Page 24 of Cunning Lies
I chuckle to myself. Refusing offers like that must be part of the culture too. Don’t accept anything the first time; otherwise, you’ll be seen as rude. I see what’s going on, but it makes more work for me. He needs to relax so we can talk like regular people.
“You must’ve been traveling for a while,” I say. “Tokyo. What’s that? Eleven hours by plane? Twelve?”
He nods again, and I wait for him to clarify the length of the plane ride, but he says nothing. I can’t tell if he’s not a talker, like Dice, or if he doesn’t give a shit about establishing a connection with me.
“Your wife,” he says. “What arrangement was made?”
I scrunch my nose. “Her uncle touched one of our lawyer’s wives.”
“Did you know her before this?”
“I met her a week ago. I needed a wife for the corporate events, and she fits the bill.”
“Convenient, isn’t it?”
I furrow my brows. What is he talking about?
“What’s that, buddy?” I ask.
“You need a wife, and she emerges,” he says, as if that explains his accusations. His eyes follow Vi and her uncle. “Interesting, isn’t it? What is she after?”
I tilt my head, wondering why an ex-gangster from the Ito-gumi would cut off his finger, skip town, and come here, just to tell me that my wife is after something nefarious. My neck stiffens, because I had suspicions that she’s up to something too, but I dismissed it because—because—well, she fucking distracted me.
But I study Ronin. There’s a chance he’s saying this out of respect or honor, something noble like that, but my shoulders are rigid with irritation.
She’s my wife. At the end of the day, Ronin is an outsider, and our marriage is none of his business. Even if it’s an arranged marriage, I want to wave our commitment in his face.
Rather than ask more questions, like a smart yakuza would, I’ve got that stubborn blood boiling inside of me. I have to prove him wrong.
“If you do anything to my wife, I’ll cut off more than your finger,” I warn.
This time, there’s no bowing from Ronin. He keeps his black eyes level with mine. I don’t know what he’s used to in Japan, if it’s true what they say—that the yakuza don’t always resort to violence over there—but out here, it’s a different ball game. I happen tolikeusing my knives, guns, and fists. And this isn’t about Vi, but about respect. You don’t come barging into the Endo-kai saying shit like that.
Niko returns to the garden promenade and corners Tomo. Tomo’s eyes widen, then Niko disappears again. Tomo speaks privately to Cherry and Dice, before calling me over. I’m glad to leave Ronin by himself.
“Golden Honor Firearms has accepted our request for negotiation. Niko just confirmed it,” Tomo says privately to me.
We’ve been working on getting a deal with GHF for months now, and this is the first sign of any traction. With a direct deal with a firearms manufacturer, it will make smuggling a lot easier and a lot more lucrative for everyone involved. A greedy hunger grows in my stomach.
“Make the meeting,” Tomo commands.
Part of my job in the yakuza is to be the charming face that everyone fears and respects. Honestly, being the ‘face’ of the Endo-kai should be Niko’s job, but he’s got his own mind set on what his position is, which means these kinds of public jobs fall to me.
“Done,” I say.
Tomo laughs warmly, then smacks me on the back. “After you enjoy your honeymoon, of course.”
I turn back to my wife. As much as I’d like to steal my bride off for a honeymoon, duty calls, and since our marriage is based on business, I didn’t make any arrangements for a vacation like that.
At the table, Vi’s nose is stuck in her phone. I lean over her shoulder, scanning the screen; she’s reading something about different candles. It looks like she’s deciding whether or not to buy something. Maybe she doesn’t have the money for it.
Guilt sits on my chest, but I shake it away. Those feelings can’t control me.
“What are you looking at?” I ask.
“Nothing,” she says defensively.
I down my glass of whisky, then examine her. That candle tattoo behind her ear shimmers with glitter. It’s a container candle; I looked it up last night after leaving her suite. She’s got an attachment to candles, and that attachment isreal,even if her virginity is a lie. I want to ask her about her candle infatuation, but I’m liable to be sympathetic toward her if I learn that story, and that will give her too much power.
