1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My body shakes, alarm bells ringing in my head. I jolt awake, grab the enemy who's trying to kill me and press them to the ground, twisting their arms back so they can't move. I am not getting offed in my sleep, nuh-uh.

"Sir! What are you doing? Please stop!" a woman shrieks down the aisle, horror in her voice.

The person I'm pinning down grunts, shaky under my legs. "Sir, please let me go! You are hurting me!"

I blink, my brain still a little fuzzy. Then I look around, realizing I'm the last passenger still on the plane. I also have the nice flight attendant with the freckles in a chokehold. Oops.

Scrambling off her, I feel my cheeks go hot. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" I raise my hands in the air, watching in terror as she's helped to her feet by one of the other staff. "I was sleeping and thought someone was attacking me!"

God, this is so embarrassing. But also, I hope they don't deport me from Japan because of a misunderstanding on my part leading to a showcase of my sociopathic asshole behavior before I've even stepped off the plane. It would be a shame, really, especially with how hard I worked to get accepted into the Year Abroad Program last-minute.

"Shit. Are you okay? I'm really, really sorry," I apologize again, flopping back into my seat. Rubbing my face, I exhale deeply and try to calm my galloping heart, then apologize some more. I feel really shit about this.

"It's okay, sir. I'm fine." Freckles smiles at me awkwardly once I've stopped begging her not to report me to the police, her eyes still a little spooked as she smooths out her uniform. "I tried waking you up, but it wasn't working, so…"

I must've been more tired than I thought. Usually, I'm a light sleeper, but not catching more than a couple hours a night for the past two weeks is taking its toll on me. "Yes, um, long week. Sorry again."

A few more apologies and I disembark the plane, grateful that the staff were so understanding. The jetway bridge is quiet and a little stuffy, the humidity like little fingers tickling my skin. I knew it would be warm in Japan, but honestly, I didn't think I'd be sweating as much as I am. Undoing two of my shirt buttons, I haul the backpack over one shoulder and head to the nearest restroom.

I kind of look like shit. A handsome, zombie-like shit, but still shit. Lack of sleep will do that to you.

Running a hand through my dirty blond mop of hair, I tuck the unruly curls back. I've got dark circles under my eyes, but the blue in them is bright. I can't grow facial hair, so that's not something I had to worry about despite my long flight from New York to Nagoya.

A yawn rips out of me, making me blink at my tired reflection. I made it. I really did. I almost can't believe I pulled it off. It was a bit of a last-minute development due to a guy dropping out of the exchange program at my college, but that little streak of luck might have just saved my sorry ass. I'd go as far as to call it divine intervention since, clearly, the universe understands how much of a catch I am and how big of a loss it would be if I got shanked in some alley on the way home.

Shaking my head at myself, I splash some water on my face. Excitement thrums in my blood as I leave the restroom and head over to passport control. I'm buzzing, but also scared. What if something goes wrong? What if I don't make it out of the airport? What if there is some issue with my passport and the scowling middle-aged dude at the checkpoint who's glaring my way throws me in the torture dungeon I'm confident they keep underground for people on international black lists?

Jesus Leo, calm the fuck down. You're being paranoid and overreacting. You're fine. You got this. Those guys don't know your real name or how you look, so they don't know you left the States.

I peek over my shoulder, scoping the wide hall and the escalators for anyone who might look out of place. Goosebumps cover my skin. I had a bad feeling the moment my ex, Cindy, introduced me to ‘her friends', but I wanted to help her, and us, so I took the shitty job anyway. I went against my hunch and didn't ask the questions I should have asked when they handed me that duffle bag and made me spar with one of them to prove I could handle myself in a fight.

I really shouldn't have let her pressure me into it. But things between us had been bumpy, and we'd been scant for money. I really wanted to do something special for her birthday, so I let her reassure me that there was nothing suspicious when the entire thing stank like a rotting fish washed up ashore.

Still. I believed it would be fine. She'd promised me when I confronted her about it, four months ago.

Yeah, Leo? And how did that turn out exactly?

I snort with no humor behind it. I was such an idiot for trusting that snake and trying to fix what had already gone sour. She disappeared the day after our talk and left me to deal with her mess. Oh, and she stole all the money I'd saved, so I've been working extra shifts just so I can afford something to eat. Honestly, I'm such a tool for falling for her big smile in the first place.

I swallow down the bitterness and get my documents checked by border control. Despite the prickly sensation under my skin and my racing heart, the grumpy man lets me through without an issue. A weight lifts off my shoulders, and I finally feel like I can breathe. This was the last chance for things to go completely wrong, but they didn't, so there is no point wallowing in my past mistakes. What's done is done. I'm here for a new start and I plan to make the most of it.

Still, that doesn't mean I will be reckless. In fact, I will be the opposite. I am reformed, the poster child for responsible and smart adulting. New Leo won't get dragged into anything even remotely suspicious from now on.

