“Konbanwa, WakagashiraMinato,” I say, hoping to god that I got it right.
“It is a pleasure to have you here, new Mrs. MacTavish,” he says. “I fear my wife Himari becomes bored with these affairs and it will be a pleasure for her to have company.”
As if she’d been hovering just out of sight, a woman glides out from a side door, so willowy and graceful that I feel like I'm all awkward angles to her delicate lines, like I have hooves, insteadof feet. She's very young, younger than me, I think. Her hair is cut in a beautiful sleek, black bob and she smiles at me shyly.
“Perhaps I could ask you to join me for tea and something light?” she asks. “I fear the men's meetings can sometimes drag on, and I wouldn't wish you to perish from hunger while we wait.” I smile uncertainly, glancing up at Michael and he nods, leaning down to kiss my cheek.
“Go ahead,” he whispers. “The meeting shouldn't take long. Ian will stay with you.”
I nod and smile. "Thank you. That would be lovely.” Inwardly, I cringe. I sound like I’m an extra onDownton Abbey.
Himari leads me down a long hallway with painted screens lining the walls. Alcoves light up every few feet with beautifully displayed weaponry and armor. There are gleaming swords, and Samurai battle armor displayed with a reverence that tells me they’re priceless. There’s a heaviness here that presses down on me, the longer we walk. This place is a testament to violence.
Finally, something with a feminine energy as Himari guides me into a drawing room with silk-covered furniture and windows that look regally out over Tokyo, like a monarch overseeing his kingdom.
I catch a glimpse of Ian’s unhappy expression as Himari’s guard shuts the door, leaving them both in the hall.
There's already a tea set laid out, delicate porcelain cups in vivid enamel designs, threaded through with silver and gold, along with a tray of food that looks more like divine pieces of art, rather than something edible.
Himari pauses, hovering over her chair. I’m frozen next to the couch, uncertain of who should sit first. We seat ourselves at thesame time with a little chuckle and the first genuine smiles from us both.
“How nice to have such a young husband,” she says, carefully pouring me a cup of dark tea.
Michael's twelve years older than me, but I'm guessing her husband is somewhere in his mid-40s so I can see her point.
“How long have you and Minato been married?" I ask politely and her smile dims slightly, like a flickering bulb.
“Six months," she says.
"Have you known him for long?" I ask.
“Six months."
"I understand." I say. Arranged marriages may be rare for regular folks, but not in the crime world.
A flicker of shadow passes over the tea set as two guards pace past the window. She sips her tea and pretends not to notice.
“Your estate seems very active,” I venture. “Is it always…”
Like Fort Knox?
“Oh, well…” she takes another ladylike sip. “I believe we have another guest on the way.” A dark little smile spreads over her face. “I fear you will not enjoy this surprise at all.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Cormac MacTavish, The Chieftain…
Back in Edinburgh…
“Let’s walk it back, aye?” Cameron says, calm and controlled. “We’ll narrow the clues down.”
The circle around me is the one that has been here since I first took over the mantle as Chieftain of the MacTavish Clan. My brothers Cameron, Dougal, and Lachlan are seated around the conference table in my office. Our brothers Alistair and Alec are on standby in London, ready to fly out at a moment's notice.
"Ye have to accept it, brother,” Dougal says heavily. “It's someone within the family.”
"Shut your fecking mouth!" Lachlan is halfway out of his chair. “Do ye hear what you're saying?"
"Aye, I do, ye fecking bampot!" Dougal snaps. “We have narrowed down every other possibility. Ye canna have this many security breaches and lapses, an endless stream of betrayal and feckups without a central figure being involved in all of them." He looks at me sympathetically, but not soft. “And I'm thinking you know it because we're the only ones here in this room."
