Ry-Jin: New Family in Japan

By Lola Nad

Keiko is amnesic. She does not know who she is, nor how she ended up in Tokyo. All that she knows, is that she loves dancing, and that she’s very good at it.
Despite her lack of memories, she loves her life, dancing in the underworld battle taking place in the capital of Japan.
But everything changes when she unwittingly barges in a transaction gone wrong between two powerful mafias.
Kidnapped for her own protection, how will her life turn out, trapped by Aaron Hanabusa, the powerful and cold-hearted head of the Ry-jin? One thing for sure, it will not be pain-free.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Dec 3, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543748932

Lola Nad

Lola has always been a very passionate reader. Spending most of her days growing up nose buried in a book, to escape the reality of the world, it seems only natural to her to start writing her own stories.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

LET THE BATTLE BEGIN

Gather around, folks! I’ll introduce our two contestants now… A Japanese man said in a mic.

The crowd did not react much to this. Or maybe they just could not hear him over the sound of the thumping music and all the conversations going around. Nevertheless, Heide carried on.

On one side Mahibuse Toika, fighting for the Toa-kai! he yelled, gesturing to a Japanese girl with straight shiny black hair.

This time he did get a reaction: a roar of approval and encouragement echoed in the night. Toika, the Japanese girl, smiled and bowed, looking down at the people gathered in front of her wooden stage.

On the other side… Mitsuki Keiko! bellowed Heide in his mic, gesturing to a second stage, facing the first one.

The crowd roared louder than ever and the girl on this stage took a couple steps forward, waving and grinning broadly. It could not be any clearer that she was thrilled to be there

She just adored this feeling. Being in front of a huge mass of people, people who were cheering for her, who were acclaiming her when her name was called… Keiko just really enjoyed all the attention.

But this was nothing next to how she would feel next. Nothing.

Let the battle… Begin! Mahibuse-chan!

The entire crowd screamed in delight once more at Heide words. Cheers of encouragement could be heard from all around the place, whooping for the girl standing on the first stage.

The music started to pump out even more loudly from the multiple stereos placed all around the wide rooftop parking. Toika Mahibuse tensed up before sending a smirk to her opponent. Then, taking a big breath, she started moving along the music.

Tilting her head slightly to the side, the second candidate, Keiko was looking with interest, evaluating every one of Toika’s movements while she danced to the banging music.

She was not bad… Her moves were well thought of and melted together fluidly. But it seemed that she could not anticipate much. As the beat suddenly dropped, she lost her footing and fumbled a bit; making her first mistake. Upon seeing this, Keiko’s face lightened up with a satisfied smirk.

This is gonna be easy! she thought happily. I will win… again.

A delighted chuckle escaped her lips and, still smirking; she turned away from her opponent and stretched a little. It was nearly her turn and she should warm up if she wanted to avoid any injuries.

A few minutes later, the jury’s voice sounded again as the music’s volume went down a tad.

And that’s it for now Mahibuse-chan! Mitsuki-chan; you’re on!

Everyone shouted, turning this time to Keiko’s stage. The colored spotlights illuminated the young girl’s stage as the music started again, shooting loud beats in the dark open sky of P9.

Keiko did not start moving immediately. Instead, she closed her eyes, allowing the stage to catch the vibration of the loud music. Then, as the beat started echoing in her very chore, she smiled blissfully, pushed a hand into her bright blue hair and finally opened her eyes. The game was on.

The crowd went wild as she started moving in sync with the loud music. But Keiko did not notice. She did not hear the people shouting encouragement, did not see the waving crowd. As she let the music take her away, the rest of the world disappeared. It was just the music. The music and the dancing.

Move. Twist. Step. Jump. Shake. Stop… Dance.

The crow tattooed on her left wrist seemed to have a life on its own as Keiko moved her arm around in precise movements.

She kept up with the beat with ease, adapting every single move to the music, unfazed by the change of beat. She was not thinking anymore. The loud music had taken control over her and she was gladly letting it direct her body.

Soon, however, way too soon, the music stopped. The crowd cheered and Keiko stopped, breathing hard, smiling big.

Second round! yelled Heide to the crowd.

Once again, the black-haired girl started moving to the music. Not bothering to watch, Keiko walked on her stage, catching her breath and slightly stretching her muscles. Though each turn was only a few minutes long, it was still a rather intense work-out.

