.

Someone is going to die.

Fei Long's image is the one that is burned into my consciousness at this waking moment, but I will also erase all those who conspire to block me from striking my target.

There is an annoying amount of noise. I can tell by the urgent sounds of male and female voices that many people surround me. I also hear a jarring melody of piercing electronic tones. Strange tentacles are attached to my body which induces the sensation of being restrained and weighed down.

My eyes are forced open and a searing pinpoint of light rudely blinds me. My right hand moves of its own accord and grabs onto the arm of the person holding the light. I hear a gasp as I verify by the strength of my grip that I am still very much alive.

"Get that damned thing out of my face!"

思考

Yes–– thinking.

Thinking about what I'm going to do once I am able to stand and walk under my own power.

Thinking about how I can solve this problem without getting anyone killed. By that, I mean those who belong to me. I don't give a damn about anyone on the other side.

Thinking about every misstep that I have made that led to the creation of this perfect storm. Foremost, was calling off Akihito's surveillance. The watcher not only kept tabs on his movements but had been also acting in the capacity of a bodyguard. If I had not removed my men from this duty, they would have prevented Fei Long from coming in contact with Akihito, and I would have been forewarned that Fei Long was targeting him.

No, my biggest mistake was leaving Akihito drugged and unguarded in that damned hotel room. What madness led me to do that?

And then there is every misstep I've taken with Fei Long, beginning when I first met him 7 years ago.

I won't go into that at the moment. Right now I need to concentrate on the recent events that led up to the predicament in which I now find myself.

Back at the hotel, when Akihito came to see me–– the moment I laid eyes on Akihito's face I knew there had been trouble. I just didn't count on it being quite that bad. Fei Long was still intent on retrieving the information that would identify those involved with my trade route. He had abducted Akihito's friends and was holding them hostage in exchange for the information. Fei Long had to know I would not give him the information, so why would he try something like this if he knew he could gain nothing from it?

I know now what he had hoped to gain, but why was I not able to correctly track the path of his actions? I must have overlooked something, but at the moment the answer eludes me. I can neither think, nor keep my eyes open any longer.

Damn them. I told them not to give me any pain medication.

麻見 隆一

Akihito had come to me. My mood soured rapidly once I learned why.

Someone always wants something from me. This is not unexpected since I am known for being able to get my hands on difficult to obtain items or for providing "unique services", but the one thing I never wanted to see was Akihito becoming one of those beggars. I admit I overreacted when Akihito came to me asking for the disk. His friends were in danger and he figured I held the key to free them. The reasons why I could not go and rescue them myself were complicated and I had no desire to try to explain to him the complexities of the situation with Fei Long.

Akihito was angry with my refusal to help and he attempted to storm out the door, presumably to rescue them himself. I stopped him at the door and informed him he would not be allowed to leave. The hurt and frustrated look on his face had the potential to break my resolve, but I had to remain practical about it. The way the situation stood at the moment, Fei Long had the upper hand.

I did try to explain that much to him- it was more dangerous for him now that he had been identified as my lover and I had no intention of allowing him to foolishly get himself killed. As soon as those words left my lips, I regretted voicing them aloud.

"Lover?! Then... if you care about me, help me!"

I could feel him tremble against me as I refused him once again. Tears began streaming down his face. "You don't really care about me, do you? You just use me and then toss me away when you're finished!"

He was slowly enraging me. Using my feelings for him against me... how vulgar.

It was necessary to squash that kind of behavior immediately. "You're right, you're insignificant to me." I grabbed him and dragged him to the bed, roughly throwing him down.

He watched as I undressed in front of him, with a heartbreaking look of anguish on his face. "Asami..."

I felt the strong impulse to cause pain. Many things went through my mind on what I should do to him, but as I looked down at him on the bed that strange sensation gripped my heart once again, immediately overpowering any urge I had to harm him.

Such is the power of that bittersweet emotion.

