Page 55 of Her Fearless Ronin

“You sure don’t act it,” I shot back as the car stopped outside a row of commercial buildings.

“Ready?” Hoka adjusted his jacket and checked his gun.

“Is meeting him here really a good idea?” The reflective windows of the building gave me a sense of unease.

Hoka tried to sound confident. “Valdez isn’t foolish enough to start a war. As long as we hold up our end, we’re fine.” But we both knew my real concern.

As weexited the car, Hoka straightened his suit. “If things go south, it might force you to decide.”

I smirked. “Oh, how appealing.”

His grin was wry. “Sure, I bet you’d hate having Hope in your bed every night. Tough luck, Jiro.”

Before I could reply, Hoka’s phone pinged. One of Valdez’s men beckoned us. As Hoka read the message, he hesitated. A sense of dread consumed me, taking me back to a tragic memory two years ago. I now had a better understanding of Hoka’s distress from back then. And for that, I owed him an apology.

“Hope…” I whispered, seeing her in a chair, handcuffed and slumped, unconscious.

My fingers instinctively reached for the gun in my holster. To hell with peace. Valdez was seconds away from a bullet.

Valdez quickly raised his hands, attempting a calming gesture. “Calm down. She’s unharmed. We can talk like reasonable men, and she’ll be safe.”

“You took her from the hotel where she was withmy wife, undermy protection?” Hoka’s voice was steel, his yakuza leader persona emerging.

Valdez’s bravado wavered. “I didn’t mean any offense. I asked her brother to bring her. I needed to prove he wouldn’t sell out his familyagain.” Valdez’s gaze shifted to the side, his lips twisted in disgust. “I was wrong.”

Following his gaze, I saw Leo Myers. My contempt for the man deepened—he was even worse than I’d feared. My fingers itched to shoot him. But my attention shifted back to Hope, her vulnerability diming my anger.

“I need to make sure she’s okay before we continue,” I said, my voice tight.

Valdez’s smile was devoid of mirth as he nodded toward Hope. “Go ahead.”

I signaled for Oda to check on Hope, wanting to keep my eyes on Valdez and her treacherous brother. She stirred as Oda cupped her face, her wide eyes reflecting her fear. The thought of her brother causing her more pain incited a rush of anger, fueling my urge to physically retaliate.

Oda whispered to her, and she quieted, her distress easing. I clenched my teeth, realizing I should be the one calming her, not delegating that role.

Despair sank in. Would I be capable of providing the emotional support she needed? Despite Oda’s reassurances, her gaze darted to me, and I could see trust and wonder in her eyes.

I managed a small smile, hoping to alleviate some of the jealousy that had been churning within me. She sought me, always me.

Then she looked toward her brother, and the intensity in her eyes was lethal. I couldn’t help but grin.That’s my girl.

Hoka’s tone was biting. “You promised civility. This isn’t it.”

“Neither is the yakuza meddling in our business,” Valdez snapped back.

“Hope has a connection to me,” I blurted out instinctively, my words ringing louder than I intended.

Valdez raised an intrigued eyebrow. “Really? Because my man Pedro tells me you never mentioned her before.”

“Well, I’m mentioning hernow.” I was leaning into therole of a possessive alpha male, which wasn’t too far from the truth. I glanced at her, and, unsurprisingly, her glare was squarely on me. She certainly disliked this display.

“So you’re claiming her as yours?”

I hesitated briefly, contemplating the ramifications of a “yes” answer. I didn’t want to control her choices, as an official claim would demand, yet at this moment, it seemed essential to establish my position. But before the words escaped, I was surprised to hear myself saying, “Yes.”

Valdez acknowledged my response with a nod. “Very well. In the spirit of our collaboration, I’ll pledge that you’re safe from us. But I also ask that you stop sniffing into our business.”

Hoka’s nod was sharp and decisive. “Yakuza have no interest in your business, Valdez. Our primary concern was ensuring Hope’s safety and satisfying her inquiries.”

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