“My father’s true son would not allow me to become a true member of the family, although I’m protected fully and have the same duties and allegiances.”
“Duties?” Robin asked.
His brow gathered. “You wouldn’t want to know that, Robin.”
Probably not …
They were quiet for a while before he began talking again. “They described you as painfully shy. But you don’t seem that way to me,” he said.
She shook her head. “Not anymore. Painfully shy was exactly that--painful.” She looked at him. “It hurts too much to feel everything so clearly. So I closed part of that off. Killed it, I guess, so that I didn’t care about things so deeply.” Robin shrugged and looked out at the passing scenery.
“How is that working for you?” He asked softly, so softly in fact, that she barely heard him.
“Okay, but I miss …”
He waited. “What do you miss?”
“I guess I miss the innocence.”
“I believe you are far from jaded, Robin.”
Robin sighed. “I don’t know Y. It’s been a tough year.”
“Yes it has,” He concurred.
By the time they returned to Karuizawa, Robin had told Y all about the person she had been before meeting Jason. She was sure that she had painted a pretty desperate picture of herself but he found her stories endearing and even sometimes funny—like when she described the way Jason had blackmailed her into allowing him to use her voice on Loves End.
“He should have never created that song.” Y stated.
Robin’s brow gathered. “Why do you think that?”
“Because it haunted him while he was in Japan. He would listen to you singing over and over that you didn’t love him anymore.”
Robin leaned her head against the back of the leather seat. “I never stopped loving him. I just didn’t know how to fight back without running away. And now it’s almost like I can’t stop fighting.” She glanced at Amberly hoping he understood what she meant without her having to say it, hoping he understood that she didn’t like being so overprotective of her feelings when it came to his wife but she didn’t know how to be anything different.
Y continued to talk. “Strange how our upbringing can influence so much of who we are. My father’s indifference caused me to search for his approval, just like your mother’s overbearance caused you to retreat into yourself.”
“I don’t know if I can contribute that to just her. I mean my learning disabilities caused me to feel like I wasn’t as good as everyone else. I got made fun of in school until it really was hard to be in that type of setting.”
Y frowned. “What do you mean, learning disability?”
“I have dyslexia so it takes me longer to understand what I’m seeing. Hell, I can’t imagine learning a foreign language, although Japanese characters don’t really look like words but like art. So they probably wouldn’t get all turned around in my head.”
She knew that Y was looking at her, at the tattoo that she had on her neck below her ear. It was inked in Japanese characters and read simply; Breathe.
Jason, Peter and J were in the condo of Akita Tom’s best friend. He lived in a high rise in the heart of Tokyo. Hidalgo was a slight, Asian man with wild dark brown hair and golden highlights that Jason didn’t think was due to a dye job. His eyes were light brown and he was most likely mixed with another race.
He shook Jason and Peter’s hand with enthusiasm and then greeted J with a salute.
“James,” he said in clear, unaccented English, “why don’t you come back and pick up the fellows in a couple of hours.”
J’s brow shot up in surprise. “Oh, you don’t want me to sit in on the discussions?”
Hidalgo clapped him on the back while leading him out the door. “Yes, but we’re going to get to know each other first and chill some.” He looked over his shoulder at Jason and Peter. “Is that cool fellows?”
“Yeah it’s cool.” Peter replied with an excited nod.
“You can take off, J. We’ll call you when we need you.” Jason said.
J Edelson smiled and reluctantly left.
Hidalgo rubbed his hands together. “I can’t stand that arsehole.”
“Really?” Peter asked in surprise. “Why?”
“Because it’s taken me two fucking days to see you two. He wanted you to sign that fucking contract before you spoke to me.”
Hidalgo whipped out his cellphone. “I want you to call me so that I have your cellphone numbers.” He called out his number and then they called him. Once that was completed he eyed them.
“You two blokes look like you just came back from a LGBT convention …”
Jason blushed and tried to rub his hair down. “Shit, no we were at a photo shoot for Cut Hihou.”
“Dude we don’t generally dress like this. Like …I have no idea how I’m going to wash this crap out of my head,” Peter stated while tapping on his shellacked scalp.
“Cut Hihou is a glam mag. They like their boys to look like girls and their girls to look like boys.” Hidalgo stated while picking up a newspaper from a neat cocktail table. He passed it to Peter. It was opened to a picture of them getting out of the limo last night. The headlines were written in Japanese but Wheels of Steel could be clearly seen printed in bold English.
The picture took up half the page.
Peter hooted in approval and then handed it to Jason who saw that Robin was holding onto him and Belinda had her hands up in a rock and roll stance while Peter wore a grin a mile wide.
“Wow,” Jason said. “Can we keep this?”
“Sure,” Hidalgo said. “Tell James to pick you up a few copies.
