Page 70 of Dangerous Deceit

There’s a dreaminess in her eyes, and my heart beats for her. Oil stains dot on her apron, and there’s a smear of dye on her cheek. She tucks hair behind her ear, and I fucking melt. Everything about her is perfect.

“Your own kid?” I ask. “Biological?”

“Maybe! Or adoption. Actually, yeah.” She laughs and wipes her nose. “That’s what I want. I want to give someone a home, like Uncle Jay did for me. Like what Tomo did for you.”

I nod. That makes sense. Kids don’t get to choose their family, but as parents, we can choose for them. And we can choose to give them safety and comfort. A home. Like Vi wants.

“What about you?” she asks.

I had never thought about getting married until recently, and having kids hasn’t been on my radar until this moment. I guess I had always assumed I would get married and have kids, because that’s how society dictates our lives. But because of the Endo-kai, a family isn’t something I’ve had on my to-do list. Being in the yakuza is having an extended familybeyondblood, and that goes for your kids too. I don’t know if it’s right to bring a child into this criminal world.

But it’s an option. If Vi wants it.

For a moment, I imagine filling her up with my come and giving her that family, but that’s not what she wants. I may be impulsive and greedy, but I can still listen. And if Vi wants a family of adopted children, how can I resist giving that to her?

I don’t think about the future, and yet I want to give Vi everything she wants.

“Adopting sounds nice,” I say.

She burrows her face into my chest, that burnt sugar scent somehow breaking through the fragrance oils and going straight to my head. A smile brightens her face, and I swear to god, warmth and lightness grip me, forcing me down to my knees. I want to make her smile like that every day.

Then it dawns on me: we’re sitting and talking. Maybe it’s due to my own reckless behavior, but I’ve never had that with a woman before.That’sthe kind of hold she has on me: Vi makes me slow down. And I don’t even notice.

“Even if we have a kid, I can never leave the Endo-kai,” I say, hoping she understands. Any kids we have will be involved in the yakuza for life, just like Vi and me.

“Of course you can’t,” Vi says. “That’s your family.”

My family.

Vi knows what the Endo-kai means to me,andshe accepts it. Just like she wants me to accept her uncle.

I want to do the same for her.

“About that family dinner,” I say. “So your uncle, Tomo, Mama, and all of us fucked-up yakuza kids?”

She nods, and I put my arm around her. There are options, but sushi is always my go-to choice, especially for family gatherings.

“Does your uncle eat fish?” I ask.

She shrugs. “He’ll basically eat anything.”

I wink at her. “Then we’ve got a party to plan.”

CHAPTER 31

VI

I patdown the sides of my dress. Sleek lines show off my curves, cutting off right past my fingertips. Usually, I’m more of a sweater and hoodie kind of person, and this dress is more appropriate for a Michelin three-star restaurant.

But my stomach crawls. Kenzo and Uncle Jay haven’t been in the same room together for a while. With Patrick dead, it seems like Uncle Jay is next…Or maybe Uncle Jay will make Kenzohisfirst murder. I’ve told Kenzo repeatedly Uncle Jay never hurt me—not like Patrick. But I know Kenzo, and I’m not sure if Uncle Jay will ever be up to his standards.

So why is Uncle Jay good enough for me?

I scowl at myself, then fix my hair. He’s my uncle. He adopted me! And this family dinner wasmyidea. I was the one who put this family dinner together, as if we could really be one big, happy family. And yet now, I can’t make any sense of it.

Uncle Jay has been different lately; since Patrick died, it’s like he’s a frustrated workaholic, putting all of his energy into the deal with our secret client.

Finally,he had said when I told him about the family dinner.I can scout out the information myself.

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