Dane was awestruck by the fact she was the leader of the Ronin. How was that possible? He was unsure. But that meant that if he could marry her, he would never want for anything. Personal gain aside. He cared for none of her previous associations. The Saints were nothing more than common thugs who were busy cleaning the streets for his agenda.

He had hoped to speak with their leader or the man the CCTV showed. There she is before him. To say it did not arouse him would be an understatement. The fact she hid it for so long was astounding.

"My lady, please think it over. More than anything, our joining would not only solidify our business aspects for any future projects or endeavors. There would also be personal gratification." He stepped closer to emphasizing their former relationship.

None of it. Kyouki already said she was done with him on a personal level. As for the business proposal, she made it clear she was not interested. "Jiro-san, please prepare the car. Uncle, please leave me to speak to this man." Kyouki stated, staring Dane down. "I'll just be a moment. Thank you." Smiling when Shogo left the room, the smile faded when the sliding door closed behind them.

The sound of flesh striking flesh in one sharp snap left a bright crimson hand print on the Head of Projects face.

"How dare you? You have some nerve to even bring yourself to ask something as idiotic as my hand."

Dane blinked, cheek stinging. - He lunged at her, grabbing her throat, pushing her down on the table, hiking that dress up over her hips, taking….- Dane blinked, straightened himself, and looked at her. She was unreadable. "I really want to marry you, honestly. You are… phenomenal. I do not care about your background. I met you in a bar."

Kyouki snorted, shook her head. "If you want to marry me, be prepared to die before the ink dries." With that, she brushes past the stunned Ultor figure.

Troy debated with himself if he should contact Kyouki or not. Days he read the page several times in his hand. The Westside Rollerz had been shipping parts back and forth to Japan for years. It was eating at him, cutting into his dreams. That night, the night Sharpe had shot Lin and Li, would wake him covered in sweat. Having found more than he expected, with information in hand, he made the call.

"Yes?"

"Meet me at the diner by the house."

"What if I was busy?"

"Listen, it's important, please."

After hearing a long pause. "Alright, I'll be late. I am busy today."

Getting the ok he continued working for the rest of the day.

A week. Why is it always a week? Gat was home bored. Past bored, he was cleaning the house from top to bottom. By the time he finished, he had the shoe closet organized and polished the silverware. He had ordered a new table and carpet, like he said. He wanted to see his girls. Hell, he wanted to leave out. Kyouki warned him that there would be no stepping out, no one to come by. No one but the delivery guys showed. He was going to go mad.

He peeked from the window from time to time, only the regular neighbors out and about. Dogs with their owners, walking leisurely or jogging, skaters zipping by. No Saints on patrol, no Ronin.

Gat entertained himself by watching a few squirrels playing in the trees. Watching them chase each other, fall from the trees, and they reminded him of Kyouki. Never sitting still always, squirrely. He got a good chuckle from that. Gat reminded himself to share that with her.

Some nights he would sit out back, feeling the cool night air. It smelled like fall. He hated that smell. Reminded him of too many bad days. He had to add another to the list of stupid shit that's happened, shooting Ky. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt.

This night was not quiet. There had been neighbors out and enjoying themselves. He, Ish, and Ky would do the same right now if he did not fuck up royally.

Gat sat looking at the stars. He was in thought. Johnny wanted to check on Ky and Ish. He would have to. Going to. He got up, brushed his pants off, and locked the house up. Just to see them. He headed first to check on Ish.

Jyunichi sat with his head bowed, looking at his hands on his knees. It tore him up to tell Kazuo the address. But his loyalty was to the elder first. He told Kazuo everything. How the heist happened, how he found the home, some of the money went, who had it. Kyouki deterring him from acting against her wishes.

Kazuo listened, grumbled and sighed. The reason Kyouki didn't want to lead was the incident. He could understand, having lost several people himself, but could she understand that if Shogo becomes the head, all of what he and his elder brother worked for would be for nothing?