Catch!

Spinning around at that sudden call, Keiko raised her hand just in time to snatch a can of soda flying toward her. Not bothering to check who threw it just yet, the dancer just opened it and poured the sugary liquid down her throat, savoring that fresh energy every gulp was giving her.

Then, looking back to the crowd, she spotted a guy, obviously Japanese, waving at her with a wide grin. He was dressed in skinny blue jeans with colorful suspenders hanging and a black T-shirt with a big yellow smiley face sticking out its tongue. To complete his look, his pompadour hairstyle had the tips dyed in a pink vibrant enough that even with this little light the color stood out easily. From her stage, Keiko could see quite a nice collection of piercing glistening in the multiple spotlights dancing around the place. The man was obviously a yankii, like most people around here. If his many piercings and hairstyle was not enough to prove it, the numerous tattoo disappearing under his clothes claimed it alright.

I like him. Keiko decided, waving back at him with enthusiasm and grinning as widely as the guy.

Mitsuki-chan, your turn! Heide’s voice sounded once more.

Immediately, Keiko’s attention snapped away from the punk guy as she reacted automatically to the music. It appears to be faster, stronger and even louder than before. Once again, she abandoned her body to the beat, letting it guide her through the music again, enjoying every single second of it.

In the crowd, Aido, like the rest of the people gathered in P9 tonight, was looking up at Keiko, cheering loudly for her.

Hitting on girls now, Aido? said an amused voice from behind him.

Aido turned around, grinning at the newcomer, a tall Japanese built like a bodybuilder. Dressed in a sleeveless shirt to show off his biceps, he was looking at his friend with a playful smile. The two girls hanging on his arms were giggling like this was the funniest thing they had ever heard.

You’re the one talking, Kaito! countered Aido with a laugh, nodding towards the two still giggling bimbos.

Kaito joined in, laughing along with his friend. He was a playboy. He never had problems admitting it. Being surrounded by women was what he liked the most and everyone knew that.

I bet you 1000$ that Mahibuse-chan is winning that battle a voice sounded, barely higher than the music.

Make that 2000$ and you’re on! answered another voice.

The two men next to Aido and Kaito shook hands, sealing the bet. Having heard it too, Aido laughed

That guy obviously doesn’t know Mitsuki-chan! She’s totally gonna win this… again.

Kaito nodded his approval before joining in the cheering when the music stops. Keiko, whose turn just finished, gave a playful bow to her audience, smiling big.

Kaito looked at her, wondering. He had asked around, trying to gain information about her, but no one seemed to know anything about Mitsuki Keiko. Apparently, no one knew where she was coming from. But if one thing was sure, it was that she was not Japanese; even if she could apparently understand it and speak it without an accent. She had suddenly appeared in the middle of September, a bit more than 1 month ago, totally out of nowhere and since then did nothing but win every dance battle she competed in. Her name was Mitsuki Keiko, and she was a hell of a dancer. That was all everybody knew about her.

Back on the stages, the third and last round had started. And it was no different than the 2 first ones. While Mahibuse was moving quite good to the music, she was nowhere near Mitsuki’s league. That girl was moving around the stage not only like she owned it, even if she did, but it looked like she was born to dance. Not a single change of rhythm could make her lose her steps. From where the two friends were standing, in the middle of the crowd, it looked like she was making one with the music. She seemed to know exactly what would come next and used every opportunity to her advantage to win not only this battle but all the ones she ever did.

When the third round ended, Keiko was left breathless and drenched, but delighted. Quickly, she hopped down her stage and grabbed a bright pink sweatshirt that she put on; if she could avoid being sick, she would appreciate it gladly!

And now… the results! shouted Heide in his mic.

Cheers; shouts; excitement. As always, Heide made a slight pause, building up the suspense. Toika Mahibuse gulped and sent a supposedly confident smirk to her blue-haired opponent, but it was clear as daylight that she was nervous. In return, Keiko smiled back at her brightly: she knew she was winning this battle. But frankly, winning or losing was the least of Keiko’s concerns. She was just here to dance, to have fun, to enjoy herself. Sure, winning a bunch of money was an appreciated plus, but not her main motivation.

When she first started the battles, she did not even know that winning would give her money. One night, she had just heard the music and followed it, curious. That was when she stumbled into her first battle. Somehow, she had ended up on stage and just danced. From that night on, Keiko started her dancing carrier, increasing her reputation with every battle, mingling with the night owls, on the verge of the Japanese society.

