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)
Good. You almost got me, Father. But best believe I’ve damn sure got you.
I pictured it—glass shattering in every corridor, Scales pouring through with knives and suppressed rounds, commanders caught naked and tangled, reaching for guns they'd never touch.
Some would die on top of the women they'd been inside.
Some would die on the floor, scrambling for pants they'd never pull up.
None of them would make it to a radio.
You scored, but I’m scoring too, you son of a bitch.
Every dead commander was a piece my father couldn't move anymore. And I damned sure wanted him running out of pieces.
Still, that explosion just announced us. Every advantage we had—the silence, the surprise, the invisibility—was gone.
Burned up in the same blast that took my Scales.
The Fox now knew his trap had been sprung. He knew we were here, knew we were alive, knew we were coming.
Which meant his next move was already in motion.
His other guards would be mobilizing and every man with a fox brand in this underground maze was about to get a radio call telling them to stop fucking and start killing.
“We’re done here.” I headed off in the other direction. “We have to get the fuck out of Yoshiwara.”
Chapter thirty-eight
The Wet Room
Kenji
Hiroko was shaking, but still had a steady voice. “I know another way out.”
“Show us.” Rage blazed through me.
Thank God, Hiroko had stopped us. Hiro and I might have died.
And it would have been one of the Butcher’s mines.
It was one thing for Jean-Pierre to set up the call with my father to lead me to a trap. That would be fair game since I was monitoring him against our world’s rules.
But to provide the weapons to kill my brother and me, that was different.
More rage flooded my system—hot and blinding.
Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything about it publicly. Not according to the rules of our world. If one listened in on conversations, the person got what was dealt with.
This wasn't something I could officially declare to anyone, not even the Lion.
But personally?
If there was ever a moment where I could get the Butcher back and make him pay in the future, I would do it.
I tightened my grip on my guns.
Protect you and yours, Jean-Pierre. I'll get you one day. Don't you worry about that.
We started running.
Hiroko led us through the maze of tunnels, and I could hear our boots pounding against the stone floor.
Then I heard it further behind us.
Gunfire.
Fuck. They’re searching for us.
Sharp cracks echoed through the tunnels.
Hiro got in front of me. “A cleanup crew to mow down anybody who survived."
My brother would know. He’d killed for my father long enough to have probably been a part of one.
Hiro's jaw tightened. "He expected us to rush to that door without thinking."
"Exactly," I said. "We need to get out of here. We don't know how many people are in that crew."
"Could be a small amount that we can handle or it could be a small army."
Reo jumped in, "Based on how elaborate those mines were, I'm betting on the army."
The gunfire was getting louder.
"This way." Hiroko led us down another hallway.
Reo pressed into his mic as we hurried. "Kill box. Status."
Static for a second.
Then the Scale's voice came through, slightly breathless. "Executed. All targets down."
"Casualties?"
"None on our side."
I pictured the crowned commander—the one with two women on their knees in front of him. I wondered if he died with his head still thrown back. If his mouth was still open. If the last thing he ever felt was pleasure before the knife found his throat.
Reo pressed the mic. "Get out of there."
"Yes, sir."
One win in the middle of a disaster. I'd take it.
At the end of another hallway, Hiroko stopped us in front of a door. She dug her shaking hands into her pocket and pulled out a red key.
It fell.
“Shit.” She reached down.
I bent over and got it before her. “Breathe.”
She let out a long breath.
“Look at me.” I handed her the key. “We’re going to get out of here. Do you believe me?”
She shivered. “Yes.”
I gave her a sad smile. “You’ve got more things to teach my Tiger and me.”
“Oh no. You two have surely graduated.” A nervous chuckle left her as she pushed a button on the door that I hadn’t seen. A box popped out with a keyhole.
“We’ll have to cut through the wet room.” She pushed the red key in and twisted it.
The door beeped open.
She pulled out the red key and pocketed it.
Blood, rot, and death hit me.
What the fuck is this?
One of the twins spoke on my right, "What's the wet room?"
Hiroko stepped to the side. "You don't want to know. We should run through it."
“Let’s go.” I gestured.
The remaining Scales, Reo, and the Claws rushed through.
Hiro hit it next. “Oh God.”
What?
I hurried in with the twins, Hiroko, and her guards.