On the verge of confronting her, I heard her speak. “You can use the door instead of the window, you know.”
I frowned having not heard anyone enter the room. Who was she talking to?
“Keeps me vigilant.”
That familiar voice gave me pause. I wracked my head trying to place it. Feminine, almost whisper-like and raspy.
“I thought you were in hiding,” Ishika said.
A soft laugh followed. “Why would I?”
Fuck, I knew that voice.
“Because you assassinate mafia families like they are puppets made just for you,” Ishika’s response sucker punched me.
“Koro?” I inhaled harshly on the name. What the fuck was she doing here?
They played you!
Every guarded instinct I possessed pushed me to confront them.Wait, I hissed at the impatient fuck me. I needed to learn how the fuck these two women knew each other and what were they plotting.
Cautious, I changed positions to get a better view of them. From where I stood though I could only see Ishika. Seated on the sofa with her back to me, the slight tilt of her head suggested the other woman remained closer to the wall opposite the door, hidden in the shadows.
“Until someone confesses, I’ll keep at it.” Anger tainted Koro’s words, leaving me guessing what she was after.
“Confesses what?” Ishika asked.
“You don’t need to know that yet,” came the reply.
“Always so secretive,” Ishika huffed. “It’s been a while since you visited.”
“I’m just a call away, Ish.”
My annoyance building, I strained my neck to get a glimpse of the woman, but she remained in the dark, a shadow within shadows.
“You disappear for months at a time, yet strangely you always seem to choose the perfect time to make an appearance.” Ishika’s tone was more regret than accusation.
A sexy laugh filled the air. “True but you know I’ll always have your back, right?”
“Yes,” Ishika’s reply was laced with uncertainty, her earlier wrath now hidden beneath the comfort of Koro’s strength. “I’m sure you heard that entire conversation?”
It dawned on me that whatever relationship they shared, Koro was the protector, a role I could understand given the way she fought and controlled our meetings.
“So you understand why you have to do this?” Koro asked.
“Did you know about Kai?”
A heavy sigh before Koro responded, “I thought he died in the accident too.”
“So why don’t you do what you best and bring him home instead of this marriage?”
“Because,” Koro paused, the silence stretching. “There’s a bigger game in play.”
“And let me guess, you can’t share anything right now.” Quiet followed Ishika’s question.
Although learning she had a brother she couldn’t remember was good, was it a solid reason to marry a stranger she clearly didn’t want?
Why the fuck do you care?
