They got let out of the limousine and led into the luxurious hotel lobby. She took out her phone to snap pictures like a usual tourist would. Her husband scooped her up to kiss her and gather their luggage with a free hand. Then he carried her over to the counter to check in.
"Ah! Here you are," the Japanese receptionist smiled. "You are booked for the week. Your keycard is now activated for the top floor. Your room is at the very end on the left. Enjoy your stay!"
"Thanks," he nodded.
"Kazuma," Saiki smiled.
"Yes?" he smiled back and carried her to the elevator with their belongings wheeled along behind them.
"What should we do when we get in the door?" she asked and traced a finger over his jaw. He growled and playfully nipped at it.
"It depends on how far we get beyond it," he muttered and pressed the button for the top floor. He began to make out with her the moment the doors closed, and they only broke the kiss when someone else got in.
"You both new around here?" the young man asked. Saiki glanced over to see he was American. Kiryu realized he was speaking Japanese.
"Yes. It's our honeymoon," he nodded.
"Oh! You married her a bit young?" the man chuckled.
"I don't care about age," Saiki said with dismissal. "And he knows this. No one else will ever compare to him. Just leave it at that."
Kiryu smiled at her and let her kiss him passionately. They didn't even notice the flustered man leave on his floor as they continued up. Right when the doors opened on their destined floor was when Kiryu tightened an arm around her to keep holding her and grabbed the luggage. He walked onto the plush carpeting with her clinging to him and found their assigned room. She used the keycard and opened the door for them. He set the luggage inside, put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the doorknob and locked the door up.
"Now what?" she grinned.
"Now we wait..." he muttered and kissed her heavily "I have...been wanting you...so badly..."
"All this time?" she chuckled and gasped when he went after her throat. "I thought...you'd be done from the flight..."
"Did you already forget what I said about you?" he growled and lifted her up with both arms to carry her right over to a plush, brown leather couch. "You...are my addiction now. I will never get enough of you!"
She shouted when he ran his mouth over her neck and down her chest. He finally had to pull himself away to keep from ripping off her clothes to get closer. They both shouted together when he pulled her onto him. All she could do was cling to him with complete disbelief. "How...can you have...so much power over me? Such a thing is..."
"Because I am your husband," he grunted and kissed her hard. "You...have the same power over me. You know this. You just don't really know how to use it. At least...right now..."
"Kazuma..." she growled and moved to start nibbling up his neck. Now he swore and shouted at what consumed him. Then she grinned. "I guess...I found a weakness of yours?"
"Shut up..." he shivered and forced himself to calm down.
"So...nibbling gets you going..." she grinned wickedly and gave soft nibbles over his shoulders. He found himself shouting with shock at it and finally had to do the same thing to her.
"It does...to you, too..." he panted out at her stunned response.
"So we can...kick each other's asses..." she chuckled weakly.
"Yeah," he grunted and moved to recline on the couch with her. Then he groaned at his buzzing phone.
"I can get it," she smiled and kissed him heavily. He watched her move to collect their phones. The moment she got back to him, he pulled her down onto him possessively to keep her close. She saw who called and grimaced.
"Rabten...great..." he groaned with disgust. She called the number back for him and put it on speaker. "What's going on? I just started to relax with my wife. And if it's the news that you did not find the job, I am hanging up."
"Actually...he was found..." Rabten said.
"Oh? Where?" Saiki said with complete interest.
"He ran off when I pointed him out. Goro chased him up to where he disappeared behind a set of massive doors," Rabten sighed. "It was a metal wall-like structure if I recall."
"That's The Barracuda's stronghold. No. My wife will not go in there. Everyone will die," Kiryu said sternly. "Some are in there only as a place to go for protection. She will see everyone there as a threat! If he stays in there, fine. She has no job to do."
"I did take a photo of him when he paused with shock at me. I just sent it. In case you see him," Rabten said. Kiryu was able to see the photo, and his wife committed the image to memory.
"Very well," Saiki muttered.
"If we don't see him by the time we leave, we pay you," Kiryu said. "I suppose we'll have to meet up now and then until the job is done. But...ugh! Why the hell did Goro chase him?!"
"Because the fucker pulled out a bat to attack with," Goro said on snatching the phone to explain himself. "Rabten left that part out. The fucker saw Rabten and was walking up with a clear intent to pound him with a steel bat. Then I showed up with the other two and chased his ass. He's a fucking coward!"
"I see. Fine. So, as you made my job disappear, you will have to be stealthy and look around for me. You find him. You tell me. I'll go take care of it. Unless you manage to do it, but he knows what you look like now. Unless you disguise yourself. Either way, you let me know if you find him," Saiki growled.
"Right," Goro agreed.
"This is my honeymoon with my husband. The job is only to be there when available. I am hanging up now and ordering room service. Don't call us unless it's an emergency. Bye," she said and hung up the call.
"Good. Let him find the job since he botched it," her husband sighed. She nodded and set the phones on the nearby coffee table. Then she snuggled into her husband with contentment.
"We could explore. But...Hawaii isn't really going anywhere..." she murmured. "I just...want this. Right now."
"As do I," he agreed and closed his eyes. It was ten minutes later when hunger started to set in. She forced herself to move and find where the large robes were. They both dressed in them and called the number for room service on the service phone. They giggled softly at each other and lost themselves in a kiss until the door was knocked on. Saiki moved to check the peephole and paused.
"I don't like the look of this person..." she muttered.
"What?" Kiryu frowned. He checked the peephole and narrowed his eyes.
"You can tell it looks like the suit was put on as a rush job?" she grinned.
"Yeah. I'll answer it. If it's a threat to me..." he started. Then he smirked that she already had her dual sickles ready. Then she showed the acupuncture needles tucked away in a large robe pocket.
"Have him show you what's under the tray before bringing it in here. Hell, the payload may be under the table beneath the cloth cover. And remember. We're wealthy in a high-class suite. We should act the part," she said. He nodded and opened the door casually.
"I'd like to inspect what was brought before bringing it in. They tend to get my order wrong," Kiryu said. Saiki grinned that he was acting like the supposed wealthy snob with complete disgust.
"Ah...why...?" the Japanese man asked with confusion.
"And do you actually work here?" Kiryu asked with scrutiny. "Your dress looks a bit shoddy."
"Just take the damned cart!" the man growled. Then he paused when Saiki was at his throat with a sickle.
"You clearly don't work here..." she growled dangerously. "You thought you could just waltz your ass up here, clonk someone on the head and muscle your way in? Or is it your business partner hiding in the cart where our order is? Because I didn't order garbage."
"I...I don't know what you're talking about..." the man swallowed. She grinned, reached for the cloth covering the table and yanked it off. Kiryu was surprised that she was able to keep everything from coming off with the cloth. And it revealed another man hidden under the cart tray. Before either of them could flee, she had already pulled out two acupuncture needles from her robe pocket to put them to sleep. Kiryu ensured the intruders were secure before calling the hotel security team.
"We were looking for those two! We're sending up a team right now!" the manager of the security team said when he took over the call. The call ended right after that, and Saiki studied each man with intense scrutiny.
"The second man under the table. We saw him in the elevator," Saiki grinned. "He was the scout. Likely the muscle if he was to throw his weight around if wheeled inside."
"Good to know," Kiryu growled. Five security men showed up to secure the vagrants, and Saiki pulled the needles away. The two men fought aimlessly, but were clearly outmatched.
