23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Chai does not look like a zombie in the morning. He's already up when my alarm goes off, dressed and wearing an expression that makes it impossible to tell he was moaning and panting while my hand drove him crazy until three in the morning.

I watch him flick through his phone while mine keeps ringing until he throws a glance my way and notices I'm awake. Raising an eyebrow, he tilts his chin toward the bathroom.

I get up, letting the blanket slide down my body. His eyes fill with heat, roaming me.

"No dirty thoughts so early in the morning," I tease, grabbing the towel he's left at the foot of the bed. I wrap it around my waist, but low enough so it looks sexy and showcases the V I am sporting.

He adjusts the collar of his shirt, the desire in his dark eyes not disappearing. "What do you want for breakfast? I'll arrange for someone to bring it to the shooting range. "

I pause, staring at him. Oh right. Aran was going to give me a crash course in guns before we left. That explains why we needed to get up this early.

"I don't normally eat until noon."

Chai smiles. "Me, too. We can grab something in Tokyo." He walks over to me and drags his fingers along my exposed back. "Go take a shower and meet me in the conference room down the hall. I'll keep the briefing short, so Aran can teach you to shoot."

I do as I'm told. Apparently, we'll be investigating a warehouse hit and assessing damage. Chai doesn't think shooting will be required, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. Besides, I'm a little excited. I've never had or used a gun.

To my disappointment, most of the crash course with Aran is explanations and gun handling. I get to shoot a couple of times, hitting parts of the target. The recoil is worse than I imagined, but that only makes the rush of adrenaline as the firearm discharges stronger. By the time we are heading out, I'm buzzing. The little sleep I caught makes me even more hyperactive, but I deem that's for the better, considering I need to be alert and on top of my game since I oversee Chai's safety.

I thought we would be going by car to Tokyo, but we take the shinkansen train. First class is as packed as the rest of the train. We sit near the front, claiming two of the three seats in our row. The one on the other side of the aisle remains empty as the train starts to move.

"You know, I was expecting first class to be more… class-y," I say, watching out the window as we leave Nagoya Station. Buildings blur by, and as we pick up speed, I realize just how massive the city is. I knew it in theory, but the bits I've seen of it really don't do it justice .

Chai hums, leaning his shoulder against mine. The contact is pleasant, but it's the way he does it so casually that gets my heart beating faster. "It's a train, Leo. Not a plane. Though I suppose you'll get to experience that, too."

I whip my head at him. "We're flying first class when we go to Bangkok?" I've never flown first class. Or ridden a train. But I mean, of course Chai wouldn't fly economy. "What's the deal with that, exactly?"

"The Thai government is holding a conference. Herald Security, which is part of the Akiyama Group, won the bid for security. A couple events have been organized prior to the original date, which is why I need to go earlier."

My eyes go a little wide. "You work with governments?"

"This is our first major deal. It's why it's so important that I handle it personally."

I guess that makes sense. "Your father couldn't send Aran?" From what I gather, Chai's ex-bodyguard is involved with a lot of the Security side of things and has more experience than Chai. If the deal is so important, wouldn't it be better if he was involved?

Chai shrugs, dragging his fingers down the side of my arm. "I'm on the board and Aran's overseeing another project. Plus, I've been taking on more responsibilities lately. It's a good way to show I'm ready to take over."

His words give me pause. I scan his face as his eyes settle on mine, finding no tension there. I haven't really thought about it, but I half-expected he would be opposed to it. It's kind of how these things are always portrayed in movies and books.

"And you want that?"

He puts his head on my shoulder and sighs. "Yeah. There are a couple of things I'd like to change once my father steps down. He's kind of stuck in his ways, so he doesn't always listen to me, even if my ideas are good."

The door opens and a stewardess walks into the carriage with one of those trolleys with food and drinks. Chai lifts his head so abruptly from my shoulder, he almost headbutts me in the chin. He places his hands in his lap and schools his expression into that authoritative glare as the woman approaches us and says something in Japanese.

It takes my tired brain a few seconds to comprehend what happened. Or to remember that we are in public and that I am his bodyguard. I do look the part, what with my suit, slicked back hair and the sunglasses I've currently stashed away, but my boss getting comfortable on my shoulder while stroking my arm certainly ruins the vibe we are going for.

Clearing my throat as she glances at me, I plaster on a threatening scowl. I'm suddenly very aware of the gun in the holster on my left side. I do hope I won't need to use it today.

Two coffees are handed to us, and the stewardess moves on. We don't really talk for the rest of the train journey, arriving in Tokyo just after nine-thirty. If I thought Nagoya Station was packed, the one here is beyond crowded. It's bigger too, and it takes us twenty minutes to get to our exit. I walk closely behind Chai, my eyes on the lookout. Aran gave me a few pointers on what to watch out for, the kinds of telltales attackers have, but fortunately we don't run into anyone who seems intent on messing with us.

We board a taxi outside. Our destination is the docks in the Minato Ward. A black SUV is waiting for us when we arrive, so we switch from the taxi to it, then make our way to the warehouse in question. Four suited men are standing at the entrance, looking like they want to be anywhere but here.