The winner of this battle is… Mitsuki Keiko! Heide said loudly, finally breaking the suspense and tearing the young dancer away from her memories.

More cheers; more shouts; money changed hands while the crowd rushed over to either the winner’s stage either to the ‘betting-car’.

BOOYAH! shouted Keiko, throwing both hands in the air in victory.

The main organizer, Heide, quickly made his way in the crowd and climbed on Keiko’s wooden stage, handing her a small batch of money with a grin. He congratulated her for her win before jumping down, disappearing at once in the middle of the crowd.

With a smile plastered on her face, her green eyes sparkling, the young dancer ruffled her blue hair before grabbing her big neon sports bag in the corner of her stage. Then, waving through the herd of people, thanking people who were congratulating her, the girl walked out of P9 in a search of some food, a shower and mostly a quiet place to sleep.

CHAPTER 2

TRANSACTION GONE WRONG

You’ve got the stuff? Yatori Mika, the second in command of the Hells Angels asked, somewhat nervously. The guys by his side, all members of the Angels, were also looking very nervous. As if they would all rather be somewhere else. Anywhere else.

Aaron Hanabusa noticed all this in a blink of the eye. Rather than answering, he kept his deep blue eyes on his customer until the latest one lowered his dark eyes, breaking eye contact, acknowledging Aaron’s authority.

The soft sound of the morning traffic was echoing from the already jammed streets, taking people to work. The streets lights were still on, the sky only just starting to get the taints of the first light of dawn as Mika and Aaron were facing each other in a quiet and dark alley. Both had several men with them, members of the same family in the Hells Angels’ case, or member of smaller families who had pledged allegiance to the Ryū-jin in Aaron’s case.

The two families, the Ryū-jin and the Hells Angels, already traded a few times before. However, it was the first time that the Angels were looking so tensed and nervous and, reacting to this unusual behavior, Aaron’s suspicion grew.

You got the money? the leader of the Ryū-jin asked in a bored voice, his eyes still resting on the Angels’ lieutenant.

Mika nodded once, gesturing to one of his guy who was holding a briefcase. Aaron recognized this man easily. His name was Arashi Mato. He saw him a couple of times during some car races.

Mato walked forward, keeping his eyes cast down to the ground. He stopped in the middle of the two groups, waiting for Aaron to send his own guy to take the money.

After waiting for a few seconds, the sole purpose of this being to make sure that the Angels know who was in charge; Aaron slightly jerked his head towards Mato. Immediately, a young man bowed his head and joined the opposite family member in the middle.

Mato handed over the briefcase and retreated back to his rank. Aaron’s man, Sato Junichi, walked back to his place before opening the briefcase. He started to count the money, helped by two other members while Aaron’s focus stayed on his customers.

Where’s the stuff? Mika asked again, refusing to look Aaron in the eyes.

Slowly, Aaron’s eyes turned cold while he raised his eyebrow. Mika nervously looked back at him, fiddling with his shirt and dropping his gaze once more after only a couple of second.

Aaron’s suspicion grew even more. Something was really not right. Mika knew how a transaction was supposed to work. He knew the rules. The client gives the money. Once the money has been counted and everything is clear, then, and only then, he gets the parts. Yet, since the very beginning, Mika was trying to do it the other way around.

As if to confirm Aaron’s feeling, Junichi walked up to him, looking slightly nervous. Aaron nodded once to allow him to talk. Mika widened his eyes, looking even edgier. The rest of his guy started to tense up as well as if expecting trouble.

We’re missing 5000$, Hanabusa-domo whispered Junichi, a slight tremor in his voice.

Aaron’s jaw twitched in anger and a dark shadow clouded his face briefly. So, the Hells Angels were trying to trick him? Did they really believe that he, Aaron Hanabusa, leader of the Ryū-jin, most feared family head in Japan, would not notice?

Keeping his face composed, he nodded another time, acknowledging Junichi’s information. At once, Junichi moved back to his position.

Is there a problem; Hanabusa-sama? asked Mika, smiling nervously.

Aaron looked at him sharply, keeping his face expressionless, almost bored.

Money seems to be missing. You know the rules Yatori-san. He answered in a cold, bored voice.

