Page 41 of Echoes of Eternity

The room fell silent, the weight of his threat hanging heavily in the air. I could see the fear and concern in the eyes of my coworkers, and my heart ached at the thought of them being put in harm’s way because of me.

It’s always you, Mae,I told myself with disappointment that probably rivaled my parents’. You need to protect them. Take the danger out of the shop and distract him.

“No,” I said, stepping between my ex and my coworkers. “Stop it. This is between us. Please, don’t involve anyone else, alright?”

He directed his sneer at me, his gaze filled with a mixture of frustration, contempt, and utter desire to win. “You think you can just walk away and leave me hanging? You think you can hide from me by changing your schedule?” he tsked. “I’m not giving you a choice this time. Either you come back to me, or everyone here will suffer.”

Kaito’s threat was a grim reminder of the dangerous world he was part of, and the reality of his influence was evident in the cold, calculating expressions of the Yakuza members around him. The shop’s atmosphere was charged with fear and tension, and I could see that my coworkers were struggling to remain calm. Sam inched toward the back room only to have one of the Kaito’s men pull a gun on him, stopping him in place.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You might not like the results,” he grinned.

Sam held his hands up in surrender and scowled, caught between calling the cops and trying to stay alive.

Jake’s tattoo chair creaked and one of the Yakuza members quickly let off a loud shot, ringing in our ears as blood splattered all over the walls and floor. The few female patrons in the lobby screamed as one of the male patron’s quickly dialed the authorities, bringing the phone up to his ear, only to have another Yakuza member let off another shot, straight through his head. Brain matter and blood sprayed onto the glass windowbehind him creating a morbid pattern, streaking down with the pull of gravity.

“Dammit,” I gritted out, trying to control my own fears at how far it had escalated in such a short period of time. “Kaito,” I growled, warning him.

Kaito flicked his lighter back and forth as he walked toward the entrance casually, the sound of light metal on metal the only thing breaking the tense silence that descended upon the shop. “I hope you guys give the janitor a raise. He’s got one hell of a clean up.”

Chivonn growled behind me, her voice resolute. “Don’t do it, Mae. Don’t.”

Kaito stood there, leaning casually against the doorframe, a dark grin spreading across his face.

“Mae,” he drawled, his voice smooth, almost seductive. “Baby girl. Why don’t you come back to me? We can forget all this drama.”

Drama? We have two dead bodies in here!

I froze, caught between instinctual fear and the aching thought of this entire shop turning into a massacre. Kaito’s dark presence was like a drug, pulling me closer to end this nonsense even as my mind screamed to resist.

“Stop it,” I said, forcing my voice to steady. “Tell your men to put their guns away. Now, Kaito.”

He smirked and blew a kiss in my direction before signaling to his men to stand down.

Despite the possible threat of death, I couldn’t tamp down my growing irritation. “You don’t get to just waltz back in and act like everything’s fine.”

Chivonn’s growl echoed behind me, her protective instincts flaring. “Don’t do it, Mae. Don’t.”

Kaito’s smile only widened, his eyes darkening with my continued resistance. “You’re still the same girl I fell for. We had something special, didn’t we? I’ve changed, Mae. Can’t you see that? Let’s just… forget the past. Come back to me,” he cooed, tucking his lighter away and opening his arms in expectation.

What do I do? What do I do? How are we going to explain this to the boss?

There was an intensity in his gaze, a mixture of false charm and desperation that made my heart race with unease. Did he really think we could ignore the darker shadows lurking just beneath the surface? He was acting like this was a simple visit instead of a double homicide.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my resolve. “You think I’m just going to forget everything, Kaito? Your delusion never ceases to amaze me.”

His arms fell to his sides. Kaito took a step forward, his expression shifting from playful to serious. “You’re overreacting. I want to protect you, Mae. You think these are innocent deaths? I’ve been following them just as tightly as they have been following you, trying to get into your pants. Just let me in again. I can help you, help your family under my protection. Can’t you see we’re meant to be together?”

I could feel Chivonn’s tension radiating behind me. I couldn’t glance back at her, knowing it would weaken my resolve to keep them safe even if it meant I had to temporarily go with the Yakuza.

“Mae,” Jake gritted out in a last attempt to stop me.

I took a few deep breaths, ignoring everyone around me, trying to tamp down the lump in my throat.

I’m so sorry for involving you, Jake. He was going to have to live with that death on his consciousness all because of me.

Kaito’s face reddened with rage at the lack of response as he glanced behind me. “Who the fuck is this guy? You fucking him, Mae? Is that why he cares about you so much?”

Gah! Did he have to be so obnoxious?

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