Hearing his name for me brought my own smile forward. I shook my head and asked, “Is there something coming up I should know about?”
Shifting on his stool, his flirty look disappeared. “What do you mean?”
“With all the extra protection gettin’ around.”
He bit his bottom lip and sighed. “I worry.”
My brows shot down, my gut clenching. I’d figured as much, which was why I still carried my gun with me. Still, I wanted Taro to confirm my fears. “About what?”
He smoothed a hand over the counter my way. I took it in both of mine. He licked his lips and stared down at our hands. “You know the types of businesses I handle within the family.”
I did. Always had. “Yeah.”
He dropped my hand and straightened on the stool. “There are people who want our trade and would do anything to get it. They will see Father’s passing as a weakness, use it as an opportunity to take out the main contender in the city. We added extra protection because of the increased threat. If anything happened to Mother, Mimi, the family… you, I….” He shook his head.
“But you’re not worried about your life?” I accused, already aware he was that type of guy. He wouldn’t care about himself, only others.
Taro smirked and shrugged.
Then I would do it for him. I would protect him.
As I opened my mouth to speak, the windows in the kitchen shattered under gunfire. I was up off my stool, wrapping an arm around Taro’s waist and dragging him down to the floor. “Fuck,” I clipped when the shots didn’t slow. We needed to move, get behind the counter for added protection.
Nothing could happen to Taro.
Fucking nothing.
I took his hand and urged him to move by me. “Stay low. Get around the counter,” I ordered as I ran my gaze over him like he was doing to me. I could only see a few cuts and scrapes from the glass shattering over us, but no large wounds. Taro started forward on his hands and knees, looking back once to check that I followed.
Screams started, more gunfire.
Shouts.
One that sounded a lot like Botan. “Get the fuck out of here and live or die here trying to get to our master.”
“No. Tell your master to come out here.”
“He will not speak to the likes of you,” Ryo countered.
Taro rested back against the counter with a gun in hand. I crouched in front of him, pulling my gun free, and eyed the doorway. No fucker would get in here for him.
Protect.
Protect.
Protect.
It was the only thing that ran through my mind.
“Who are they?” I whispered over my shoulder, eyes still to the door.
His nostrils flared as he stared at me. “Rivals,” he snarled low. “Stay here,” he ordered.
I pressed into him before he could move. “No, you stay here.”
“Josh—”
“Wolf, come out here, or that room won’t be the only one we shoot up.”
Fuck.
How did they know what room Taro had been in in the first place?
Taro pushed at me, but I didn’t move. He wasn’t going out there. “Josh,” he clipped.
“You are not goin’ out there.”
“I have to. For my people, my family.”
I ground my teeth together. If it was me, I would do the same thing. The thought of him in harm’s way soured the taste in my mouth, and an ache formed in my chest.
“Josh,” Taro said gently as I heard Ryo trying to stop the situation. I turned enough to see him; his hand rested on my shoulder, where he squeezed. “They need to pay for this. For coming onto the property during our time of grieving.”
Drawing in a deep breath, I nodded. “But together.”
“Josh—”
“Together, Taro, or not at all.” I wasn’t giving up on that.
With narrowed eyes, he bit out, “Fine.”
“Wait,” I called softly. “Can I shoot them?”
His eyes widened before a soft chuckle dropped from his mouth. A mouth I wouldn’t mind kissing, except it wasn’t the right moment. He shook his head. “Wait until I speak to him, and then we’ll see if we need to shoot them.”
I winked. “Got it.” We crawled out the kitchen and stood in the hallway, heading towards the external door which would lead out to where the stand-off took place.
Before Taro could step outside, I tugged on his arm and moved in front of him, quickly walking outside before him, gun raised.
“Josh,” he clipped low.
At least twenty men were facing off against Taro’s men, and there were about fifteen of those. Ryo and Botan stood at the front of the group. Taro’s men parted, and I led Taro through, shifting the gun to my side with the safety off. I was ready, and if any of the motherfuckers twitched in Taro’s direction, I’d shoot even before they talked. I stopped at the front, and Taro stepped up beside me. He held his own gun pointed to the ground.
“Ah, Wolf, it’s so good of you to join us. I thought you would have stayed hiding behind your people.”
“It’s not I who usually does that, Smith. How did you get beyond the gates?” Taro asked.
Smith laughed. “Easily. You should really check who you have within your walls.”
“What has Jiro promised you?” Taro demanded.
Anger shot to my gut and warmed me. If Jiro was behind all of this, I’d kill him with my bare fucking hands.
The smirk on Smith’s face dimmed a little. The reaction told me enough: that goddamn Jiro was behind this. Smith replaced the smirk and shrugged. “I do not know this Jiro person.”
Taro snorted. “You were never good at lying. Tell me what you demand, Smith. I bore of this.”
Smith narrowed his eyes. “Do you honestly think you have the upper hand here?”
“I don’t think, I know. Hurry up and tell me.” It probably wasn’t appropriate, but the confidence Taro showed turned me on. He was a good leader, seeming calm and collected. Unlike this Smith guy, whose expression showed every thought.
“Leave this house with your family and no harm will come to you,” Smith said.
Taro grinned. “Really?”
“Yes,” Smith hissed.
“Now?” I asked.
Ignoring Smith, Taro shot his grin to me. He turned his back on Smith and stepped in front of me. I looked at him but kept notice of what went on behind him. Taro cupped the side of my face before leaning in to press his lips to mine. “Soon, pet,” he whispered before pulling back. “So eager to kill. I love it.” He patted my chest and faced Smith again, who looked about ready to pop a blood vessel. I rested my free hand on Taro’s waist, tugging his body back into mine.
“You disgust me,” Smith snarled.
“It wouldn’t be the first time, and I’m certain it won’t be the last…. Then again, it just might be.”
“What do you mean?” he clipped.
“I have my own demand, Smith, before I deal with Jiro.”
“What?”
“It’s simple, really.”
Smith’s upper lip raised in a silent snarl. “Tell me then.”
“Leave or die. You have five seconds to rethink whatever Jiro has promised you and run before you and your men lose their lives.”