Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 154368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 617(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 617(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Hiro's face lit up with excitement. "Oh, I can't wait to meet my new Grandmother. She's sounding like a goddess too."
Laughter erupted around the table.
I frowned at him. "You're not going to meet my grandmother."
"I'm definitely going to meet her," Hiro winked. “I heard she makes great pie.”
“And this is why I’m not allowing you to come anywhere near her. You’ll be all up in her kitchen, begging.”
Kenji's voice cut through the conversation. "What about Rin?"
Kaoru answered.
In Japanese.
I frowned immediately and turned to look at him. "No, no, no. Speak in English so I can understand what you're saying. See, I knew that you knew something more and you just weren't telling me."
Kaoru kept speaking in Japanese while looking directly at Kenji.
Listening to the conversation, some of the men paused with their eating and looked up.
I frowned.
Damn it. What is he saying?!
I scanned the faces around the table, trying to decode their reactions. Toma's mouth was hanging open. Kaede's eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline. The twins were looking at each other with matching devilish grins.
Others widened their eyes like whatever Kaoru said was shocking or surprising.
Then, Kenji chuckled low in his chest, and I felt the vibration against my back.
"What did he say?” I turned to look at Kenji. "What's going on?"
"I have nothing to do with any of this," Kenji smiled.
"I want to know what Kaoru said."
"Tora, this is official Yakuza business."
I murmured, "Bullshit."
Hiro chuckled, “I’m just shocked that Rin swept. I didn’t even know he knew what a broom was.”
The twins laughed so loud they looked like they were about to choke.
Minutes later, Hiro poured me a cup of sake.
“Oh. Thanks.” I was about to grab it.
“Wait.”
I blinked. “Okay.”
Hiro rose from his seat and clinked his sake cup with his chopstick.
The sound rang out clear and sharp.
"Okay. Okay," Hiro said loudly. "You know what this moment is right now. You know what we do. This is when we honor all that fell."
Kenji put his chopsticks down. Everybody stopped eating, went quiet, and looked at him.
I put my gaze on Hiro too.
He cleared his throat. “First, we should thank Nyomi for the special meal.”
They all yelled out thank you.
Hiro pointed at Kenji. “Keep in mind that this is not the Claws cocktail party. That will be a separate event tomorrow or the day after and it will be big and wonderful."
The Fangs groaned loudly.
Yoichi shook his head. "Oh, okay. Okay. Enough with you."
Kaoru scowled. “Seriously. No one fucking cares.”
Kenji sighed behind me. "Hiro. Put this to rest and leave it alone. She’s going to give you all that damn party."
Hiro shrugged. “I just wanted that to be known. This is not the Claws’ Party. We’re getting signature drinks and soul food inspired dishes.”
Reo frowned. “It’s been confirmed. Continue.”
Many started laughing while others poured sake into cups.
Next, Hiro's face went serious in a way I'd never seen before. All the playfulness was gone, replaced by something heavy and sad. "We lost many today."
Hiroko’s face flashed in my head and my heart broke all over again.
Hiro sighed. "We lost an amazing woman. Hiroko. She was strong, beautiful, and kind. She shouldn't be gone, but. . ."
My chest tightened so hard I could barely breathe.
People around the table bowed their heads respectfully.
Reo's eyes closed. His hand flattened against the table, and his fingers pressed into the wood like he was steadying himself against a current no one else could see.
I bowed mine too and felt tears start to burn behind my eyes.
Hiro started saying other names slowly and carefully. Other people who had died today that I didn't know but who had families waiting for them somewhere on the island. Men who would never come home again. Wives that were crying and holding their kids. Parents that would be devastated and unsure of how to bury their child.
My eyes clouded with tears that spilled over onto my cheeks.
Kenji pulled me in tighter against his chest and held me like he was trying to keep me from breaking apart.
Then they all said something together in Japanese that sounded like a prayer or a vow or both at once. Either way it was beautiful and soul shattering at the same time.
Kenji whispered, “Tora.”
I looked at him.
He gestured to my cup of sake.
I wiped away my tears and grabbed it.
They raised their cups high in the air.
I followed their lead.
More Japanese was spoken, and we all drank deeply.
And the sake burned like the grief had been burning me from the inside. Just like those hundreds of bodies in the pyre days ago.
Burning.
Scorching.
Swelling.
Crusting into ashes.
I pursed my lips.
Burning.
If I really thought about it. . .everything had been burning since the moment I met Kenji.
I burned when he first said Tora and my whole body understood what my mind refused to accept.
I burned when I stopped fighting and let him in, past the walls, past the armor, past the girl who swore she'd never need a man the way I needed him now and forever.