Page 78 of Cunning Lies
For now.
CHAPTER24
KENZO
In the VIP Lounge,Tomo is sipping whisky, an open bottle of Yamazaki next to him, his favorite brand. It’s a celebration, then. That’s good. Cherry’s even sipping on her own glass, and Niko sits beside them. Niko isn’t smiling, but he’s not scowling either, which means he’s in a good mood.
Dice nods at Tomo. And though I’d usually give Tomo a hug, I can’t do that right now. My mind is at war.
“Chichiue?” Ronin asks.
Just call him ‘boss,’ for fuck’s sake! Calling him ‘Father’ like he’s a goddamn idol is straight brown nosing. Sometimes, I use that title too, but from Ronin, it grates on me. The fucking suck-up.
Tomo pours three more glasses of whisky. “Golden Honor Firearms agreed to a soft deal,” he says. “No contract yet, but we met with Hayes, and all we need is a few signatures.”
A bolt of heat runs through me. That’s a huge contract. I shake Tomo’s hand. “Congratulations,” I say. He wrinkles his brows at me; it’s not my typical response, but we clink glasses anyway.
“Kanpai,” Ronin says.
Once we sip our drinks, Tomo turns to Ronin. “We’re going to have you work on correspondence with the Ito-gumi,” he says. “You know the Ito-gumi best, and your language skills are better than the rest of us.” He chuckles. “Even me.”
“Akio and I don’t get along,” Ronin says, his jaw set.
“You gave him your pinky. That’s an honorable expulsion. What more does he want?” Tomo chuckles, patting Ronin on the back. “Akio and I don’t get along either, but we make do, eh?”
“You have a working relationship,” Ronin says. “Akio wants me dead.”
Tomo lets out a deep sigh, and my back stiffens as I recognize that sound from him. It’s not good. Cherry straightens, her fists balled, ready to defend Tomo, and a hint of satisfaction spreads across Niko’s lips.
“If you want to prove yourself to this yakuza, then you will start acting like you belong,” Tomo says, his voice cold. “If I give you an order, you obey without question. It is your duty, Ronin-kun.”
All of us freeze at those words. It’s not like Tomo to threaten one of us, and calling him ‘Ronin-kun’ puts him back in place. After all, we are the equivalent of obedient children. We are the kobun, and we serve Tomo, our oyabun.
But Ronin, the brave fucker, doesn’t back down. He broadens his shoulders. Does Tomo have him worked up, or does it make him nervous to face Ito Akio, the gangster who raised him?
Is Ronin worried that his precious little scam will be exposed?
But Ronin nods deeply, closing his eyes. He adds a bow for good measure.
“Goi, chichiue,” he says.Your wish is my command, Father.
“Tell the Ito-gumi that we’ll be charging higher rates now,” Tomo says. “With this deal, we won’t need their business anymore. We can exploit other regions as well. But test the waters, eh? I want Akio to know that I still remember where I came from.”
Ronin’s eyes flicker away, and Ialmostfeel for him. Tomo left the Ito-gumi decades ago, chopping off his own pinky, claiming that he would start a new subsection of the Ito-gumiforAkio in the United States. But once he settled into Las Vegas, Tomo wanted to start hisownyakuza, completely separate from his old boss. By the time he was established, their business deals were too deep. Akio had no choice but to let the Endo-kai grow and thrive. It was too profitable for both of them.
Until now.
This negotiation—or announcement—may break our ties with the Ito-gumi. That’s a lot of pressure to put on Ronin’s shoulders.
But that’s only if Ronin is telling the truth.
I don’t offer any support. He wants me to kill my wife, and I want him to get his ass handed back to him.
Ronin leaves, and Tomo finishes his glass of whisky. He turns to the rest of us.
“Let’s drink!” he says.
About an hour later, Ronin returns. His mouth is pinched, a cigarette burning between his lips; he’s a chimney stack, puffing along until the bitter end.
