night.
Three precise knocks sounded on the door.
Knox answered and was shocked to see Ronin on his doorstep. “Do my eyes deceive me, or is it the great jujitsu Master Black?”
“Are you gonna let me in?”
Before Ronin dodged him, Knox gave him the acceptable man half hug. “Come in. When did you get back?”
“Last night. Where is she?” Then Ronin brushed past him when he spied Shiori. But he stopped three feet away, keeping his hands at his sides as he catalogued her injuries. “Why did I have to hear from Katie that you were in a fucking car accident?”
No hug. No, “I’m glad you’re all right.” Just anger.
When Shiori looked at her brother with disappointment, Knox immediately went to her side. “She’s damn lucky to be here. The semi that hit them T-boned the fucking car. She ended up with a mild concussion and nearly bit her tongue off, so she’s under doctor’s orders not to speak.” Fuck this shit. “So I’ll speak for her. ‘Hey, bro. I’m glad you’re back. I can’t wait to hear the details of your trip. Even though I’m still a little banged up from the car accident, yes, you can hug me.’”
That did jolt Ronin out of whatever fugue state he’d been in. He opened his arms and Shiori met him halfway. After he’d wrapped her in a hug, he rested his cheek on the top of her head and spoke to her softly in Japanese.
Knox hated not knowing what Ronin had said.
Then Ronin let her go. He turned and jammed his hand through his hair. He didn’t look at either of them when he said, “We need to talk. Sit. Both of you.”
Sensei Black back to issuing orders. No surprise there.
Knox wanted to pull Shiori onto his lap. Instead they sat side by side on the couch.
Ronin spun around. “I don’t even know where the fuck to start.” His eyes narrowed on Knox, then Shiori. “So you two are what? Dating now?”
Dating was a trivial word to describe what’d happened between him and Shiori in the last three months. “Yes, we’re involved.”
“How long has this been going on?” he demanded. “Were you two fucking around the entire time behind my back, pretending to hate each other?”
“No!”
“When did hate turn into . . . ?”
“After you left. Things between us . . . changed.”
Shiori reached for Knox’s hand and threaded her fingers through his.
Ronin’s jaw tightened at that show of solidarity. “I don’t fucking believe this.”
“We’ve heard that a few times.”
“Is he the reason you haven’t kept in contact with Mom? You’re too busy playing house with him?”
Was Ronin’s intent to rile Knox up? Because it was working.
Shiori reached for her notebook and scribbled furiously.
“What’s she doing?” Ronin asked.
“Answering you. She can’t talk, remember?”
She flipped the notebook around.
I HAVE KEPT IN CONTACT WITH MOM. AND YOU ARE ONE TO TALK ABOUT NOT KEEPING IN TOUCH.
“That was six fucking years ago, so you can let that go at any point, Shiori.”
She wrote fast.
I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT. I’M TALKING ABOUT NO ONE HEARING FROM YOU IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS. THAT’S IRRESPONSIBLE. YOU GAVE US THE IMPRESSION YOU DIDN’T GIVE A DAMN WHAT WE DID AS LONG AS YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO HEAR ABOUT IT. SO YOU DON’T GET TO LECTURE ME OR KNOX ABOUT ANYTHING.
Ronin’s gaze winged between them. “Seriously? I don’t get to question any of this? I come back and not only are my Shihan and my sister hooking up, but they’ve joined forces to dismantle my existing MMA training program and start fresh?”
“Like Shiori said, if you would’ve called in, we would’ve filled you in.”
“You know how I found out about the new MMA plan? This morning after Amery left for work I went down to the office and no one was around. So I checked out the first floor. Then I unlocked the door to the Crow’s Nest. Forty-five minutes later I returned to the second floor and some man I’d never seen before was running on the treadmill. I asked him who the hell he was and why he was in my training room unattended. That’s when he made the craziest claim I’d ever heard.” Ronin glared at them as he paced.
“He said he’s running the Black Arts MMA program. I laughed and asked if it was a ‘welcome home’ practical joke. He assured me he’d been hired by you two. But I thought to myself, Knox and Shiori would never pull that shit—hire someone without my approval. So I went up to the third floor, looking for Blue to see what he knew about it, and ended up talking to Katie, who was more than happy to gossip. Yes, you two had brought Maddox Byerly on board and he’d signed a one-year contract. Then Katie started getting misty-eyed when she babbled on about how you two were such a cute couple. And I stupidly asked, ‘A couple of whats?’ and I felt like an idiot because I didn’t have a fucking clue about . . .” He gestured between them. “This. And Katie added she wasn’t sure if either of you would be in on account of your car accident. So that was another fucking thing I found out thirdhand this morning. Then I tried to get in touch with Deacon because I couldn’t get ahold of either of you. But apparently he dropped Molly off at work this morning and they had a shouting match in the middle of the office. Which resulted in an angry phone call from my wife about why Deacon was such an asshole for making Molly cry.”
