He shakes his head slowly. “I know you said Yutaro is yours, but…” he gasps as lines of pain cut grooves into his face. “Fuck.”
Turning my head, I look at Lorenzo. “Bring Kano to me.”
He jogs out of the living room, and for a moment, Ryo and I don’t speak. Unable to stomach what I just saw, I rush out onto the veranda and puke.
Jesus.
That shit will forever be burned into my mind.
Yuki.
My fucking soul cries for the hell she went through. Knowing she suffered and seeing it are two different beasts.
When my stomach calms, I straighten up. Ryo pushes a glass of clear liquid into my hand, and when I drink it, the strong alcohol burns the bile from my throat.
“I should’ve taken her sooner,” I say, my voice hoarse.
He places his hand on my shoulder. “Thank you for saving my sister when I couldn’t.”
“Not soon enough,” I snap. “Fuck.”
“She would’ve suffered a much worse fate if it weren’t for you, Augusto. For that and for your help tonight, I’m forever in your debt.”
Our eyes lock, and I hate that it’s taken Yuki’s suffering to breach the gap between Ryo and me, but I know after tonight, Ryo and I will always have each other’s backs.
When Lorenzo hauls Kano’s ass out onto the veranda, I order, “Bring the remaining men. Let them see what will happen to them if they don’t kneel to Ryo.”
I’ve heard the legendary way Uncle Renzo killed his enemies, and tonight I think it will be a fitting death for this fucker who dared to abuse my wife.
I pull the K-Bar knife from the holster around my thigh, and as the men begin to form a circle around us, I look at Ryo. “You have five minutes with him. Just don’t kill the bastard.”
My brother-in-law lunges for Kano, and as the men begin to fight, I walk around the circle while my fingers clench on the handle of my knife. “You have one of two choices, I tell the remaining men of the Yakuza, “Ryo Tanaka is now your leader. The Cosa Nostra stands behind him, and if anyone attacks him or tries to kill him, I will retaliate.”
I make eye contact with some of the men while Ryo and Kano grunt behind me, the blows of their fists loud in the air.
“Time’s up,” Lorenzo calls out.
I turn around, and as Ryo steps back, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths, I swipe Kano’s feet from under him. He’s too exhausted to catch himself and slams down hard on the tiles.
I press my knee into his groin, and as he lets out a shout, I say, “I’ve heard you don’t feel pain. Seems it’s nothing more than a lie.” I grind my knee into his dick, then plunge the knife into his gut.
The breath leaves Kano in a whoosh, and his eyes grow even wider as he realizes this is the moment he dies.
Bending over him, I look at his face that’s filled with fear and pain.
“This is for Yuki. No matter how fucking hard you tried.” I hack the blade through his stomach and abdomen while gritting out through clenched teeth, “You. Couldn’t. Break. Her.” I shove my hand into his body and grab a fistful of organs, and as I yank them from his gut, I watch him begin to convulse as he goes into shock.
Damn, I now understand why Uncle Renzo loves this particular method of killing. It’s very satisfying.
Climbing to my feet, I shake the shit and blood off my hand and shout, “Who swears loyalty to Ryo Tanaka?”
And who do I get to gut like a fish?
One after the other, the men bow their heads, but then three make a run for it. Not hesitating, I throw my knife and hit one of the fuckers in the back of his neck.
He falls to his hands and knees as he chokes on the blade that went right through. Ryo grabs a gun from one of my men and opens fire on the other two fuckers, mowing them down on thelawn, then he turns to the remaining men, “Would anyone else like to leave?”
They all shake their heads.