He pulled out his gun, until then hidden under his overlarge T-shirt, and swiftly pointed it towards his cheating client. His arm was steady, the barrel of the gun locked on the Angels’ lieutenant, unmoving. As an answer, the Angels members raised their own guns, pointing them towards Aaron and his men. Not wasting a second, more guns appeared, pointed towards their opponents, answering to the new threat. This transaction was going to finish in a bloodbath. Aaron never was the sort of person who would let anyone try to cheat him without paying for it after. Yatori Mika was a dead man.

Hontoni, hurusei! The sun didn’t even start setting yet; people are trying to sleep here! a rather annoyed voice exclaimed from somewhere on the left.

Both sides froze immediately and turned to look at this unsuspected interruption. The voice belonged to a girl who seemed to appear from behind a large pile of wooden boxes. She was sporting brilliant and ruffled blue hair and flashy clothes and looked like she had just woken up.

Wait… she added, stifling a yawn and seemingly thinking about something. Ok fine. I guess most people are awake by now. But still. Hurus… she trailed off, her green eyes widening as she finally took in her surroundings.

Surprised by her sudden apparition, everyone’s guns were now pointing in her direction rather than to the other family.

Oh my god… she said, looking at all the guns in alarm ok… she said, dragging on the first letter. You know what, never mind. I’m just gonna go. Now.

Mentally, Aaron snorted. There was absolutely no way she could just quietly walk away now. Not after stumbling into this kind of situation.

Answering a silent command, two of his men rushed forward towards the girl. Unfortunately, Yatori’s men were closer. They grabbed the girl harshly while Aaron’s men fell back into position, guns once against carefully pointing towards the Angels.

Aaron watched, stone cold, as the girl was being dragged to Mika. She kept on a fair struggle, screaming insults and fighting with her two captors until they threw her to their lieutenant. She grimaces in pain as Mika grabbed her roughly and pressed his gun to her temple, smirking at Aaron.

As soon as she felt the gun, pressed against her head, the girl stopped fighting. Her face, until then contorted in anger, turned blank.

I don’t know about other persons, she started in a matter of fact tone, but I, for one, don’t really appreciate having a gun pressing against my head. So, if you could kindly remove that cold metal thing from my temple I would gladly appreciate it. Domo. she concluded with a somehow informal tone, clearly stating that she refused to acknowledge her captor’s higher statue.

Aaron rose an eyebrow in surprise. Normally, at this point, people would start pleading for their lives. But instead, this girl was acting more like this situation was a great annoyance, even pushing it to insult Mika with her informal speech. He smirked on the inside; this girl, whoever she was, had guts.

But he was not the only one surprised by the girl’s behavior. The Angels’ lieutenant did not expect that either. Looking completely bewildered, he shifted his eyes to meet the girl’s defiant glare. Giving Aaron the second of inattention he needed.

Fuming, Keiko held her captor’s shocked eyes, sending all of her annoyance in her glare. She just could not believe what was happening. First, some rather annoying people woke her up by arguing loudly and now she was being held hostage… And she did not even know why she was being held hostage! But having a gun pressed to her head was not something she would just let happen quietly. Yes, the guy holding her had a gun. Yes, he was holding her way too close. Yes, he could most probably kill her any second. But no, she was not going to just stand there, letting him walk all over her without saying anything. That simply was not who she was.

Suddenly, as she was still glaring angrily and as her captor was still looking at her in shock, he staggered back with a scream of both pain and surprise. Seizing her chance, Keiko swung her elbow backward with as much force as she could, connecting with what she guessed to be her captor’s stomach. He groaned and let go of her. In the same time, all the guns that were around started shooting, the bullets flying everywhere, connecting with people, hitting the walls of the alley, blasting holes into the boxes or just plain disappearing in the distance, target less.

Keiko did not stay around to know the outcome of the battle. First, because she frankly did not care about it at all, and secondly because she did value her life and standing in a middle of a gunfight did not seem like a good idea if you wanted to live long.

Therefore, the moment the man let go of her, she took off running, wanting to put as much distance as possible between herself and that guy who was holding her, and naturally, away from the guns.

But of course, her newly regained freedom really was not meant to last very long. Before she had the time to even get out of the middle of the shooting, someone grabbed her again. With a slight eye roll, she sighed heavily. Today was just clearly not going to be a good day.