“What were you talking about when you said J didn’t want you to see us until we’d signed the contract?”
“Ah the contract.” Hidalgo left the room and Peter and Jason looked at each other. “You guys want a beer or something? Water, iced tea a soda?” He called.
“Soda is fine.” Jason said and Hidalgo returned a moment later holding three cans of cola. He plopped himself down on a couch sheathed in long white animal shag.
“Okay, so a few days ago James and that douche Hidie-ho Choi pitched this idea to me. They wanted to sign me, Wheels of Steel, Shim Shu and the A-Posse to a label deal. I asked him why in the fuck I’d want to do that. He explained that he wanted to finish some of the music that Akita and I were working on.” Hidalgo took a long swig of his soda and then belched. “To which I told him that the only unfinished music Akita had was music that Wheels of Steels was working on and music that he and I were working on. Those were the only projects that he had other than a collection of beats that he thought were interesting and that he might turn into music.”
Jason’s brow drew together. “There’s no secret vault of unfinished music?”
“Yeah, in my possession and in yours. You have hours of unused music that can’t be used because it’s owned by you and Akita Tom—not Akita Tom Productions. You own the rights to that music and when you sign with the label that is named Akita Tom Productions—but has nothing to do with the man that I knew as my best friend, then that music belongs to James Edelson and Hidie-ho Choi.
“Oh shit …” Peter said.
“Which brings us to the album. Some of us that have worked with Akita are getting together to put together a tribute to his sound. It’s going to include Pi from The Bushido Code, Scott Marren from Gobhi and Goliath, the A-posse and a few others. We also want you. The thing is that it’s not about the music that you made with him—that’s yours now. It’s about creating something new inspired by his sound, his influence.”
Jason got up and walked slowly to the window. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was almost too much on top of everything else.
Jason heard Peter speak. “We’re interested in the album. Of course you can count Wheels of Steel in on it.”
“The only thing is that a portion has to go to Akita’s estate. His brother Bobby is good
people and Bobby’s family is all the blood Akita has left. I want to do right by him. Other then that we split the payout equally. It’s all clear in contract. Have your people look it over and we start recording the day after the funeral.
Jason returned to his seat and nodded his consent.
“I’m sorry to give you bad news about James.” Hidalgo stated. “I’m not saying he’s a bad person. He worked hard for Akita. I’m not sure how he got the controlling share in Akita’s company and I don’t care. All I know is that he’s got ulterior motives in everything he says and in everything he does.”
Chapter Nine
“Babe, Peter and I are going to do another boiler room set at Genius.” Robin was speaking to Jason over her cellphone. Her face dropped.
“Oh my God Jason. I don’t think I can stand another drive to Tokyo. I’m exhausted-“
“No babe, you don’t have to come. Get some rest and chill at the house. Have Y take you to the Shiraito Waterfall. It’s really beautiful.”
“But if it’s beautiful I want to see it with you.”
“Aww, babe. We’ll have time to see things together. I promise. Babe … if you don’t want me to do the boiler room I can pass-“
Robin remembered that this was not about her. “No. I’m good. I just miss you.”
“I miss you too honey. But I’ll see you tonight. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Robin said.
“Robin!” Jason yelled before she could hang up. “Don’t sign that contract with J, do you understand?”
Her brow knitted together. “Yeah, I understand. As if I was going to …But what’s wrong, Jason?”
“Nothing. We’ll talk about it later, okay?”
“Okay. Be safe. See you tonight.”
She hung up and looked at Belinda who had been listening to Robin’s side of the conversation.
“I guess the fellows aren’t coming home.” Belinda stated.
“I suppose that means it’s time for you to put that dye in my hair.”
Later, after Robin’s bangs were dyed lavender Amberly called them to dinner with Akita Tom’s brother, sister-in-law and James Edelson. Y was a no-show and Amberly apologized for his absence and explained that he had to pay a visit to his uncle.
Robin wondered if that was code for engaging in illegal activities. She wondered briefly what duties a man as educated as Y engaged in. She dismissed the disturbing thought and focused her attention on J who was talking about Akita to his brother, who seemed much too tired and sad to take a romp down memory lane.
The older man abruptly switched gears. “Oh Robin, I have the contract if you would like to look it over. You’ll find that it’s straight forward-“
“A contract?” Belinda asked.
Robin looked at J in surprise. “Well I didn’t know we were at the contract stage of it. We haven’t even discussed what exactly you wanted from me.” Robin looked at Belinda. “J mentioned an interest in me being a part of Akita Tom’s label.”
“Well we would like to include you and Wheels and Steels as part of the new sound behind Akita Tom’s Productions.”
“New sound? I thought you told Jason that you wanted to preserve the old sound?”
J smiled. “Akita Tom was an amazing talent but so are you and so is Wheels of Steel. It would be wrong of us to stifle your own unique sound.”
