25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

I don't understand a word of what is said during the briefing. Okay, that's a lie. I do catch my name twice as well as a bunch of English words that the Japanese have incorporated into their language.

Going off Chai's dejected state that causes lines to appear across his forehead though, I can just about guess that he didn't tell Daichi Akiyama about our suspicions that the hit was more than a local gang getting greedy. It makes sense; we need evidence.

On the way back from Tokyo, Chai told me how bullheaded his father can be when it comes to loyalty. It sounded like a pain in the ass, but the whole honor and hierarchy thing the yakuza seem to uphold is also a little cool. In a romanticized kind of way.

Once his father leaves, Chai walks over to where I am standing by the door to the open balcony. We are in one of the Akiyama Group's offices in downtown Nagoya and the sound of a festival somewhere nearby has me dying to check it out before we go to Chai's penthouse .

I've been thinking about that and all the things we can get up to all day. Anticipation keeps my stomach in knots and little shivers race down my arms as Chai stands next to me, his shoulder brushing into mine. Just this little contact is enough to make me crave more of him, so I lean in and discreetly inhale him.

"You are going with Aran to the Keikai Estate. He'll get you a room and sort out your training. You start tomorrow."

The Keikai Estate… That's where we were yesterday. Where the arena is. I guess it also doubles as a dorm. "Wait. What about IS-Halls? I already live there."

Cheering from outside snatches Chai's attention. He pulls out his pack of cigarettes and my hand fishes out the lighter from my pocket on reflex. He lets me light the one he's holding with his mouth, then takes a puff.

"You could live there, I suppose. But you'd need to commute."

I consider his words, frowning. "Wait. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but are you saying I will also have stuff in the mornings before my classes?"

He nods, closing his eyes. "Yes. Before and after. Six to eight so you can make it to your 9 a.m. class and then two to eight in the evening."

This sounds exhausting and I haven't even started. "What about actually bodyguarding you?"

"I'll be stuck in the office dealing with preparations for the trip to Bangkok. One of my father's lieutenants will be handling my other duties in the meantime."

Oh shit. It doesn't sound like we'll have much time to fool around and try the one million erotic fantasies I had during the train ride back from Tokyo. The one in which Chai wears a kitty costume with a butt plug tail had me fighting off an erection while watching that surveillance recording.

I open my mouth to tell him about it and ask if he's down for that kind of thing when Aran enters the conference room and foils my plan to get Chai in the mood.

"Leon. Come with me," he says in an icy tone, his eyes narrowing as they dart between me and Chai.

Chai stiffens a little under the scrutiny. I push off the window frame and stuff the lighter back in my pocket. Making it look like an accidental touch, I brush my fingers against his free hand, the simple contact setting off a flood of warmth through me when his forefinger rubs my thumb.

"I'll see you later, Leo," he mutters, giving me the subtlest of smiles. "I'll send someone to track down the car and let you know what I find out."

I nod. "See you later, Chai."

Part of me is disappointed as I ride the elevator to the ground floor with Aran. I really wanted to spend the night in Chai's company and explore this thing between us. I had fun helping him today even though I'm probably not supposed to. I mean, I'm his bodyguard. I should be growly and scary and silent, there to intimidate others and protect him. It's just that being close to him unleashes this sweet hum within me, making even the most mundane thing sound like fun if he's doing it with me. Under the fa?ade, he's a bit of a dork, which makes it all the more enjoyable to chat with him. The teasing and the boners are an added bonus, though I'm definitely interested in seeing where they will lead, too.

I stuff the dejection away and try to focus on the positive. Despite sounding like a lot of hard work and early mornings, I'm excited to get started with the training. Since I was taken off the Muay Thai team, I haven't pushed myself as much as I'd like. I've been exercising and keeping in shape, but it's not really the same. The adrenaline from challenging my own limits is something that I've missed, but between school, working multiple jobs and dealing with Cindy's fucked-up mess, I really didn't have time.

"So, what am I going to be doing exactly?" I ask when we enter a black SUV parked in front of the building.

Aran fastens his seatbelt and doesn't bother to face me, his dark eyes meeting mine in the mirror. He's sitting in the front, and I'm at the back.

"The two hours before your classes will be gym and swimming. In the afternoon, you'll do two hours of Muay Thai or Krav Maga and two hours of shooting. The remaining will be split between learning about the Akiyama Group and our partners, and protocol. You will also be briefed about the conference in Bangkok, including venues, itineraries, and guests."

It doesn't sound like I'll catch a break. But it's fine since it sounded like Chai will be too busy to have time for me. It's probably for the best too, what with things kind of moving really fast between us.

Strangely, I'm okay with that part. I've never felt the way I feel about Chai toward anyone. I knew I was crushing on him before we messed around, but since then it's gotten ten times worse. He's all I think about, and as the SUV drives off, I realize I already miss his presence.

It's not even about his face or the boners he gives me or the hungry way he watches me when he thinks I'm not looking. It's his aura, his energy, the way physical space feels charged when he's around. I can pick out his voice, even his breathing. I can smell him when we are in the middle of a street full of food stalls. I have memorized the angles of his cheekbones, the way they curve and lead to his ears.