CHAPTER 3

KIDNAPPED

Junichi-kun put her in my car, and make sure she stays there! a voice, full of authority, ordered over the noise of the battle.

Keiko groaned in annoyance. What was it with people being all annoying today!? Even better question: what did she ever do to deserve this? Except barging in on an obvious confrontation… But to begin with, they were the one invading her sleeping place.

Oblivious to her exasperated thoughts, the guy holding her tightened his grip on her and started to quickly pull her along, away from the guns-holding people. Not planning on getting killed just yet, Keiko allowed him to get her out of the fight without fighting.

As soon as I’m out of harm’s way, I run. she thought, slightly tensing up in preparation.

The man led her to a kind of courtyard, crammed between two tall grey buildings. Parked inside of it, an absolutely outstanding black matte sports car that Keiko recognizes to be an Audi R8 Spyder. Gapping at the car, Keiko forgot all about running away. Well, until the guy holding her tried to get her in that is. There was no way that she would just let anyone put her into an unknown car… no matter how amazing said car was. But still, her kidnapper shoved her into the passenger seat without any problem, making it look like her struggling was inexistent (which she thoughts to be rather insulting mind you!)

Stay here and don’t touch anything. Hanabusa-domo will be there soon urged the man, still preventing her to get back out of the car.

Keiko did not even bother to answer him. Instead, she just kept fighting, rolling her green eyes in annoyance.

Sure thing, dude! she thought, sarcastic. As if I would let people randomly kidnap me without saying shit about it!

But no matter how hard she struggled against him, it seemed as if she would not actually be able to escape.

Suddenly, the noise from the battle stopped completely. Now free from all the guns shots, the distinctive sound of the police’s sirens could be heard, howling closer and closer.

If only they could hurry up! thought the young girl with a slight flicker of hope. Maybe they could arrive in time to save her… but somehow, she doubted it. And even if they did manage to arrive in time… nothing said that they would help her. They might totally just put her with the rest of those guys and treat her as part of the troublemakers.

A couple of heartbeats later, a single gunshot sounded, turning the air into an airy silence. Both Keiko and her opponent stopped fighting, looking towards the alley. Somehow, this particular gunshot sounded more dramatic than the others, and Keiko felt a shiver running down her spine.

But this uncomfortable silence did not last long. The police were almost here, judging by the sound of the sirens. Keiko started struggling again, taking her captor by surprise. But before she has the time to actually get out of the car, one of the guys from before arrived and jumped into the driving seat. He gestures to his man and after pushing her roughly into the car once more; the door slammed shut and the first man quickly retreated.

Without waiting a single second, Keiko grabbed the door handle and tried to open it. But obviously prepared for that, her kidnapper had locked them.

Which was just as well: the moment the passenger door was closed, the car had started moving. If she had managed to get out, Keiko would have most probably seriously injured herself.

In only a couple of second, the alley and courtyard, as well as the police sirens, had vanished. The car was flying on the road; Keiko’s driver was swiftly playing with the gears, slaloming confidently in the middle of the traffic, so fast that the outside world was only a blur.

With the police arriving, Aaron had no other choice but to take the blue-haired girl with him. He could not let the police find her. But what was he supposed to do with her now? He sighed internally, quickly debating his options. Taking her back to her place seemed like the best thing to do right now. Once there, he could always threaten her or bribe her so she would keep her mouth shut.

Where do you live? he asked, keeping his attention on the road.

Her blue head snapped towards him, and she looked at him as if she could not believe he had just asked that.

Why should I tell you? she retorted right back, her eyebrows raised in disbelieve.

Just answer the question. Aaron countered, stifling a growl and turning his head slightly to scowl at her. He glared at her, his blue eyes glistening with annoyance; but unlike most people, the girl did not break the eye contact. She just stared right back at him, her lips twitching up slightly as if the situation was amusing to her. Did she even know who he was? Did she have any idea what he could do? She had not been here for even 5 minutes and already Aaron regretted his decision to save her life.

But he had no choice. He could not just let her die in that alley. She was innocent to all of this and Aaron could not let her blood get spilled just because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Meanwhile, Aaron’s passenger’s face became expressionless for a few heartbeats, almost as if she was weighing her words to answer his question. Then, a smirk made its way on her face and she looked at him straight in the eyes

You really think that I was sleeping in this alley just because I felt like it? she finally said, voice full of sarcasm and her face twisted into a mocking jeer.

