Page 86 of Curses & Kitsune

Her guard holds the car door open for her, and Ren steps into the big black vehicle before it speeds away into the sea of rushing cars.

After a quick train ride from the parlor, I arrive at Hideyoshi’s Izakaya. The sight of our restaurant always fills me with pride. I walk beneath the banners waving in the doorway, and the smell of home-cooked ramen broth, grilled meats, and spicy curry sauce makes my mouth water.

The tables are packed with people, several of whom I recognize. There’s the salarymen on their lunch break who wave at me. Foreigners having a liquid lunch at the bar as they pore over maps. The mother who lives down the street has brought her baby and small son in for a meal. Of course, there are some members of the Namikawa-kai stuffing their faces with bowls of ramen. They dip their heads at me as I pass.

The sight of so many familiar faces fills me with joy. Through food, we’ve fostered a community of friendly faces, regulars who always come back for more and never leave unsatisfied. Raiden and I have created something beautiful, something all our own.

Of course, just because I’m retired from reporting doesn’t mean I’ve given up photography. I’ve filled the walls with photographs of iconic attractions throughout Tokyo, of Raiden hard at work in the kitchen, and the food we’ve created. The restaurant’s namesake has a few photos, too, older photos of him with a much smaller, younger Raiden in the kitchen together.

Even though my relationship with Hideyoshi became complicated at the end, I’ll always be grateful to him for raising the man I love and providing him with the father figure he never had. He deserves to be honored for that much.

“Hi, everyone!” I chirp as I sweep into the kitchen. Steam billows from dozens of smoking pots and pans. The chefs greet me enthusiastically. “Keep up the good work! Where’s Raiden?”

“In the office,” one of our chefs says, stirring a big vat of curry sauce.

I can’t wait to show him my tattoo. Biting my lip, I make my way into the little office. We’ve made it into a cozy den with a sofa big enough for both of us to sleep on at the end of a long, hard day when neither of us felt like going back to the penthouse. Behind the big desk, Raiden scowls as he types away into the computer, a stack of paperwork beside him.

I kick the door shut and grin at him. “Hey.”

He grunts, clacking away on the keyboard.

“Hey, Jinta. What’s up? I missed you. Aww, thanks, baby. I missed you, too.”

Amusement hooks the corner of his cheek before he taps a key and says, “And, done. Thank fuck.” He groans and leans back into the chair, then gives his lap a pat. Those dark, lidded eyes tempt me closer until I’m straddling him in the chair. Cupping his face in my hands, I lean down and brush my lips over his. Raiden sighs against my mouth and sweeps my lips with his tongue, deepening our kiss when I let him in.

“Hard day?” I ask, nuzzling the tip of my nose against his.

Raiden rolls out his neck, muscles popping, and sweeps his hands down my back to give my ass a squeeze. “Much better now.” Parting my collar, he brushes his mouth over the mating bite on my neck. “Even the hardest day is better than my yakuza days.”

I’m pleased to hear it. I kiss his forehead. “Happy Anniversary, baby.”

A low, pleased rumble escapes him as he claims my mouth. “Happy Anniversary.”

I’m practically vibrating with excitement. “Can I show you my present yet?”

His eyes light up. “Go on.”

Grinning, I unbutton my shirt. Raiden parts the fabric, and his breath catches. Gently, he runs his fingers over the plastic wrap protecting my tattoo. My heart soars as a soft smile touches his eyes, filling them with warmth.

On my left pec is a black wolf just like his, a little yellow yuzu clutched in his jaws.

Raiden gazes up at me like I hung the moon. “It’s beautiful.” His happiness and affection flow through our bond. “What’s with the fruit?”

“I never told you? It’s a yuzu. It’s what you smell like to me.”

He snorts. “I smell like a sour citrus?”

I laugh. “Well, now that you mention it…”

Chuckling, he slaps my butt.

“Don’t worry, you’re sour, but you can be sweet, too. Come on. Show me yours.”

Unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt, Raiden pulls it open. After he became the boss, he had a tattoo right in the center of his chest of the Namikawa-kai’s crest. Now, it’s been covered up. In its place is the sun, shining through the branches of a cherry blossom tree. It’s so vivid, as if I’m gazing through the window of his heart and out into the open sky.

Emotion tightens my windpipe. “Wow, baby. It’s beautiful.”

Raiden guides my hand to the tattoo. His heart beats beneath my palm. “I’m not always proud of my past, but I’ll never regret my time with the yakuza.”

---