Shaking my head, I try to dislodge thoughts about Chai from my mind. It's just a couple of days. I'm sure I will be fine not seeing much of him.

I am, in fact, not fine at all. It's been about two weeks and training is going well—I'm acing the shit out of everything Aran throws my way—but I've only seen Chai once for a quick dinner. He's been dealing with some extra stuff for his dad, and we've had zero time to hang out.

The okonomiyaki place he took me to was amazing, and so was the dirty making out session we had in the restrooms, but that's as far as things went because he had to go back to work, and I had to do my homework and prepare for an in-class test.

The car number plate was a bust too, leading to a dead end at a scrap yard. Chai and I have been texting, but just like me, he has no idea how whoever we are dealing with found out we had a lead. The only people we told about the car were the two guys at Herald Security who are geniuses when it comes to finding shit out and whom Chai personally vouched for. He met them in high school and the three of them went to England together, after which he hired them.

I sigh, staring at the text I sent Chai. He's still not replied, which means that his meeting must've overrun.

"Gee, Leo. You sound like a maiden in love who's been locked up in a tower so she can't bang her Prince Charming," Naomi tosses at me, chuckling like the evil aunt who must be the reason for the princess' misery .

I throw an edamame skin at her. Chris laughs. We are at a sushi place near IS-Halls, enjoying a late dinner after I came back from training.

"I can't believe how easily the college agreed to let you miss classes for the entire next week. The teacher is still up my ass for oversleeping and being late that one time," she says with a dramatic sigh, pushing a few hair clips into her hair, so her bangs stop getting in her way.

I glance at Chris. He still doesn't know who I'm involved with, and Naomi and I have agreed to keep it that way.

"Easy fix, Naomi. Just get yourself a friend who donates generous amounts to the college like Leo did," our friend laughs, his black lips curving in a wide grin.

He's technically not wrong. The gym renovation the Akiyama Group is sponsoring did go a long way toward ensuring no one had any problems with me missing classes here and there. Until I finish this trial period and get the permit Chai promised, I do need to maintain my student visa or I risk getting deported. And that would suck, big time, not only because I'd have to go back to the US.

We finish our food and head back to the dorms. Since it's Thursday, that means we have game & movie night in the lounge. People are already gathering when we arrive, though we don't start until an hour later when today's designated shoppers come back with drinks and snacks.

The next morning, I don't have training because of a kanji test, which gives me time to revise. I think I do well, struggling just with one question that I don't leave empty anyway. When I arrive at the Keikai Estate just before two, Aran is waiting for me in the foyer.

"Hey, Aran. I'm surprised to see you here. I thought I didn't have the shooting class until five? "

He nods, gesturing me toward the elevators. "Hi, Leo. There's a change of plans. You'll do shooting first. Swimming and weightlifting will be in the evening. You can do freestyle. One of the guys can spot for you."

"And what am I doing in between?"

"Daichi is in a meeting with his lieutenants. He wants to make introductions."

Oh boy, what a way to make me regret having that katsudon . I haven't really met the Kumicho since that day at the Arena and I liked it that way. He's kind of intimidating, but not in the way Chai is that gets me hot just remembering it.

"Will Chai be there?" I ask, pressing my mouth shut at the narrowed look Aran shoots me.

"He will be. Now go get changed and meet me at the range."

Aran is merciless today, making me go one versus five in the airsoft room once I'm done practicing dismantling a gun and then putting it back together. I'm using a silencer and the point is to take the other guys without giving out my position. I manage it for four out of five.

"You need to improve your footwork. And your weak spot is your right side, just after you've taken a shot. Remember to always double check."

I nod, panting, and shake hands with the others. In the week I've spent training here at the Estate, some of the guys have started opening up to me. I still hear a lot of gaijin slurs, but the bumping and shoving has decreased. I think that seeing me work hard like them, if not harder, is a big part of the reason, but I've also been having dinner here occasionally and trying to chat them up in bad Japanese.

Once I've showered and put on a clean pair of slacks and a shirt, I follow Aran to the top floor .

"I didn't realize the meeting was here?" I say, combing my hair back with my fingers as we pass the mirror wall in the reception area.

It's grown a bit longer than I usually have it, the unruly locks playing up my tousled just-out-of bed look. I should probably visit a hairdresser sometime soon.

"It rotates every month." Aran stops in front of a massive double door. "Are you ready?"

I square my shoulders and school my face into a neutral expression, crossing my hands behind my back. "Yes."

We enter a gigantic room with an amphitheater layout. About a dozen men sit at a round table in the center, while the rows around it remain empty. The Kumicho is holding a tablet, bobbing his head absentmindedly as the man with the light brown suit talks about something.

"Shouldn't you be attending, too?" I ask Aran in a whisper, making sure I maintain my scowl. "Aren't you, like, the right-hand man? The Wakaman ? Washiman ?"

Aran's shoulders sag on a slightly exasperated exhale. But it's only slightly, which is progress. " Wakagashira . And yes, I am and should attend. But the official meeting hasn't started. We are doing the introductions first."

