Chapter Twenty-Two

N erves rattle through my body as I wipe my sweaty palms along the tops of my thighs. Last night, I got a text message from Nikita asking if I would like to have lunch with just her at her place. I don't know her very well, but what I do know, I like. I could see us being closer than us with the other girls.

When I showed Kado the text, he asked me if I wanted to and offered to drive me, only making me love him more. He didn't tell me I couldn't, even though Nikita's husband is part of another family.

I've been slowly learning about that, too. Kado has been teaching me all about how the families work. I now know who is important and who isn't. I know who we get along with and who I should avoid at all costs. It's like a crash-dummy course.

We come to a stop outside of a building, and my stomach drops. Why am I so nervous? It's just lunch.

Kado taps on my thigh, getting my attention. I look over and see that he has a small frown on his face as he studies me.

"I'm okay. I'm just a little nervous. What if this goes terribly? We seemed to get along in a group, but it's just us. No Miya, Cleo, or Autumn to be a buffer."

Kado grabs his phone and types out a quick message before handing it to me. He gets out of the car and rounds the hood as I read.

She would be stupid not to love you.

Butterflies fill my belly. How does he know what to say when I need to hear it?

He opens my car door and helps me out. Hand in hand, he walks me inside. After being cleared by Declan's people, we are granted access to their floor. Kado knocks on the door when we come to a stop in front of it.

Quickly, it swings open, and a just-as-nervous Nikita stands on the other side.

"Welcome," she says as she steps to the side.

Kado squeezes my hand, bringing my attention to him. He leans forward and kisses me sweetly. All too soon, he pulls away and drops my hand. He reaches forward and taps my pocket.

"I'll call when I'm ready," I confirm.

He turns toward Nikita and bows before walking down the hall.

"Are you as nervous as I am?" Nikita asks as I step inside.

"God yes." I laugh as she shuts the door.

"Come with me. Would you like anything to drink? Coffee, tea, water?"

"Tea would be great," I tell her.

I follow her into the kitchen and stand at the island while she frets around her kitchen, making us tea.

"How have you been since I last saw you?" I ask, breaking the silence.

"I've been well. The sickness has eased up, so I'm getting around easier."

"Sickness?" I frown.

Surely she wouldn't have invited me over if she was contagious, right?

Nikita cringes. "Morning sickness."

"Oh, oh! Congratulations," I say when her words register. "How far along are you?"

My eyes drop to her stomach, and sure enough, she has a small bump hidden underneath her clothes. How had I missed that?

"Not even halfway yet."

"Are you excited?"

Nikita tilts her head to the side. "Yes, at first I was scared. I didn't think I would be a good mother, and I didn't know how Declan would take it. I thought that a child would be all I would have, but when I fell for Declan, that changed. I thought we would have more time. We hadn't been together very long when it happened, but we are both thrilled."

"I'm happy for you. A child is a blessing."

"Have you thought about having children? Will you have them with Kado?"

Her question catches me off guard, not because I find it appalling, but because it's something I've never truly thought about.

"I don't know. That's a conversation we haven't had."

I shake my head as I think about it. Does he want children? An image of a half-Asian child with his coloring and my eye color runs through my mind, making my heart ache in the best possible way.

Nikita nods. "I understand. When you've lived like us, it's hard to think about the possibility of a future."

"You get it."

"I do, but from what I can tell, you are happy, yes?"

"Very much so. Kado's a great guy."

Nikita tilts her head from side to side. "I don't know your Kado well, but from what little I've been around him, he seems nice. I know men like him. They are hard on the outside but soft on the inside, only willing to crack for those who can get under their skin."

I rest my chin in my palm as I rest my elbow on the counter. "Did you get under your husband's skin?"

A small smile plays on her lips as she pours the tea into cups. "I did. I just didn't know it at first."

She slides a cup of tea toward me and picks hers up. "Enough about our men, let's go sit and talk about something else."

I follow her into the living room and take a seat in a chair while she sits on the couch, her legs laid out in front of her, propping her feet up.

She frowns at her legs. "I'm swollen like a balloon already."

I roll my eyes. "You are not."

While her legs might be slightly swollen, it's no more than someone who's been on their feet all day working. She looks perfectly fine but then again, we always seem to see our flaws more than others.

"Trust me, I am. Now tell me, did you grow up in the Mafia too?"

I shake my head. "God, no, this is all new to me. You?"

"Yes, my father is part of the Russian syndicate, but not the one we are working with."

"So you know about the trafficking?" I sit up straighter.

I thought Kado would be the only one I could discuss this with, but if she knows, I could talk it over with her too.

Nikita nods as she takes a sip. "Declan's best friend, Tristano, his woman Serena was taken by them."

"She's the cop, right?"

"Former cop." A small smile plays on Nikita's lips. "She gave that up and joined the dark side when she fell in love."

"The dark side?" I laugh.

Nikita raises a brow. "It's the dark side, is it not? We are not the good guys, but the villains taking out the worst of the worst."

"I never thought about it like that, but you're right."

Maybe that's why I don't mind what Kado does. We might not be on the side of good per se, but we don't allow others to do unconscionable things either.

"You would like Serena. Maybe when they visit next, you could meet them."

"I'd like that," I tell her. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, if I have the answer, I will tell you."

"What's up with the weird shit Autumn says? Like half the time when she speaks, I don't know what she is saying, and sometimes it's like she can see straight into my soul."