The elder revealed to Jyunichi that he asked Kyouki to steal the money. She knew they were shake down artist, but not how deep they had with their connections. There were some things she didn't need to know.

The family had so many business dealings, losing them would be more detrimental than beneficial. And Shogo could never be the leader Kazuo needs. Ever.

"[Is anyone at the house now?]"

"[No. The woman is not there.]"

Kazuo nodded. He will have to persuade Kyouki. "[If you find her, bring her to me.]"

"[As you wish.]" Jyunichi bowed.

Shogo was furious. His cousin one upped him again! She was working with his father this whole time. He was certain. Shogo felt he was going to lose his position.

Kyouki always has been the one to make his father, his father, smile. 'How was it possible to care and praise a child, not his? Unless she was his? Could that be it? Was Kyouki born first of his father and he claims they are cousins? It would make sense. He always has a kind word for her.'

In his father's eyes, she could do no wrong. He needed this. Shogo has to prove he isn't a disgrace. He has to bring in the one who took the money, bring his father Johnny Gat's head. He has to before Kyouki does.

Shogo paced, he hardly slept, he was beside himself. "Yeah, if I bring Johnny Gat in and kill him in front of father, He won't see me as incompetent." It was a foolproof plan. It was a fool's plan. "Brandon?"

"Sup?" Brandon had been Shogo's longtime friend. One could call him a best friend.

"I want you to go find that Johnny Gat, bring him to me alive, and kill anyone who stands in your way."

"Yeah… ok."

Shogo went to stop him. He thought about it. Kyouki is the Saint's leader, then that man is under her, Ky won't find out that he.. "No.. she won't find out."

Dexter was busy looking over files, just not seeing what they wrote before him. He could not focus on his job. He had gone through the test and it came back positive. Tracey and he have a healthy baby boy. When he got the news, he was at home with his wife and daughter. Dex looked around his office. He earned all of this with his own know how. Tracey didn't ask him for a thing, nothing, other than the test. She handled everything. Much better than his wife, who was just into shopping.

What was it about those James women? Kyouki was as independent as they came. She pulled off so many impossible tasks… Tracey was just as skilled. She held the meetings, pitching her ideas and all without breaking a sweat.

When he thought about how she must have suffered, or how she felt, while he ran to join Ultor. He wanted a better life. That's what Ultor stood for. He had been so busy running he never considered the possibility… Dex sat back. He rubbed his temples. While he was there for his wife when she was pregnant, he remembered the happy feeling of the first ultrasound, seeing the tiny baby that was developing in his wife's womb. Tracey didn't have that. She had no one to tell her she was beautiful, to wipe her tears, to get her an insane amount of whatever she felt a craving for. Kyouki was gone and she couldn't share in her eldest cousin's joyous moment. Tracey carried that. They all thought that Ky had died in that explosion.

"Fuck man." Dex felt his eyes sting. With Tracey not saying anything about needing anything, Dex felt like he needed to do something. Picking up the phone he, shooting out a text he invited the woman to lunch.

Purgatory was quiet, for once. Unusual, yes, and that suited Kyouki just fine. Over one thousand days and the place was empty, uncharacteristically void of people. Kyouki relished the peace it brought. She needed that peace of mind for what she planned on later that evening. She went to her room to shower.

Recently she wouldn't have been in the HQ, with just having the spare room for if she needed, but after her uncle arrived, she needed a place well away from the Saints. They were fine, nothing that they needed, and everything was running smoothly. Ky had a few things that she needed to get when she had left on the move. She had gotten the call earlier that day that she needed to meet with Troy. That wasn't a problem. She also had a dinner engagement with her uncle that she needed to attend. Lucky her, one of her dresses was hanging in the armoire that she left as a backup closet.

Hummed at whatever background music was on, Ky had left her music player attached to the radio still, she could hear filtering in her room. Catching the tune, turning the music up, singing one of her songs from a life that seemed but a distant memory. 'Daddy' was the song of the moment, dancing around the room to her own mock routine.

