Page 18 of Her Fearless Ronin

Chapter 6

Jiro

Temporary insanity.

It had to be that. I didn’t know why I kissed her. I certainly didn’t need to show him the side of my chest, which showed both my allegiance to the yakuza and my initial status of executioner. He’d beenscared enough, but I’d been in a dark mood when I’d shown up at the store, seeing that stupid Max standing much too close to her,touchingher like he was entitled to.

Maybe he was entitled to, certainly more than I was, and yet it’d unsettled me in the most unreasonable way possible.

I thought back to all the times Hoka had taken what I considered stupid and reckless decisions as far as Violet was concerned, and I suddenly didn’t feel like pointing my finger at him anymore.

Everything I’d done with Hope so far was out of character—the jealousy, the sense of ownership I was unfamiliar with… the sense of belonging. So, I did what I always did best when my feelings were involved. I fled. Well, metaphorically, at least, because while she’s not seen me for the past three days, I’ve seen her, following her around town like her shadow as she was oblivious to my presence. I was too scared to slip again, knowing that this time I may not stop taking what my irrational mind kept screaming was mine.

My heart fluttered as she exited the sex shop to rush into the coffee shop just beside it, dressed in an adorable white dress with cherries on it and matching red Converse.

Koi no yokan, my mind whispered, and I hated that. The ancestors couldn’t be that cruel, could they? They could not give me a soul mate who was so forbidden—the little sister of the woman I killed. I was the source of this family’s misery.

I snorted. Of course, they would! Sadistic bastards. What better way to make me pay for my sin than to give me something I could never keep?

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I took a few steps back into the side alley across the road from her store, hiding myself from any potential sighting.

I let out a huff of relief at seeing Hoka’s name on the screen. The sooner we fixed the problem, the sooner I could leave and forget Hope.

Will you?

“Hey! I’ve good news… under conditions,” Hoka announced as soon as I answered.

I was grateful for his direct nature. I didn’t have time for mindless chitchat right now.

I snorted. “Of course there is. It’s Doyle, after all.”

“You’re good to go on Saturday, but you have to bring the girl. He’s under the assumption you would do nothing reckless with her as potential collateral damage.”

I pursed my lips. He was right… clever bastard.

I’d planned to do that part of the mission without her, no matter what I had promised or how angry she might have been. I was sure she wouldn’t be mad once I dropped her useless brother in front of her door.

“Okay, that’s it?”

“Not quite.” Hoka let out a huff of irritation. “You can only ask questions about her brother or his associate. Anyone else is off-limits.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “Like I care about his list of perverts.”

“And you can’t use any room or any girl.”

“Obviously!” None of the girls appealed to me, but the rooms… that was a whole different story. I couldn’t help but imagine Hope with me in one of them for a second.

I hissed as I felt my hardening length press against the front of my zipper and switched my stance to ease my discomfort. “What was it like not to have control of your head and cock once you met Violet? Did you ever consider throwing yourself off a fucking bridge?” I blurted out, not having only lost control of my body and lust but my mind too.

The line was eerily silent for a second, and I even stopped breathing. Apparently, the insanity went much further than I initially expected to make me voice this out loud.

“Jir—”

“I also may need Oda after all,” I added quickly, knowing there was no way he didn’t hear what I just said, but also determined to pretend it didn’t happen.

“Jiro.” I hated the worry that my name alone carried.

“I knew the brother was involved with local gangs,” I continued as if he had not spoken at all. “But I think it’s not just any stupid gang. One of them came to Hope’s store, and based on his tattoos, he’s a soldier of the Valdez cartel.”

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