Page 84 of Toxic

The flak jacket fits snugly on my body, the infrared scanner pressed against my chest.

I make quick work of the magnolia tree. The white blooms contrast with the black I’m wearing but I’m soon swallowed up behind the thick leaves.

I sit midlevel the tree positioning myself so that I have an unobstructed view of the little house.

Following the infrared signature, I watch her form highlighted in blue as she sits on the sofa watching the television. Several hours tick by and I’d assume she was asleep if not for the periodic trips to the bathroom and the kitchen for snacks.

She always was a good by herself person having learned to do well being alone as an only child. However we both know that difficulty lies when she’s alone in bed at night. I know she’s back to having nightmares. She won’t take a sleep aid knowing I will come and hold her all night. I know she knows I’m here, which is why she closes her blinds and her curtains.

Like I said my wife is clever. She learned from my past behavior. She’s not left. Not visited her people. I assume she wants to keep it to herself. From what I could tell from the texts I read that she doesn’t want to worry her family. I understand that she didn’t tell her fellow musical theater colleague; she doesn’t want them in my sights. She knows I won’t allow anyone to comebetween us. She doesn’t need protection from me, despite what she thinks. However, I will eviscerate any motherfucker brave enough to step between me and what’s mine. I don’t care their relationship to her.

I made sure to keep her father away for this very reason. The ambassador is very busy putting out various fires with his government and mine. Much too busy to ride to the rescue for his only child. Especially when she keeps assuring them she’s okay. When I get her back —

“When she comes back, you will not force her this time,” Hechimes in.

When she’s back, I’m going to talk to her about putting others before herself. Silly little dove.

“You mean like you.”Hesneers.

“Fuck. You.” I sneer back.

And she knew not to go to them. She understands me like no other. I knew what she meant to me the moment I met her at the Sofia University charity gala. She saw me even when she was unsure of the monster that lay beneath.

Closing my eyes, I knock my head against the trunk of the tree. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” I mutter seeing her face when she begged me to believe her, the coldness of my response. I will myself to feel nothing so I wouldn’t snap her neck. Thinking she was lying, never doubting my brother let alone my father for a moment.

I always felt like I was something my parents hand to handle, had to deal with. The knowledge settles around me along with what it cost Tay-chan and me.

Finally she gets up her from trailing to the bedroom. I watch until she stops moving. I finally allow my eyes to drop. The wind is pleasant. I’m used to sleeping in this tree. Taylor for all intents and purposes knows I watch her but she doesn’t know how orwhere. This is my only option since she hasn’t left the house since she left me.

I’m here every night watching over her since day one. I stave off the rage of learning of my father’s actions and Kiyoshi’s complicity in Taylor leaving me though I know he’d not yet come in the power he wields within the family now and did what he thought best to keep her safe. Understanding doesn’t mean that I can forgive his actions and never telling me.

“I knew from the moment you met she would be a problem. She makes you feel something,” Hespeaks into the quiet of my mind.

I fire off a quick text before I can stop myself.

“Perhaps.” Raising my lids I look at the darkened house and the scanner to reassure myself her small form hasn’t moved before I close my eyes again.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

Taylor

I can’t seehim but I can feel him watching me. Blinds closed, windows shuttered, me not daring to peep let alone step outside, yet I know he’s out there watching. Oddly it comforts me.

I try to reason with myself that he knows I couldn’t come back despite it hitting the news who was really behind the arson of The Camellia. I’d been awakened the night of the fire to find my phone buzzing with back-to-back messages from family all aghast at Krie’s restaurant being burned to the ground.

Thad immediately came on saying how the Takedas were determined to exact retribution and how Kiyoshi was obsessed with his sister and practically had made her his concubine and locked her way in his Samurai mansion. The jet exploded afterward. I went back and forth between the messages from family much of which were broad speculation. My thoughts ran more along the lines of how Hisashi promised retribution if I attempted to leave him. Did I really think he’d done it? Or didI use it as fuel to finally do what I should have already done? Leave him.

After Sydney I was dying on the vine of his disbelief. There was no way to get past it and I know I can’t live like that.

Then there was a ping on my phone with a simple message.

H??: I spoke to Kiyoshi. I was wrong. Ore o yurushitekure

I don’t know how long I stayed up looking at the words on the screen. They shouldn’t mean anything to me. I should use them as leverage to get as far away from him as possible but I haven’t moved. Not an inch. My bladder pulses with intensity getting me to finally get off my tail and go to the bathroom. I take the time not only to shower but take down my protective style of two simple braids with satins scrunches wound around the ends to prevent breakage and wash my hair.

The shower is hot and again I’m thankful that Santiago asked no questions when I asked him if he still was leasing the cute little house right off Main Street.

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