We got next to Reo.
In that room, a woman was riding a man in reverse. Her back faced him, her hips grinding in slow, filthy circles while his hands gripped her waist hard enough to leave bruises.
Her head was tipped back, mouth parted, and the sounds she made vibrated through the glass—low, guttural, real.
Behind them, another man watched from the edge of the bed, stroking himself, waiting for his turn.
Fox brands.
Both with crowns.
Hmmm. Three commanders. At minimum.
I tapped my finger against my leg.
And these commanders were all within a hundred meters of each other, all unarmed, all mid-fuck. If these were the men responsible for guarding this level of the Depths, then my father's defense was thinner than paper.
This wouldn’t just be an advantage for us in the war. It would be a massacre.
Reo looked at us. “Two commanders enjoying their time together.”
Hiro smirked. “We look, but we don’t judge.”
“But do we kill?” Reo focused on me.
"Not yet."
"Look at the nightstand." Reo pointed through the glass.
I followed his finger. On the surface next to the bed, two handguns sat side by side. Even through the glass and the red light, I could see the detailing—silver barrels with roses engraved along the slides. Rubies set into the grips. Not functional gems. Decorative. The kind of craftsmanship that turned a weapon into an exquisite statement.
The Butcher gave them weapons.
I stared at those rose-engraved guns sitting on the nightstand while their owners fucked a few feet away, oblivious. My father had the Butcher's weapons in his commanders' hands. That didn't happen overnight. That meant there had been a high-operative secret supply run to Tokyo in the past days.
Hiro sneered. "The French decided to enter the chat."
Reo nodded slowly. "Which means that phone call that we heard wasn’t the first one."
Hiro looked at me. “I say let’s kill them all now.”
Reo raised an eyebrow.
"No, brother. Bullets go through that glass. So will sound and panic." I looked back at the commanders in the room. "The moment we fire, every person in these tunnels knows we're here. We lose surprise, and surprise is the only thing keeping us alive right now."
Hiro frowned. "So we just leave them to their fucking?"
"We leave them comfortable." I turned to Hiroko. “Will you need the elevator key for other parts of Yoshiwara?”
“No, and even if I did, I brought a copy just in case.”
“Smart. Give me the elevator key."
She dug her hands into her pocket, pulled the bronze key out, and handed it to me. "Here you go."
I gave the key to Reo.
He quirked his brows. “What are you thinking?”
