Page 25

SYDNEY

I drove home in silence, my mind on autopilot as the magnitude of the day’s events hovered over me. I pulled into the garage and locked my car. This day was too much, and I knew it wasn’t close to being over yet.

As I rounded the corner of the house, my blood boiled when I saw a car that belonged to Kaito parked out front. The man who I knew had played a part in killing my sister was here.

Touma was standing outside, and I became worried about Regan.

Where was my sister? Why wasn’t he with her?

I jogged over to him and saw two men once again guarding my front door.

“Sydney, I tried to stay with her, but they forced me outside,” he said.

I walked past him, giving him a nod before walking straight to my door. As soon as one guard stuck out a hand, I pounced.

I was hollow and numb from the pain of Raven’s loss, and that hollow space allowed my rage to consume my actions.

I yanked the man forward by his arm, using his momentum to my advantage. I tossed him over my shoulder and down the stairs behind me. He fell with a grunt, and the other man grabbed my arm, turning and slamming my back against the wall next to the front door.

“Let her fucking go!” Touma shouted from behind as he hobbled forward, lifting a crutch that I had no doubt was about to come crashing down on the back of this guy’s head if he didn’t listen.

Suddenly, the front door swung open, and another man appeared. He aimed a gun at Touma, which made him stop in his tracks. Then he glanced over at me and the man pressing his arm into my neck in front of me.

“Let her pass. You know the boss said to let her in right away,” he said as he gestured to the man to let me go. “You don’t have to cause a scene, Sydney.”

I shoved the guy away as soon as I felt the pressure lighten, causing him to stumble and almost fall down the steps as well. I didn’t bother to say anything back, just stared at the man with the gun until he lowered it, then pushed past him into my house.

“Regan!” I shouted as I kicked off my shoes before dashing inside.

No one was in the living room today, so I panicked.

Where does he have her?!

I turned and ran down the hall to her room.

Nothing. I continued to run through the house before I noticed the lights in Raven’s old room were on.

I made my way down there to see two guards standing at the end—a short, scrawny one, who looked more like a run-of-the-mill high school punk than a bodyguard for the yakuza, and one who looked calm and serious.

The punky one knocked on the door. “Boss, the other one is here,” he called.

I heard a muffled voice reply, but I was still too far away to pick up the exact words. The short man turned and addressed me next. “Gonna have to make you wait a minute. Don’t make this a thing like you did out front.”

I wanted to slam him through the wall right now for trying to tell me what I could and couldn’t do in my home. Especially on the day we had found out our sister had died. But I didn’t miss the gesture the tall one made, which revealed a gun that I knew he would use if he had to.

I stood there, my body fuming as I waited for the longest minute of my life.

The door opened, and Regan’s face appeared.

“Sydney … Mr. Yamazaki is here to talk to us.” Her voice was a whisper.

I walked over to her, pushing the door open. I wrapped her in my arms, giving her a tight squeeze. She looked like she’d been crying ever since I’d left earlier, and guilt filled me.

I’d left her to go look for AJ. And I should have known Kaito would come here, even before I knew about Raven from AJ. Maybe I’d hoped Touma would be able to keep her away from him, but that was also such a foolish thought.

I glanced over her shoulder as I heard him take a few steps.

“As touching as this is to watch, we have some things to discuss,” Kaito said as he stepped up next to us, placing his hands on my sister’s arms and tugging her away from me and against him.

I glared up at him. How dare he stand here and try to dictate our grief?

There had never been a more calculated, manipulative man I’d ever met than Kaito.

If he really was the one behind Raven’s death—and judging by his actions as he caressed my sister’s arms, looking down at her as she peered up at him—that was a guarantee.

Her body language was uncomfortable while his eyes were basically fucking her as he looked up and down her body. It made my skin crawl.

Did he kill you, sister, solely to get to Regan? Were we right all along to be concerned about what his intentions really were? Was that the reason he killed you? Did you find out what he was really after, so he got rid of you, knowing he could never silence you?

“Sydney!” Kaito snapped my name, and it brought my focus back to the fact that he had actually been speaking this whole time.

I locked eyes with him, and he sneered at me.

“I know you are grieving the loss of my fiancée, but do your best to listen and not make this about you. Your sister is also in need of your attention. I arrived to inform you of the devastating news that I’d heard about Raven, and I found you had all but abandoned your blood to go drown in your sorrows alone.

I knew you were impulsive, but I never thought you would be so selfish at this time of loss,” he said as he caressed the side of Regan’s face with the back of his hand.

“I did not abandon her. Touma was here. What I do after learning about my sister’s murder is my business. But I’m here now, and we already know about Raven. You can leave us in peace,” I said as I gestured toward the door.

He chuckled and whispered into Regan’s ear.

She gave a subtle nod and left his embrace and walked over to the bed, sitting on it.

She looked at me, her eyes filling with tears once more, and another wave of emotion almost overtook me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before turning myself away from her to face him better.

I have to stay strong. I can’t give him an inch. Remember, he is the man who killed your sister.

I met his condescending look with one of rage-fueled determination.

“As much as I would like to leave you two to your mourning, there is business to discuss. Your sister winding up dead because of the people she was around leaves us all in a peculiar predicament. I’m sure you’re aware of the agreement she and I had.

