Page 35

SYDNEY

Tonight was the night.

I hadn’t seen AJ in person since the night we’d hooked up. We’d texted, but I had been so preoccupied with finalizing how everything was going to go down tonight that the last thing I could afford to focus on was a man hung up on a past girlfriend.

My mind wandered back to the conversation we’d had that morning after.

“Wow, never thought about where you really came from or why someone like you would come to Japan,” I said.

I wondered who this mystery girl was. I was almost upset because he was thinking about a different girl and not my sister—someone who had clearly cared about him enough to put herself in harm’s way.

“Someone like me?” he asked as he lay back against the headboard.

“Well, most foreigners move here for either modeling or some kind of corporate job, not just to ship cars and spend their free time in a gym every day,” I said, watching him carefully.

He chuckled. “Sorry I don’t fit in with the usual crowd.”

“It’s fine. I’m sorry that I never thought to ask,” I said, still trying to cool my emotions down enough to ask more about him.

“You were busy with other things, baby.”

Yeah, like taking care of my sister’s funeral and mourning her death. For a moment, I wanted to lash out, not really at him, but at the situation. He must have noticed because all of a sudden, I was being tugged onto his chest, and his arms wrapped around me.

“Easy. I didn’t mean to bring her up like that,” he said, his voice low and soothing.

It was crazy how he could tell.

We don’t even know each other that well, yet he knows when I’m getting upset.

“Does this woman you love have a name? Or is that also one of the secrets you won’t share?” I muttered against his chest as I glanced up at him.

He met my stare and frowned. “It’s not like I’m intentionally keeping shit from you. If you don’t ask, I’m not going to just share shit. But since you asked, her name is Rosalie.”

She even has a pretty name too.

“Why did you leave her? If you love her so much, why come here?” I said, challenging him to tell me more.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but bad people seem to follow me wherever I go. This lifestyle isn’t a scene she should be in. Leaving her was for her own good. As long as she’s safe, I’ll stay away.”

That response took me by surprise. I felt my anger about my sister melt away as I thought about what he’d said. He was more like Raven than maybe even he knew, putting his happiness aside for the sake of the people he loved.

He wasn’t a guy who had just used my sister. He was in the same situation she had been in. That was what had drawn them together.

He had left shortly after that conversation. I had gone on with my morning with a little better understanding of how deeply AJ cared about people, even if he didn’t show it much. He was the kind of person who, once you were inside his circle, he made sure you were in it for good.

But today, there was no time for emotions of past lives. As long as AJ’s head stayed in the game long enough for my plan to go into motion, that was all I needed.

I gave Regan a hug and told her to stay home tonight, but that if Touma said they needed to leave, she needed to be ready to leave with him.

No arguments. I was back in my room, shoving the few things I needed into a small duffel bag.

I went to the spot where I’d hidden the gun and phone.

The phone still had some charge, and I carefully lifted the gun out of its box.

Then I turned my attention to where I was going to hide the gun.

I didn’t have a holster to have it tucked away on my body, but it fit perfectly in my usual crossbody bag.

No one would be suspicious of a weapon if they saw me wear the same thing I normally did.

I’d never had a weapon on me before. Why would I now?

I smiled and carefully tucked it inside and zipped it up.

My heart was already racing. Was I really going to be able to take his life when it came down to it?

Get it together. You will suck it up and finish this. He had no mercy for Raven. Why the hell would you for him?

I pulled the crossbody over my head and settled it over my outfit. I’d worn a skintight black jumpsuit, but there were cutouts on the sides—from right under my boobs to my hips. My new tattoo was on full display, barely healed enough to remove the wraps.

I walked over to my mirror. Still needed to put on my makeup and finish my hair.

I pushed it back into a high bun—fewer options for someone to grab if a scuffle happened.

I didn’t want to do a ton of makeup, so I went with a black eyeliner and mascara, along with a bold, deep red lip.

I wanted his eyes on me and off of things he didn’t need to notice until it was hopefully too late.

Once I was satisfied with my appearance, I stood up, grabbing the duffel bag, and then I made my way outside to the dojo. Touma was awaiting my arrival and gave me a wide-eyed once-over as I walked in.