I laid down beside him, slipping my hands under his clothing as I began undressing him. I kissed every part of his body as I exposed it. Even the lightest brush of my fingertips aroused him. I heard him curse as his body responded against his will.

His body had become well-acquainted to my touch. This pleased me enormously, though it was obvious that Akihito felt differently about it.

He growled at me through gritted teeth. "Where did you ever get the idea that I was your lover?"

I wondered how much our definition of the term "lover" differed. He had yet to take the initiative to sexually please me. Not that this bothered me since I prefer and am accustomed to being the one administering pleasure, but I wanted him to try taking the next step.

I rose up on my knees and pulled his face toward my groin. "Your desire is to pleasure me. Isn't that what a lover does?"

"No...!" he protested in a panic before I inserted my erection between his lips. Surprisingly, he did make somewhat of an effort to please me in this manner, but to be honest it was not pleasurable for either one of us. I pulled out quickly. I will eventually show him how to do this properly.

I flipped him onto his back, drinking in the wonderful look of desire that was in his eyes. "You can deny it all you want, but I can tell how badly you want this," I said to him. His expression changed slightly into one I had not seen before. It was now a sultry, seductive look.

It was too out of character for him. The little imp was planning to use sex as a means to manipulate me. How amusing. Did he actually think I have not experienced this enough to recognize it? Should I show him how it is done by a true master?

I plunged into him and began thrusting hard. He gasped, not expecting me to insert myself into him all at once, but then I felt him soften around me as he let himself give in to his desire. As soon as I saw the signals that he was about to come, I pulled out completely, leaving him hanging just short of the climatic peak.

I began softly kissing his thighs, his stomach, and flicking my tongue anywhere but directly on his nipples. I kept satisfaction just out of his reach. He closed his eyes and his body eventually calmed down. As soon as I sensed that, I attacked his hard rod with a vengeance, sucking him completely into my mouth and using my tongue roughly on the sensitive underside of the head.

He cried out and grabbed onto me. Just as the sweet taste of his nectar began to leak out I pulled away again, leaving him at the very brink of orgasm. So close, that as I watched it twitch and trickle out more clear fluid I actually thought I might have misjudged and he would come right then. I lightly caressed his skin to calm him down before plunging back into him once again.

This time his moans were louder. I felt him tighten around me as he was about to come so I abruptly pulled out of him again, watching his look of bewilderment as I did so.

This was my punishment for him, an act know as "edging". I could have made it painful for him as well, but instead I chose to just leave him in a state of frustration. What would he do once he could no longer bear it?

I repeated another round of light kisses, an attack between his legs with my mouth, and more soothing caresses before thrusting into him again. I felt him building up to an orgasm once more but before I could pull out, Akihito tightly wrapped his arms and legs around my body and prevented me from disengaging from him.

"No! Don't pull out! Please... don't pull out..." he whimpered.

"Then Akihito..." I whispered to him, "beg me to give you release."

"Please...!"

I grabbed onto him tightly and rolled us over with me still inside him. Now I was on my back and he was sitting on top of me. He looked unsure with being in this unfamiliar position. Placing my hands on either side of his hips, I slowly lifted him up and then pulled him back down as I felt myself sliding deliciously inside him. Then I removed my hands and put them behind my head in an exaggerated relaxed position.

He gave me a baffled look. I waited for him to work out what was expected of him.

Timidly, he raised and lowered his hips himself. I watched as a look of pleasant surprise came over his face. He repeated this action, this time closing his eyes. As he slowly rode me, he began leaning forward seeking to hit that secondary pleasure spot inside himself.

"Oh yes... right there..." I heard him gasp. His hands went to his erection and began stroking it rapidly.

His bouncing motions became more enthusiastic and I winced as he came down on me at an uncomfortable angle. I shifted my body beneath him to prevent this from happening again.

"Don't move!" he hissed at me, as he readjusted his position to find that sweet spot once again.