“For fuck’s sake, sit down,” Knox said. “You’re prowling like a caged animal.”
“I feel like a caged animal, watching this soap opera unfold.” Ronin dropped into the easy chair and closed his eyes. He breathed deeply for several long moments. When Shiori scooted to the edge of the couch and took his hand, he opened his eyes. “I’m sorry about your accident, Shi. You sure you’re okay?”
She made the so-so sign.
“Anything you need?”
She shook her head and pointed at Knox.
“I’m glad he’s taking care of you.”
Was that Ronin’s approval?
Nah. Temporary at best.
“Since you can’t talk, I’ll call Mom and let her know what happened.” Ronin looked at Knox. “You’ll fill me in?”
“Of course.”
Ronin kept ahold of his sister’s hand, and it seemed to ground him. “Look, I’m sorry for showing up unannounced and losing my shit. I just hadn’t expected to come home to any of this. Normally when I get back . . . everything is normal.” He sighed. “But you’re both right. The way I handled these last three months, being totally out of touch, was shitty. I figured Amery and I would get only one honeymoon, and I didn’t want to share a minute of our time with anyone. But I am sorry, and thank you for keeping everything together in my absence.”
Knox said, “You’re welcome. But don’t do that next time, okay?”
“There won’t be a next time.”
“What the hell happened in Japan, Ronin?”
“Besides the most brutal training schedule I’ve ever faced? Basically, Master Daichi cut me loose. It was bizarre, and I still can’t wrap my head around it.”
That was a huge development. “Why’d he cut you loose?”
“According to Yasuji? I’d learned everything I could from Master Daichi. I ended up leaving training early. While Amery and I were in Tokyo, a few things that’d been hanging between us came to a head, so we stayed five more days than I’d planned. Then I thought, what the hell; why not extend the trip another week in Hawaii. The day before we left, Yasuji called me with the news Master Kenji agreed to meet with me about supervising my training.”
Knox frowned. “Master Kenji? Where’s he?”
“San Francisco. So I spent three days having Master Kenji assess me. He agreed to take me on, which I’m grateful for because there are only three other jujitsu masters I’d consider working with.”
Shiori grabbed her notebook and started writing.
MASTER KENJI IS MASTER DAICHI’S PROT
ÉGÉ?
“Yes. He’s Daichi’s oldest student.” Ronin smiled. “I believe Master Daichi found irony in having his youngest student being taught by his oldest living student. Anyway, we—Black Arts Jujitsu—will be listed under the House of Kenji.”
Shiori wrote another message.
YOU WERE WORRIED BLACK ARTS WOULD FADE INTO OBLIVION AFTER HOUSE OF DAICHI RELEASED YOU?
“It had caused me a few sleepless nights. I’d hoped to find a new sensei, but I’d never imagined it’d happen that fast and that Master Kenji would come to me.”
Ronin had a healthy ego—as he should. So the moments when he was surprised and humbled served as a reminder to Knox that no matter what skill level was reached, there would always be doubts and fear about being good enough.
“Granted, Master Kenji has a few requirements for the dojo that I’ll implement as soon as possible.” Ronin locked his gaze to Knox’s. “We’ll go over those in detail.”
Knox gave him a fake smile. “Looking forward to it.”
Shiori wrote something else.
THERE’S MORE TO IT. TELL US.
He loved how she used us.
“You’re included in those conversations too, Shi.”
THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT.
Ronin looked torn. His gaze moved between Knox and Shiori again before he sighed. “Remember Beck Leeds?”
“Wasn’t he your second-in-command when . . . ?” Everything fell apart after the Naomi debacle. Why the fuck would Ronin bring up that situation now?
Because Shiori pushed him to.
Shiori held up her hand, and they waited while she jotted something down.
BECK WAS ONE OF THE THREE BLACK ARTS INSTRUCTORS YOU FIRED AFTER EVERYTHING WENT DOWN WITH NAOMI BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT OJISAN PLANTED THEM TO SPY ON YOU.
“Yeah. I realize I hadn’t been thinking straight. But my whole life had just been turned completely upside down. I gave in to that paranoia—just another fun fucking piece of fallout from Naomi.”
That statement took Knox back a step.
“Anyway, Beck is with the House of Kenji. At first I figured my fast dismissal of him would be a deal killer for Master Kenji. But I talked with Beck, and he isn’t holding a grudge. He said he understood my reasoning for cutting ties immediately.”