She could have been lying, but something in her tone, something in the way she just looked right back at Aaron with a face full of arrogance and derision made the young man believe that she was saying the truth. So, she did not even have a place to stay… she was homeless.

Even better! Aaron thought, sarcastic. Now, either he could drop her off in the first dark alley and let the cop find her, or he could take her back to his place. Between having her spill everything she saw to the cops before getting killed by the Angels and keeping her around until it all cooled down… he did not really have much of a choice here. And yet, the young man had a bad feeling about all this. Somehow, he could tell that this girl would bring trouble to both him and his family.

The silence stretched again after that short exchange. Sighing slightly, Keiko shifted in her sit to find a more comfortable position.

What she told her driver was true. She really had no place to stay. Which is why she thought that, upon learning this, he would probably just drop her off in the first deserted alley, but apparently, she had been wrong. It looks like he just intended to keep driving. Well, there was really not much she could do about it right now…

Since the world outside was way too blurred by the speed in which they are traveling, Keiko chose to report her attention to her driver and kidnapper. He was dressed casually, with loose baggy jeans and an over-large t-shirt. But even with those loose-fitting clothes, she could easily see that he was rather slim. Slim, but really well-built. Ripped even. But in a lean way. Even sitting, he looked tall, taller than most people Keiko could think of and definitively taller than any of the men who were in that alley not so long ago. His hair, pitch black, was pulled into neat cornrows, a black bandana, tied as a headband, was completing his look. From time to time, Keiko could see a piercing glistering on the left side of his bottom lips and a big silver chain was hanging loosely around his neck. On his left index, he was wearing a dark metal ring, cut in the middle by a small band of jade. But his most mesmerizing figure was definitely his eyes. Bright blue eyes, absolutely breathtaking blue eyes. The kind that you can easily get lost in, like drowning in a pool of deep water.

He’s not bad looking… thought Keiko, her eyes still fixed on him. Ok, who am I kidding? she added, snorting internally. He’s absolutely gorgeous.

What are you staring at? his deep voice, sporting a slight accent that she could not place, cut through her trail of thoughts.

She rose her green eyes to meet his blue eyes, currently sparkling with irritation.

I’m staring at you, Keiko answered steadily, maintaining eye contact. Why? she asked with a slight smirk That’s a problem?

Widening his eyes at her attitude, his answer came out with a slight growl.

Whatever.

Keiko’s lips twitched, her eyes twinkling with repress laugher as her driver reverted his attention to the road ahead, once again lapsing into silence. But the young girl wanted to talk more. She really was not the type of person who liked to stay quiet for long periods of time.

Well, since you seem to talk again… mind telling me where you’re taking me? she asked brightly

Yes.

She blinked at that short answer. He had not even looked at her. His voice was expressionless while his eyes remained fixed on the flow of cars. Annoyed, she groaned loudly.

And why is that!? she asked, not even bothering to hide her annoyance

Shut up. was the only answer she got. And once again, her driver could not even be bothered to look at her or to put any kind of expression in his voice.

Keiko frowned.

Who does he think he is!? she fumed, her annoyance turning into anger. First, he takes her by force and now, not only does he refuse to tell her where they are going, but above all he wants her to shut up? And he says all that without even having the decency to look at her?

Apparently, what she was thinking was showing quite clearly on her face because he suddenly turned his head slightly to throw her a cold glance. His jaw was slightly clenched; his entire body seemed to radiate danger. Keiko flinched back involuntarily and he smirked slightly, appreciating her response.

Knowing that her reaction had been exactly the one he wanted, Keiko seethed. There was no way that she would ever let him think that she was scared of him. Not now, not never. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared back at him.

Answer. she ordered through clenched teeth.

The young man’s eyes darken dangerously and his jaw tensed again while he clenched his fingers so tightly on the steering wheel that his knuckles turned white.

Shut. Up. he said, his voice full of menace.

Keiko sight; but with that kind of reaction… Better not push it. After all, he had been with a group of guys holding guns…

Without answering with anything more than an eye roll, she turned around on her sit, refusing to look at him any longer. Then, deciding that she might as well finish her night, she curled up into a ball, quickly falling asleep as the car still sped while the sun continued his course, rising high in the sky.