"Use my body to please yourself," I told him, pulling him down so that I could taste his mouth. Once I began hearing his urgent moans, I let go of him and watched him as he went wild.

Here was an odd precedent–– I was giving over control to him. It seemed to feel more intimate with him on top of me. Again, I felt that affection deep down inside my chest which seemed to intensify my own pleasure. I was just starting to break out in a sweat and my breathing was beginning to escape from my control when he suddenly cried out, shooting his pearly stream over the two of us. He stroked himself a few more times after that and then collapsed on top of me.

"Good boy," I told him as I stroked his hair and waited for his breathing to calm. Now it was my turn to use his body to please myself. I rolled him over onto his back and slid into him. He let out an obscene moan as I entered him.

I was just getting started when I was distracted by a series of musical tones. I pulled out of him and reached toward the pile of clothing that was on the bed, rifling through them until I found the source of the noise. I tossed the phone to Akihito and then wrenched his legs apart so I could enter him again.

He tried to fight me off as he answered the call. It was one of his friends. Knowing that Fei Long was likely to be listening in, I ruthlessly forced my way into Akihito's body.

"Get off me!" he snapped as he tried to disengage himself, but I reached down and began stroking his already sensitive rod. Eventually he lost his concentration and moaned into the phone. I watched as his face flushed with embarrassment before taking the phone from him and tossing it aside.

I moved slowly now. "We are going to make this last all night..." I told him as I dragged him back down with me into the depths of passion.

麻見 隆一

I made him come again before he complained of being sore and tried telling me he'd had enough, but now it was my turn to be satisfied. Listening to his grunts of pain drove me to that alternate side of pleasure that I like to revisit now and then. Right in the midst of it, I heard the door buzzer go off.

I was irritated by the intrusion, but I also knew none of my men would dare disturb me unless they were certain it was important. I rolled off of Akihito and threw on a robe. My anger must have been quite clear on my face as I could sense the man at the door was nervous, although he hid it well. "I'm sorry to disturb you sir, but I was told it was important that you receive this." He handed me an envelope.

I opened it and read the note. I nodded at the man which caused him to visibly relax. "There's been a change in plans. Have someone bring my car around to the front. I will be leaving shortly."

I glanced back at the room where Akihito was. Turning back to the man, I lowered my voice. "Bring me a bottle of sedatives and a soft drink... whatever you can find that contains the most sugar... and leave it outside the door."

I returned to the bedroom to finish up with Akihito. He thought I was done with him and he was annoyed that I was going to enter him again. Akihito angrily trying to fight me off only managed to fire me up even more. He finally gave in and let me abuse his body to my heart's content.

I knew Akihito would try to sneak out once I went to go rinse off in the shower, so I listened carefully for any suspicious sounds. It wasn't long before I heard a thump.

I hurried out immediately and found him on the floor next to the bed. He cursed at me as I helped him up and then staggered to the bathroom, locking the door behind him. I heard something that sounded like him falling on his bare ass, followed by another round of cursing.

I was struck by a sudden urge to laugh. He has a way of being cute at unexpected moments. It seemed this affection I had for him was still growing.

I didn't have the time to indulge in this lighthearted feeling though. The drink and the pills had been set just outside the door. I placed four of the tablets in a clean ashtray and then used the bottom of my lighter to grind them to a powder. I tore off a sheet a paper from a complimentary note pad and folded it lengthwise to create a crevice in the center, and then poured the powdered sedatives onto the paper. The folded paper would make it easier to slip the powder into the narrow opening of the can without spilling it and leaving behind any telltale traces.

Once the door to the bathroom opened, I turned my back to hide what I was doing but I made sure Akihito would be able to hear me popping open the can. I poured the powder into the drink, and then turned around and handed it to Akihito. He looked at me suspiciously but he downed the drink anyway. Now I had to wait for the sedatives to take effect.

Still with a determined look in his eyes, he began a casual conversation on the subject of Fei Long. I knew he would try to steer this to the predicament of his friends, but I managed to divert it. At one point he seemed to forget what he had been trying to do as he became curious about my reasons for staying at the hotel.

