Page 144 of Emperor of Wrath

He glances apathetically at his sobbing boss before turning back to me and nodding.

“I certainly am, Mr. Mori.”

Smart man. And cold, and ambitious.

I knew there was a reason I liked Tetsuya.

“No!” Hajime screams. “No, wait?—”

In one motion, I whirl, draw my sword, and slice the razor tip of it across the front of Chief Hajime’s throat. A tsunami of red spills out as he clutches at the wound, his eyes bulging.

In seconds, the light goes out in them, and his body slumps to the ground.

I’ve paid Hajime a fortune for his loyalty. I will not tolerate him double-dipping, and there is certainly no place for him in my empire because of it.

I kneel and wipe my blade clean on his lapels before I stand and turn back to Tetsuya, who doesn’t look remotely distraught by this turn of events.

Excellent.

“Congratulations on your promotion, Chief Tetsuya.” I glance back at the body and the growing puddle on the floor. “Sorry about the mess.”

“Not at all, Mr. Mori.”

“I can assume I’ve made it clear that loyalty to me means not seeing other people?” I growl.

“Perfectly clear, Mr. Mori,” Tetsuya says with a polite smile, bowing. “And thank you.”

My foot is heavy on the accelerator as I drive home. When I call Annika and she doesn’t pick up, it gets a lot heavier.

My jaw clenches as I grip the wheel tight, taking the turns up the winding roads to my house faster than I should, especially since it’s dusk now.

Leka is alive.

Okay, maybe not. But he’s also sure as fuck not “confirmed dead”, as I thought. There’s no body. No proof at all.

That…unnerves me, to say the least.

I roar up the driveway and jump out of the car.

“Annika!” I bellow as I storm into the house. “Annika!!”

“Kenzo?” I turn to see Mal stepping inside from one of the gardens. “What’s up?”

“Where is she?” I snap.

His brow furrows. “Annika?” He nods with his chin in the direction of Takeshi’s lair in the garage. “You just missed them.”

“What?”

“The four of them just took off up the mountain road on bikes. They’re headed toward Sakamoto Castle—Kenzo!”

He runs after me when I turn, bolt back outside and jump behind the wheel of the car again, revving the engine as my jaw grits tightly.

Mal opens the side door and jumps in.

“What are you doing?”

“Coming with you,” he grunts.

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