Page 38 of Cunning Lies

Or maybe he knows that we’re actually working against the Endo-kai right now, and he wants to keep an eye on all of us. Maybe he’s keeping me and Patrick close so he can kill us quicker.

My gut sinks with anxiety.

“Come here,” Kenzo says.

Heat boils inside of me at those simple words. His muscles gleam and I want to run my hands over his hard body. But it’s his eyes that capture me. Brown. Deep. And completely focused on me. With every passing day, Kenzo wraps his claws around me, and if this is the beginning, I’m scared to know what the end will be like.

But I carry my feet forward, that darkness calling to me. I need to do this. For my family. For Uncle Jay and Patrick. For that dream house. Sandy beaches. Calming ocean waves. A paradise that will never disappear.

I stand between his legs and he runs his palms up and down my thighs. Goosebumps flash across my arms.

“Why are you here?” Kenzo asks.

That question strikes a match inside of me. Panic swells in my throat, but I shove it down, pretending to be surprised.

“What?” I ask.

“Are you working for your uncle?”

I blink at him. “I’m sorry. What—”

He twirls us around and hurls me against the bed. One of his large hands clutches around my throat while the other reaches up my shirt, manipulating my breast. A shiver rolls through me. The threat of violence is there, but stupid,stupidme is hot all over. He’s not supposed to have this kind of power over me, but god, I love the way he’s got me trapped under his body. I forget everything I’m supposed to do.

“I want to know why a girl like you is running around with your uncle,” he says in a low voice. His fingers pinch my nipple, and the soreness from last night surfaces, my nerves giving into that delicious ache. “You’re too smart to be letting your uncle take care of you. You should be on your own. Dating. Having fun. Living your life. So answer me this,” he pauses, letting those words settle between us, “are you taking care of him, or are you working for him?”

Fear simmers in my veins. He knows I’m lying, and he hates liars.

Told you this is a bad idea,my brain scolds.Bad idea. Bad idea. You freaking idiot.

But Kenzo’s fingers play with my nipple, mixing soft caresses with flickers of pain, and the panic melts away.

And that’s the messed up thing. With Kenzo, I’m helpless, but Iwantto be helpless. Why does he do this to me?

Suddenly, he pushes himself off of the bed. I stare at the ceiling, my mind completely blank.

“Are you going to answer?” he asks.

I should lie, but I don’t. When it comes to my family, I’m the one saving their asses by finding out information they can use to their advantage. I’m the one who reminds them when it’s time to get the hell out.

Maybe I am taking care of them.

“I don’t know,” I say. And really, I don’t. Sometimes, it feels like I don’t even know who I am anymore. But I know I have my family, and I can’t let anything happen to them. If I left, who would take care of them?

Who would take care of me?

A smirk rolls over Kenzo’s face, like he’s messing with me. But he’s not. He’s giving me a chance to relax. For now.

“Get dressed,” he says. “I’ve got a game for you.”

CHAPTER13

KENZO

Smokeand synthetic air freshener sifts through the air, and it’s home. The Samurai Castle Resort & Casino. I hold Vi’s lower back, pushing her toward the bar. She’s in a skirt and dressy blouse now, and to be honest, I miss the loungewear. She was real like that, not like the prim and proper woman she is now.

But skirts are easy access.

I’ve got a plan up my sleeve, something to knock Vi out of her element, but when you enter the Samurai Castle, you greet your family. Period.