Bouncing out of her room, she slid down the curved railing that led to the lower floors of Purgatory. She continued with her faux routine. Her beautiful voice- which echoed around the HQ carried a touch of sadness, even if she couldn't hear it. Singing made her smile. It had been a while since the heist and she already missed the excitement of that night.

Kyouki's mind wandered, while singing campy tunes from the 'golden era' of music - her life once before her joining the Saints, a happenchance life that she enjoyed much more than busing tables.

It had been nearly ten years or more since she first joined the Saints, in part to her former leader Julius Little. Kyouki found or missed five years comatose, because of a yacht bombing she was accused of, reportedly killing herself and the former Mayor of Stillwater - Richard Hughes.

Ky swayed and bounced as she danced around the room on the bar from the barstool, twisting her hips, enjoying herself acting as if she was on stage in front of a large audience. Lost in her own world, she continued on as another tune, another of her favorites 'Why Don't You Do Right.' played next. She slithered off the bar and around the room, singing her heart out.

The front woman of the Saints, formerly the 3rd Street Saints from Saint's Row, did not want any of this she had other plans, to be a singer like her best friend girlfriend Aisha, it was out of courtesy she wore the Saints purple.

Ky danced around singing to her heart's content, half noticing the tall, tattooed, smart-ass, loose cannon, ticking time bomb in human form that is her best friend, Jonathan 'Johnny' Gat, standing at the top of the stairs, smirking - making his way down to sit in front of the statue of the Saint of All Saints.

He watches, still, with profound interest, as he rests his elbows on his knees, raising a curious eyebrow over his ever-present tinted shades.

He is used to seeing that tight little body wrapped in casual dress clothes, hoodies, and sweatpants, club wear, or plain streetwear, and most recently expensive looking kimonos, the sheer intimidation and commandment of any sized room she harnesses astounds him to this day.

The Saints know her as their kick-ass, ball-ripping. Don't question my judgment leader. She collected the flags of her victims and her body count matched that of his own.

"Why in the hell is this woman holding a privet performance?" Gat thought out loud. He remembers the day they first met, the first time she proved to be his match.

Ever since that day goaded her about everything; her driving, her shooting, he went as far as tripping her in the middle of a gunfight with some bangers from the Vice Kings just to see how she handled it.

He observed, loudly, as she got a handle on how things operated within the Saints. Her advancement was on a steady climb, quickly. Johnny's goading was fuel for her - if he can piss her off enough to hit him, he picked at her about that. 'Quit throwing your punches!' Kyouki pushed Gat's buttons in return, just to make him draw his gun on her.

It was obvious to most people that saw them together protected each other from others, from Dex's quips to Julius tossing aside his ideas. Ok, most of Johnny's ideas involved disemboweling, blowing shit up, and murder.

Johnny protected her in other ways outside of the gang-torn streets. Mostly stopping guys from talking to her. He made sure to always have things for her to do. That was just after he found out how old she really was. Johnny slipped up and kissed her. It wasn't enough. He was intimidating, by any stretch looking at him wrong was a death sentence.

But this kiss happened on her last day of school. Johnny felt something, not sure what it was, and wasn't sure what pushed him to do it. His constant innuendos, constant teasing, continued flirting with her. Kyouki brushed it aside and got on him about it, so he'd stop for a hot minute.

Aisha even caught him staring at her for too long. She thought it was brotherly love. The pair fell in sync with the other so well you couldn't tell where one stopped and the other began.

Neither, of course, saw it. They would look at each other and deny it.

As he silently scanned her up and down, his mind paused. He just came from seeing Aisha at her sisters' on the way he was hoping Ky would be there, but it's about that time of the year again, and that feeling fell over him. He needed to see Ky.

~*-S.R.1-*~

'I'll hit you up later before I forget…. Dinner tomorrow.'

Johnny was crying, and he didn't know it, his heart sank he closed his eyes, "I'm coming for you, Troy." He pushed the end button on his cell and he sat out in the cool Autumn night, his blurred eyes staring at the night sky, he just talked to her, he just heard her say everything was cool, Troy was just pulling some dumb shit.