"You fucked with the wrong bitch. Be glad you're being taken away. If you get out of jail while I'm in Hawaii, I will find out and hunt you down myself," Saiki said with a snarl of warning. "Considering that I was the one that knocked both of your asses out."
"Ah..." the second man cringed.
"Too young to be my wife, eh?" Kiryu mused. "Be glad I told her not to kill you. Because she would have. And I doubt she would have revealed you under the cart to do it, too."
"Oh, he was breathing so hard I heard him easily," she shrugged.
"You couldn't do shit to-!" the first man started. Then he was knocked unconscious from her round-house kick to his head.
"Be glad I'm not wearing my shoes. I would have severed off his head," she growled. "And I hate empty threats."
"Fuck...!" the second man gaped and let himself get pulled away. Kiryu turned to the serving tray and lifted the lid to reveal an empty platter with crumbs. Even the drinks were drunk down to show the men clearly enjoyed getting luxury free meals the moment they had the chance.
"And it looks like we weren't even brought our meal. That means those two ate it and were planning to use the confusion as their means to gain entry," Kiryu snorted with absolute disgust.
"We'll get that replaced," the security manager said. "And you're right. Guests would complain that the trays were empty of food and were suddenly held hostage while two men took their belongings. They always targeted the wealthy, too, so I'm sure the one you saw took note of what button you pushed for the room. I'm glad they're finally caught. We owe you for this service, so all of your meals will be free for as long as you stay. Of course, just for you two to save face. I will inform the main staff and the hotel owner."
"Well, we are only here due to it being a honeymoon gift. Another was fronting the bill for services while here, but we'll accept that. Our hosts will be pleased," Kiryu chuckled. "They'll have to spend less on us."
"Oh! Who...is hosting you...?" the security manager asked.
"The Daidoji faction," Saiki mused. Now the man's jaw dropped. "And it's because they want to get on my good side for fucking themselves over around me. But it is fun hunting down people that don't need to live..."
"No. This is our honeymoon. We did enough. However, I suppose if something else happens around here...fine. You can call on us. My wife is a bit of an accomplished assassin. I can also hold my own in any fight. If you find a tough situation, let us know," Kiryu nodded. "We're only here for a week, though."
"I will definitely take you up on that! Actually, there is a small situation in the lobby right now. We keep getting accosted by a group called The Barracudas. We keep them at bay with a small payment now and then, but now they are demanding more. My men can only handle so many men at a time, but..." the man frowned. Then he listened in to the conversation on his ear bud. "Shit. It's starting to become incredibly hostile."
"Do you want them dead? Because that's what I do. I kill the problem. And if I go down there, there will be death. Just turn off your cameras in case evidence is gathered. Also, if they die, others will come in. Hmm. You know, one of my jobs did go into The Barracuda stronghold. If he's lured out this way..." she grinned wickedly. Kiryu shook his head.
"Let's get dressed. We'll be down shortly as surprise tourists. But, once it's done, we are going back into our room. We still need to eat," he said.
"I can prepare the area for you. We can stall for as long as we need to. We just have to be mindful of the tourists and innocent bystanders. Right now, we're telling them that we have to make a trip to the bank. We already know that police officials won't show up. They never do unless they get paid," the security manager sighed sadly and was quick to move off and support his men.
"I get to play!" Saiki grinned widely with delight. "Best honeymoon ever!"
"Yeah..." Kiryu sighed and laughed at it. They moved back into the luxury suite, and he called up Seonhee to fill her in.
"Really? Wow. I miss all the fun," Seonhee pouted.
"I know. But I'm letting you know what's up just in case," Kiryu sighed. "I need to get dressed. I'll likely call you in ten minutes if we need support. If not, then we'll meet up somewhere after if it comes to it."
"That's fine," she agreed and disconnected the call. Saiki and Kiryu were able to dress swiftly, and she had on her arsenal of weapons. She rechecked her traps and tested her shoes. He had on his gloves in case he got approached, and he ensured his false glasses were on.
"Activate it just in case. Actually...no. Civilians. Just stay behind me," Saiki murmured while walking to the elevator with him. He nodded to let her take the lead and ensured their keycard was in his inner jacket pocket. They rode down the elevator and stepped out into the lobby. She saw security all around to keep the shouting antagonists back, and she simply charged up to the main counter with her husband. "I need to file a complaint! Right now!"
"Ah..." the poor girl behind the counter cringed. Then she calmed down at Saiki's wink to show that she wasn't being yelled at.
"Hey! You need to wait your-!" the tattooed man started before going silent. Saiki sliced off his head with a sickle without even thinking. Then she pushed the body away for it to fall with a sick thud on the ground.
"That's my complaint. You talk too fucking much..." she grinned widely and turned to look at the other four men. "Darling...I have toys..."
"Yes. That you do," Kiryu chuckled.
"Can I play with them...?" she asked softly and hunkered down to get ready to lunge. "I promise...just them..."
"Don't take out the scythe. We have tight quarters. A lot of innocents are here. If the bad ones come to you, then kill. If they flee, let them flee," he ordered with a soft whisper in her ear. He had moved to bend down slightly to mutter it out, and her eyes lit up with delight.
"Carlos!" one of the men said with shock. "You bitch!"
"No! Wait!" another man said. Then the other three man gaped with horror at the sight of the massive scythe. The man was now impaled and dangling from it limply to show he was clearly dead.
"He charged at me..." Saiki frowned with apology at her husband.
"It's fine. Just don't swing it," Kiryu smiled and kissed her forehead. She nodded, hefted the man up and kicked him off the blade. The other three men were hyperventilating and let themselves get taken into custody by waiting security. The security manager was just in speechless shock at what he witnessed. He did make sure that all of the cameras were shut down, and everything happened too quickly for people to record anything on their phones.
"I can't put away the weapon until I clean it. If I was faster, the blood would have no time to coat. He was hanging on it for a bit. If I try to put it away, the blood will stick in the gears," Saiki whispered to her husband.
"I see. Ah, can I get a damp rag, please?" Kiryu asked the shaking girl at the counter. She was remaining calm through the whole thing, but one of the security team was with her to show that everything was well.
"Oh. Ah...sure..." she swallowed and made the call for the cleaning service. A rag was given over, the weapon was carefully cleaned and now able to be put away.
"Please replace our service order. It was compromised," Kiryu said to the receptionist and led his wife back to the elevator.
"Already taken care of. And thank you," the security manager nodded.
"If anyone comes back to take revenge, please call our room," Saiki beamed. She let her husband lift her up and carry her away. He took her straight into the elevator and kissed her heavily the moment the doors closed.
"I am so proud of you," he muttered and held her tight. They had just reached their floor when his phone buzzed. "What?! Damn it..."
"Hmm?" she frowned and watched him answer the call.
"What?" he asked with a touch of irritation.
"The job came out of hiding. Apparently...there's a massive showdown where some shops are. As much as he's jumpy...he has to do what he's told," Goro said. "I'm not too far off from him, but I'm just keeping watch. Daigo and Taiga are blending in with the crowds. Does Saiki have my number?"
"So...there's a new leader in town. If that one gets in my way, we will have to get in the way of that one. And his number? I don't think I have it," she shrugged. "I never bothered to get it."
"She does now..." Kiryu said on sending the information to her phone.
