"Easily.”
“But, those are his grandkids.”
"Doesn't matter." Hiro's expression went cold. "You have to understand something about my brother and my father. They're not just seen as dangerous gangsters in all of Asia. People believe they're. . .something else. Something mystical."
I parted my lips. "Mystical?"
"The Fox survived a bomb that should have killed him." Hiro's voice dropped. "Walked out of the wreckage without a scratch. Now, half the underworld treats him like he's immortal. Like he's God. Other organizations throughout Asia don't just fear him—they worship him. Many have statues of his face next to altars."
What the fuck?
Behind me, one of the twins shifted.
"And Kenji?" I asked quietly.
"The Dragon." Hiro's jaw tightened. "People see him the same way. The things he's survived, the enemies he’s killed at times with his bare hands, the many he’s burned alive, the way he moves through violence like it can't touch him, the legends that follow him—it's not just reputation. It's belief. Faith. People think he carries something. . .otherworldly that he not only got from his father, but from his mother too."
My chest constricted as I thought of the animal shadows in the hallway’s paintings.
Hiro continued, "Even if the Fox kills my brother—even if he wins this war—if those twins are Kenji's sons, people will treat them like they carry that same mystical spirit. That dragon legacy. They'll look to those boys as the rightful heirs. As if the Fox is just keeping the throne warm for them."
"And that takes attention away from your father."
"Exactly." Hiro's eyes glinted. "Grandsons or not, the Fox can't have people believing Kenji's bloodline still walks the earth.Can't have two baby boys growing up with everyone whispering that they inherited the Dragon's power. His mystique. His destiny."
Ice crawled up my spine. "So he'd kill them to erase Kenji completely."
"Not just kill them. He’d do it in the most public and brutal way."
I shivered. “Little babies?”
“Yes.” Hiro's tone went flat. "And he would make it look like mercy. Like he tried to save them, but they were too weak. Too human. He'd destroy the legend along with the bloodline."
Aki made a soft sound behind me.
"My father doesn't just want to win this war, he wants to be the only god left standing." Hiro frowned. “And Kiko is not the smartest Ear, but she does know that.”
“Are you sure?”
“From Reo’s monitoring and ours we know that currently Kiko is terrified that Kenji may lose this war and is hoping he is focused on the win. She just thinks you’re distracting him."
“And what do you think?”
“I think you will be the reason why we all win.”
My heartbeats picked up.
The weight of it crashed over me—Kiko trapped in a nightmare of her own making, carrying babies that could either be her salvation or her death sentence, desperate to ensure Kenji won this war because if he didn't. . .the Fox would probably slaughter her children and her.
And meanwhile. . .everyone’s thinking I would be the mystical Dragon’s savior.
"Jesus," I whispered.
Hiro sighed. "Kiko has been trying her best to be part of the family legacy for a long time. If she's the mother of Kenji's children, she'd be set for life. So would her family. There'snothing my brother wouldn't do for her just to make sure his kids' mother is happy."
I stared at him, my mind racing through the implications. "So she. . .what? Pre-war, slept with all three of you hoping one of you would get her pregnant?"
"Essentially."