Well, I intend to give you two the appropriate time to get through the loss of your sister before we tend to the new terms of the agreement.

I’m sure we can come to a”—his eyes swept over to where Regan was sitting—“appropriate substitute for our deal.”

I froze, trying to keep from attacking him where he stood. I wouldn’t need much time, just seconds, really, to wrap my arms around his neck and snap it. But it would put Regan in too much danger, so I restrained myself.

The way he was behaving right now confirmed the exact thoughts I’d had in my head. He was after Regan. And exactly like Raven must have told him, it would be over my dead body before he got her.

“We can talk about that crap later. Leave, Kaito. This is still our home, and as of right now, you aren’t welcome here,” I said as I took a step forward.

He smirked and snapped his fingers. The door swung open, and the guards outside walked in.

“Please show Regan to the living room. I need to have a word in private with her sister.” Kaito smirked as he waited for them to escort her from the room.

She glanced at me as she passed, but she kept her mouth shut as I shook my head slightly. I could handle myself alone with Kaito. He didn’t scare me.

Once he shut the door, he walked over to me.

Almost lazily in his actions, he reached up and went to grab a strand of my hair, but I jerked my head back and batted his hand away.

That was when I realized my mistake. Within a second and quicker than I could have imagined, he spun us and threw me chest-first onto my sister’s bed.

I rolled onto my back, only to have him on top of me, pinning my hands above my head with one of his as he wedged himself between my legs.

“Get off of me!” I shouted at him.

He took his other hand and covered my mouth.

He chuckled. His eyes were dancing, like he was thoroughly enjoying this moment. I struggled against him, but my dangling legs left me with little vantage.

“Shut up and stop struggling. I need you to know the position you are actually in, Sydney. You stand there, acting so superior, when, in reality, you are nothing but a powerless woman, grasping at straws. You have nothing, unless I give it to you. I will not allow you to speak to me in such a disrespectful tone. I own everything you cherish. Your home, your dojo, one could even say your lives . I am giving you and your sister the traditional forty-nine days to mourn Raven. Once that is done, we will solve the issue that your sister’s carelessness left us all.

Speak to me like that again, and I will make sure you can’t speak at all.

Understand?” His tone was low, menacing, and deadly.

I processed what he’d said—forty-nine days. That would be enough time to get my revenge. It would have to be. I had to convince him to leave us alone before then.

As much as it killed me, I nodded under his grasp.

“Good girl.”

His praise made my stomach churn.

But he released me and stepped back, adjusting his clothes so that they lay perfectly on his body once more. He glanced in the mirror and checked his reflection as I sat up on the bed.

“See you in fifty days, Sydney,” he said as he walked over to the door and opened it. He paused in the entryway. “Don’t leave the country with Regan. I’d hate for your sister to become an only child.”

With that, he disappeared, and I stood up.

My knees gave out, and I collapsed onto my ass on the ground. The adrenaline from the day, the grief, the anger—it all had finally taken a toll on my body, and I was shaking uncontrollably. A few minutes later, I heard footsteps running down the hall, and Regan appeared at the doorway to the room.

“Oh, sister!” she cried out as she flung herself down next to me, wrapping her arms around me.

We sat there together and cried. Holding on to each other as our grief consumed us. Hours passed before we exhausted ourselves and could finally stand.

When we reappeared in the living room, Touma was there. The man was a saint. He had heard us and given us time alone. He had also ordered food and had hot tea waiting.

We picked at our food, eating small bites and sipping our tea. We had no appetite, but our bodies needed nourishment.

Regan excused herself to her room, and Touma told me he would clean up and that he was going to crash here tonight.

I offered him Raven’s room, but he shook his head, reassuring me that the couch was fine, that he preferred to be near in case something was needed.

I didn’t have the energy to argue with him.

I sat with my thoughts, Kaito’s threat hanging heavy in my mind. We didn’t have much time, so every day counted.

I pulled out my phone and sent AJ a text.

Sydney

Hey, it’s Sydney. Can you meet tomorrow? We can’t wait to talk about what we’re going to do about Raven’s murderer.

I waited for a few minutes as I walked around the house, making sure the doors and windows were all locked. Now that it was only the two of us, I planned on installing a security system. Costs be damned.

I walked quietly to Touma, who had fallen asleep on the couch. I draped a throw blanket over him, as the nights still get chilly. The last thing we needed was him to get sick in the middle of everything else going on.

My phone softly chimed in my pocket, and I looked at it as I made my way down toward my and Regan’s rooms.

AJ

Send me the address. I’ll be there at five.

I typed out my reply as I quietly opened Regan’s door and glanced inside. She was asleep—thank goodness. She must have been drained from the day, emotionally and mentally.

Sydney

Here it is. See you then.

I dropped him a pin to our place and then closed her door, walking across the hall to my own room.

I swiftly stripped out of my clothes and took a warm shower.

I usually took a cold one, but the last thing my body needed was a shock to the system to wake back up.

I needed rest if I was going to execute the plan I was starting to form.

Revenge couldn’t happen with a weary mind, and revenge was exactly what I was after.