The uneasiness I feel as I make my way inside the room is quite familiar.Kumichowelcomed me into the family, but never fully accepted me as part ofherfamily. She took care of my education and daily expenses until I became a made man, but the skepticism in her eyes has never faded.
I head toward the sofa area where she’s sitting, wearing a blue kimono with the snake family pattern. She’s reading some documents while smoking a cigarette. The emblem of Hebikawa on her pinky ring reminds me of Aki’s.
“Kumicho.” I give her a deep bow.
“Gaijin,” she greets me without lifting her eyes from the papers.
I remain standing until she slowly lowers the documents—which one of her men in a suit take—flicks her cigarette into the ashtray—lifted in the air by another man—and then waves her hand at the other white sofa.
I sit, refusing anything to drink when another guy in a suit comes to ask me.
“Feel free to smoke if you want,” she tells me. She’s trying to make me feel comfortable before striking. I observed her in the past. I know her methods well.
“Thank you,” I reply, not making a move to get my pack out.
“You must be wondering why I called upon you alone.”
“Yes,Kumicho.” A phone call is her usual preference.
“I always liked your straightforwardness, so let me reciprocate.”
She never gives direct compliments. This must be serious.
“What have you been up to with my nephew?” Her brown eyes, the shape so similar to Aki’s, narrow on me.
“Work, mostly.” I learned from Aki about telling only half truths.
“Is that why my nephew hasn’t fixed a date with the next candidate yet?” She takes a puff from her cigarette while studying my face. I try to keep it blank, but her words are another crack in our bubble. I knew there was something fishy about the absence of suitors.
She doesn’t wait for my reply and keeps going. “The first suitor is the most logical option for now. She’s agreed to produce an heir and support Akira’s public image and work. She’ll benefit from it, and the family will as well. It’s a win-win. The perfect deal, don’t you agree?”
I grit my teeth. The words I force down taste bitter, like leaving a pill on the tip of my tongue. My muscles shake from how hard I’m trying to control myself. My scars are whispering to me to rip into pieces whoever tries to take Aki away from me. He said my wounds let the light through but all I feel now seeping out is darkness and despair.
“My nephew doesn’t have the required emotional maturity to hold a relationship. A contract marriage will fit him well. You know how flakey he is. He gets fed up easily. Too easily, such a spoiled brat.”
“He can change,” I hazard. The need to defend him too strong. Even though I know she is partly right, I also know that Aki is capable of self-introspection and profound feelings.
“How do you know? Is he seeing someone?” She stubs her cig and turns her scrutinizing gaze on me again. “He told me he wasn’t last time I saw him.”
“No, he isn’t.” My own words stab my chest, shattering the bubble completely.
She huffs. “He needs stability. His impulsive behavior will kill him one of these days. The fear he instilled in the other bosses is good, but there should be some respect as well. He needs to prove himself.” She pauses, staring at me for a moment too long. “Creating his own empire and bringing money to the organization is the first step, but he also needs solid foundations, connections, and people he can trust around him.”