After he hung up on Troy, he got Ninety or more messages from several people in his and her crew.

'She's gone!'

'R.I.P Baby Girl'

'Johnny Li is dead!11l!'

'YO WHAT THE FUNK HAPPEN'

'head to docks. News crews are there. Li is dead'

He lost it. He beat the wall of the house till his knuckles bled, grunting he sat pounding on the metal brace on his leg. "I wouldn't let you go alone." He sobbed, gathering himself after a few moments, heading back inside. The TV was on in the bedroom and on the news was Jane Valderrama. He saw flames behind her, the camera… It was true, she was gone.

Aisha had her phone in her hand, she got a text from her sister. "Johnny?"

"Pige…is gone."

"What?" Aisha called Kyouki's phone, 'This is Li, leave it at the Beep!' The sound of a gunshot echoing, her and Gat's crazy voicemail idea. Aisha looked at Johnny, who was always glued to the news. She saw tears trailing down his face.

"Ish, Kyouki… She's..."

Aisha bolted from the bed and hugged Johnny tight. "Johnny, I'm here, it will be alright." Johnny tightened his hold on Aisha.

~*-S.R.1-*~

Kyouki finished her dance. She turned to see Johnny watching her, always watching.

"Why is it always you I feel staring at me? How long have you been sitting there? I already told you I would shoot you if you stepped foot in here, didn't I?" Picking up napkins, she kicked off the bar.

"Long enough to believe you ain't a ghost. What you mean by that 'feel me staring'?" He ignored what she said. He remembered, but he needed this. Having gotten up, coming down the stairs towards her.

Ky pulled her hair up into a messy bun. "For as long as I can remember, you have this horrible habit of looking in my direction." She felt Johnny's heat as he placed his finger on her cheek, trailed to her chin, lifting her eyes to meet his gaze. Ky's pulse quickened as she looked into his eyes. She felt her face warming with fever. Remembering the night she almost gave into him. "Back up. I'm not in the mood for your teasing."

"Sing for me."

"Oshiri, no..." She smirked, pushed his hand away, sidestepping to head to her room for the shower she needed.

Not tonight. Johnny grabbed her by the arm, hugging her tight. He was sorry he hurt her, and she needed to know that. Gat pulled back looking at her. She looked different somehow. Ky pushed him further back. "Go home."

"I saw the moving truck a few days ago."

"You just don't listen, do you?"

"Have you known me to?"

"Yeah, that's why this situation is going on now. I am not talking about it. Just be gone before I finish dressing."

Johnny stood there a while as she ascended the stairs. He heard her door close, sitting on the couch, propping his feet on the stripper pole platform.

"Fuck, am I thinking?" He rubbed his face and berated himself again. What did she mean by this situation? What has happened that she's back to send him away?

After an hour, Ky stepped out of the room and headed to the elevator. Johnny was in her office just up the hall.

"Where you goi… Whoa." He came to the doorway, stopping dead in his tracks, forced to lean on the door frame.

Dressed to the nines; Ky was in the sexiest dress she owned, black backless halter floor-length gown, hip high split exposed her long legs when she walked, silver liquid like chain that dangled in different sizes between her shoulder blades, black heels with a silver strap adorned her feet. She pulled her hair up into a loose romantic bun. She wore a platinum Italian horn pendant on her fine platinum chain around her elegant neck.

Turning her head to her best friend, she gave a small smile, snapping her clutch closed. "First, I need to meet with Troy. Go home, I won't say it again." She stated calmly.

Pushing himself off the door frame. "Oh… want me to go with you?"

"No. I got this." She said as she headed to the elevator.

Johnny watched her as she stepped in. The shall she wore gave a peek that the dress design much lower in the back. There, for everyone to see, the faded scars that peeked from the fabric not covering her back. Johnny narrowed his eyes, the scars.

