Page 27 of Bound By the Yakuza

What could they do to me? Fine me? Deport me? If that happened, I’d never be able to come back to Japan again. My heart ached at the thought of it. I loved Tokyo. In this short time I had been here, I had never felt more happy in my entire life. It couldn’t end like this.

I caught a tear rolling down my cheek and shook my head. “Get it together, Karina,” I whispered to myself. I could not show weakness. I took a deep breath to settle my nerves. I had to be strong.

At least none of the other girls were arrested. Sure, I was paying them cash, but besides that they were innocent. I didn’t want them to be forced back into sketchy massage parlors. I hated how criminals took advantage of desperate women.

If I ever got out of here. No. Once I got out of here I would check in on them all personally. I had to make sure they didn’t repeat past mistakes. It was my fault they were out of a job and I would never forgive myself if they had to go back to selling their bodies.

I sighed and closed my eyes. The low hum of the fluorescent lights gave me a headache. I had to try to sleep. Then, whenever they decided to let me tell my side of the story, I would be level headed.

-

The magnetic lock buzzing woke me from my restless sleep.

“Wake up, Russian girl.” Someone barked.

I groaned and sat up. My neck was stiff. I blinked a few times and the memories of last night came rushing back. I bolted to my feet and came face to face with a cop. “I’m up.” I said defiantly.

There was another cop blocking the entrance.

The first cop handcuffed my hands in front of me. “Let’s go.”

“What’s going on?” I asked.

The cops were silent as they led me out of the holding cell and down the hall. Our footsteps echoed in the silence as we walked. They stopped at a door that opened to a small interrogation room.

I sat down and one of the cops sat down across from me. He was older, with gray hair and a serious look in his eyes. There was a flash of red as the cop threw my passport down on the table. “Tourist visa, hm?”

I stayed silent, flicking my eyes down to the passport for only a moment.

“Who were you working with? Yakuza?”

I didn’t respond. I knew anything I said might put me in jeopardy. I had to be extremely careful in how I responded. Luckily for me, growing up in a crime family had the perks of less traditional tutoring, such as dealing with interrogators.

The cop slammed his hand down on the table. “Tell me!” He shouted. “Are you working with Yakuza?”

“I work alone,” I said.

“There’s no way the Himura clan would let you operate in their territory. Don’t play dumb. I’ve been dealing with that group since you were in diapers.” He gritted his teeth.

Great. Not only was I in jail, but I was being held by a cop with a vendetta against Tatsuya’s gang. I couldn’t say anything now. I didn’t want to risk them getting involved. “I told you, I work alone,” I repeated.

The cop growled in his throat. His face was turning red. “I want you to know that I’m not like those other corrupt cops,” He said. “If you work with me and give me information on the Himura-gumi or the Shimazu-kai, I can limit your punishment. Small time cash businesses are the least of my worries right now. Tell me about the yakuza.”

I sat tight-lipped. My eyes locked on to his, daring him to ask me again.

The cop stood up and knocked his chair back in the process. “Fine.” He went to the door and then turned back to me. “We have set Your bail at 1.5 million yen. If you don’t talk by this time tomorrow, I’ll be in touch with the Russian embassy.” He slammed the door behind him.

??

TATSUYA

My heart dropped.

The doors leading upstairs to the massage parlor had been locked. Police tape was across every entrance. A cop was parked on the street, seemingly waiting or watching for someone. I hung back in the shadows of the alley, watching the cop talk to someone on his phone.

What had happened to Karina? Was she safe?

Anger surged through my body. I stalked over to the police cruiser and rapped my knuckles against the window.

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