This time the Claws and Fangs knew not to chuckle with him, although they were probably struggling with remaining serious.
Kiko trembled and rested her hand on her stomach as if that would shield her from what was coming next. “K-kenji. . .please. I am so sorry for any disrespect.”
I raised the blade slowly, deliberately, the glint catching the low light of the war room. Everyone in the space saw it. “Your behavior has been unacceptable.”
Her eyes widened.
“Pregnant or not, you areonlymy Ear. You are only my weapon. To think you are something more. . .to think that you can yell at my Roar, come into this room, and insult my Heart. . .” I took a breath. “Itcannotbe overlooked.”
The whole war room held its breath.
Her crew went still.
Shaking, Kiko lowered down to the floor. Her knees buckled. One hand clutched her stomach, the other flattened on the floor to keep from collapsing entirely. Her hair slid over her face. “Kenji. . .I. . .am very sorry. I will not do that again. I am—”
“Due to this disrespect, you are no longer allowed inthishouse. I see you in here and your crew’s heads will be sliced off one by one and sent back to Tokyo. Do you understand?”
Kiko remained in that deep bow on the ground. “Y-yes. I am so sorry.”
“But your apology is not enough.”
She slowly lifted her head. “Kenji, please—”
I glanced down at the blade in my hand and turned it once. “Luckily for you, I can’t hurt you, Kiko. You are a woman. You are pregnant. I am a Dragon, but I’m not a complete monster.”
She relaxed for half a second—just half.
“I must keep my violence man to man.” I tilted my chin and put my gaze on Tet. “Don’t you think so?”
Tet blanched. “Huh? Oh no. Me? No. I-I didn’t do anything. K-kiko told me to help her today. That we had a mission. S-she said I had to help her put your new lover in her place. That the American was a threat. I-I didn’t know about everything else. If I knew, I would have never—”
“Come here.”
“No. No. No.” Tet stumbled in the other direction and then he just. . .tried to run off.
Three Scales moved before he could get two feet away. Fast, they grabbed Tet and dragged him toward me like a bag of meat.
Kiko rose from the ground and stepped forward. “Kenji, please! W-What are you doing? I-I am sorry.”
“Escort Kiko out of here,” I didn’t even look at her anymore. “I don’t want the babies disturbed by the violence.”
Two of the guards came to her, gentle but firm. They reached for her arm.
She began to cry. “Kenji, please, wait!”
I looked at her finally and met her gaze. “I need you to understand your place.”
“I do now!” She sobbed. “Please!”
“But now is too late.”
I leaned my head to the side. “Who are you to me?”
She hesitated. “I-I am your Ear.”
“Are you sure?”
“Y-yes.”
