Page 67 of Cunning Lies

As soon as the server leaves after taking our order, Uncle Jay clears his throat.

“I’ve been thinking about getting a gun,” he says. “Almost got robbed last night. Figured it’s now or never.”

“What the hell, Uncle Jay?” I ask, a surge of adrenaline rushing through me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Ah. Didn’t want to worry you, sweetie,” he says. He winks to the side so that only I can see.He’s making things up.Is he using it as a way to start a conversation about guns?

Does he know about the GHF deal?

“Any of you know something about gun ownership?” Uncle Jay asks. Then he smacks his forehead and laughs. “What am I talking about? That’s right. Yakuza. Mafia. Of course you know about guns! How do you get a gun out here? What are the laws and processes in Nevada?”

Uncle Jayhasa gun. One that he keeps in storage, because we’ve never had a need for it before. Our jobs have always been easy, and when they aren’t, Patrick and Uncle Jay handled it with their fists. The back of my neck prickles.

Uncle Jay is doing thisnow?Right in the open?

Kenzo rubs the back of my neck. “You don’t have a gun?” he asks Uncle Jay.

“Nah,” Uncle Jay lies. “But I always needed one. Especially with this young lady under my care.”

I gulp green tea but it burns and I choke, spitting it out on the plate in front of me. Everyone looks at me, and I cover my mouth with the cloth napkin.

“I’m all right,” I mumble.

“The Endo-kai must get deals on that kind of stuff, right?” Uncle Jay asks, resuming the conversation.

The server sets the house salads down and I hastily take a bite. I don’t want to chime in, but I can’t tell Uncle Jay to shut up without being suspicious as hell.

Why is he being so obvious about it? Does he not care anymore?

What happened to being careful?

“What did you hear?” Tomo asks.

“There are rumors. Gun smuggling. Some to China. The Philippines. Japan too,” Uncle Jay says. “That’s how the Japanese get their guns, right?”

“Sure.”

“Heard you’re working out a deal with a firearms manufacturer,” Uncle Jay says. I sink into my seat and Kenzo gives a quick glance to me. He probably thinks I told Uncle Jay about GHF, but I didn’t. I close my eyes.

I haven’t said a word about GHF to anyone. I like keeping that secret close to my chest like a weapon.

But it never even mattered. Uncle Jay has already exposed it.

Niko pushes back his short hair. “What did you hear, exactly?”

The fact that Niko is now involved in the conversation makes my heart race. What is Uncle Jay getting into?

“Not much actually,” Uncle Jay laughs. “Is it Smith & Wesson? Winchester? Colt Defense? Oh! What about—” he pauses, pinching his brow, “—Golden Honor Firearms?”

Tomo tilts his head. I bite my tongue, stabbing my fork at the salad bowl, but there’s nothing left but ginger dressing.

“That’s none of our business,” I say to Uncle Jay. “They’re the yakuza,” I mumble, hoping he catches my undertone:Stop being so reckless!

“So the rumorsaretrue?” Uncle Jay asks me. His eyes widen as he realizes that I’ve been holding back on him. My cheeks flush. “It’s just a friendly conversation.” He turns to Tomo again. “How much are you buying in for?”

The vibrator in my underwear comes to life and I flinch. Kenzo smirks. I push back my seat, unable to take another word, knowing that Kenzo is going to make it very distracting if I stay any longer. I can’t have an orgasm in the middle of a conversation about gun smuggling.

“Excuse me,” I whisper. I disappear out of the room and down a hallway. I shove myself in a stall and my phone vibrates, jolting me.