"Have her text me. Please. You have my promise that I won't just text her out of the blue for nothing. If I'm working for her, I need her number. In fact, I'll text her Daigo's number and Taiga's number, too.
"I have to send her a photo of where to go. It's twenty minutes away from the hotel you're at. If you both get here now, you'll meet up with us. We're all gathering out here. Besides, you can't be cooped up in that room just yet! The beach is just a bit away, and Kasuga is insisting that we meet his mother," Goro chuckled. "I am curious!"
"That's right. I need to introduce you to Lani. She's the current Sage of the Palekana out here. The one who tried to run the Palekana before was someone named Bryce. He ran all the crime and murdered her parents. Her father was the original Sage. And he even got kids to do his dirty work. He's in jail now," Kiryu muttered. "He tried to kill Akane, too, when she discovered Lani's secret. She is now Lani's guardian to keep her focused and to learn her part."
"Sounds like an unfinished job to me. But I'll ignore it for now," Saiki mused. "But I do wonder...if I should..."
"I don't want you anywhere near that nut job. You stay with me," Kiryu grunted. "Damn. Do I have time to eat something with my wife?"
"We can lay low for twenty minutes," Goro said.
"Good. We'll be there in thirty minutes. Just keep an eye on the job," Saiki ordered. "And remember! I am not to be disturbed with my husband after the job is done! I will turn off the phones if we get constant calls."
"We all know," Goro said and disconnected the call. Kiryu sighed and shook his head, but he knew that once this was done that he could finally relax with his wife. He carried her to their room and found a serving cart outside the door. He saw there was a note with a gift card for a free souvenir of any kind from the gift shop owner resting on the silver plate cover. They both chuckled at this and unlocked the door to bring the food inside.
"I think I could use a new necklace," she mused. "Or a stuffed animal. I actually...never had one of those..."
"You never had toys since your capture. Hmm. Yeah, we can get you something like that," he smiled and kissed her softly. It started to take on a far more intense form of need until her belly rumbled. He broke the kiss and sighed before sitting down with her in his lap. They fed each other and talked about how he spent his last trip in Hawaii.
"Oh, I forgot to mention. I did bring a swimsuit with me. Two of them," she smiled. He went completely quiet at this to get her snickering.
"One of them you can wear out. If it's the other one I'm thinking of...only in here. With no one else visiting us," he muttered out.
"Well, you know what I like in return," she said evenly.
"True..." he mused. "Did you bring any fabric?"
"I don't think I did. I do have a small sewing kit. I'm sure they have fabric stores all over. You want me to make something for you?" she grinned softly.
"I do. Something with palm trees to match the tourist feel," he chuckled.
"I have a pattern in mind. Now it's just seeing if it can be found," she nodded. "Let's finish eating and we'll make that a side quest to the job."
"Hilarious," he grinned and kissed her forehead. On finishing off the delicious food now, they left the food cart outside in a spot by the elevators. She did change her outfit to have on her deep blue bikini, the matching cardigan and her shoes. She adjusted the black lace sunhat with the large blue rose set in. He growled with appreciation at her to see her blush. "The hat will be good to hide some of your facial features. Definitely wear that."
"I did bring your outfit that matched mine. What we wore at the other place," she smiled. He rose a brow and moved to swiftly change into it. "If we do stop by the beach, you could sleep in my lap like before."
"Yeah. I can do that. I need deeper pockets for my gloves and glasses," he frowned. "I actually like those pockets!"
"Easily remedied when I get the fabric. True, you do have pockets, but not as deep. Can you wear the glasses for now?" she asked.
"I can," he nodded and pocketed his gloves. She jumped into his arms to let him carry her out. "When do you take the test?"
"Two days," she smiled and snuggled into him. She traced a finger up his exposed chest to feel him tense. He knew she loved it when he wore shirts that opened in the front. He pressed the button in the elevator and returned his full attention to her.
"The moment we get back..." he muttered and kissed her heavily.
"For a whole day...?" she whispered huskily in his ear.
"The rest of the damned week," he growled and kissed her again. When a soft gasp was heard by an elderly couple, Saiki glanced over to see they arrived on the lobby floor. The elderly couple was talking in English, and Saiki told them it was her honeymoon with her husband. They laughed at this, gave congratulations and let the loving couple leave. "What did they say?"
"Oh, they were a bit appalled at what they saw. Then I told them it was our honeymoon and apologized for the small show of affection," she laughed softly. "They understood after that and wished us well."
"Of course," he muttered.
"I was thinking of something...we could do..." she grinned. "A little silly, but I think we could pull it off..."
"What?" he asked.
"We get two large shirts that say 'Just Married' on them," she laughed.
"That's something that Kasuga would get," he grimaced. That got her laughing at the whole thought now. "But...it would explain to others..."
"You really want to do it?!" she asked with complete delight.
"Only if you make the shirts," he grinned wickedly.
"Do I use glitter lettering?!" she giggled with excitement.
"I'm going to regret this...yes. In both English and Japanese," he snickered and got her laughing with absolute joy.
"I love you," she smiled.
"And I love you," he smiled back and kissed her forehead.
"Should I walk?" she asked when he carried her outside.
"Nope," he chuckled.
"Well, hello there!" a young man said with a group of his friends walking over. "Surely you'd like to tag along with us instead of an old man?"
"All of you could be my children," she smirked. "And this 'old man' is my husband. And he fucks me better than any of you could."
"Darling..." Kiryu said while coughing back a laugh. Then they both glared at the group to force them back.
"It's my honeymoon with my husband. Don't make yourselves part of the tour," she grinned wickedly. Kiryu sighed and shook his head before turning away with her. He gave her a glance and she pointed in the direction they had to go.
"Now, wait a minute," the young man said.
"I'm not your mommy. Little boy. Go run off and play somewhere else," Saiki said with a soft warning. "Don't let this be the last day you find yourself alive. Because if I play with you...I break my toys."
"She does," Kiryu said with a growl. "And I kick away the pieces."
"Ah..." one of the men in the group blinked and ran off. The others quickly followed suite. She gave a small grin and kissed her husband to show the way was cleared. He growled in her ear to hear her giggle.
"I would much rather play the intimidation card deck," he grinned.
"Mmm. True. A little neater to use, eh?" she chuckled and nuzzled into his jaw. He laughed softly and continued to carry her to their destination.
"You look so adorable with that hat!" he muttered and kissed her. He was so intensely involved in her that they made a few wrong turns. Then she looked around and didn't see any shops. Even he realized nothing looked familiar.
"Where are we going?" she frowned.
"Not too sure," he frowned back. "I think...we got lost."
"Hmm. Should I get on your shoulders?" she asked. He thought about it and shook his head. "Okay. I can walk around and check on a building rooftop...?"
"I said no," he grinned and tickled her lightly.
"There you are," Seonhee said on walking up to them with Joongi and Kasuga. "I was able to use your phone to track you down, thankfully. We need to head over to where the shops are."
"I know where to go!" Tomi said when he jogged over. "Damn! I really need to see if I can rent a car for us! Or...something!"
"We can work on that," Seonhee nodded.
"Anyways, where is my job?" Saiki asked with a sigh of boredom.
"We're going there," Joongi nodded. "Zhao went to help the Palekana with their kitchen in exchange for some good recipe ideas. We were going to help out with some supplies to give out."
