Dark Kingdom 45

Usagi carefully ran her finger over her lower lip. She could still feel the kiss. His lips passionately fused with hers.

She couldn't even tell exactly how long the kiss had lasted. Her sense of time failed the moment Mamoru pulled her to him and pressed his tongue briskly between her lips.

Only when Diamond asked them to move their foreplay to a different location, Usagi was startled.

So now she was sitting here. In his car. One of the many.

It was the white mid-range car she had decided on some time ago. Somehow she liked that Mamoru was still driving that same car. She had to hide a smile.

"Something like today can't be repeated again.", Mamoru started the engine and moved into the main street. "If I had known that something like this would happen ..."

Usagi stared at him in amazement. His profile looked even harder in the glare of the brightly colored billboards that swiftly passed them.

"Then you wouldn't have denied me?" , she finally asked, not without a hint of sarcamus in her voice.

At first he didn't say anything. That might be due to the high volume of traffic, but it was more likely that he thought carefully about his words: "It's complicated."

"You think I don't understand?" Usagi really had to hold back, not to gasp indignantly.

"I'm not an ordinary man."

Oh, just say. She rejected this answer and instead said in a reasonably calm voice: "Mamoru, I'm not stupid. I know what you are doing I just saw it with my own eyes.", she pressed the images back in her mind with all her might.

"I know." , he said, gritting his teeth.

"And yet I'm here. It may sound incredible to outsiders, but I still want to be with you."

There was absolute silence in the vehicle, apart from the dull engine noises.

"But you don't seem to be with me.", Usagi indicated sadly.

"No, it's not like that.", Mamoru admitted with a frown.

"But there are just a few things to consider."

"Traditions."

He twisted the corners of his mouth into a crooked smile: "Did Diamond tell you about it?"

Yes, and now please do me a favor and finally explain this to me. Because I don't feel like reading any books about mafia rules."

Again no reaction. Instead, Mamoru's glances quickly switched between all the mirrors in the car. So there wasn't that much going on.

"Hello? Aren't you talking to me anymore?", she would have loved to wag her hand in front of his face, annoyed.

"We are being followed.",

he replied curtly.

"What?", Usagi turned in surprise in the seat. But apart from a pair of bright headlights, she couldn't see anything.

"Are you buckled up?"

"Yes, but ..."

"Hold on tight."

Before she could answer anything, Mamoru pulled the gear lever back several times and stepped on the gas pedal.

Usagi was pushed roughly into the seat and only saw the lights of the street lamps go by at breakneck speed.

The engine roared loudly when Mamoru performed risky overtaking maneuvers or returned to a straight line from a tight corner with screeching tires.

Usagi covered her eyes fearfully as a house facade seemed to come closer and closer.

"I should have taken the Aston.", Mamoru mumbled and pushed the gear lever aside again, shortly afterwards pulled on the handbrake.

Usagi squealed as the car turned once on its own axis and was now in the opposite lane. A black car passed them in a flash. Wasn't that ...

"Oh my god!", she gasped for air, a truck approached wildly honking its horn.

"I definitely should have taken the Aston. Hold on!" instead of braking or even evading, Mamoru accelerated again and headed for the huge truck.

He couldn't be serious. They would never have a chance against such a monster. That would never go well. Usagi held her breath.

Mamoru made a growling noise, stiffened his body and gripped the handbrake.

Again the car turned hard to one side, almost seemed to tip to one side, before accelerating again and Mamoru slid into the entrance of an underground car park with screeching tires.

With a loud bang and a crack like splintered plastic, they finally came to a stop.

"Everything ok?", asked Mamoru, breathing hard.

Usagi nodded: "I think so. And with you?"

He scowled in the rearview mirror.

"I think we left him behind."

"This car.", Usagi began with a trembling voice. "I know it. It's been following me for a few days."

Mamoru said nothing, just looked at her blankly. But Usagi knew exactly what that meant and therefore added: "Sure, I should have told you." She crossed her arms. "But you were pretty busy."

"What do you mean?", he drove the car into a free parking space and switched off the engine.

"The girl in your apartment. "

"Rei?"

"You know each other well?" , Usagi tried to sound completely neutral, even though she was seething. One wrong word and her inner volcano would erupt.

"We are friends."

"Not more?"

"What's the question of Question Time?", he sounded annoyed when he took off his seat belt.

"I saw you guys, ok? In the temple." Hah! Now she would nail him down. Either he was going to give her a coherent explanation now, or probably a heartbreaking apology.

"All right.", he said instead.

There was time. The volcano was already bubbling, the first billows of smoke rose.

"You don't even deny it?", she had to get out of here. With trembling fingers, she loosened her seat belt and threw open the car door.

"Where do you want to go?", Mamoru did the same, whereby his getting out looked much more elegant.

"Home!" , Usagi grumbled and slammed the passenger door with a deafening bang. "I don't want to sit in a car with an idiot like you any longer."

"Would you possibly explain to me why you are playing so crazy again now?"

And Tadaa! The volcano exploded.

"So I'm crazy?", Usagi was scratching the edge of the hysterical.

"Thank you very much. Then go to your Reeeeiiii!", she turned around angrily, wanted to stomp off angrily, but Mamoru held her wrist back.

"She's not my Rei." , he said calmly. How could he keep himself under control like that?

"Then why are you sleeping with her? Then why is she in your apartment? And why are you telling her I'm just a friend?", she could hardly hold back. Now everything finally had to come out.

"I don't sleep with her at all. We're just friends."

"Of course." Usagi rolled her eyes. I also invite my friends over when I am wearing nothing but a shitty dressing gown!"

"You misunderstood that." Oho, was there something like anger in his voice? Which of the two had the right to be angry?

"For sure. Don't worry, you don't have to justify yourself. After all, we're not together."

"Why are you so damn mad about being with me?"

"Apparently it's not you.", she tore herself free, put her hands on her hips.

"That's not true at all!", now Mamoru also got a bit louder.

"But you deny me in front of your friend.", she emphasized the last word extra strongly.

"Your stubbornness is maddening. Rei is nothing more than a good friend."

"And a murderer," she added gloomily.

"Yes, that too.", Mamoru nodded.

Usagi stared at him in amazement: "You know? Yes of course. That's probably another yakuza thing that I don't understand anything about."

"You should be happy that you have nothing to do with it."

"Now comes the lecture again that you are angry and dangerous. Save yourself your excuses. You can also just admit that you don't want anything from me."

"Do you seriously believe that?" Mamoru raised his eyebrows, he seemed to be getting angrier too.

"I can see it. You even keep a safe distance. Does my mere closeness disgust you?", Usagi was barely able to sort out her feelings.

Mamoru's eyes pricked: "I'm just trying to hold back, not tear your clothes off and fuck you on the hood of this damn Audi!"

He pointed to his car, the driver's door was still wide open.

"What?" It took Usagi several seconds to understand his words.

"Sorry.", Mamoru ran a hand through his hair, turned his face away. Was he ashamed?

Usagi cleared her throat audibly and scratched her head uncertainly.

"Shall we go have a coffee?" , she finally asked.

"Please.", Mamoru answered calmly and threw the door of his car into the lock.

Usagi couldn't help looking at the big bonnet.