Page 104 of Cunning Lies
“I’m comingwithyou,” Vi demands.
Warmth bursts through me. When Vi sets her sights, she doesn’t let go until she has it. I admire that.
That’s my woman.My wife.
I grunt, then open the passenger door for her.
I speed, darting through traffic as the sky darkens with an afternoon storm, and Vi bites her nails. I take pride in that; any time I’ve seen her nervous before, it was probably fake, but now, I know it’s real.
I should call for backup; Dice will probably listen because he’s a man of logic, and Ronin has shown that he can earn our loyalty.
But I can’t risk it. If I bring Dice or Ronin, there’s a risk that they’ll kill Jay and Vi.
Right off of Red Rock Canyon Road, we take the scenic loop to Oak Creek. Going past the trailhead, there’s a large building hidden behind one of the sandstone rock formations. Out here, everything is rich red and mud brown, so the brown walls of the building camouflage the storage facility with the desert. It’s formal enough to be a visitor’s center, with darker trim and authoritative writing over each door, so no one would ever second-guess its purpose. But there are no windows, and the double door entrance and the garage hatch are always locked. It’s only one of several facilities we have spread throughout the desert.
Lightning cracks overhead. Vi startles, and I clench my jaw. The storm clouds swallow what’s left of the late afternoon light.
We’re here.
Jay stands outside of the building with his phone up to his ear, a smile on his scabbed lips. Bruised blue skin. Gray and brown hair smashed against his forehead. Sweat on his temple.
And the bastard waves.
I check my holster, then get out of the car, moving slowly toward him. I consider telling Vi to stay in the car, but I know she won’t listen.
“Thisisit, isn’t it?” Jay asks. “I knew it.” He holds up the phone, and I aim my gun at the device, but he laughs. “I already sent the location to the Ito-gumi. They’re sending someone to pick it up right now.”
Ifhe’s telling the truth, the Ito-gumi won’t do it themselves; they’ll hire someone else to come out here. And if Jay thinks they’ll actually pay up, he’s mistaken. The only reason they’ve kept him alive is to get more out of us, but he’s already lost that connection by letting Vi tell me everything.
Vi is my goddamn miracle.
“You’re fighting a losing battle,” I warn. “You don’t want to do this. The Endo-kai—”
Jay’s hearty laughter bounces off of the sandstone. Thunder rolls around us, and the sky is gray and ominous. The storm is about to break.
“You ain’t gonna do shit,” Jay says. “The Ito-gumi will wipe their asses with you. It won’t be a war. It’ll beannihilation.”
I want to ask what he means by ‘war,’ but I don’t say anything. My word to keep him alive is null; he hurt Vi. I pull back the hammer on my gun.
“Do it! I dare you, motherfucker,” Jay howls like a madman. “See how sweet ol’ V likes it,” he mocks in a baby voice. He throws a look in her direction. “Good job. You played your part so well, sweetheart. You can drop the act now.”
“There is no act!” she screams. “Give it up! The Endo-kai are coming!”
I put up a hand, making sure she stays back. Jay steps closer to the door, trying the handle to the storage facility, but it doesn’t budge.
“You can’t get in,” I shout.
“But Ican,” he says. He pulls out a different smartphone, a wide smirk on his face. “This is all I need.”
He presses it to the lock. A small light at the top of the keypad flashes red, then turns off.
“What the—”
I catapult my body toward him, pressing my gun to his temple but he elbows me in the nose and I swing back, then connect my fist with his jaw. His teeth snap together, biting my arm and I crush his windpipe with that arm, but he kicks me.
“Give me your phone!” Jay shouts.
He rams toward me and we roll on the ground, covered in dirt, trying to kill the other. Vi made me promise not to hurt him, but I can’t keep that promise now. Even if I don’t kill him, hehasto die. The Endo-kai won’t let him go.