"Akiyama-san," they say in unison, dipping their heads. They scowl the moment our eyes meet.

"Kono gaijin wa dare desu ka?" one of them adds.

"Speak in English," Chai instructs, his tone icy. He points at me when they continue giving me nasty looks. "This is Leon Caruso, my bodyguard. He's taken over from Aran."

They nod, even if they still appear as if they want to stuff me in a body bag and toss me in the ocean. Yucky.

We enter the building through a massive sliding door made of thick metal. Shipping containers are organized in rows, the doors of more than a dozen of them left open. There is nothing inside.

"Run me through what happened," Chai tells the four men.

The oldest one among them speaks up. "Azawa was doing his rounds yesterday. Got a call from him, saying there was some van waiting at the gate. He went to see what that was about and didn't check back in. We got here about an hour and a half later. Didn't find him, so my guess is they probably dumped the body in the water. Warehouse was wide open." He leads us up the nearby stairs, the metal creaking under our weight. "As you can see, the entire inventory was cleared."

I lean forward on the railing at the top, surveying the containers. It's stuffy in here, even if it's still just morning. "What was stolen?"

The man looks at me and then at Chai, who perches one eyebrow expectantly. "Mostly guns and ammunition. We are still working out the exact numbers. "

"Opposing gang?" I toss, scrunching my nose when the four men glare at me. "Or organization. Whatever."

"Could be. No one has taken responsibility."

"Any ideas how the location of our warehouse became known?" Chai follows up, taking a cigarette out of his back pocket.

I fish out the lighter I stashed in mine and light it for him, the very subtle lift of his lips sending a bolt of heat through me.

"We are… still looking into that," the man confirms warily.

Chai frowns at the containers below. "Get me everyone who works here. I've got some questions." He takes a pull and tilts his chin at a camera overhead. "I'll also need all the camera footage."

The four guys go pale, pinning their gazes to the floor. "The recordings are in the control room," the old one says, not daring to look at Chai. "But, uh, there is nothing from the past week."

Chai narrows his eyes, pacing over to a barred window. I follow, stopping a few steps away from him as I glance at the still sea. Seagulls scream outside, soaring in the cloudless sky.

"Get the staff. And contact our source at the local precinct. See if they can give us any surveillance from the area that can help us identify the van."

The four men rock their heels and skitter out, leaving me and Chai. I watch him smoke and pace some more as I turn the information over in my head.

The first thing that stands out is the CCTV. A missing day or two before the hit makes sense. However, an entire week, and with no one noticing, is anything if not strange .

"Not to overstep, but assuming no one is supposed to know where your warehouse is, could it be an inside job?" I say, catching his eyes as a satisfied smile blooms on his face.

"I'm glad you think so, too."

I blink, not quite following. "You're glad ? That it might be someone working for you who's behind this?"

"No. I'm glad that I'm not the only one thinking that's the case." He exhales, propping his back against the coarse stone wall. "I've suspected for a while that we might have a mole. My father won't hear any of it."

Oh . I stare at him, trying to read his handsome, smiling face. Looking for that hint that he's maybe joking. It's not there.

"You're serious? I thought this would be some rival gang trying to get in the way of your business ventures."

He chuckles, the sound proud and sexy. "I'm serious. And if my hunch is right, they've probably left something somewhere to make it look that way. Like a scuffle between organizations and nothing more."

"Akiyama-san!" one of the four guys yells, dashing inside and taking the stairs two at a time. It's the youngest one with the half-shaven head. His face is red, and he's panting. "We found something. You need to see this."

We rush outside after him. The rest are waiting near a loading dock, poking something in the water with long metal pole-like things. They scoop it out and drop it on the concrete. It's a body and it looks like a truck ran it over a couple of times. Oh boy, I'm gonna puke.

I'm about to run off and spill whatever might be left from dinner last night when Chai stands next to me and places his hand at the base of my spine. He does it in such a way that the rest don't notice it .

Rubbing gentle circles, he whispers, "Get your shit together, Leo."

I inhale deeply, then exhale, trying not to freak out at my first encounter with a dead human not lying in a coffin.

"Do you think it's Azawa?" Chai asks, wrinkling his lip as he points at a red circle with some symbol that's painted on the side of the torso.

Two of the guys roll the body over. I avert my eyes as a weird smell hits me, needing a moment so I won't start heaving and throwing up.

"This looks like the Shanpei Triad's crest is tattooed on his flank," the young guy who led us here says. He crouches down, inspecting the battered face, and curses. "It is Azawa. I recognize the scar. But why does he have the Triad's crest…"

"They are a local gang," the oldest guy says, scratching his bald head. "Active in the area. Maybe he got involved with them and was looking for a quick profit."

So, what? He told the rival gang about the warehouse, but then got offed so they didn't have to pay him. But what about that van and his call? Was that just to make it look like he wasn't involved?

If he counted on things playing out well for him, it makes sense.

Chai hums, throwing me a sideways glance that says it all without him needing to voice it.

He was right. Whoever hit the warehouse did exactly as Chai suspected, making it look like a self-contained hit by a nearby gang.

And if he hadn't told me he suspects a mole, I probably would've bought it.