When she turned to face him, she looked at him with a smirk. "And then I'm going to my dinner date."

"I'll go with you. We'll pick up Ish. You strapped?" He called after her.

Shaking her head with a purse of her lips "No times two. Home. Go."

The doors closed, leaving him longing to go after that crazy woman. 'Why ain't she strapped?' He knew she would be alright and went back into her office. No sooner than he sat back down at the desk, he heard the elevator signaling there was someone else coming in, the crew noisily returning.

"Yo, where the Boss live now?" Gat was going to meet up with her later.

Ky made sure that they worked to protect the city and have normal jobs. Taking out the Son of Samedi was more than she bargained for after she woke up. Now she is having the crew currently working on themselves. He wanted to wipe the smug Ronin out. Who thought it funny to wiggle in on the territories she cleaned from the Samedi?

It was seven in the evening when Troy arrived at the diner. He stood looking at Kyouki sit there waiting for him, file in hand, took a deep breath before he stepped in the homey establishment.

"Ky, sorry I got held up."

Kyouki offered him a pleasant smile. The waitress came over to take their order. Ky ordered a meal for herself and Troy. Then apologized as that was the habit. Troy waved it off, and they sat in silence for a while.

"You needed to tell me something?" Ky looked at her watch. She needed to leave soon.

Troy handed her a manila folder. Ky looked at it curiously. Opening it, she looked at Troy, who looked out of the window. The rustling of the paper. She slid it out. Kyouki read the document printout in her hands, a carefully flipped the page. She snorted. "Found my last name, did you?" Troy cleared his throat and gestured for her to keep looking over the papers.

Ky's brows drew together. She flipped the page over and re-read what she read the first two times. This isn't right, this was wrong. What Troy handed her was a joke. Lin's death was because of the Westside Rollers dealing with Toiu Sukai, a ghost company under the Ronin management.

"This a joke, right?" Ky was hot.

Troy shook his head. He was not joking. He thought that too when he first saw it. But the print in black and white was far from joking. Because of the Rollerz, Kyouki and Lin got shot and Lin died for it. The Ronin, her uncle… Ky thought about it for a while.

Troy could see she was thinking. He needed to drop that bomb on her. "Yeah, I got the information and Hughes tried to kill you because of Sharpe. With you around, you already stopped their money, but you were in the way of something that had been in motion from jump."

That was why her uncle took interest and allowed her to stay. "Wait, was that the reason? He supported me in staying… He said that, didn't he?" Kyouki thought to herself. She, of course, would have to confirm this with the elder. But her being in this life if this is what her uncle wants her to lead… What would be the cost? Then she realized the cost was and will always be blood. "Thanks. May I take this?"

"Yeah. Ky, be careful." Troy reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.

Kyouki nodded, gave a smile, wrapped her shawl around her head and shoulders, and left the dinner for dinner with her uncle.

The dinner was pleasant until Dane showed up. He sat next to Kyouki. He would have his hand around her waist, touching her. His touch was repulsive to her now. The man was not taking a hint. It wasn't until Kazuo had Jyunichi step in to be her "date" that the Ultor suit got the message.

Later in the evening, as Dane was quietly standing by, Kyouki sent him home in promise that she will deal with him later in the evening. Just to be rid of him. Now she could speak with her uncle. Taking the folded paper from her clutch, she handed it to the aged man.

A single nod was all he gave her. Kyouki closed her eyes, and she felt a hand on hers. "True. I apologize for it." Kazuo admitted. He did not know his word would cause the girl he loved more than his own son harm. Kyouki excused herself and left. She needed to think.

Kyouki headed to Hapton in Huntersfield. Her uncle brought the penthouse and furnished it for her. Too irritated, she texted Ish, letting her know everything. Once she stopped in the parking garage, made her way up to the top floor, grabbing a bottle of champagne from the fridge and a flute glass from the rack. Getting her keys and cell, she locked up and made her way to the helipad on the top of the building.