"Oh. Okay. Kazuma, I want to get my job done. Then we can relax," Saiki said and yawned. "Starting to feel sleepy..."
"Are you? Think you'll be awake enough for the job?" her husband asked and followed Seonhee. She gave him a look and kissed his nose to show she'd be fine. They walked a bit further and paused at Kasuga riding up in something resembling a two-wheeler scooter.
"Hey! I forgot they had these! These things are awesome and help you get around pretty quickly. Did you want to try it out?" Kasuga asked.
"Eh..." Saiki frowned. "I'd rather run over building rooftops. It's faster."
"For you," Kiryu said and smiled at her soft blush.
"I helped the guy out here before. I got free rides for life! It really helps out when in a bind. And you don't use gas," Kasuga chuckled.
"Kasuga! I know I saw you! Where are you?! I need your help!" an old man shouted out. Kasuga looked over and cringed.
"Ah...I gotta go...or that guy will force me into one of those weird arena battles again! No thanks!" Kasuga said. "I'll meet you all later after I shake this guy! I mean, he's a nice guy, but...I don't think I have time for that now."
"I thought he was your friend?" Kiryu frowned.
"Was! Was my friend! I helped him before. I don't need to get caught up in this again. At least not now," he said and quickly drove off.
"Kasuga! We need to get back into the Sujimon League! There's much for us to do now! Kasuga!" the bald man shouted and sighed.
"Sujimon? Eh...no. Darling, let's keep moving," she cringed lightly.
"Yeah. We have a job to do," Kiryu nodded and walked off with her quietly. "Something tells me we may be seeing that guy again."
"Hopefully not," she muttered and snuggled into him.
"The job we need is just up ahead," Seonhee said and glanced over her shoulder at them. The rows of various shops were there, and fruit vendors were selling wares. Saiki took out her phone to look at the picture she was sent. Then she scanned around the area and spotted the target.
"I see him..." she murmured with building excitement.
"Too many innocents. You'll need to be quick and back at my side. You have a plan on where to go?" Kiryu asked.
"I'm just gonna walk up to him...and leave a bread crumb..." she grinned.
"If his friends get in the way..." he growled.
"More crumbs?" she smiled.
"I would say to lure them out of here, but...at least take out the job. We'll have to deal with the others after. If they try to defend him," Kiryu said on studying the area. "Here are your orders. Remember yourself. Come right back to me after it's done. Don't bring out the scythe here. Please."
"I will try," she nodded. He kissed her and set her on her feet. He adjusted her hat to shield her face a bit more to obscure her as another flaunty tourist.
"Go," he said sternly. She grinned and darted off with intense excitement. She made sure he was able to see where she was as she moved. She weaved her way in and around various vendors like she was shopping. She was definitely noticed by several young men around her, but she fully ignored them. She made her way to stand right next to the tattooed, buff man and she lifted up a pineapple. He appeared to be of Japanese decent and clearly not one that liked to be around others that weren't of his type of crowd.
"Hurry up! I don't have all day! Once you pay me, I have to go to the next stall!" the man snapped at the fruit vendor. The poor old man was struggling to get by and this clearly wasn't helping him at all. Saiki was busy examining the pineapple as though ready to purchase it.
"Very fresh..." she mused while holding the pineapple.
"I was in line first!" he growled.
"Really? I only saw you asking for blood money. Not really a line to purchase," she shrugged and set the fruit down. "Anyways, I'm just browsing."
"Blood money?! It's protection money!" he said valiantly.
"Against you? Or me? Or to protect you from me? So many ways to see that," she blinked cutely. The fruit vendor had turned his back for a moment to check on what he had stored away. No one else was looking directly at them to keep from being part of the situation, and her face couldn't be seen unless right in front of her from the large black lace sunhat.
"Protect me from you?" he asked with amusement. That grin was the last thing on his face when she suddenly kicked upwards to let her shoe slice through his skull. Then she twirled to let his head get lopped off in an elegant spinning kick. She snapped a photo just as his head fell off on hitting the ground in a perfect half. She sent the photo to Rabten to show the job was complete. Then she leapt out of the way to keep from being seen around the new corpse.
Screams suddenly happened at the sight of the body. As much as the fruit vendor was glad the harassment stopped, he was horrified at the sight before him. Kiryu was already walking away with his wife held in his arms. He walked her out of the area and sat down on a bench overlooking the vast ocean on a beachside path. Her hat was removed and folded inwards for him to hide it away in a shirt pocket. They ignored the screams, the ambulance that appeared and gave odd looks around to show they had no idea what happened. Only after the panicking calmed down did he start to relax with his wife.
"It's pretty nice out here," Kiryu nodded and took a few pictures of the view before them with his phone . "The ocean looks beautiful. It will be even more beautiful at sunset. What would you like to see? The ocean like this? Something else?"
"I'd rather see you naked in bed with me..." his wife purred in his ear.
"I can arrange that," he growled and kissed her lustfully.
"That was quick," Seonhee chuckled and sat next to them. Joongi was standing and watching the surroundings.
"If we have no plans, my wife and I need to get back to our honeymoon," Kiryu started and looked over his shoulder to see a group of youths in dark yellow shirts with red symbol images along the hems jogging over.
"Hey! We're with the Palekana! It's requested for you to come with us. Akane-san and our Sage would like to meet with you. Kasuga-san requested it, too," one of young boys smiled. Kiryu sighed and rose up with his wife in his arms. He clearly didn't want to go anywhere else, but he was a touch anxious to check on Lani. Saiki blinked at the bright sun and took out her sunhat from Kiryu's pocket to straighten out and put back on.
"Where are the others?" Saiki asked after adjusting her hat.
"Adachi and Nanba are at the Revolve Bar for a bit. Goro, Taiga and Daigo figured you had it here, so they went to scope out The Barracuda's stronghold. Not to walk in, but just to see if they could find out who the new leader is. Tomi is trying to get a rental van. Chi-chan, Ugajin and Sa-chan are securing hotel rooms. They'll meet up with us when we get to the Palekana building," Seonhee nodded.
"Okay," Saiki nodded back and let her husband carry her. "I can walk."
"No," he chuckled and kissed her cheek. "I guess we're making yet another detour. Aren't we?"
"I still want fabric," she said. "So, fine. Today will be a detour day. The moment we get back to the hotel, we are not leaving it until we are ready."
"And no interruptions," he nodded. "Anyways, please lead the way."
"Sure!" one of the boys grinned.
"It's the piss yellow dweebs!" a man smirked in the distance. Then he paled when Saiki snapped her head around to glare at him. "Ah...never mind..."
"Good idea," she growled dangerously. "And if you ever approach them in this mindset again, I will find out. And I will find you."
The man ran off in a complete panic. She smiled warmly at the ones before her with a small chuckle. Then Kiryu said, "My wife is not one to piss off. Because she only knows how to kill problems. So that one saved his own life by walking away fast."
"Kills?!" a young girl gasped.
"Yes. My past...was not kind. It was how I was trained. I am trying to break that habit, but it can be difficult," Saiki said with a soft, sad smile. "My husband has been helping me with it."
"I will pray to our Volcano Goddess, Nele, that you will overcome this!" one of the young boys said.
"Some of her skills are needed to protect. It's when she can't control them. That's what she is trying to do," Kiryu chuckled and kissed his wife's cheek. "As much as all of her skills are dangerous, she only wants to use them to help."
