Page 67 of Toxic

I read through the report. “Take everything to Takeda-sama.” I give her a hard stare unwilling to reveal how at odds my brother and I are over his lover and her younger brother.

Knowing also how protective he is after the stunt my mother pulled is another reason why it would be better coming from a neutral source.

Bowing she leaves without another word walking like flames are licking at her heels. I’m sure in my current mood I give the impression that I’m a demon from hell. The last few days have been a torrent of emotions, something I chose to keep from Taylor. I know my brother’s not fairing much better.

A previous conversation still leaves me stunned.“Do you want her?” Heasksinagentleway. “I know you went out your way to tell her about my Yakuza princess as she put it.”

It was then I knew he was lost in her not that I’m anyone to judge. I don’t know when I lost myself again in Taylor.

“You’ve never been found, poor thing.”Hechuckles.“You’ve been locked in from the start. All this seeking of vengeance even I knew it was a bullshit excuse to have her back under you.”

“Fuck you, Monster,” I sneer, focusing on finishing my work now that I feel some semblance of my sanity returning. Now I can go see her without the event of the last time repeating. New challenges rose out of this trip home. Now with my mother, brother, and possibly sister at odds, all are looking to me take over the navigation we as a family have to undertake to fully free mother and Kana, though what Kiyoshi will have to say about that is still to be decided. Mother’s behavior to Krie was unexpected, maybe her confinement played a factor in her rashness. Her brazenness was astounding. She’s been out of sorts since the thing with us and our cousin transpired, now that we know the truth, my brother and I are left without an enemy at least not the one we thought.

Sitting out the medication on my desk, I set to administer it wondering why I haven’t shown Tay-chan the process.

“You still don’t trust our little dove,”Heanswers what I already know.

Will I ever? The moment I do, I will be waiting for another betrayal. Leaving was not enough, no. Her actions nearly ended me. I can’t leave myself open to her again. My heart cannottake it nor my mind. What will be left after will far surpass anything she has ever experienced from the Monster. The monster inside that is unvarnished Hisashi Takeda is far more terrible. Unleashed after such an event will lead to her complete annihilation, neither of us will survive because how could I ever go on knowing I harmed my little dove. I don’t trust myself to trust her after what she’s done. That may prove to be the death to us ever getting past our history but to give in and lose risks something far greater — our very lives.

It's not like I blame her for being unwilling to watch over me in the condition I was in but the rest? No. She made promises, understood fully what seeing my tattoo meant, knew what our vows meant, ran, repudiated me then tipped it off with the ultimate betrayal.

Unease and the lingering misgivings I have haunt me as I administer the shot. Going home being so deep in the mountains of Osaka and the reminder of what I endured while in others care always leaves me ravaged in some way emotionally.

I know even as I put away my medicine, adjust my clothes and gather my laptop not thinking about anything other than my wife as I transverse the path to get to her.

Let’s just say how she greets me is not at all what I expected. The fucking door is not only locked it’s barred.

“I guess this is your little way of taking your power back.” A low mean chuckle crawls up my throat as I stare at the door I had made special to keep her in that she’s now locking me out.

You can’t make this bullshit up. She really thinks she’s about that life. She will as our younger staff often says, “Gone learn today.” Southerners and their colloquialisms, you have to love it.

“Aiko already informed me of the copious amount of plum wine and my best whiskey you’ve been drinking. I see it was a mistake because now your little ass has gotten brave,” I add, shoving the blocked door for good measure. She must havesomehow moved the custom-made sofa I bought from Joybird. I guess inebriation has given her extra strength.

“Fuck you, Hisashi,” I hear muffled through the frame.

“Oh, definitely,” I promise, leaving.

It takes me about five minutes to make it to the garden. My stride is unhesitant as I enter the garden, grab the chair from the table from which I fed her from my hand just a week prior. Stopping several feet from the glass door, I heave the motherfucker with all my strength through it, splintering the glass into thousands of pieces.

Satisfaction licks at me as I hear the crunch of shattered glass under my boots.

“You were saying?”

I don’t bother looking for her. Heading over to the closet where I keep all my special toys, I pull out long lengths of jute, toys, and clamps. Oh we are in for a fun night. I had not anticipated it being as such. I was ready for holding and soft whispers into the night with long lingering kisses that eventually got hotter until I found myself sinking into her soft flesh.

However, if my little dove needs correction, I will be more than happy to oblige.

I toss my arsenal of pleasure on the bed and go in search of my wife.

I don’t so much as find her but catch her. She’s trying to sneak out over the glass wearing a pair of Ugg slippers. As much as she tries to tiptoe the distinct sound of the glass crushed under her soft padded shoes can’t be mistaken.

She’s just past the door when I catch her little curvy ass. Reaching out I grab the cami top with one hand and belt her waist with my arm. I hear the harsh rip of the sheer material when I snatch her back. It’s in tatters, hanging in sad wisps from her when I heave her soft body up pressing her against me to protect her from the sharp shards. “Nice try, little dove.”

I ignore her kicking and verbal abuse — she’s literally calling me everything but a child of Buddha.

Silence is my shield as I take her squirming, flexing, twisting form to the special room making sure that I retrieve the ropes from the bed on the way.

It’s not a dungeon but a light airy space. The ceiling is open with rays of sun shining down like a halo blessing the experience. The walls are soft white damask with a dove and serpent motif I thought very fitting for our personalities. She always being in flight from me hunting her. The ropes and pulleys are all whites, purples, blacks, and light grays.

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