CHAPTER 4

NEW HOME

Aaron drove for another hour before finally reaching the house he shared with the rest of his family. Located somewhere in the suburbs of Tokyo, in an industrial and somewhat empty area, the house looked more like a block of grey concrete pierced with large, dark tinted windows. A single garage door was leading inside; a door that opened automatically when Aaron arrived in front of it. He drove in confidently, pulling up his car next to 3 other shimmering sports cars. The girl, not bothered by the change of pace, kept on sleeping, still curled into a tight ball.

Switching off the contact, Aaron climbed out of the car. He could hear the sound of the TV behind the sliding door leading to the living room. No doubt that the rest of the guys leaving under this roof already knew he was there. He walked to the door and was about to push it open when he threw a look over his shoulder, looking back at the sleeping form of his forced passenger.

I can’t let her sleep here… he thought.

Sighing, he walked back to the car, opened the sliding door and picked her up bridal style. As if by reflex, she lightly put her arms around his neck, cradling deeper into his chest. Securing her weightless body with his right arm, he pushed the door open, entering in the spacious living room. Kaito, Aido, and Kain were all here, waiting for him.

Hey! Aaron, what took you so long!? Aido said when he saw him. But quickly, his face changed into a shocked expression as his eyes register the girl in Aaron’s arms.

Wait… he started, his clear blue eyes widening dangerously. What are you…

I’ll explain in a few. said Aaron shortly, cutting across Aido.

Disregarding any other questions thrown at him by his men, Aaron walked straight towards a big staircase and, soon, disappeared into his room, pushing the door closed behind him.

He took another few steps to reach the huge canopy bed sitting in the middle of the room and laid the girl down carefully. She let out a soft mumble of pleasure and nuzzled deeper into her pillow as Aaron pulled the cover over her body. He took one last glance at her before walking back to the living room. There was a lot he needs to discuss with his family.

The 3 men were all waiting for him.

So… Why exactly is Mitsuki Keiko here? asked Kaito, looking confused.

Mitsuki Keiko? Aaron repeated, raising an eyebrow. He never thought his guys would actually know the name of a girl he picked up from the street!

You don’t know her!? gapped Aido, his eyes wide once again. She’s the one winning all the dance competitions! he half yelled, shocked that his boss would not know who she was.

What happened? said Kain, ignoring Aido’s outburst.

Aaron faced him, also ignoring Aido. For now, there were things more important than knowing who the girl was.

… Yatori’s dead. He finally finished after having quickly summed up everything that had happened. Karsten will know better than to mess with me again. He growled.

A shocked silence follows Aaron’s story. It was really rare for their family, the Ryū-jin, to be attacked by another. Aaron, unaffected by his family’s shock, zip at his coffee, giving them the time to take it all in.

Ok but… why is she here? asked Aido, breaking the silence with a clueless voice.

Aaron shot him a rather annoyed glance.

Out of everything, the only thing bothering him is that girl? He thought with an eye roll.

Aido flinched back slightly at Aaron’s expression

Think, Aido. We can’t have the police taking her in and asking questions. And even if somehow the police couldn’t find her, the Angels would have and you know what they would have done. Kain explained, releasing Aaron from answering. What do we do now, Aaron? he then asked, turning towards his family’s head as he pushed up his glasses a little bit.

Aaron rubbed his neck; a kind of habit he developed every time something was bothering him. After a short while, thinking, he finally got up from his seat and faced his family, businesslike.

Aido, Kain, you’re going back to the transaction’s location. You’re looking for any information about how much the cops know and who is working the case. He ordered. Both guys nodded and Aaron turned to the last man Kaito I want you to find everything you can about the Japanese branch of the Hells Angels. I want to know everything. All of you, be back before 6.

Kaito nodded. Without waiting to check that his orders are obeyed, Aaron turned around and walked into a room on the left of the staircase. He heard the roaring of the car’s engines as he closed the door behind him.

Keiko woke up with a grin of pleasure plastered on her face. It had been so long since she had slept in such a warm and comfy place! Happily, she turned around and buries her face in the soft pillow, enjoying the feeling. It took her a few moments to notice how weird her situation actually was. Yes, she was really comfortable, obviously, she was not sleeping on the floor anymore… but the problem was that she should actually still be sleeping on the floor… she had nothing to do in a bed right now.

