1.1 | The Yakuza Bride

Chapter 61

Silence had reigned in the house for hours. She'd lost track of the time ages ago, and could only guess that it was afternoon. Occasionally, she'd hear the pattering of shoes on the ground floor or hushed voices behind walls, but that was it.

The house was cleared of all its occupants, except for her, Marie, Juan and his guards. However, new guards seemed to be arriving every minute. She'd heard raucous voices drifting up from downstairs and one peek from behind the wall at the staircase showed her that they were giving out weapons.

But that was hours ago, of course.

She was a little nervous, because the fate of this lengthy gang war had various possibilities. Juan could kill Leon before his men got the chance to enter the house, someone could come in here to kill her.

If they wanted a chance to get rid of Juan Gonzales once and for all, it had to be now, when his reinforcements were still arriving.

~

Leon had made his plans.

In the span of time after Hana had left, he'd freed his men and discussed the next course of action. The broken pipe had been secured with more rope, and with more extra rope they'd found, he was bound back to the pipe.

Someone would come to get him later, he was almost sure of it. Juan's big show. Or rather, the show put on by the real master holding onto the puppet strings.

He could almost guess who.

All this play acting, shows of revenge, it was merely a front. When the time was right, and the players in the right places, then the master would arrive.

But he'd been caught once, he would never allow himself to be caught a second time.

~

It was late afternoon when he was roused from his sleep with a slap. His eyes blinked rapidly, and he looked around him, trying to get a bearing of his surroundings.

Same cold cell, same moldy walls.

Another stinging slap was delivered to the same cheek and he bit back a retort.

'Wakey-wakey,' the voice cooed. 'Juan wants to see your pretty face so look sharp!'

Leon wasn't fond of being slapped awake and neither was he fond of being handled roughly. The guard grabbed him by the scruff of his collar and he suddenly found himself sprawled on the floor. Shooting the man a glare, he brought one leg up, followed by the other, then pushed himself off the ground and rose to his feet.

~

As he was guided up the staircase, he couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. He'd had a plan, didn't he? He'd had a foolproof plan, and he was pretty sure it wouldn't fail, but why was it that as he was led to his enemy's lair, he couldn't help but feel a little afraid?

The guard turned him a corner and he found himself walking down the same corridor as he did the first day he was here. His eyes flickered right, stuck expectantly on the second door, but it was shut.

Was she in there?

He slowed down a little as he was led past it and couldn't help but wonder what she was up to. Sleeping? Awake? Somewhere else? He couldn't guess, amidst his flurried thoughts.

He found that his mouth was dry, his heart thumping rapidly and his skin cold as he drew nearer to Juan's door.

And here, he thought, is where the real show begins.