Page 131 of Beast: Part Two

Dipping my chin at her, I then turn and head out of the room.

Stepping into the crowded main room of Red Dragon at exactly half-past two in the morning, I glance around. Many, Seth, and Hawk, are behind me as my bodyguards. Beast is in the earpiece walking Hawk through the layout of the building.

The smoke-filled room is dimly lit. The neon lights make everyone seem extraterrestrial. All the furniture has sleek lines and is made of glass and metal. Each booth has a table equipped with a stripper pole and its very own stripper.

The main floor felt like any other strip club. Women in all different shapes and sizes filled the room, all vying for attention, looking for the biggest spender. However, to find Micah, I needed to be on the lower levels. Or the belly of the beast, as they call it.

As I make my way throughout the main floor, following the skinny Japanese girl that introduced herself as the hostess, I take in all the surrounding men.

It’s obvious these men are part of the criminal world. The rugged looks, the number of bodyguards and guns I see attached to hips give them away. If that wasn’t enough to tell me who they are, the way they glare at me is enough to warn me of their intentions.

“Okay, Zel,” Kimi says through the earpiece in my ear. “You’re going to meet Akito. He is the owner of the club. This part is going to be very crucial. You have to convince him you’re there to sleep with one of his women.”

We went over all this back at the ghost house before I left. In order to have access to the belly of the beast, you have to prove you are here for the reason of sampling a woman. Spectators don’t get access to that level. Too much at stake to let just anyone down there.

I touch my left ear.

“He hears you and he understands,” Maksims says, reading the signal off Hawk’s glasses. Not only is it too loud in here forthem to pick my voice up clearly over the earpiece without me yelling, it’s also weird for me to walk around talking to myself. Too many eyes on me.

“Alright,” Kimi says when we stop in front of a red door. “You’re on your own from this point. Seth, you go in with him.”

The hostess knocks twice on the door before a male voice tells her to enter in Japanese. The hostess opens the door and steps aside. I tug at the hem of my suit jacket before walking into the room. Seth follows behind me. The door closes and I’m in the room with the man I assume to be Akito.

He looks to be around my age. His black hair is shaved so low he’s nearly bald. His tattoos cover his neck and hands. There are two other men in the room with us that I assume are his bodyguards. Akito sizes me up, taking me in from head to toe. I do the same with him. I don’t speak. In the Yakuza society I grew up in, I am of higher rank than him, so he needs to speak first.

Akito nods his head in a casual bow. I return the greeting.

“Kenjiro Isamu,” he says my full name with a grin. “I haven’t heard that name in a long time.”

“Ghosts don’t have names,” I reply.

Akito stares at me for a long moment before his grin spreads over his face.

“With all due respect, I hope you won’t be offended if I ask for proof?”

I knew this was coming. This is what Kimi was warning me about. There was no way I was going to resurrect that name without showing my proof.

Instead of replying to him, I slip my jacket off. Turning, I hand it to Seth. He looks a little confused, but he doesn’t say anything. Slowly, without taking my eyes off Akito, I undo my shirt. He watches me with a grin. Once my shirt is unbuttoned, I open it and slip it down my back and shoulders. I show him my chest and stomach first. His eyes widen as he takes in my marks.I then slowly turn so he can see my back. When I’m facing Seth, I can see the shock and confusion on his face.

When we were younger, I never went around my brothers without a shirt on. I was ashamed of my tattoos and the things I had to do to get these marks. The guys never questioned it. However, Priest knew what I was hiding.

Turning back to face Akito, I button my shirt back up.

“Proof enough?” I ask.

He dips his chin to his chest. “My apologies. What can I do for you?” his attitude and demeanor has changed.

Even though I have not been a part of Isamu-Kai for many years, my name still carries weight. Although, it isn’t my name that he fears as much as it is the man that gave me the name. I push all thoughts of my biological father out of my head.

“I’m in town for a short time. I want to be entertained.”

“And how can we entertain you?”

“I want access to the belly.”

My request takes him by surprise, but he hides it well. “We would be honored to supply you with your entertainment for the night. And what type of entertainment would you prefer?”

“Girl on girl.”

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