“Well, damn. Someone looks hot as hell for going to the underground belly where all the scum is,” he said with an approving nod.

I smiled at him. “If this is going to be the day we carve Kaito out of our lives for good, then I’m going to make sure he will never forget how I look as I reclaim what’s mine.”

He laughed and walked over to where I sat down on a bench, placing my duffel bag on the floor next to my feet. He was almost ready to be done with the crutches, and I could tell he was itching to work out properly and spar again.

“Well, I sure as hell hope that happens tonight. You sure you want me to stay here?”

I nodded. “Yes, and there is a reason for that,” I said, all the humor I’d had seconds before fading away.

“Okay, I can see this is going to be a conversation I want to sit down for,” Touma said as he carefully lowered himself next to me.

“If things go bad tonight and AJ loses, or if anything else happens where you hear Kaito is on his way here? I need you to grab Regan and take her away. Don’t stick around for anything.

There is a safe in my closet. The code is taped to the door right now, and there is enough money inside to get you two out of the city and to live on for a few months.

Promise me you won’t wait for me. You’ll take her, run, and never look back,” I said, my voice solemn.

His eyebrows furrowed, and he looked into my eyes. “What are you going to do tonight, Sydney?”

Ahh, Touma. Always to the point. Sorry, can’t let you stop me.

I waved in the air nonchalantly. “Nothing. I kinda bet Regan’s hand in marriage to Kaito on the fight, but there is no way I’ll let her actually get taken by that monster, so you have to run away with her if Akuma loses the match.”

Please, buy it. Don’t pressure me for information I can’t give you.

Finally, he looked away and sighed.

“I promise I’ll keep her safe,” he said as he leaned back against the wall.

“I’m leaving my car here. The keys are on the kitchen counter. Take it. You can go faster in it than her car,” I said as I reached over and playfully punched his shoulder.

“I swear, you’d better not do something stupid, Sydney. Promise me you’ll be okay,” Touma said as he reached over and placed a hand on my shoulder, gently gripping it.

I crossed my fingers out of his sight. “Promise.”

Sorry, Touma. I hope all of this preparation is for nothing. But just in case, you’d better keep her safe and make sure she’s happy.

With a final nod, I stood up, grabbed the bag on the floor next to me, and walked out.

Right on time, I heard the familiar sound of AJ’s car pulling up the driveway. And sure enough, his car came rolling to a stop a few feet from me. I gave one last wave to Touma, really trying to sell the there’s nothing else going on act I was doing.

AJ watched me as I slid into the car, tucking the duffel bag on the floor between my feet. I could feel him questioning me about it with his eyes, so I offered an answer automatically.

“Towels and water. I don’t really trust that Kaito won’t try to do something to the ones there today. Better to be safe than sorry,” I said as I buckled in.

AJ gave a nod in reply as he backed down the driveway and onto the street. He knew the way by now, so I kept my phone tucked in my purse, hidden behind the gun.

“I did some digging around about Kaito’s mystery fighter that you’re facing today.

Apparently, no one knows where he came from exactly.

He showed up with a man who wore a striped red-and-white suit one night, and after that, he fought for Kaito in five matches.

In all the matches, he decimated his opponents.

One isn’t even out of the hospital yet. He’s fast, almost inhumanly so.

You need to make sure he doesn’t get around your guard.

When he hits, it hurts. No one has a clue what his fighting style really is either.

” I spoke as we drove, and AJ intently listened, but he remained unfazed.

In fact, he might be actually smirking bigger now.

“Glad you think all of this is amusing. I hope you’re taking this seriously, AJ. We can’t afford to lose tonight. Please, make sure you give this your all.” I rubbed my hands together. My fingertips were freezing, which made sense considering how nervous I was feeling about tonight.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and rubbed my arm. “I’m listenin’, baby. Don’t worry about the fight.” AJ’s eyes danced with excitement as he peered over at me.

I sighed and leaned into his touch. His hand felt so warm, and I could focus on that, centering my nerves to calm down a bit.

How can he be so cool and confident all the time? Then again, I thought I was braver about today than how I actually feel right now. Maybe he’s really great at hiding his nerves.

We sat in relative silence the rest of the way there, and once we drove into the parking garage, I made sure AJ parked closer to the entrance.