They surrounded him. Kenji’s stern face and tense posture made Jake uneasy.
“What’s going on?”
“You’re in the middle of a shitstorm, Jake.” Gone was the joking tone he was used to. “That producer who attacked your girl… Gia? He’s involved with some bad people. He’s not even at the top of the food chain.” Kenji tucked his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels.
“When you called, it got me curious. Why would my boy be involved with a movie producer? Curiosity killed the cat, you know what I’m saying?” He tapped his temples with a tattooed finger. “So I pulled at some strings, called in a few favors, and the whole thing is unraveling.” Kenji let out a low whistle. Jake’s stomach sank. “My advice? Take the girl and run. If news gets out or she talks, they’ll try to bury her.”
“Bury her?”
“What my brother’s trying to say is they will come for her, and it won’t be pretty,” Hiro chimed in helpfully.
A heavy silence settled between them. He wasn’t even sure he was still breathing as thoughts whirled through his mind.
“You love her?” Kenji’s voice pulled Jake back from his spiral.
Jake swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Yes.”
Kenji’s sharp gaze scanned his face, sensing the truth in his words. A muscle ticked in Kenji’s jaw before he looked away, as if he were admiring the view.
“It just so happens I have some… business to take care of out west. SomeassociatesI need to meet.” His gaze collided with Jake’s. “You let me take care of this, ya hear me? This is way above the pay grade of a small-town lawyer.”
Jake likely should have felt offended, but he felt reassured. “Take care of this, how?”
Kenji shrugged. “The less you know, the better. One other thing…”
Jake gulped.What else could there be?“What is it?”
“I couldn’t stop the ants from coming here. You have about twenty-four hours until they’re on your doorstep. Might want to be prepared for it.”
He frowned, confused. “The ants?”
“He means the paparazzi. They look like ants swarming for their next meal,” Hiro said.
Jake turned his head to look at Hiro. The scar above his left eye was less noticeable than when he’d seen him a few years ago. “How do they know where to go?”
Kenji stepped closer until they were only a few feet apart. “Seems like the nepo baby called his daddy, and news broke out of another major scandal they could cash in on.”
“Goddammit,” Jake hissed. He’d known there would be consequences for punching Alex in the face, even if the bastard deserved worse. He hated knowing Gia would be under the microscope, every part of her life being dissected for entertainment when she was the true victim here. It would only make lifeharder for her when she was finally home, where she belonged. Meanwhile, he imagined they would portray Alex as some sort of innocent bystander.
A wide smile spread across Kenji’s face, a stark contrast to the bleak mood. “I heard you broke his nose.”
Jake grimaced, hand rubbing at the back of his neck. “Yeah, I might have.”
“Well, did he deserve it?”
His hand fell to his side, all traces of remorse gone. “He drugged Gia.”
Tension charged the air as Kenji stilled. “Then he’s lucky it was only his nose you broke.”
“Brother, we need to get going,” Hiro interrupted.
Kenji moved to walk past Jake. “Sorry, Jake, we’ve got a plane to catch.”
Jake nodded but stopped him, hand heavy on his shoulder. He locked eyes with Kenji, his words measured and clear. “Thank you for everything.”
For everything he had done, and for what he was about to do.
“Something tells me I’ll see you again.” Kenji clapped him on the back before breaking the hold and joining his brother. Their footsteps were nearly silent as they walked back down the trail, leaving Jake behind with his thoughts. Up here, looking down at the world, everything seemed so small. The air was brisk, and he could imagine he was touching the low-lying clouds if he reached high enough above him. The peacefulness of his surroundings did not stop the twisting in his stomach.