Upon realizing this, Keiko’s eyes flew open and she bolted up, taking in her surroundings. She was in a big room, the walls painted in a light beige color, a huge window replacing the right wall. The entire left wall was taken by a massive modern glassed wardrobe. She was in a huge bed, king sized, probably even bigger. In one corner, a big flat TV was playing some kind of movie with low volume. A big white sofa was placed in front of it, directed in such a way that its back was the only thing Keiko could see from the bed she was currently in. That’s bed’s covers were black and white, the colors mixed in a kind of modern crisscrossing, and very soft. On each side of it, there was a dark wooden bed-table. All in all, the room looked both modern and comfortable… and totally unknown to Keiko.

Where the hell am I!? she asked loudly to no one in particular.

Finally awake? Took you long enough! answered a mocking voice, coming from the sofa.

Keiko’s head swung around towards that voice, tensing up slightly. A set of two gorgeous blue eyes were looking back at her, an obvious arrogance lighting them up.

Where am I and what am I doing here? asked Keiko with a scowl, remembering those eyes only too well.

You fell asleep in my car. answered her kidnapper in a bored tone. I couldn’t just dump you in the first dark street, now could I? he then added, a slight smirk making its way back on his face.

You could have… countered the girl with a slight eye roll. So where are we now?

My place. the answer came out short, the guy’s face turning back to a bored façade.

Ok… can you take me back to the place you picked me up from now? asked Keiko slowly, already guessing the answer before it even came.

No.

Of course. Keiko did not even bother to hide her eye roll. In any case, the man had already turned back to the TV, facing away from her.

Why not? she pressed on, not caring that the annoyance in her voice could be heard clearly. But no answer arrived. Keiko clenched her jaw, her temper rising.

Oy! I’m talking to you! she snapped angrily.

Once again, she got no answer. Her blue-eyed kidnapper just plain ignored her. His only reaction was to turn up the TV’s volume.

But Keiko really was not the type of girl who enjoyed being ignored. And she definitely was not going to let this guy have his way with her. First, he woke her up (one of the things she hated the most). Then he kidnaped her, bringing her to this place (his place apparently) and to top it all, he was now refusing to take her back… without even giving her an explanation…

I don’t think so no! she thought angrily.

She swung her legs out of bed, gladly noticing in the process that, at least, she was still fully clothed

Well, that’s one thing that’s not totally fucked up! she scoffed, rolling her eyes in her mind. Stomping around the couch, she stopped in front of the TV, arms crossed, glaring at the guy whose name she did not even know.

His view of the TV blocked by Keiko, the man, still sitting on the couch, slowly rose his eyes to meet hers, looking surprised, amused and annoyed at the same time.

Why. Not? asked Keiko again with a slight growl.

Her kidnapper kept his eyes on her for a few heartbeats, not answering.

Because I said so. he finally said, his voice bored.

Then he switched position on the sofa to look around Keiko and back at his TV, disregarding her presence yet again.

That does it. she thought, her blood boiling in anger.

Fine. she snapped, mad. She had enough of that guy’s attitude.

Striding across the room angrily, she threw the door open with way more force than needed and stomped out of the room. But she did not even have the time to make it two steps away from the door before someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back so roughly that she stumbled and nearly fell down.

Once she had her balance again, she whirled around, ready to give a piece of her mind to that guy who kept pissing her off.

What the hell do you think you’re doing!? he shouted in her face before she had the time to start.

I’m going home! she yelled right back, not bothered by the fact that she did not, in fact, have any home to go back to. I don’t care if you don’t wanna drive me back there, then I’ll walk! I’m leaving that place! That’s what I’m fucking doing!

You’re staying there. said the man that, with a sudden inspiration, Keiko nicknamed ‘Asshole’. His voice was cold, collected, jaw clenched, his blue eyes clearly menacing. But Keiko was not going to let him win.

Then explain why! she screamed, clashing with his calm voice. Don’t just expect me to do whatever you tell me to, ’cause I ain’t gonna follow any orders from you unless you give me the reason behind it!

It looked like she had crossed an invisible line. Keiko’s kidnapper’s blue eyes flashed in anger, his jaw tightening even more. His entire aura was screaming danger. No matter who this guy was, it was clear he was not used to being talked back to.

You’re staying there because I said you were. You will do as you’re told or suffer the consequences.

Keiko scoffed. He could always try to scare her, but she would not let him see her flinch again. Instead, she raised her eyebrows, keeping