Page 67 of Dangerous Deceit

“He’s fine,” Ronin says as he waves the question away. “Look, I wanted to ask about your wife.”

His accent, though it was mild before, is even softer now. In a few weeks, he’s already blending in, like I’m sure Tomo did when he first arrived. I’m hesitant to indulge in this conversation, butI do, because that itch burns inside of me. He warned me about her potential back at our wedding reception. What does he have to say about my wifenow?

“What about her?” I ask.

“There’s a possibility she’s a spy,” he says. Irritation rumbles in my chest, my muscles twitching, but Ronin continues: “You have to know that too. She’s not who she says she is.”

I roll my eyes. This is why he stopped me?

“No shit,” I say.

Ronin pauses for a second, and then he jerks his head to the side. “Then why are you still allowing her to be in our family?”

Our family.

It’s an interesting set of words coming from his mouth. “Family” can mean a lot of things; Vi taught me that recently. I still consider my biological parents my family, but I’ve considered Tomo my chosen father since he took me in eighteen years ago.

But just because Ronin shares Tomo’s blood doesnotautomatically make him family. He left the Ito-gumi; that proves he’s a betrayer. Why wouldn’t he do the same thing to the Endo-kai?

“Family, huh?” I say.

Ronin leans in, his voice low: “She’s using you. And if you’re not careful, she’ll clean the entire family out.”

Humoring him, I respond: “What do you suppose I should do about it?”

“Kill her.”

I meet Ronin square in the eyes. His facial structure is exactly like Tomo’s: all jagged angles and sharpness. I’m positive if we dug up photos of Tomo from his thirties, he and Ronin would be twins. I don’t need a blood test for proof they’re related.

But blood doesn’t mean family to me.Loyalty does.And Vi may not have earned her place in the Endo-kai yet, but right now, she’s earning it with me.

“You watch your fucking mouth,” I mutter.

“The yakuza codemeanssomething to me. I won’t touch her, but killing her for her betrayal is your duty, Kenzo.”

I scoff; he’s referring to the rules that have been in the yakuza for over a century: you don’t touch another member’s wife.

“But you must be vigilant,” Ronin prattles on. “She’ll show her true colors, and when she does, you cannot sit there and let it happen.”

Sit there? Has he been observing how things work around here? I’m the last fucking person whositsand waits for anything to happen. Now, he’s insulting me.

I drape an arm around his shoulder. He stiffens.Yeah, that’s uncomfortable, isn’t it, brother?

“Sometimes, it’s best to keep your enemies under your thumb, you know what I mean?” I say with animosity in my tone. “If you keep them there, you know what they’re doing. You control them. You can even get them to kill your enemiesfor you,and you don’t have to lift a fucking finger.” I smack my hand down on his shoulder. “Sound familiar,brother?” For a moment, Ronin doesn’t move. I add, “Ito Akio’s just using you to get to us, isn’t he?”

“Your wife is not here for you or the Endo-kai,” Ronin says, ignoring my inquiries about Akio. He puts a new cigarette between his lips. “She’s here for herself. She’ll sell everything if she has to.”

He takes out his lighter, and I sigh. The idea that Vi, of all people, is here for herself is ludicrous. She had a rapist for a cousin and has a manipulator for an uncle. She’s here because her family forced her.

Maybe it’s worse if she’s here for her family. I don’t know. Family is a powerful tool that can unleash the worst in us. With Ronin. With me. With Vi.

I should finish this with Ronin, but I don’t. I turn to leave.

“Go do your job,” I say to Ronin, though maybe the words are meant for myself.

I finish up a stockholder’s meeting, lightly mentioning to the CEO about the blackmail we have on him—the asshole has been spending corporate money on sex workers and a custom yacht when he promised he’d spend the funds on new infrastructure—but my mind is on my wife.

As much as I hate it, Roninisn’twrong. I’ve always known there was something up with Vi, but I figured I’d handle it when the time came. Or that I could break her. Transform her into my own little toy.

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