Ky sat drinking in tears as she looked out to the sea. She was sitting so long she drank nearly half the bottle; she was still thinking of Troy with the information her uncle confirmed, Dane and the asinine, idiotic proposal, Kyouki screamed in frustration throwing the glass listening to it shatter, still pissed she chucked the champagne bottle over the side of the building as hard as she could. Lin died because of her.

Snorting that she missed five years of her life because of this gang that turned into a family. Did she really want this? Would she sacrifice more if she takes her uncle up on the offer? The Saints would need nothing else. It was all there for them.

The Ronin would be hers and they could become Saints, her uncle would allow it, as long as she lead.

But after tonight, after finding out that, she caused the death of her Obachan, and Lin. How could she? Kyouki laid back with her eyes closed; her head was spinning from the alcohol and the cool autumn breeze was helping slightly.

So drifted her thoughts Ky had dozed off for a while. The sound of the ocean, distant traffic she woke. She felt stiff, stretching with a loud yawn, becoming fully alert, poorly, when she heard someone walking up. Her head felt heavy. She could stop the person's approach, but why should she bother?

The intruder of her post-disru[teded peace said nothing, stopping just before stepping on her hair. Opening her eyes to an upside down blurry vision of Johnny with his hands stuffed into his pockets, and shades resting in the pocket of his shirt.

She went to sit up. He helped. Thanking him quietly, she dusted herself off and shook the dirt from her hair. Not a word was spoken between the two for several minutes as they stood side by side overlooking the ocean from the helipad.

Kyouki sighed. She knew why he was here. Aisha told him he came to check on her. And she can't shoot him because he is abiding by what she said.

This wasn't Purgatory. She walked past Johnny without a word. He grabbed her arm and pulled her close. Bracing her back, he looked into her honey eyes, and she met his light brown gaze with fire.

"Let me go, Johnny. I can't do this now." She was hoarse, her throat was dry.

He wordlessly held his gaze, reaching up to tangle his fingers in her soft hair. She shook her head no as best she could with him locked in her mane.

"Why the hell did you let him get to you like this?" Growling through his teeth as he spoke, remembering the call he received many years ago.

"Do you still give a shit about that son-of-a bitch, huh?!" He let her go frustrated.

He paced.

"So when were you going to say that you were going to marry that asswipe?" Johnny stood with his back to her overlooking the coast. "You need to think about me for once."

"Johnny, please… What the fuck does that even mean? What the fuck is wrong with you? What happened from earlier today til now?" Kyouki hung her head, pressing her hand to her forehead. She knew, tipsy and still sober enough to know exactly what he was getting at, her forming headache was slowly building to a migraine she could feel it. That evening was too much to process.

Johnny was furious. He was screaming, "I got locked up because of him. Those 387 people. Yeah. I wanted answers. I went after him the second I got better, and I fucked up. I Johnny Gat slipped!" He turned to face her, and he wanted to reach out to touch her.

"I fuckin love you, I have loved you for fucking years! That's what you wanted to hear right?" He was trying so hard to not lose his cool, but she was taking it all in. Aisha was worried and text him her address, one which Kyouki would have never told him. She is not doing this keeping him out of the loop again. No more. "I lost my shit when that mutahfucka called and told me you were dead. Shit, a part of me died that day and I went after him!" He pounded his chest, his face scrunched in frustration.

"You died on me twice, once when the Rollerz got you and Lin, and then on that fuckin yacht. But the shit that brought it on home, the Sons. Whatever happened, you ain't telling me. And now that bitch Dane is in your fuckin head."

Ky raised her eyes to him. "You… I know." shaking her head. She could hear it in his voice, but she can't tell him something the Sons did to her. She didn't know herself; if this is his confession, it wouldn't be fair to Aisha, which is why she needs to stop this and push him away.

"Gat I don't remember. Besides, you have an amazing woman waiting for you at home. She needs you. Right now, whatever I have going on, let me fucking handle it aight?" Kyouki felt a slight pang as she said that. It hurt her to say it, but it was true. Even then, being in his arms had felt like a sin.