"That's good!" another young girl smiled. "Come on!"
"On our way," Seonhee chuckled. They were led to a red brick set of buildings and led into the main entrance. Kasuga was standing next to an older woman with her grey hair tied back in a ponytail. A necklace with a vial of ashes was around her neck, and Kasuga waved at them.
"Hey! This is my mom! Ah, Kiryu-san, you remember her?" he asked.
"I do. Akane-san, this is my wife, Saiki. She had a very similar past as me to a point. She was a member of the Tojo Clan, but it was forced. Her story is lengthy, but we're here on our honeymoon. It's good to see you again," Kiryu nodded to her. "Is everything okay?"
"Not really," Akane admitted.
"Are they here?" a girl's voice asked. The young, brown-haired girl with brown eyes walked in wearing a bit more of an elaborate robe of dark yellow. An intricate necklace with a beautiful symbol was around her neck.
"Lani! It's good to see you again," Kiryu chuckled. He sat down and kept Saiki in his lap. "This is my wife. I told her all about you."
"I'm glad you're here. Can you help us?" Lani asked and walked over to them. "We really need your help."
"What's going on?" Saiki asked. "Just calm down. What's happening?"
"Yeah, we need to know," Tomi nodded.
"Our supply trucks are disappearing," Lani frowned. "The trucks do come back later, but they are all empty."
"Your supplies?" Kiryu frowned.
"Yes. Well, they don't really disappear. But they get hijacked. We get the trucks back, but they're completely cleaned out! I don't know what else we can do. It's really hurting us. We use those supplies to help people. As well as to restock ourselves. Every time we try to figure it out, it's like...no one can explain it!" Akane sighed hard. "It's frustrating."
"Where is your supply route?" Saiki asked. She was shown a map and it was pointed out where the ambush happens. "Darling. I can stop it."
"I know you can. And I will join you," Kiryu nodded.
"Aren't you ill?" Akane frowned with worry.
"I am. But...I was given medicine that killed off most of my cancer. I have my strength back," Kiryu chuckled.
"To a point. You still have to do the endurance training. Your intense training happens after your three month treatment in two and a half months," Saiki reminded him. He sighed and nodded. She looked at Akane and said, "Due to my background, I am able to train him back up to full strength. I don't want him to overdo anything until it's safe."
"Oh! Well..." Akane blinked.
"I'll fill her in. You find out about the trucks," Kasuga nodded.
"Are you due for another shipment?" Joongi asked.
"Yes. And it's every third truck that this happens to. We send out three trucks. One of them comes back late and empty," Akane frowned. Saiki was now sending a text to Goro with the new job details.
"Don't worry about paying us. You're allies. We help our allies. Kazuma, we need to go now. We'll figure out what we're doing when we're done with this. Do we have a car?" Saiki asked. "We need to go there to catch the thieves by surprise to keep that element alive."
"I can drive you," one of the Palekana men said.
"Expect a group. We'll get this taken care of," Saiki smiled. Kiryu rose up with her in his arms to carry her out. "I can walk!"
"No," he grinned. That got the younger adults giggling at it.
"She's pregnant with his kid," Kasuga said to them to get them all gasping with delight. "It's why he doesn't want her to walk or do much."
"We should prepare a good dinner!" Lani ordered. "And I hope they can solve this problem with the trucks."
"Don't worry. They will. Let me tell you about Sai-chan," Kasuga smiled and sat down to start telling them all about her. On the road to the location of where the thefts happened, the young man from the Palekana was telling them everything he knew. Saiki was studying all of the traffic routes, locations and committing everything to memory for future needs.
"Do we know of anything on who these thieves are? Do the drivers recall anything at all?" Kiryu asked.
"Nothing! Well...these are clearly men, they wear masks and they say it's a toll for passage. We tried to get the police involved, but they can't do anything since it's out of their jurisdiction. We have our hands tied," the young man sighed. "At least, this is what we're told by the driver."
"What is your name?" Saiki asked.
"Oh! Sorry. So caught up in things. You can call me Mitch," he smiled.
"Of course, Mitch," Seonhee nodded. Joongi was in the front seat, and Saiki was riding in the back in Kiryu's lap. Tomi and Seonhee were now texting others to let them know of the new issue.
"Ugajin is on his way," Seonhee said.
"Chi-chan and Sa-chan are going to help with dinner. The monks will be at their hotel room for now. Adachi and Nanba are meeting up with us now. Goro, Taiga and Daigo are...already there! Huh. Okay, they are setting up a watch," Tomi said with a bit of surprise.
"Good. They were top ranking yakuza at one point. I would expect no less. Hmm?" Saiki frowned at who was calling her phone. "Hello, Samejima. What's going on at The Castle?"
"Shishido is doing well. Amon is trying to order around his prior men. Of course, they are saying they work for you now and ignoring him. JUSTICE1975 is warning him to shut up or get shut down by you," Samejima sighed.
"Tell him I'm in Hawaii. If I have to go to The Castle the moment I get back, I will use his head as a floating device for the ship's anchor," she growled. Then she sent him a picture of the last job she did. "And show him that."
"Ah...yes...I will..." Samejima said with a bit of shock. The call ended after that and she rolled her eyes.
"I am babysitting, Kazuma," she grimaced. "This is why I like working alone. I knew this was going to happen!"
"Get used to it," Seonhee snickered. "I'm just glad that I don't have to babysit Joongi."
"That you don't," Joongi chuckled.
"True. You just fuck him," Saiki grinned wickedly. Joongi coughed. Seonhee went quiet and hid her small blush. "There's nothing wrong with that! Kazuma can be my boss when needed. Look at us!"
"Your husband is your boss?" Mitch asked.
"I have to be. When she gets into her killing mindset, she only responds to me that way. She knows to follow my orders and to protect me along with those I order her to protect. She's been known to blackout during a fight. It's...not good. I'm doing all I can to help her fight against that," Kiryu nodded. Saiki snuggled into him with a sigh.
"Oh! Someone's in trouble!" Mitch said on seeing a car on the side of the road. A man was waving his arms at them. "We should help them!"
"No," Saiki said quickly on studying the area. "There's a hill behind the car. I think it's a trap. Keep driving."
"What?" Mitch frowned.
"If you stop the car, I will be killing people," she said sternly. "Just keep driving and don't stop."
"I think she's right," Kiryu said with a grimace. The man stood there with shock that they kept driving. Sure enough, there were two other people behind the hill that ran out of hiding to get into the car. Now the car turned to catch up with them. "Well...that's new..."
"Darling..." Saiki grinned.
"I don't want you hurt," he frowned.
"Love. Remember my training room," she sighed.
"Ah. Fine. Just...please be careful. And give me your hat so it doesn't blow away," he said. She kissed him hard, gave her sunhat to him and opened the window. She moved out of it to stand on the trunk of the car. The three men in the car behind them gaped at the sight of the scythe that came out to play. She grinned wickedly and swung it down to impale on the hood of the other car.
"Focus on the road! Don't look behind you!" Seonhee said in warning to Mitch. "Joongi!"
"I'll grab the wheel if anything happens!" he agreed. Saiki let the scythe retract to free it from the car when it veered out of control. The engine was clearly trashed, and now the three men were stranded without a vehicle. She gave a cheerful wave at them when they came out swearing at their ill luck. She slipped back into the window and settled back in her husband's lap.
