Page 7 of Love on the Run

The only thing stopping me from turning and looking at my husband to demand what the hell she is talking about is the how my mother raised me not to show out in front of company. It takes everything and I mean everything not to go off on him. She said years as in the whole time we have been married and her brothers have been in control of the Creative Chaos chip factory in Shelby-Love, Alabama.

“It was my pleasure.” The smooth use of tatamae is not lost on me when everyone here knows that he was holding this girl hostage to keep her brothers in line.

Even when it’s just family Akchiro never lets down his guard. Only Asa and I see him truly soften to any degree. Even to his brothers he is the head of the family and the Takeda Empire.

I’m not surprised by any of it. The betrayal and humiliation eating at me is as sharp as a Katana blade. All this time I’ve asked after his cousin. Hoping to mend the family, hoping to maybe even find a friend, while he has held her prisoner all for nearly two years out of spite. Then lied to me about it in word and deed.

“How can we help?” I look from brother to sister resuming my role as hostess and highest ranked female relative of the family though that all seems like a farce. What must they think of me allowing Kana to be held against her will in my home?

“My mother is no longer able to see after Kana in her quarters.” Hishashi informs us after a short beat of silence.

“I’m so sorry.” The brothers rushed to their mother’s side and now it seems as if she has made a turn for the worst.

“Of course you must stay in our wing.” I don’t even bother to look in Akchiro’s direction. “Hishashi, you must tell us howwe can help your mother. I am so sorry I haven’t been to visit her during her illness.” I bow deeply in apology. Akchiro should follow since he neglected them terribly, he even assured me that he thought it was a ruse. Now obviously that is not the case.

“That is unnecessary,” Hishashi’s voice is raw with pain.

“No, no.” Kana is urging me not to bow, her face flushed with embarrassment. For some reason I don’t think it’s on my behalf.

Rising, I glance over to Akchiro, who looks on with cool shrewdness.

There is a brief knock on the door and Kiyoshi strides in his face a mask of rage and a myriad of other emotions.

“Cousin,” his voice is rough, clear and more anguish ridden than his brothers. He makes a full dongeza bow that lasts longer than the customary thirty seconds followed by a succession of more bows, saying loudly in Japanese,“I apologize for the wrongness of my actions, all the trouble I have initiated against you. I offer my life as forfeit.”

“No!” I say, but he goes on as if I have not spoken. “I only ask that you absolve my siblings. That day long ago when I watched my father die, I was misled to think it was by your hand when it was the woman who claimed to be my mother. It was only today that I discovered the truth when she made an attempt on the life of my companion, Krie. I humbly submit my life to you to do with as you will.”

He might as well have dropped a bomb in the middle of the room. Kana clasps her hands over her mouth. I can only guess her mother’s treachery was as new to her as it was to me. Hishashi looks disgusted though not surprised. Akchiro looks as unbothered by the news as a viper sunning itself.

“And here I thought you were as ruthless as your mother and conspired with her,” he says in an almost bored tone. “I too owe you and apology for thinking the worst” he bows butnot as deep. “Hopefully we can move forward as family. Hana has been wanting to meet Kana for some time now.” His mouth quirks in a genuine smile to his young cousin. “The only thing I require is your continued loyalty to Takeda.”

“Arigato” Kiyoshi and Hishashi bow, continuing with more vows of loyalty.

“Hai,” Akchiro smiles at his cousins seeming genuinely happy. “I will inform my mother, and we shall all have dinner tonight. Hana will see to the arrangements.” He smiles over at me but there is a coolness to his gaze.

So not only is he a dastard, but he’s also trying to run me by making me plan an elaborate dinner on such short notice.

Yet, I nod watching the cautious interplay between the cousins. Nearly twenty years of animosity won’t be solved in a day but there is hope. I step out briefly to talk to the house manager to plan for Kana to come live on our side of the samurai mansion. Half an hour later things are still awkward, but far better than the interaction when they arrived the day before.

“I look forward to finally getting to know you better.” I’m gifted with the most genuine smile from my cousin who has been imprisoned my monster of a husband.

“I do too.” She bows to me before following her brothers out of the office.

I waituntil I am sure they are well away from the our family area. I walk over to him where he’s leaning against the a side table with his legs crossed like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“What the hell, Akchiro?” I whisper shout at him. My face is already hot. “How could you keep Kana locked up like that for two fucking years and never tell me about it?” I’m just thinkingthat most of my pregnancy, the birth of our son. My parents and friends visiting, he had this girl locked up like a criminal.

“I promised not to kill them. I kept my word.” He pulls to his full height towering over me, looking down his face a cruel mask. “I did that for you.”

Reminding me how I begged for their lives because I didn’t want to taint our newly formed family. The joke is on me. Because while I was skipping through the daisies, he had effectively cut Kana off from the world she knew.

“It’s a good thing you did. They didn’t know the truth about their daddy’s death.”

He slit his gaze my way. “Possibly.”

Covering my neck at his words, I gasp in shock. “You think they are lying?”

“Kiyoshi has been known to play the long game.” He shrugs. “Though I did detect an amount of sincerity plus his little chef has made him weak.” He muses seeming pleased to have found more leverage.

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