Page 62 of Her Fearless Ronin

“Quite the contrary, actually. My wife likes you; even when I was ready to throw you off a cliff, she saw something in you.” He waved his hand dismissively. “She isa bottomless well of goodness and forgiveness. Something that allowed me to get her back but that I can’t really turn off whenever I please. She wants you happy and she thinks you have walked away from Hope too fast. She wanted to meddle that day at the hotel, and maybe I should have let her.”

“Maybe so,” I muttered, feeling like an inept teenager needing his mother’s assistance. I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’ve given her plenty of reasons to think otherwise.”

Hoka leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Between you and me, she’s got a soft spot for lost causes. Take Alessandro Benetti, for instance.”

I frowned. “What’s the story there?”

Hoka rolled his eyes. “You won’t get the flowery version Violet likes to give. Basically, Sandro was a moron, thinking Lily was better without him, which made them both miserable. Violet, being Violet, intervened. And by ‘intervened,’ I mean she literally kicked his ass.”

I chuckled. “Metaphorically?”

Hoka smirked, tapping his temple. “Nope, and it’s a memory I’ll cherish forever. Anyway, once he pulled his head out of his ass, he went back to her, and they are happy now.”

I took a deep breath, my thoughts drifting back to Hope. “You think she’s miserable? Hope, I mean?”

Hoka looked at me like I was the dumbest person to have ever existed. “You must know she loves you.”

“She said that much, but it was in bed after—” I cleared my throat. “We don’t really think clearly in those moments.”

Hoka snorted. “No, wecertainly don’t. But women…” He shook his head. “They know their feelings. If she said the words, she meant them, and she was miserable when she realized you were not in the hotel room.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of his words sinking in. “But this life… it’s not easy.”

Hoka shook his head, exasperated. “She’s not in love with the life, Jiro. She’s in love with you. Everything else is just background noise.”

“I just—”

“Go speak with Violet,” Hoka offered suddenly. “Honestly, just go. She sent me, but I’m so shit at this I’m set up to fail. She’ll have the right words.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “You’re not doing so bad.”

“For real?” he asked quite cheerfully.

I laughed. “No, you’re terrible, but then so am I, so I understood what you meant.” I sighed and stood up. “I think I need to take a trip to Seattle.”

Hoka mirrored my movement and stood as well. “The plane is ready and waiting for you.”

I arched an eyebrow. “How did you know I would go?”

It was Hoka’s turn to laugh now. “I may not be the most articulate when it comes to matters of the heart, but I know men like us. I know how obsessively we love.”

The soft hum of a lullaby led me to the nursery, where I found Violet, her silhouette framed by the soft glow of the room’s window. She was gently rocking her son nestled in her arms, his tiny fingers wrapped around hers. The sight was heartwarming, a stark contrast to the world we lived in.

Shelooked up, her eyes brightening with a warm smile. “Jiro,” she greeted, her voice a soft whisper so as not to disturb the baby. “What brings you here?”

I hesitated, taking a moment to gather my thoughts. “I’ve been wondering… have you ever regretted this life? Being part of the yakuza, living by its rules?”

Violet paused, her gaze drifting to her son, then back to me. “Not for a single day,” she replied with conviction. “Yes, there’s darkness in this life, and I’ve felt its weight firsthand. But the love, the joy, the moments like these”—she gestured to the cradle—“they make it all worth it.”

I took a deep breath, my insecurities bubbling to the surface. “I’m not sure I’m worthy of Hope. I’ve made countless mistakes, Violet. Big ones.”

Violet’s gaze softened, her maternal instincts shining through. “It’s those very doubts, Jiro, that make you worthy. It means you care. That you want to be better for her.”

I looked down, struggling to swallow past the lump of emotion lodged in my throat. “But what if I can’t give her the life she deserves?”

Violet chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Hope reminds me so much of myself when I first joined Hoka. She’s strong, resilient, and fiercely loyal. She’ll be an incredible partner for you, and together, you’ll build a beautiful life here.”

I smiled, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. “Thank you. That means more than you know.”

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