Page 30 of Bound By the Yakuza

I would not question it. That was one of the rules: answer as little as possible and don’t ask questions unless absolutely necessary.

I followed him out of the cell without so much as a single sound. I followed the cop into the office, signed some paperwork and was brought to a waiting area. The entire process was simple and finished within a few minutes. My mind was restless and so many questions that were burning my tongue went unanswered. At least, until I saw him.

Tatsuya was standing there in a leather jacket and white t-shirt. His irezumi tattoos crept over the collar, adding a sexy hint of color to his black and white outfit. He had his hands in his pockets. His eyes met mine, and he smirked.

It took all of my willpower not to run into his arms. I kept my pace steady and fought to keep my face as neutral as possible. I wasn’t in the clear yet.

Once I reached his side, Tatsuya nodded at the sergeant. He took me by my shoulder and gently led me out of the station.

I was trembling. As soon as we exited and turned the corner, I stopped. My hands were shaking.

Tatsuya stopped and looked at me fully. He put his hands on both of my shoulders. “Karina,” He said.

I looked up. His brown eyes were almost honey-colored in the bright morning light. “How?” Was the only question I could muster.

Tatsuya shot me one of his trademark smirks. “Darling, I’m in the yakuza and these cops are corrupt as fuck. Do you really think I couldn’t cut a deal for you?”

My legs felt weak. I was tired, hungry, and confused. My heart was throbbing. I wanted to say how I was feeling so badly, but all I could say was, “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Tatsuya said, as if paying someone’s bail was as simple as buying a coffee or lending an umbrella. He nodded to his bike. Two helmets were perched on the seat. “Come on, let’s get you back to my place. You need food and rest.”

I nodded.

“But first,” A spark of fire lit behind his eyes. He leaned down and kissed me with more force than he ever had before.

My body burned with desire. I clutched him, never wanting to let him go. I moaned against his lips and surrendered to his strength. Now that I was in his arms, I forgot everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. I was free; I was safe, and I was with him. If Tatsuya was with me, I found strength that I never knew was possible.

??

TATSUYA

I loved the feeling of her arms around me as I drove. Being on a motorcycle with a woman clutching my chest was one of the most intimate things (outside of sex) that I had experienced. Some people didn’t understand, but to me it was all about trust. The act of lane-splitting at 100 kilometers an hour while your girl leaned against you was pure bliss.

I never wanted to leave Karina’s side again.

My place wasn’t much to look at. I rented a simple bachelor apartment in Shinjuku, but it had a great view of the city skyline. Once we got up to my place, I kissed her hard again. She fell willingly into my arms, but I could tell she was exhausted.

“Karina, I want you so bad right now,” I whispered against her lips. She moaned in response. “But I think you should rest.” It took all of my willpower to let her go.

I ran her a warm bath and laid out one of my old t-shirts for her to change into. Once she was in the bath, I went to the tiny kitchen and dug out some instant ramen. It wasn’t fancy, but it would have to do. Most guys knew how to cook, but that was another lesson I had missed out on during my unorthodox youth.

I smiled to myself as I boiled the water. If the gang could see me now, they’d think I’d gone soft. That was the furthest thing from the truth. I knew my purpose in this world and nothing would change that. But Karina, she offered a tiny light in the endless darkness. She gave me hope. She showed me it was possible for my cold dead heart to love.

Love. I swallowed hard and shook my head. I’d never said that to anyone before. Sure, I had been feeling this for weeks now, but I couldn’t say it out loud. She hadn’t said anything; wasn’t that normally the girl’s job? I didn’t know. I’d never really dated before. One-night stands were void of any emotion for me.

I turned towards the sound of the bathroom door sliding open. My jaw dropped to see Karina in nothing but my t-shirt and her wet hair bundled up in a towel.

She smiled shyly at me. Had we both gone a little soft, maybe? I knew she was as determined and ruthless as me, but here we seemed like almost a normal couple. We were each other’s escape from a life in organized crime.

Karina padded over to me, leaving droplets of water on the floor as she did. “Mmm, what’s that I smell?”

I handed her a deep bowl of chicken ramen. “Noodles. It’s all I had.” It wasn’t an apology, more of a statement.

Karina’s face lit up. “I love Ichiban instant noodles!” She took the bowl from me and sipped the salty broth. “Plus, I’m starving, so anything is amazing right now,” She added.

We sat on the floor to eat. Looking out through the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined my apartment. The sun was rising over the tallest skyscrapers now. We had a moment of peace while city was bustling with rush hour traffic.

Karina rested her head against my shoulders and let out a happy sigh. “This is perfect,” She said.

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