Being reminded why I am here takes my stomach on a rollercoaster ride. I double-check myself and make sure I am as bodyguard-y as I can be. I even try for an extra constipated expression so I can impress everyone with my dedication to the job.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Aran greets in English, dipping his chin. I do the same, keeping my eyes on the floor. "As requested, I have brought along Kwanchai's bodyguard, Leon Caruso. "

I feel like a specimen at a museum, wincing on the inside as the men's gazes focus on me. On their own, I don't think anyone could be half as intimidating, but together, it's a bit much.

"I thought you were joking when you said you've hired a gaijin ," a man in his fifties with short hickory hair and a scar across his nose says, slamming his big hand on the table.

Chai's jaw twitches, the action so subtle I'd have missed it unless I knew what to look for. His father, on the other hand, doesn't seem bothered by the comment.

"He's completed the mandatory training in a third of the time it usually takes, so Aran assures me of his capabilities," Daichi states.

What? I had no idea! Obviously, I know I have been doing well, but I didn't suspect it was that well. Or that Chai's father was keeping up with my training.

I want to stare and ask Aran a million questions, but I stifle down the urge and keep my mouth shut. Chai's lips arch up in a barely-there self-satisfied smile that stays only long enough so I see it's there.

The grumpy old guy scoffs, unimpressed. He looks like he wants to argue but seems to reconsider it when Chai aims a death glare his way. Oh, fuck, he's defending my honor. That's so hot.

Fisting his hand, the guy returns his attention to the Akiyama leader. "Still. Are you sure this is a good idea? We've never dealt with… foreigners."

"Do not worry, Goro. Kwanchai and I have an agreement in place. After the trial period of six months, we will see if Leon Caruso is still around."

Wah. Ominous. Good thing I like a challenge. If he thinks I got lucky in the arena match, he's in for a surprise… and that's not counting that me and his son are rubbing dicks together.

Goro doesn't seem like he's not worrying anymore, but doesn't argue further either, opting to alternate between scowling at me and Chai. I get the feeling he's not a fan of the Akiyama Group's heir, though I have no idea why. I mean, just look at Chai—he's handsome, capable, open-minded, sexy as fuck and has a filthy mouth I wanna see worshipping my cock. What's there not to like? We haven't exactly had much time to talk lately, but he's mentioned some of his ideas to me, like expanding the legitimate businesses abroad so the revenue can come from there instead of the grayer areas the Group is involved with.

I'm not na?ve though. I know there are certain things that can't be changed, but he's assured me on multiple occasions that neither he nor his father have any interest dealing in hard drugs or human trafficking. And that's rare, considering the profits such ventures yield to so many crime organizations.

After a round of names and posts are called out to me, I am dismissed from the meeting. I return to my training, focusing harder than usual so I don't think about how much I want to see Chai. We are leaving in two days, so I don't have to wait that long before things are back to normal. Tomorrow, I have to fight a couple of the guys to prove to Aran I am ready, then in the evening he's taking me to pick a vehicle. I won't be using it immediately, obviously, but it will be here for me when Chai and I return from Bangkok.

After I finish for the day, I go into the communal showers. Just seeing Chai was enough to get me thinking about sex, so I rub one out. It's a quickie, nothing fancy, just to get the edge off. Once I am dressed, I head out to meet up with Naomi and the rest at a club in Sakae.

The old guy with the scar from the meeting is smoking outside near the huge bonsai pots by the entrance. Goro was his name, I think. I dip my chin as I walk by him and greet him in Japanese, my arms covering with goosebumps when he gives me a nasty smirk.

Please, don't talk to me. Please, don't talk to me.

"You. Wait."

His gravelly voice halts me just as I've reached the stairs. I take a deep breath and turn around, keeping my face in a mask of bodyguard neutrality.

"Mr. Goro. Can I help you with something?"

His eyes size me up from under bushy brows that only make his thinning hair more obvious. "Maybe." In fast Japanese that I have no chance of understanding whatsoever, he says something to me, laughing by the end of it.

I clasp my hands behind my back, squeezing them into fists. I hate when people do that. As soon as the trip to Bangkok is over, I plan to take Chai up on his offer for intensive Japanese classes, because I'm tired of always depending on someone translating for me. Besides, the language has so many nuances and things you can pick up just based on the way someone speaks.

Putting a lid on my irritation at Goro for making fun of me, I smile. "I'm sorry. Could you say that again in English, please?"

He says something else in Japanese, extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray top of the metal bin nearby. "Ah, don't mind me. I was just saying good luck. I think you'll need it."

I don't like this guy. Not one bit, and not just because he's a giant asshole. What's his deal, seriously? I can stomach people underestimating me because I'm not Japanese or because I don't speak the language yet, but the Kumicho himself okayed my trial period as Chai's bodyguard. If he didn't think I could do a decent job, he wouldn't have put his son's safety in my hands, so why the fuck does this lowlife think he can speak to me like that?

Before I have the time to do something stupid like beat the shit out of the asshole, his bodyguards arrive with his car, one of them opening the door. Goro brushes past me, grasping my shoulder with more force than necessary. "You should be careful, Leon Caruso. The Akiyama Group is no place for outsiders."