Chapter Two

T he man hasn't spoken a word to me.

I feel like I have been on a roller coaster. I froze. Then I panicked. I tried to escape, then I became numb.

That's where I am now.

I have no idea what he plans to do to me. After seeing what I did to my wrists, I thought he would be angry at my escape attempt. Instead, he cared for my wounds, pressing his lips to them gently. Carefully.

I'm not sure I trust it. Why would he care if I'm hurt when he's planning to hurt me too?

Or maybe he cares because he is the only one who is allowed to cause me pain.

Still, why doesn't he speak? I've already seen his face, so it can't be because he's afraid I could pick him out based on his voice.

The way he uses gestures to command me is odd too. I don't know sign language, but I know that's not what he was doing.

It's almost as if we are playing charades.

The way he holds his hand up as if to stop me tells me he doesn't want me to move. So when he got out at the river and did that, I listened. I didn't try to run, even though I'm not tied up anymore.

I have no illusions about his ability to find me. He has my bag. My ID. Even if I didn't go home because he has my address, where would I go?

Not only that, but I saw his tattoo on his forearm. He's part of a gang. Based on his ethnicity, I'd say either the Triad or Yakuza. Both have a hold here in the city.

I can't say which I'd prefer.

Growing up in the Southside, you learn to know all the major players in the game even if you aren't directly involved. There have been too many stories of people being taken out simply by disrespecting the wrong person.

So you learn to make yourself smaller. Fold yourself until they can't see you. Never make eye contact with strangers on the street. Ignore the beatdown going on in the alley.

I'd like to think I'm a good person, but I know if it came down to it, I would choose to turn a blind eye rather than risk myself.

It's eat or be eaten in my world. Only the strong survive.

Sitting in this car, I no longer feel like one of the strong. I feel weak.

I should have fought him more.

Yet I didn't.

He's huge compared to me. At least six foot. His dark hair hangs into his face, almost messy as if he doesn't do anything to it. Surprisingly, his face is clean, not a hint of scars or tattoos, unlike the rest of his body. I noticed his arms were riddled with scars. Outside of that one tattoo, I haven't seen any others.

He's quiet as he drives, his eyes meeting mine every once in a while.

It's those eyes that frighten me most. They are emotionless. As if he's empty inside. Except I saw a flash of something when he saw my arms covered in blood. Almost like he cared.

I need to make a plan. I can't keep complying with him. Maybe I should attack him now. He's driving, and it might kill us both, but I won't be stuck in here with him. Not only that, but I have no clue where he's taking me.

What if he's planning to sell me?

I shiver at the thought. Women and children have been going missing for years. We all hear the whispers of the human trafficking ring.

Suddenly, warm air blows on me.

My eyes widen as I look over at the man. He is frowning at me as he adjusts the vents so they are pointing at me.

Did he just turn on the heat because I shivered?

This man is confusing.

It's not much longer before he pulls up to an apartment building downtown.

My heart is racing in my chest.

Is this where I die? Or worse, get raped or tortured?

There goes his hand again, telling me to stay.

He gets out, talking to a man standing by the gate we came through. I didn't even see him before. I was focused on the dangerous man next to me.

Then he's stalking over to me, opening the door, then reaching across me to unbuckle my seat belt before pulling me out.

Once on my feet, he turns to me, giving me a stern look. He points at me, then next to him. I tilt my head.

"Are you asking me to stay by your side?"

He nods once.

I lick my lips. "Okay."

His hand finds my forearm, pulling me with him as he gets to the elevator.

It's a quiet ride all the way to the top. Then we are standing outside a door. He knocks twice, looking back down at me.

A beautiful, red-haired woman answers. For a moment, I wonder if she will help me. Then her eyes light up with excitement.

"Kado." She pulls the man in for a hug, but he doesn't hug her back.

He refuses to let go of me.

"Who is this?" the woman asks, eyeing me with curiosity.

I go to speak, but he shakes his head no. I don't know if it's for me or for her, but my mouth slams shut.

"What do you mean, no?" Her hands find her hips.

"Princess, please let my man in. It seems I have a lot to discuss with him."

I feel the blood drain from my face.

I know this man. Not personally, but the whole city knows him.

Haruaki Takahashi. He used to be known as the dark prince, but he's the king now. Leader of the Yakuza, after rumor has it, he took his father out.

You know how they say if you say Beetlejuice three times, he appears? This man has that same reputation.

His inspires fear so deep in most people that they refuse to even think his name.

Here I am standing in his doorway with a man who obviously works for him.

I swallow hard.

I'm going to die.

"Of course. Would your lady friend like to stay with me while you speak business?" the woman asks.

He shakes his head again, moving past the woman into the apartment. I don't even get a chance to look around. All I can see is the back of the man who is a nightmare come to life.

Did this scary man she called Kado save me as a sacrifice to his boss? Does he think I know something that Mr. Jones wouldn't tell him? Isn't that how this works?

No one speaks until Haruaki is sitting behind his desk, Kado standing in front of it with me in tow.

