Page 94 of Dangerous Deceit

This is why I don’t make promises. Jay is just as bad as Patrick, if notworse.Vi thinks he was there to save her from the back seat of the car, but he was there to make sure his contract killer finished the job and killed her too.

He’s let Vi believe these lies for most of her life.

But I made a promise not to kill him, and for some fucked-up reason, I still want to win Vi’s loyalty. To show her that herprecious uncle isn’t who she thinks he is, butIcan still be good to her. I can keep my word. I’ll be the home she’s always wanted.

And that means letting Jay live. For now. Only for now.

“What does she think?” I ask. I want to hear it from him and get it on this recording.

“Burglary gone wrong,” he says. “But I never let her focus on that. We’re family now, you know? Even if Patrick went on vacation.”

His eyes are bleary, but it’s not sadness. It’s the alcohol and his acting mixed together with a hint of anger leaking through his performance.

His fingers tap the bar, the kanji scar gleaming in the dim light. He’s still trying to play us, but it’s more personal now. It’s not just about the guns or his client. It’s about the scar. About Patrick. About what he knows I’m doing to Vi.

“Vi thinks he’s dead,” I say, as a warning, but Jay doesn’t take the bait.

“If I know my kid, he did what he thought was best.”

I force myself to pretend like none of this bothers me, but inside, I imagine shooting Jay in the head just like I did to his son. His brains would splatter on the casino’s ceiling, his body melting into the kaleidoscope carpet until thewakashucame to clean him up.

I’ll give him a few more days, enough time so I can talk to Vi and make her see the truth. After that, Jay will be gone.

“Patrick is one thing, but Vi? She’s a good girl,” Jay says absentmindedly. He hits the bar, and the bartender brings him a shot of vodka, like he’s been drinking herelongbefore I showed up. “I knew it wasn’t a good idea to make a deal with the yakuza, but if anyone can survive, it’s her. She’s a fighter. She’s been through so much.”

Those words sink into me. Jay kept Vi alive to get the life insurance money, but now, she’s disposable, an offering he’swilling to sacrifice to the yakuza, a way to get closer to what he wants. He’sstillusing her. He probably used Patrick in the same exact way. If Vi died for this deal, it wouldn’t matter to Jay. And yet, Vi thinks he’s doing this for their family.

What fucking family?

“You raised a good one.” I smack his back, my jaw clenched tight. “I’m glad you found her.”

Because now, she’s mine.

“Does that mean I can get the job? Negotiate and everything?” he asks.

I nod, knowing this may be a mistake, but it is the only option I’ve got right now. I can’t kill him, which means I’ve got to find another way to get rid of him. I need to keep him close to me until I don’t need him anymore. Once I’ve convinced Vi that Jay doesn’t deserve her loyalty, he’ll be desert trash, roasting under the sun.

“I’ll meet you in Red Rock Canyon in a few days,” I say. An idea pops into my head; maybe I can get another enforcer to kill him instead, that way, Vi can’t hate me for it. “We’ve got a stash there. I’ll have you handle it, and when you’re done, we can discuss other options.”

“You keep your guns out in the desert?” he asks.

The desert is vast, so I don’t give him a direct answer. I tilt my head to the side.

“We’ll see if you’ve got what it takes,” I say.

He offers me his hand. “You’re a good man, Ken.”

I snicker, holding in a scoff. “Kenzo,” I correct.

I shake hands with the traitor, and then I leave.

CHAPTER 42

VI

In the penthouse,minutes keep passing by, and my sanity disappears with them. Kenzo is going to rip me apart like a helpless insect, and I refuse to be fragile. I need to do something, to take action, but I don’t knowwhatto do. There’s no way to pick his office’s doorknob—it’s digital, and I need his phone to access it, anyway—so I’m going caveman style.

I cradle a heavy vase under one of my arms, staring at the office door. I don’t want to give the Golden Honor Firearms information to Uncle Jay, so I have to find something else. Something just as good to satiate our client. I don’t want to screw Kenzo or his family over, but I have to dosomethingbefore I destroy everything.

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