For the five years she has been out of the game, he had Aisha by his side and she had Troy watching over her. Still watching over her. Them.

Ky can't tell Gat just yet. She needs to think long and hard about it.

Dane would be too eager to get his hands on her, and she would be lying to herself if she said she didn't enjoy him. Troy, she shuttered to think of that kiss shared. Lord knows she misses him, but he and she are finished. They are just on speaking terms. She cannot have him lying to her again.

"She may be amazing, but you're who I need. Both of you are." Johnny's rage subsided.

Kyouki and Gat stood looking at each other for a long while. "If I had a choice right now. I would do as I joked that night. I would have both you and Ish. Maybe I wouldn't feel al…"

That was all Johnny needed to hear. He needed nothing else but to hear that. He grabbed Kyouki by her waist and held her head in place. Before Kyouki could think about what happened, his lips found hers, and his tongue was slick in her mouth.

Pulling back, Gat's lips found her neck. Ky gasped. The sensation was too much. The alcohol in her system was not helping. Reason she needed to find reason. This was not what was supposed to happen, not between them. She was pushing him back. He wasn't allowing it. "Johnny we can't."

"Yes, we can. Yes, we are." He scooped her up in his arms and carried her back into the building. "Where are you staying?"

"Put me down, we…"

Gat shut her up with a kiss. He would not miss the opportunity. If she feels they cannot screw each other's brains out, then fine. But tonight, this woman is his. And she was going to realize that.

Kyouki insisted they could not have sex on the brief elevator ride below the helipad.

"You want me to call Ish then, make it a three-some?"

"If that was the case, we could be in my room at HQ."

"Why, you gotta bring up old shit."

"Cause you fucked Ish on my bed!"

"Then we go to the house fuck in our bed."

Ky burst out laughing, Gat chuckled, he felt Ky's grip on his neck tighten; she was balling up in his arms.

"Babe…" he could hear her sniffle. He put her down to open the door.

He allowed her to walk through first. "Woah." He looked around. The place was enormous. The home he shared with the girls would fit into the penthouse.

Gat locked the door behind him. Kyouki slipped her heels off. She is alone again with her thoughts if she can figure what she needs to do. What path to take, but now with her uncle exposing that he aided in shutting Sharpe's illegal shipping business off. She didn't think it would be so overwhelming.

Johnny came up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him. "Babe. You good?" He kissed her cheek.

"No. I just have a lot to think about." Feeling his fingers trailing up and down her exposed back made her stop thinking. "Johnny, stop."

"After you tell me what's wrong." He kissed her neck. His hand rubbing her exposed thigh, kneading her flesh, inching higher.

A sigh escaped her as he grabbed her ass, squeezing. Gat lifted her, pressing her into the wall. Gat could not stop kissing her, her soft lips, the taste of alcohol. He wanted this for far longer than he had admitted to himself. They felt a pleasing electric shock, warmth exploding, leaving their skin longing for more contact. Her leg spread as he had it hooked over his arm. Kyouki's hands in his hair, her mind screaming for them to stop, but rational reason was far gone as her body made ready for him.

She would berate herself later. Now she needed him closer. Feeling him shifting as he holds her with one arm, the sound of his belt unbuckles, an intrusive unzipping, the rustle of fabric. The ripping sound of the barely there underwear she wore.

Gat slipped his hand back between her legs to find her slick, easily sliding a thick nimble digit in. Ky gasped again, sliding into another in her wet center.

"Not… enough." She gasped against his lips, grinding on his digits. As he finger fucked her against the wall. She needed to be closer.

He could feel her wet core squeezing his fingers. Just from his touch she came, he felt. Ky was going to go mad, she felt herself angry as he wasn't…

"Wait." Ky panted.

Their foreheads together, breath fanning. Ky shook her head. "No."

Gat kissed her forehead. "What?"

Hearts beating, pounding, the excitement, need, the image of him fucking Aisha, wanting, imagining it was her. Look of desire in her eyes.