"It seems strange. It's almost like you're a regular old businessman."

"The majority of what I do for a living is within the legitimate business world," I told him. "It's a bigger part of my life than you may realize."

He looked genuinely surprised at this. He was probably trying to reconcile this ordinary image of me with the darker one that was predominant in his mind. He also talked about his own work life.

I found myself enjoying this. It seemed we were having a normal conversation for the first time.

I could see his eyes beginning to droop and he began rambling distractedly. It had been more than 20 minutes since he gulped down the drink. Finally he laid back on the bed and blurted out that we needed to leave now to retrieve his friends, and then he closed his eyes. I covered his bare body with a blanket. I regretted not helping him, but I could not allow Fei Long to profit from such an act. No matter what method of extortion he tried to use, I had to see to it that he came away empty-handed.

I arrived several hours late for my meeting with Cho. Someone had aggressively tailed us once we were out on the road. I was certain that it was Fei Long's doing, but to try to attack me in my own territory would be an insanely foolish act on his part. By the time we were successful at shaking them, my men were concerned enough that I had quite the contingent escorting me to Cho's location. Something made me feel uneasy though–– despite how persistent they were, they never once took the opportunity to attack us. What was his game? Had they been following us from the time we left the hotel? While I initially believed that Akihito would be safe hidden away in the hotel room downtown, now I wasn't certain.

I called Kirishima and told him I wanted a man guarding Akihito immediately. "Put Suoh on it, and tell him to take Akihito somewhere safe. Let me know when this has been done."

麻見 隆一

It was over.

On the 10th floor, lying halfway outside the elevator was the body of one of my own, Cho. No one takes away something of mine without a tenfold retaliation from me. I killed one of Fei Long's in the stairwell, and my men had killed two more and captured two.

It was not enough.

I would see to it that Fei Long personally paid for this.

The captured men were not very talkative. We would have to persuade them to give up Fei Long's location. If not, then so be it–– there would be a little more work for the cleaners to do.

Fei Long's actions with Akihito had been a ruse. His real intention had been the revenge killing of Cho and I had somehow managed to lead them straight to him.

My thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Suoh. He apologetically told me that Akihito had demanded that he be taken directly to see me. Having determined Akihito's importance to me, Suoh honored that request.

I felt relieved that he seemed relatively no worse from the ordeal. Apparently Fei Long attempted to go after him at the hotel but somehow the plan was thwarted. However, I didn't want Akihito here now, at the scene of this bloodbath. I didn't want him involved in any way with this part of my life.

"There is something you should know," I heard him saying. "I told Fei Long where you were in exchange for the life of my friends."

I turned around to look at him. Was this some kind of bizarre joke on his part?! Looking into his eyes and at the expression on his face I could see he was telling me the truth.

Normally I would kill a man where he stood for such a betrayal.

The anger and the rage flared inside of me, but they were tangled up with other conflicting emotions.

He had been willing to trade my life for that of his friends. I had no right to be shocked over that. I was shocked that he had the audacity to seek me out and confess this to my face.

He knew the kind of man I was. Now he bowed his head and waited for whatever punishment I would bestow upon him. Somewhere in the tangled mess of emotions that was swirling within me was also a sense of awe over the pureness of this act of bravery. He was truly a treasure I could never bear to part with.

Regardless, I could not allow him to go unpunished. Some might find the words "until death do us part" romantic, but for Akihito this vow will come to have a more ominous meaning. From this moment forward, I will never allow him to break free from my grasp. Who knows, I may even manage to hold onto him even in death. I swore this to him and sealed that covenant with a fierce kiss.

Akihito understood the seriousness of my oath as he made an attempt to reason with me, but even he sensed that it hopeless. I allowed him to leave so he could reunite with his friends. Soon enough he will have to face the reality of his predicament.