"What happened?" Haruaki asks.

Kado turns to me, that same stern look as he holds up his hand.

I got it, buddy. Don't move. Trust me, I'm about to piss myself, so I won't be straying far from your side.

Pulling a notebook from his pocket, he writes something down before handing it to Haruaki.

"She walked in on your assignment? Why is she still breathing?"

My body shivers again. My whole body is shaking.

Kado takes off the sweater he had put on after disposing of what I assume was Mr. Jones's body. Then he feeds it over my head, forcing me to slip my hands into the armholes.

His warmth surrounds me, along with the smell of cedarwood. It's almost comforting.

Almost, because I haven't forgotten the man I am now standing in front of.

Haruaki eyes us warily. He pulls over some sort of metal can, lighting the paper on fire before dropping it in.

Kado writes something else down on another piece of paper, handing it over.

"You didn't want to hurt her?" he asks.

Kado shakes his head no.

Haruaki sighs. "What is your name, girl?"

"Lucy," I breathe out, my lips quivering.

"How did you know Marcus Jones?"

Kado's hand finds my forearm again, helping steady me as I become dizzy from breathing too fast.

"I-I clean his house," I whisper.

"Do you know about his business?"

I shake my head.

"What did you see tonight?" he questions.

"Nothing."

He smirks. "You have a decision to make, Lucy. Would you like to hear your options?"

I try to take a deep breath to calm myself as I nod.

"Option one, you die here tonight."

Die. I'm going to die. My heart races so fast, I see tiny black spots. Die. I don't want to die. Hell, I haven't even had the chance to really live yet.

Kado is in front of me in an instant, his body rigid as he thumps his chest with his hand. I have no idea what he is trying to communicate, but as I peek around him at Haruaki, I see the look of surprise on his face.

"We would make it painless and quick. You know that, Kado. She deserves the option."

Kado shakes his head, tapping his chest again.

Haruaki sighs. "You are a pain in the ass. Fine, Kado does not wish me to offer you option one. Option two, we let you go. You pack your things, you leave town, and never come back. Of course, we would need collateral to be sure that you would never speak about the ‘nothing' you saw tonight."

I clear my throat, stepping back up to Kado's side. The glare he aims at me says he doesn't like the move, but he lets me stay there.

"What kind of collateral?"

"Your tongue."

I blanch, swallowing past the lump in my throat. "That would eliminate my ability to speak, but I could write or type."

He snorts. "Fine. We will take your hands, too. Any other limbs you would like to talk yourself out of?"

I shake my head, hating that my mouth moved faster than my mind. Honestly, I think I'm going to choose death. What kind of life would I live without my tongue or hands? I wouldn't be able to work. I'd end up homeless. I don't even have anywhere to go.

I'm about to speak up when he shakes his head once. "How about a third option?"

He looks at Kado, then at me several times. "You go home with Kado. You understand that by choosing this option, you will not speak with anyone about anything you see. If you did, it would be immediate death. You will be a companion for my friend here. He seems to have taken a liking to you. That is, if he agrees."

Kado nods his head, tapping his chest again.

"I got it. She's yours. You do realize she's a human being, right? You can't just put a bowl of food and water down and leave her for days on end. She will require more than the basic needs to flourish. Are you sure, brother?"

He looks down at me as he nods.

"Never thought I'd see the day," Haruaki mutters. "The choice is up to you, Lucy. Which do you choose?"

I press my lips together. "I don't want to be abused," I whisper. "I think I'd rather choose death."

Kado grabs my forearm once again, this time squeezing as he moves forward to block me from Haruaki once more.

"Kado, stand down. That's an order."

For a moment, I don't think he is going to listen to the man, but eventually he does, settling back at my side.

"You fear he would harm you? We don't harm women unless they do something to warrant such treatment, or we absolutely have to."

"Forgive me for being skeptical, but I've been kidnapped and forced to choose between death, dismemberment, or slavery. How can I trust your word?"

He smiles. "You can't. Words are meaningless these days. You'll have to make a decision and figure out if it was the right one. I can tell you Kado will not harm you physically, nor will he force himself upon you sexually. That is not the kind of men we are in my outfit. However, if you force him to, he will eliminate you. Don't threaten me or mine, keep your head down, and you could have a decent life."

I consider his words over and over.

Then I finally speak, stepping into Kado's side.

"I choose him."

"I choose him."

Something about the way the words float off her lips, paired with the way she moves closer to my side, speaks to the primal part of me. I want to hit her over the head with a club and drag her back to my hole where I can bring her fire and food and any fucking thing else she can possibly dream of.

"Very well. Kado, she is your responsibility now," Kai reminds me.

He didn't need to say it. The moment I decided to let her live, I claimed her as mine.

Kai was nice enough to give her choices, but she didn't really have one. I would have died before I let any harm come to her.

Still, I nod my acceptance of his words.

"Good. Now we need to talk business. Take her to Cleo," Kai orders.

I wrap my hand around Lucy's wrist, pulling her out of the room. She doesn't speak as I lead her to the kitchen, where Cleo is.