"Bed, upstairs." Taking his hand padded up the half spiral staircase to the master bedroom.

Removing her gown, he stripped, then laid her down on the gigantic bed. Kissing her deeply. Breaking from the kiss watched her face as he cupped and massaged her full breast.

"Look at me." When she opened her eyes, his heart stopped for a second. "You are so beautiful." He whispered against her lips.

Gat couldn't wait any longer he positioned himself at her entrance, he pushed deep into her.

Kyouki hissing arched her back, and adjusted her hips slightly, getting a feeling of the sudden invasion. "You're bigger than I thought."

"Shit, you are so tight." His eyes closed as he pushed himself further into her. His mind fogged, having to stop because she felt so good around him. "Look at me." gat ordered her again.

Doing so once more, she nearly came. Ky's honey-colored eyes grew dark as lust took over when she met his strokes. She couldn't say anything. The invasion, the strokes that followed, feeling him in her slick core, was everything. Ky could see that gorgeous tattoo that was scrawled on his neck over his shoulders. Gasping, she placed a hand on his cheek. Bowing his head, met her lips, savoring the champagne taste that lingered.

Johnny placed his hand on her hip and burying himself deeper within her, Ky tried not to dig her nails into his back as he kept sliding further into her.

"[Fuck.]" was all the six foot one man could muster as she met his rhythm. Gat sat on his heels, held her hips in place, further deepening his thrust as he pulled her into him. Both covered in sweat, Kyouki was gripping the sheets, making her knuckles white and her hands sore.

He watched her face. He leaned forward in her ear, voice low. "You're mine, right?"

"Yes!"

"This pussy mine?"

"Yes!"

"Sing." He rested on his forearms, continuing to pound the shit out of her. Hearing her cries of passion, he soon felt her walls tightening around him. "Do I fuckin love you?"

"Yes, God Johnny I'm about to –"

"Shit, baby, I'm bout to cum too."

They came together. He collapsed on top of her–convulsing every time her walls tightened around him. Weak, drained, and thoroughly satisfied.

The both of them gathered some energy to crawl under the covers. Soon, both were asleep.

Ky woke to Johnny's muscled arm protectively secured around her waist. She went to move, and he pulled her closer. Once she felt him relax, she moved, turning to face him. She examined the man who - despite their rocky meeting–has been a wedged fixture in her life.

She looked him over and traced his features with her slender fingers; his eyebrows, the shape of his eyes, noting he has long eyelashes, running a gentle finger down his strong nose and traced his defined lips.

"My name is…. Kyouki Irissa Akuji, I have had a crush on you since I first met you. Noel said this would happen." Ky whispered. Relaxed once more, letting the warmth of his body send her back to sleep.

Johnny opened his eyes shortly after she drifted off. He woke up hearing her name. Her name wasn't even James, she just shared a large piece of her. He would have to ask her how she was strapped with that name. He kissed the top of her head, lifting her chin, looking into the face of the woman who has been through hell and always coming back looking like an angel.

"I thought I lost you when they got you and Lin, after that fucking yacht, really shaved years off my life… you play with fire way too often." he whispered and lightly kissed the top of her head again.

Seeing the blood on the blanket they lay under, he nudged her awake. Gat went to shower off and ran a warm bath. Ky stretched when he came in. Flipping the covers off of her, he scooped her up and placed her in the Jacuzzi tub. "G, what's this about?"

"It looks like a murder scene in the bed. Your cycle I take it?"

"Would explain my emotional outburst. We gotta tell Ish." Ky leaned back into Gat's chest after he slid in behind her.

Johnny chuckled. "She'll be ecstatic."

Kyouki rubbed Gat's legs. The water sloshed. "Johnny, there's something I've been meaning to-"

"I already know. We'll discuss it when we meet up with Ish."

Kyouki tore up. He faked her out of playing sleep. He heard her, and he wasn't furious. Gat wrapped his arms around her, hugging her, always just when she needed it.