"Well, now they do need help," Kiryu sighed.
"Should I wear my hat?" she asked.
"Not yet. I have feeling this isn't over. I'll fold it up and put it back in my inner pocket for now," he muttered and did just that.
"That weapon!" Mitch said with amazement.
"I made it," Saiki chuckled. She squeaked at the squeeze her husband gave her, and she snuggled back into his embrace.
"How far off are we?" Tomi asked.
"Five more minutes. Ah, we should tell the others about what just happened," Mitch said. Seonhee sent a text to Kasuga to have him warn the others of the trap that failed. They got to the meeting point, and Goro was already making plans to see if the would-be attackers were still out there.
"I can head down there with Taiga. I don't want those guys to think they can flag down a truck," Goro said. Taiga was already getting in the car.
"Fine. Ten minutes. Text me the results. If you bring them back here, ensure they are bound. If you choose to take them into town out of 'kindness', let me know, too. You could even drive up if the trucks are on their way to town to block the way. If there's a problem," Saiki mused. "Go for it. And Ugajin was on his way to join us. He can help you."
"Done!" Goro grinned and joined Taiga in the car. With them on their way to find the culprit tricksters, Saiki and her group now moved to see what trucks would show up. Mitch pointed out that a truck was coming up now. It looked like a small, yellow box truck that was loaded with supplies in the locked trailer.
"That's one of them. We don't know which ones get hit. Um...should we hide?" Mitch asked. "I don't know if us being here will compromise things."
"Unless that was the car with the thieves that I fucked up," Saiki mused with a grin. "They would jump in the way of a truck. Grab what they wanted and left. I'm sure they recognized Mitch in his yellow shirt. So they likely thought to take him out to keep from ruining their scheme. I'm calling Goro..."
"That would be something," Kiryu grinned. Mitch waved at the first truck for it to stop. A conversation was done, and it was confirmed that the car taken out was the one that usually stopped the supplies. Saiki grinned at this news, and she asked Tomi to join the truck driver.
"I can do that! This way we can help scout out the rest of the path to make sure nothing happens," Tomi agreed.
"I'll ride back with Mitch," Seonhee said.
"Actually, Kazuma and I will. If something goes wrong, he can drive alongside any truck for me to jump on and kill the problem," Saiki said with a smile. "Daigo should go with a driver. You can ride with Joongi or with Kazuma and I. Actually, it may be best with me so you can text out orders quickly."
"Done," Seonhee nodded. Saiki watched Tomi drive off with the first truck and the second one soon came into view. Mitch signaled for the driver to stop and explain the issue. Daigo was now in the cab with this one to help protect the cargo. The third truck that arrived in the distance appeared off. That had Saiki narrow her eyes to show something was wrong.
"I need to investigate..." she murmured.
"If the truck doesn't stop..." Kiryu grunted.
"It won't stop," she said and hunkered down to prepare to leap.
"Slow down!" Mitch shouted at the truck as it barreled down the road. She grinned and leapt onto the back of the cargo box. She hauled herself up swiftly and carefully climbed over the top of it. Then she pressed on the top of her shoes to activate a set of magnets to keep herself steady.
"Kazuma...will totally want to know...how the hell I made my shoes..." she snickered and pulled out the scythe. Now she aimed down and sliced off the top of the cab to reveal the driver. The unknown man was gaping with shock. "Hmm. So, you're one of the drivers. You let in your buddies so they can take what they want. Then you drive the truck back and tell them you were robbed. So...I have to wonder if you switch up the trucks with you always as the driver..."
"No!" the man gaped. Then he got put down with an acupuncture needle. She jumped into the driver's seat, shoved him aside to keep him sleeping and stopped the truck. The others joined them and she looked at Mitch.
"Is he one of your drivers?" she asked.
"Yes," Mitch nodded.
"Was he always the one that got 'robbed' from?" she asked.
"Ah...!" Mitch gaped.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'. I think he was in league with the ones we stopped on the road. The stories are fitting together. He would get into a random supply truck. Drive it down to where his 'friends' were waiting. They'd unload all they wanted. He'd drive it back to unload what was left or nothing at all with the sob story that he was robbed. When it was an inside job. What I want to know is where the supplies go. So..." Saiki mused and looked at her husband.
"I know they won't say anything to the Palekana. But maybe to us..." Kiryu mused. He called Kasuga and explained what happened.
"What?! Okay. I can get down to where you are. And you're right, Kiryu-san. They likely won't talk to Akane-san. I hate it, but we may have to show intimidation. We'll have to take them to somewhere abandoned. I'll meet up with you all," Kasuga said. Kiryu put his phone away after disconnecting the call, and Saiki had already called Goro to bring the three others back with him.
"I need you with the others," Goro said on his call.
"On our way," Saiki grinned and hung up. "I don't know how to drive a truck, I'm afraid. I just knew how to hit the brakes."
"It's the same as a car. It looks like a stick shift," Seonhee said.
"I can drive it," Kiryu nodded. Saiki got into the passenger seat and studied how her husband operated the vehicle. He made sure she saw where he placed his hands and feet. At the sight of the truck coming into view with the mangled top from anyone else driving past them, it did have people stare with surprise.
"Check the box and see if the supplies are still there," Saiki said to Goro when they pulled up. Mitch had the key to unlock it, and they were relieved that nothing was taken yet. "Good. Where are the other three?"
"Right here," Taiga said from where the men were on their knees. Other members of the Palekana were there that clearly were from Lani's request. They all looked nasty and ready to beat anything down to show they were warriors and protectors of the Palekana faith.
"We are here to obey your orders until no longer needed," one of the warriors said. Saiki nodded and looked at the restrained fugitives.
"Okay. Question time. Where do you take the supplies you stole?" Saiki asked them. The three men just glared. Then they paled at the sight of the scythe. "Answer me. Or talk to your heads after they are removed from your bodies. You see the truck? How it's mangled? That's from me. And I fucked up your car. So...last chance. Talk!"
"Mitch," Joongi said and pulled him away for safety. "Best to look away."
"Ah. Right..." Mitch grimaced and turned away from everything.
"Why should we answer?! I'd rather die!" the first man said. Now the other two men watched with horror at how Saiki granted the man his wish. She grabbed the skull by the hair and set it in front of the remaining two men. One of the Palekana warriors dragged the rest of the corpse away.
"I don't barter. I just kill. So. Who's going to join him?" she asked.
"The Barracudas. The supplies go to them," the third man said with a hard shiver. "It was...decided on. We've been doing this for a little over a month now. As much as we'd rather not deal with them...we don't have much of a choice. The Palekana don't willingly work for them. So...they have us steal from them."
"See? That wasn't so hard. Was it?" Saiki smiled. Kiryu sighed and had her put away the scythe.
"Who meets with you?" Seonhee asked.
"Just a member from them. They pay us. We split the goods to take for ourselves," the second man shuddered. He kept glancing away from the stare the skull in front of him was giving out.
"Is there a new leader of The Barracudas?" Saiki asked.
"Ah...not really. It's more like...a weekly fighting match. The winner gets to call the shots now. Stay in a big house. It was decided. But one guy...he's been winning all the fights. So..." the second man shrugged.
"Interesting. Can anyone join the fights?" Saiki asked. Now Kiryu looked at her with shock. "What?"