She turns to us as we walk into the room. "What's going on?"

I glance at her, then pull Lucy further into the room before gesturing for her to sit. Then I put my hand out.

"I got it, big guy. Sit and stay. Should I roll over or bark too?" Lucy asks.

I tilt my head before shaking my head no.

She rolls her eyes. "Go do what you have to do. Your prisoner will still be here when you get back."

I grit my teeth at her tone. I don't like it.

"Go, Kado. I'll keep her company." Cleo's voice is soft.

She has sympathy in her eyes, but I'm not sure what for. I make my way out of the kitchen but pause out of sight.

"I assume you won't help me escape, will you?" Lucy's voice is low.

"If I did, would you even have somewhere to go? Somewhere he won't find you?" Cleo asks.

Lucy lets out a breath. "I have nothing to my name, so no. It was worth a shot, though."

"Kado's one of the good ones. Maybe this is a blessing."

Lucy snorts. "I doubt it."

"Kado," Kai calls from his office.

I frown. I wanted to hear more. I could listen to her talk for hours. Her voice is like music to my ears.

Alas, I have to get back to work.

Walking back into the office, I shut the door behind me.

"I think keeping her around is reckless," Kai admits.

I shrug, showing him I don't care.

I really don't give a fuck about his opinion. He would burn the world for Cleo. He should understand that I would also burn the world for Lucy.

"You don't even know her," he continues. "She could be a threat."

I shake my head no. He's right that I don't know her as well as I could, but I've been watching her work for that piece of shit for weeks. I know her well enough. I know enough to know that the thought of that smile no longer being in this world would be a shame. The world would go dark.

Or maybe my world would go dark.

"Very well. Kenji said you called in a cleaning team? Where's our friend?" he asks.

I hold up three fingers to indicate our code for places where I dump bodies.

"You haven't used that one in a while." He hums. "Okay, go get your girl settled. Do you need Cleo to make you a list of what she will need?"

I shake my head no. I could use the girls to get everything for her, but part of me feels like I need to do it myself.

"Very well. Go on then."

I bow my head to him before leaving the room.

Heading down the hall, I stop to listen for the women, but the kitchen is silent. Stepping around the corner, I find Cleo mixing something in a bowl while Lucy sits at the table with a glass of water in her hand.

I knock on the frame, getting both of their attention. Cleo smiles at me while Lucy looks dejected. I hate that she feels that way. Part of me wishes I could go back and not let her walk into the house. The selfish part knows that I wouldn't be able to stop myself from taking her, though.

"Everything good?" Cleo asks.

I nod.

She comes over, hugging me. "Come back soon. Bring Lucy with you."

I bow my head slightly before moving toward Lucy. She stands, waiting for instruction. I grab her wrist, pulling her through the house. She is quiet all the way down to the garage, and she doesn't speak until we are on the road.

"Why me?" she whispers.

I don't think she's speaking to me, but the need to comfort her is there. So I do what my mother used to do when I was upset. I pick up her hand and rub it in a circle over my heart.

I glance from her to the road until she looks at me. Then I focus on the road, setting her hand back in her lap.

Once we pull up to my home, I look over to see her reaction. It's not a normal home. I wouldn't want to live somewhere so open and in public.

Instead, I live in a warehouse set back on acreage. The entire building is metal, with barely any windows. It's very plain-looking. I like it that way.

Now, though, I wonder what Lucy thinks of it. Can she think of a place like this as home? Is it up to her standards? If she doesn't like it, I would be willing to make changes. Anything to make her happy.

I wish I could speak to her. To ask her these questions. To be normal.

Instead, I grab her wrist and lead her inside. She watches as I disarm the security system. Once inside, I take her up the stairs to the small apartment I built into the building. The rest of the building is used to store vehicles and the various weapons I collect.

At the door to the apartment, I use another keypad to disarm yet another security system. Then I open the door, ushering Lucy in.

I give her a short tour, showing her the different rooms, not that she can't see them. It's an open-concept plan. The only two rooms with doors are the bathroom and my bedroom. I considered not putting doors on them, but felt I needed a small token of normalcy in my otherwise abnormal home.

Turning to Lucy, I wait for her response. She doesn't say anything for several moments. Instead, she takes in the place.

When she finally looks up at me, my heart is pounding in my chest.

Will she say she hates it and wishes I had never taken her? I wouldn't blame her.

Instead, in her small voice, she whispers, "Where will I sleep?"

I take her back to the bedroom and open the door.

She steps inside, turning to ask me, "Where will you sleep?"

I shrug. I'd like to sleep with her, but I don't think she will go for that. No, that will have to come later when she trusts me.

She proves me right with her next words.

"Not in here with me, right?"

I shake my head no. I want to say not unless you want me to , but I don't. I just leave it at no.

She lets out a breath of relief.

"Can I have some time? I need to come to terms with everything."

I bow my head to her. I hate that she needs time, but I have plenty to give her.

As she shuts the door, I think to myself, Take all the time in the world.