Knox made a time-out sign. “You never told me about Beck’s connection to Okada, Ronin. All you did was shitcan him and move on. So how did that come about?”
“Another fucking stellar move on my part.” Ronin looked at Shiori. “Maggie Arnold, who runs the Okada branch in Seattle, is Beck’s mother.”
“Jesus.”
“She contacted me years ago and asked if I’d meet with him, and I hired him. That’s why I thought he’d been spying on me from the beginning.”
“Now I get why you lost it.”
Shiori held up the notebook.
DID BECK KNOW WHERE YOUR OTHER INSTRUCTORS ENDED UP?
Ronin closed his eyes briefly. “Beck does know because he’s the one who recommended Gunnar and Lang to me, which is why I suspected them. Gunnar accepted a transfer to Brazil for his job and has been training with the Gracie program. Lang returned to New York. He hasn’t heard from Brody.”
Silence descended.
That’d been a hellish few months, even though Knox had benefited from Beck, Gunnar, Brody and Lang getting cut from the program since Knox had moved up to Shihan status.
Where would he be if Ronin had acted rationally? Being named Shihan had given Knox a full-time paid job in the dojo. He’d received a huge salary bump with the position.
“How’d we get so far off track?” Ronin asked.
Shiori turned her notebook around.
JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOUR HEAD IS.
“My head has been one-tracking it until I saw you with my own eyes to ascertain that you were okay.”
She mouthed, “I’m fine.”
“You’re better than I expected.”
“She’s still needs to take it easy,” Knox pointed out.
“I know. So as far as I’m concerned, it’s best you stay with her to make sure she’d doesn’t overdo everything. I’m back. I can cover classes. Everything else can wait.” He stood.
As soon as Shiori got up, Ronin hugged her again. “You know Amery will be over to fuss at you, right?”
Shiori nodded.
“Take care.” He kissed her forehead. Then he looked at Knox. “Walk me out.”
Not a request. Ironically, it was the same tone and inflection Shiori used in Mistress mode. “Sure.” He squeezed Shiori’s hand when he walked by.
Outside, Knox faced off against Ronin. Ronin braced his hand on the top of his Corvette; Knox leaned against the passenger door of his pickup.
“I don’t know whether to be pissed off you’re fucking my sister, or relieved.”
Knox said nothing; he just waited to see how this would play out.
“I thought when she left Okada she’d left it for good. Not so. She’s been working for the company the entire time she’s been here. Did you know that?”
“Not until she told me a few months ago, but I assumed you knew.”
Ronin mimicked Knox’s pose, defensively crossing his arms over his chest. “That sounded accusatory.”
“It was. She’s your sister. She’s been here for almost a year. How did you not know what’s going on in her life? Yeah, I get that you’re a newlywed and you’ve had health issues, but Shiori has stepped up at Black Arts. She’s stepped up for Black and Blue Promotions. You’ve taken advantage of her. At least I get paid to handle that shit. She doesn’t. So between doing all that, she’s also at your mother’s beck and call, flying all over for Okada business . . . and you knew nothing about it. She deserves better than that.”
“You her champion now?”
“Yes, because she needs one.”
“Look, Knox, I realize I fucked up monumentally where my sister is concerned. That seems to be a pattern with me. I ignore her, get pissed off at her, have a reconciliation with her, and then the whole cycle repeats.” He looked away. “It sucks. I suck. I spent too goddamn much time thinking when I was in Japan about all the stuff in my life I wanted to change.”
“And?”
“The changes are coming whether I want them to or not.” Ronin’s gaze flicked to the house and back to Knox. “What about you two? Are you just hooking up?”
Knox was used to Ronin’s deflection. This time he handed it right back to him. “We’re together.”
When Ronin’s hard-eyed stare didn’t push Knox to babble like it did with everyone else, he sighed. “I deserved that.”
“Yep.”
“This is all so fucking surreal. It feels like I’ve been gone three years, not three months.”
“Ronin, tell me what’s really going on.”
He shook his head. “I need to get every piece of information locked down before we talk about it. So by the time you’re back next week, plan on having long meetings during the day.” He flashed his teeth. “I know how much you love that shit.”
“Fuck you. In your absence, I shaved our weekly staff meeting down to ten minutes.” Knox also flashed his teeth. “Maybe you should give me your notes and I’ll summarize.”
“Funny. I won’t have notes for another two days.”
This secretive stuff didn’t sit well with him. “So is that when you’ll pass down judgment on us hiring Byerly?”
“I’ll admit I was pissed. But I can’t fault you and Shiori for doing it. I know Byerly gets results. He is the best of the best, and that’s what the program needs to grow and thrive.”