"No," Kiryu said.
"What fight?" Ugajin asked when he finally walked over. Kasuga was with him, and he only grimaced at everything. Ugajin saw the top of the truck cab and whistled. Then he saw the skull. "Oh. You pissed off my sister. That's not good at all."
"Well, to be fair, that guy said he wanted to die," Saiki shrugged.
"Oh! Well, that's different," Ugajin chuckled. "Anyways, I heard something about a fight?"
"The Barracudas take turns being the boss by winning a weekly fight," Saiki grinned. Ugajin rose a brow at this.
"You already have The Castle. And I know you don't like it, but you put up with it for funds. Do you really want to put up with a bunch more like me that don't like to listen to orders?" her brother grinned wickedly.
"I like his idea. Don't do it," Kiryu warned her.
"But it would stop the violence! Wouldn't it?" she frowned.
"Well, they do run an illegal clothing rig for top dollar. If you remember that," Kasuga said. Saiki mused at this and turned to whisper in her singing tone to her husband. Kiryu was not happy.
"No! This is our honeymoon! None of this was supposed to happen!" he groaned. "We did the damned job! This is just...no! You're pregnant, too! Please, just...no!"
"And if we don't do this, then those fuckers will keep terrorizing people!" Saiki growled. Kiryu ran a hand over his face. "Love, I know. It is our honeymoon. But we need to see to this now while we are here. I don't think we have a choice in this. Because if we get confronted, you know more are going to die by my hand. You want this bullshit to stop?"
"Damn it! When is the next fight? How do we get in?" Kiryu finally asked after caving in to it. She ran a hand through his hair to show she understood. He gave her a look of silent despair, and he saw the same look echoed in her gaze. He kissed her and said, "Okay. I know. I'm just...I'm done with this."
"I am, too," she soothed. "But we need to finish this."
"Yeah..." he grimaced and turned to glare at the men on the ground.
"We don't know when the fights happen. You'd have to track down one of them to ask," the other man said.
"Fine. Because if it's in a day or two, then that's good. I get to sleep in with my husband undisturbed until the time comes. Okay, let's go find us one of those bastards and find out what to do to join up," Saiki nodded. Seonhee pursed her lips at how Kiryu was clearly not happy. "And I think I know how to do that. In fact, we can bring someone to us."
"How?" Ugajin asked. Goro and Taiga had already called Daigo to catch him up to speed. Joongi had texted Tomi to let him know what happened. Kasuga was keeping a close eye on Kiryu to show he was also concerned.
"We use a decoy truck. It will be filled with all of us. Which means, we'll need the driver. He takes us to the meeting point. We fuck up whoever opens the back of the truck," she grinned wickedly. Seonhee barked out laughter and could only nod with agreement.
"Saiki..." Kiryu said with worry.
"Yes?" she smiled and jumped into his arms.
"I'm not going to say that your idea is foolproof. But how do we convince the driver to work for us?" he asked. She looked at him with a raised brow. "Ah. Right. If he doesn't, then he dies."
"Exactly! And if he chooses to die, then we have one of these idiots to take his place," she beamed. He sighed and gave her an amused, wary look.
"I love you," he said.
"And I love you," she smiled and let him kiss her.
"A question, though," he said when the Palekana warriors pulled the captives to their feet to lead them away.
"Yes?" she asked.
"How...did you stay on the truck...while it was moving at full speed?" he asked. She pursed her lips together to laugh quietly. "Talk."
"My shoes...have magnets..." she cringed with laughter. He stared at her with disbelief. Seonhee gasped and swore that she definitely wanted a set of shoes for herself now.
"Darling..." he said lightly.
"Yes, I will make sure you get a set of badass shoes," she grinned and let him carry her to where the driver was. Daigo and Tomi had just rejoined them, and another truck was sent over as a bait truck.
"Lani wants this done. She's tired of supplies being stolen," Daigo said. "This truck is empty so we can get the correct one sent back. Akane-san also approved of this after explaining everything to her. Lani's still a child, but she's working with Akane-san to keep the Palekana running smoothly. Even she knows that this is bad and it has to stop."
"Good. Hmm. How much money do we have...?" Saiki mused and had her husband pull up their bank account. "I know money shifts in various ways here. I want to donate some funds to help them. We'll talk about it over dinner tonight with them. As for now, wake up dipshit and have him drive us to where we need to go. I want this side job done. Then I need fabric!"
"What fabric do you need?" Mitch asked. "I'll have to drive back to avoid suspicion, but what do you need?"
"Hawaiian print fabric. Like palm trees or something from Hawaii so I can make clothing," she chuckled. Mitch laughed and showed he could help get it. "I'll need quite a bit of it."
"He'll take care of it. Let's take care of this," Kiryu said gently and carried her over to where the sleeping driver was.
"Bring that skull over here and set it nearby. I want him to see it first," Saiki said with a grin. A Palekana warrior nodded and did just that. "Thank you. Now it's time to see if he'll shit himself."
The needle was pulled, and the driver blinked awake. He sat up groggily and stared at the skull of one of the men he worked with. His jaw dropped. Then he saw Saiki glaring at him from Kiryu's arms. Now he saw that he was surrounded by others and said, "What do you want of me?"
"Your cooperation. Or you die. You need to drive this empty truck to where you drop off supplies. I will fuck up the people you talk to. Then you'll either go to jail or die. That would be your call," Saiki said dismissively. "So, what will it be? Cooperate? Or die?"
"I...never wanted anything to come of this. I was blackmailed into helping them. They caught me sneaking food for myself. So...I'll help. And I'll take my punishment from the others," the man swallowed. The head was removed, and the driver got up. He got into the driver's seat, and the small group got into the cargo box. The driver said out the window, "It's about ten minutes away!"
"Fine. If you double-cross us, I will use my scythe like a can opener to get us out and gut you open!" she warned before the box door was sealed up. Saiki had Kiryu sit them right in the door for when it got opened up. The mangled truck was driven back by one of the warriors. The other two surviving men were also taken back. No one would ever see those two again.
"Ready to reach a high peak of our honeymoon?" Saiki asked her husband.
"I doubt it will be considered a 'high peak'," he grunted. "I'll be happy when we're back in our hotel room. Alone."
"I wonder if they have a jet tub in the bathroom..." she mused. He looked at her and laughed softly.
"I take care of the bubble bath if they do," he said. That got the others laughing around them.
"Unfair..." she sighed and laughed at his tickling side pokes.
"We're moving," Ugajin muttered.
"Either this box car reeks or someone farted," Tomi grimaced.
"Whoever smelled it dealt it!" Goro smirked.
"And whoever denied it supplied it!" Tomi retorted back.
"Oh, geez...now I'm traveling with fart jokes..." Saiki grimaced with complete distaste. Kasuga was hiding his face in his hand and laughing. Ugajin was rolling his eyes. After another minute,Saiki closed her eyes to focus and feel out how the car was moving. Kiryu noticed that she had her eyes closed.
"Are you alright?" Kiryu asked her.
"It's...much like the airplane travel..." she said softly. "I know it's different now...but..."
"Ah..." he grimaced and hugged her tight. "Not the same. I'm with you."
"I know. Just...feeling things. Not able to see what's around me. It's difficult to focus at times when I'm like this," she admitted. "So I...go back to focusing on my senses..."