Documents check concluded, I go to collect my suitcase which is enjoying a solo ride on the carousel. Grabbing it, I walk out into the Arrivals lounge where people from the IS University of Nagoya should be expecting me.

The crowd is massive, so I move off to the side and stand by the queue for the taxi and bus service, scanning through the signs with names people are holding. Before I'm even halfway through, something snatches my attention. A group of four men with black suits and sunglasses are headed directly my way. My hackles rise, my throat going dry. I try to look away and ignore them, but they are approaching me alarmingly fast, like homing missiles about to hit their target.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Did the assholes I worked for actually figure out what I am up to? But they shouldn't even know about the mess I caused them for at least a couple more days! Then again, what if they did, and sent their goons after me?

I train my eyes on the four men, vibrating from nerves . The sunglasses make the entire thing even worse, because I can't get a read of their expressions.

Seriously, who the fuck wears sunglasses indoors?

My brain provides a very helpful visual from that movie I watched some time ago about a hired assassin going after men who owe his boss money.

Yeah, no thanks. That's so not happening. I'm outta here.

I grip my suitcase handle tightly and bolt in the opposite direction, making the people around me yelp. Someone shouts my name in irritation, one of the bulky men, most likely, but I don't turn around to check. If they are here to take me, they sure as hell are going to have to work for it.

People frown and grunt as I push past them, letting me through with dejection written on their faces. I'm almost at the exit when I trip and fall face-first on the tiled floor. My nose burns with sharp pain, but I can scrunch it when I try, so I don't think it's broken. A chorus of laughs explodes around me and more than a few phones snap photos.

Oh boy, this is so embarrassing. But the attention I have on me should discourage anyone from threatening me with a hidden gun to my back to follow them to some secluded place so they could torture me.

Mission accomplished then. I should be relatively safe.

Groaning quietly, I push myself up and scowl at the people still taking pictures of me. I peek at the way I came from, searching the crowd for my pursuers. They've just made it to the taxi service and are currently… at the front of the queue, talking to the man behind the desk.

Warmth seeps into my neck and cheeks. I blink in disbelief as my lungs try to pump enough air. Those men were rushing to get themselves a taxi and not because they are agents sent from NY to hunt me down.

I shudder, scoffing at myself. Okay… I might have overreacted.

"What are you looking at?" I snap at a grinning kid who's pointing her phone and finger at me while on a call with someone.

Her mom glares daggers at me. I glare back, throwing in a bit of a snarl, too. My stupidity is not their fault, but they don't need to rub it in like this.

Someone suddenly grabs me by the shoulder. I shriek, twisting around and stumbling over my suitcase, but this time I manage to keep my balance and not hug the floor face-first. People stare at me anyway, just when they were starting to move on from my embarrassing fall. Even the intimidating sunglasses-wearing James Bond wannabe-s at the taxi service turn their heads in my direction.

"Are you Leon Caruso?" A girl my age with a long tawny ponytail holds up a sign with my name. She's panting, sweat beading her forehead. "I'm Remi, and these two are Yasu and Ken. Why were you running from us? The bus stop is at the other exit!"

The two guys standing behind her chuckle as our eyes meet, tossing greetings at me. They look friendly like her and are no older than my twenty-one.

"Oh. Um. I got a little confused…" When she raises a questioning eyebrow at me, I flash her one of my signature smiles. "And you startled me. I'm a bit jumpy when I'm underslept."

She nods in understanding. "We've been waiting for you for over an hour. Everyone else is already on the bus. Let's go!"

I feel bad making people wait for me. "Sorry. Got held up at passport control."

Following after my guides, I glance at the intimidating men when we pass the taxi place. They pay me no mind, going about their business as if I don't even exist. Relief floods me, urging my pulse to normalize.

I'm usually not this paranoid. I'm fun and laid-back. A total party animal with a killer smile and a swoon-worthy fit body. I also don't lack self-confidence. But because of past Leo's dumb decision to take on a job he should've never taken, I'm possibly in a bit of trouble. Or a lot of it, depending on how you look at it. That's all, no biggie.

I try to convince myself that it's all behind me now as we get to the bus and load my suitcase. It takes me until I've enjoyed a few glares from the other exchange students and found an empty row of seats to truly calm down. Honestly, it's all my wild imagination's fault that I'm so on edge, what with all those shanking, strangling and torture scenarios it's been replaying nonstop since I decided I've had enough of doing shitty jobs for shitty people. I'd have gone and told them I wanted out instead of taking such drastic measures, but Johny turned up dead a week after quitting that way, so I don't think it was a realistic option.

Either way. I'm in Japan now, about to start a new life. A year is enough time so I can figure out what I will do once it's over, but as the bus leaves the parking lot and I plug my earphones in, I realize that whatever I settle on, it will never be safe for me to go back to the States.