麻見 隆一

It was almost noon and we were still sorting out the mess from the attack of the previous night. The captured men had not given up any information and it seemed unlikely they ever would. We finally gave them permanent respite from the troubles of this world.

There was still no word on the whereabouts of Fei Long. We had the airport and as much of the harbor as possible covered. My day had begun early yesterday morning and was now in its 32nd hour. I was feeling weary but I had to quickly tie up as many loose ends as I could. It probably wouldn't be until late this evening before I had the chance to get some rest.

I heard a sound that indicated I had an incoming message on my phone. It was from Akihito and the text consisted only of an address and the name, "Fei Long".

I rushed out of the hotel and found Suoh. "Keys!" I demanded from him. He immediately reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys and handed them to me without question.

I drove to the location that Akihito had sent me. It was a partially vacated office building. I drew my gun and carefully made my way through the building in search of Akihito and Fei Long. They weren't difficult to find. I could hear Fei Long's shrill voice echoing clearly throughout the hallway.

He had his gun aimed at Akihito, but from what I could see he was taking the time to play with his prey before the kill.

I should have taken more care, but at this point I was beyond exhausted and angry. "Not only do you look womanish, but now you're behaving like a woman scorned?"

Fei Long whipped around and grabbed Akihito, using him as a shield.

Fei Long had a vicious smile on his face. I would have to strike the proper tone to make it unappealing for him to kill Akihito.

"Acting like a common street thug by using an innocent victim as a shield... such a cowardly act is unworthy of the leader of the Baishe."

"Oh, I was just having some fun with your little pet." That vicious smile was still plastered across Fei Long's face. "I'm done playing with it now, so you can have it back..."

He shoved Akihito toward me, forcing me to lower my gun to keep Akihito from running into it. He quickly raised his own gun and took aim at us. I flung Akihito quickly off me as he fired.

I was physically driven backwards from the impact of being shot. Time oddly seemed to slow down. I didn't feel the pain immediately–– it was perhaps a second or two after that it felt like someone had driven a white-hot poker through my thigh. The pain was enough to take my breath away and I fell to my knees. I could see blood pooling onto the floor but it was not coming solely from my leg, rather it was coming from somewhere below my shoulder. I didn't feel any pain there, but my left arm had gone numb and I was bleeding out profusely from the wound.

I raised my gun and aimed quickly at the gun Fei Long was holding. Before he had the chance to shoot Akihito, I fired at him. The bullet knocked the gun out of his hand but it also caught him in the stomach. Good, I hope that hurt like hell!

Akihito was at my side voicing his alarm at the amount of blood I was losing. Still holding tightly onto my gun, I pressed my fist against the wound to try to staunch the bleeding. I pushed Akihito away with my left hand.

"Run..." I told him.

He was suddenly jerked away from me by Fei Long. How he managed to still be standing, I do not know. He struck Akihito, knocking him unconscious.

Fei Long had an evil look on his face. "This appears to be valuable to you... I think I'll take him. But don't worry, I'll make sure to take good care of him for you." He stumbled out of the room, dragging Akihito's limp body with him.

I tried to go after him, but the pain from trying to stand up almost caused me to black out. I summoned every bit of strength I had in my body, using my rage as fuel. I got up and followed the drops of blood Fei Long had left behind which led to a staircase. Though I was moving forward, my progress was too slow. I urged my body to move faster.

I heard the helicopter long before I reached the roof. By the time I made it to the top of the stairs, the helicopter was already in flight. I locked my gaze on Fei Long's, letting him know that a thousand deaths would not be enough for him!

The helicopter was still within my sight when everything gradually began to go dark––

... ... ...


[Edging: prolonging sexual arousal by purposely stopping stimulation near the peak of orgasm. Repeating this action over and over eventually leads to a very intense orgasm.]

I apologize for taking so long. It was partially due to the efforts of a few readers (SageSapis, Ashida, and Coritos) that this chapter was finally completed. They gently nudged me forward when they correctly sensed I was stalling.