"Focus on me now," he muttered and kissed her gently. She pressed her face into his neck. "That's it. Focus on my voice. My breathing. You're not alone in this. This is another area for you to train from. Okay?"
"Yes..." she murmured. She felt him stroke a lock of her hair. She took in the scent of the cologne he liked to use. Before she knew it, the truck had stopped moving. She heard voices outside the truck. And it was starting to sound like an argument. "Darling. I need to open our box."
"Hmm..." Kiryu frowned. He already knew the others with them were already hunkering down. They knew how she planned to open the place up!
"The engine just started again," Seonhee said from her place at the back of the box car. "I wish we could see what's going on!"
"Right," Daigo muttered. "One of us should have followed the truck."
"Wait," Kiryu said and pointed at the locking mechanism. The door was rolled up and the sight of two men from The Barracudas looking at them was priceless. Saiki was already throwing out her acupuncture needles to put them to sleep. Then the group apprehended them.
"What...?!" the first man said when the needle was removed.
"Hi. You were stealing supplies from my friends. So, I will give you one mandatory choice. You take us in to where they were going. Or I kill you. What do ya say?" Saiki grinned widely. "Or, one other choice. I wanna know how you join those fights at a chance to be the big guy. So...talk!"
"A girl can't be the...um..." he paused at the sight of the massive scythe.
"Can't be the...what?" she asked dangerously. "Because if I can't lead you, then I just go in and exterminate all of you. So...finish your statement...?"
"My wife has killed a lot of people. Don't put yourself in that list," Kiryu said with intense warning. "I negotiate. She doesn't."
"I killed three people today already. I don't mind adding two more to today's list," Saiki grinned. Seonhee rose a brow and started to send a text out to Chi-chan and Sa-chan to let them know of what happened.
"You don't scare me!" the second man said. Then he shouted when the massive scythe was shoved at his throat.
"Please. Keep talking," she muttered. "I'm so tired of letting idiots like you live. And I honestly wouldn't give a flying fuck if I found out about the fights or not. I'd just infiltrate in and fuck up everyone."
"You're messing with the Headhunter of the Yakuza," Daigo smirked. "Not even we fuck with her."
"Darling..." Kiryu sighed and shook his head.
"But he started it by insulting me," she pouted.
"I know," he nodded. Now he looked at the two men. "Just tell us how we can access the fights. If you don't, well...I saw how my wife takes care of problems. As she just showed you, she's not one for negotiations."
"Then just fucking kill me!" the first man sneered. The second man stared in horror at how Saiki kicked out to do just that. Now she looked at the other man with a small grin. Joongi even took the head of the slain man and set it upright for it stare at the survivor.
"I-I-I-I...!" he stammered hard with sheer fright.
"Are you going to talk? Or do you join him?" she asked. Kiryu placed a hand on her shoulder, bent down and muttered softly in her ear. She looked at him with a snicker before letting him kiss her passionately. Then they both turned to glare at the man as though he was intruding on them. He stammered again and whimpered in complete fear.
"I...I'll get you in. Just...don't kill me!" he promised.
"What day and time?" she asked.
"Three days. The fight usually starts at noon. Eh...no rules, either. I'll be sitting out of this one..." he swallowed.
"Good boy. Do we meet up with you?" she asked and let Kiryu cradle her in his arms.
"Meet up at the grocery store right before the stronghold gates," the man said. "I'll be waiting there around 11:00 sharp."
"I know where to go. Three days. Got it. What do we do about him now?" Tomi asked. Saiki let her husband cradle her and lift her into his arms. Her scythe was still out to show indecision.
"I guess we can let him go. For now. As for the supplies, well, I'm sure he can make up a story that the Palekana discovered what was going on and put a stop to things. Which they did," Saiki nodded. Then she narrowed her eyes with a grin. "And don't stop anyone from crashing the party at the Palekana. I'll be there waiting. Got it?"
"Ah!" the man gaped. He was released to run off. Now she put her scythe away and sighed with a shake of her head.
"Three days. Okay. Next stop is back to the Palekana. It's nearing dusk, though. Dinner?" Saiki smiled. Kiryu nodded and carried her over to the truck. Tomi got into the driver's seat. Then he pointed at the driver's body on the ground. Joongi checked him and shook his head.
"So, they killed him because he botched everything," Ugajin grimaced. "A real shame. Anyways, we need to get going."
"Throw him in the back to show the others," Saiki said.
"Got it," Taiga nodded. Everyone loaded up and got driven back to the Palekana headquarters. Lani was there to greet them and gasp in shock at the dead driver. Saiki gave the full details on what was going to happen in three days.
"That sounds very dangerous!" Akane said with a concerned frown.
"I know. But I've done far worse," Saiki chuckled.
"I can believe that. Kasuga told us about your past. If there's anything we can do to help, please. Just ask," Akane smiled.
"Actually, I wanted to gift you with some excess funds," Saiki said.
"Oh!" she blinked.
"I...sort of discovered that I had family. They combined some funds for me to utilize. It was unexpected. Especially when they lived off the assumption that my father murdered my mother. I had witnessed their murder and even had video evidence of the murderer admitting it. And the murderer was my kidnapper," Saiki winced and let Kiryu hug her. "It's still...very painful to think about."
"I see. Well, if you ever need a place to stay, this place can be your refuge," Akane nodded. "What do you plan to do after dinner?"
"Back to the hotel resort for three days. I don't know if we'll leave the room, either, as it's supposed to be our honeymoon. Then it's to meet up with The Barracudas. I'm actually hoping that no one needs to die," Kiryu said and sat at the table with his wife in his lap.
"Oh, Sai-chan! Ah, the Palekana had a gift for you. For helping out," Kasuga grinned. Saiki looked over and blinked at the basic violin given to her. A music book was given next, and she looked at her husband with delight.
"We will definitely see how this unfolds," Kiryu chuckled. Then he looked at Kasuga and asked, "How did you know she was thinking about it?"
"I was there for the discussion. It was before we visited her parents, you know," Kasuga said with a small smile.
"Right," Saiki nodded. Zhao was gently instructing the kids on how to serve the dishes. Adachi and Nanba had arrived shortly after with news about the Revolve Bar and how it was doing. They were already filled in and looked forward to the fighting matches in three days.
"I don't think we'd wanna miss that," Adachi chuckled. Saiki was calmly eating what was brought to her and reading the music book.
"Learning some new things?" Kiryu asked.
"Quite a bit, actually," she smiled and giggled at the kiss to her cheek. They hung out and chatted for another hour before her husband said it was time to go. Mitch did bring her a box of various fabrics for her to utilize. This was loaded up into Tomi's rental van.
"We may not answer our phones. Call only if it's a direct emergency and you need our help," Kiryu said to everyone. Tomi was able to drive them both back to the luxury hotel and drop them off.
"I'm sure we'll be fine. For at least three days," Tomi chuckled.
"Keep it that way," Kiryu nodded and led his wife out of the car. The violin and music book were put in the box of fabrics, and Kiryu carried it up for her. They managed to get to the elevator and their floor with no interruptions. They walked into the room, he set the box down and locked the door. Then he growled and rushed at her just to hear her squeal with delight.
"What do we do now, husband?" she asked when he caught her.
"Whatever the hell we want, wife," he muttered and kissed her heavily to start off the first true night of their honeymoon.