Nikita tips her head back and laughs so hard her body shakes. When she finally calms down, she wipes the tears out from under her eyes.

"Let me give you the rundown on the girls."

For the next few hours, she tells me everything I need to know about the girls and their men. For the first time in ever, I feel like I have a girlfriend to gossip with, and I love it.

I thought being taken by Kado was ending my life, but little did I know it was only beginning.

Now I have a man, a best friend, and a girl group that has my back. Not only that, but I have a purpose beyond working to survive.

I'm actually living.

Kado is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

While Lucy has her friend date with Nikita, I head over to Kai's office.

Finding out that the man I am looking for has also found a reason to run into Lucy has my blood running cold. The man is obviously watching us as we watch him. I wonder if he witnessed what I did to his little puppet. I should have killed him slower.

It's not until I'm in Kai's office that I can fully unleash all of this negative energy in my body.

"Something's wrong. The ring first or after?"

I nod my head to the door that leads to the gym he has set up next to his office. He unbuttons his shirt sleeves, pulling them up.

I remember when Kai wouldn't be caught dead in a suit and tie. Now, he wears one almost daily to keep up appearances with the public as a businessman.

My, oh my, how things change.

Once he steps into the ring, I square up to him.

Then we move. It's like a dance between us. We hop in circles around one another, each one stepping forward when we see an opening to land a hit.

We do this over and over until the steam inside me finally bursts.

I move quickly, putting Kai on the defensive. I aim for his face with one fist, knowing he will block it, then I hit his kidney with the other. He grunts, but I don't stop.

I punch him over and over until I begin to feel wrung out. Then I jump forward, wrapping my arms around his neck as we both fall to the ground.

It takes a few seconds, but eventually Kai taps out.

I smile to myself, the tension finally drifting away.

I don't win against Kai often, but when I do, it is a sweet victory.

We each stand, sweating. He shakes his head at me, patting my shoulder.

"Let's go back to my office and chat now."

I follow him back to his office, accepting the cold bottle of water that he offers. Then he slides a computer across the desk to me.

"Isamu had this encrypted for you to use. I figured I'd keep it with me for now, but if you like it, we will work on getting you a portable one in the future."

I nod, opening the computer. It's already signed on and opened to the program.

"Type what you want to say," Kai encourages me.

So I start to type.

We have a problem.

A robotic voice repeats my words. "We have a problem."

I tilt my head a little at the sound. Kai laughs.

"We will work on the voice. What's this problem?"

"The man we are looking for told Lucy his name was Ben." I frown at the machine, but look at Kai.

"When did she meet him?" he asks.

"That's the problem." The voice pauses as I do. "She said he ran into her at a store with Miya months ago. He shouldn't have even known she existed."

Kai frowns. "Do you think he was going after Miya? It's not like Kenji and her keep their connection secret. I could see them keeping an eye on us."

I consider his words. He's right. It is a possibility that Lucy was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even when she thought she saw him the second time, she was with Miya.

I have a feeling that it isn't the case, though. My gut is telling me he was going for Lucy because of her connection to me.

"I think Lucy is the target. He wants to get to me. I'm the one who has been killing his people. He knows that by now. I have made it known how anyone related would deal with me."

I frown at the thought. When I started this crusade, I didn't care if I lived or died. I only wanted to do some good in the world. Take out these nasty people who kidnap and sell other humans. It never dawned on me that I might one day have someone who could be used against me.

If he got a hold of Lucy, I would commit seppuku. I would stab myself in the stomach with a short sword and die a painful death. I would have to. I wouldn't be able to live without her.

"You've always had good instincts. I trust them. Where is he now?"

I poke at the keys, hating that we lost him yet again.

"After we left the bar, he turned off his phone. I don't think he saw us, but I think he was planning on us following him. He's smarter than he looks. I think all of this has been a setup. Now we are back to square one. His name is an alias. We don't know the real one. The house he has registered in his name is empty. Not even a mouse is living there. I'm at a dead end."

Kai rubs his face. "Keep an eye on her. No more trips out. Especially without you."

It almost sounds like he cares for my Lucy.

"I thought you didn't trust her."

He shrugs. "I don't, but you do and I trust you. If you tell me she isn't going to fuck us, then I won't get involved. If she hurts you, though, or anyone in this family, I will end her. You know that, right?"

I bare my teeth at him.

He laughs it off. "I know. Even if she did, you'd still love her. I get it, man."

Love. What a novel concept. Something I always heard about, but never experienced.

Not until now.

I love my Lucy.

"Go to your girl. Maybe stop taking her on jobs for the time being. At least until we know it's safe," Kai says, standing.

"She's with Nikita. Are you saying that when it's safe, I can take her again?" I look up from the screen to him.

"She makes you happy, and I think she gives you an edge you were missing. If she's with you, I think you'll try a bit harder to come home each night. For that alone, I embrace the girl. I'm glad you found someone."

I stand, bowing my head slightly at him.

"Get going. I'll have Kenji look into this more. If she really is the target, you need to stick close."

I'm grateful he understands. That he wants to protect her too.

Kai is my boss, but he is also like a brother to me. When his father took me in, he brought me into his circle and punished anyone who would make fun of me for not being able to speak.

Knowing he has my back with this means the world to me.

Now I just need to make sure my girl stays safe.