Wow, Robin thought. This is totally different from what he was telling Jason yesterday. No wonder Jason warned her not to sign his contract.
She gave him a grim look. “It’s been a difficult few days. Maybe we can discuss it more later in the week.”
J was about to say something when Bob stood.
“Please excuse us. It has been a long day and my wife and I need to turn in. It was nice meeting you all.” Tomorrow they would be meeting with Mr. Choi to go over legal documents and then the next day would be the funeral. If Robin thought it was difficult for her, it was truly going to be difficult for Bob Chancellor and his wife.
Everyone said their goodnights and then Belinda looked at J pointedly. “See you tomorrow James.”
The older man inclined his head and then left.
When he was gone and it was just Belinda, Robin and Amberly present, Belinda placed her hands on her hips and stared at the frail young woman. Amberly looked at her with a guilty expression, already knowing what was coming.
“So you kept a secret that big?”
Amberly shrugged and limped into the kitchen where she began stacking the dishes into the dishwasher. Robin helped with the clean up, if for no other reason then to listen in on the conversation.
“It wasn’t my secret to tell.” Amberly said.
Belinda placed the salad dressing back into the refrigerator. “Your husband is a member of an organized crime syndicate and you don’t thinks it’s worthy to mention after all of these months?”
“I …” Amberly said, at a lost for words.
“When did you find out?” Belinda asked.
“He told me before we got married.”
“What possessed you to marry him, Amberly?!” Belinda stated.
Two red spots appeared on Amberly’s cheeks. “Belinda, Y is more than just his connection to that family,” she stated refusing to say the word Yakuza. “Besides, he’s not really even a member. His father is but because he had an affair with Yagano’s mother he was turned away and cast out as one of the lowest people in the Japanese order. Burakumin is what they call him and his mother. He grew up having people look down their noses at him. Because he wasn’t truly Yakuza everyone was free to shun him but not physically hurt him.
“That man grew up with no friends and no family, just an uncle that makes him do the dirty work so that the Yakuza can keep their hands clean!”
“What kind of dirty work?” Belinda asked.
Amberly turned away and then continued filling the dishwasher.
“Amberly-“
“I don’t know. Y just says that I wouldn’t want to know.” Amberly lowered her eyes.
Belinda inhaled deeply. “I like Y. You know I do. But you need to find out what he’s in to.” Belinda placed her hand beneath Amberly’s chin and raised her face until her troubled eyes met Belinda’s stern ones.
“I know how much you love Y, but you two can’t have this big secret between you. What if he’s involved in trafficking women?”
“He wouldn’t do that-“
“I’m sure he wouldn’t but it could be something just as distasteful.”
Amberly placed her hand over Belinda’s and then moved her hand away. “Y and I are very happy. Don’t worry about us.” She turned away and returned to cleaning up the kitchen.
Robin looked at Belinda and then the two of them left the room.
They went up to the theater room to watch the live stream, waiting for their men to begin their sets.
Robin took in Belinda’s worried expression. “You don’t think Y is a danger to Amberly, do you?”
“No. But his lifestyle might be.” She suddenly began to chuckle. “Amberly as a mob wife. Who would have thought it?”
Robin smiled. “Its so unreal that it’s crazy.”
Belinda looked at Robin quickly. “You should NOT tell Jason.”
Robin frowned. “You think I should keep a secret like that from him?”
“Why not? Now that Akita Tom is gone, Jason has no reason to be around Y. The two of them will be living here in Japan.”
“True.” Robin conceded. Besides Jason could be very protective of his friends and in all honesty she didn’t want him to be involved in Amberly’s affairs.
Robin felt the bed dip down when Jason climbed into it. His hair was damp from his bath and as he snuggled against her she could smell spice and Jason’s own distinct masculine smell. She rolled over and felt his hand move up her body to cup her breast. Robin kissed him, her tongue stroking his lips until he parted them and his tongue met hers.
Their tongues lashed at each other briefly before h
e lowered his head and captured hers sucking it lightly.
“Mmmm … ” She moaned.
Her fingers trailed down his torso. He was naked and her body suddenly warmed with desire.
She found his long hard length, already pulsating and ready.
“Jason,” she sighed.
His fingers invaded her panties and traced her slit finding that she was already pulsing with desire.
“How do you want it, Robin?” Jason asked, his voice husky with desire. “Do you want me on top with your beautiful legs wrapped around me? Do you want it face down with your ass in the air and me pounding that pussy from behind? Or do you want to ride me while I watch your delicious breasts bouncing above me?”
Robin squeezed her thighs together and groaned. “Me on top.”
Jason fell onto his back and watched as Robin shed her t-shirt and shorts until she was nude. She was brown with dark shadows and café au lait curves topped with chocolate drop nipples that made his mouth water with desire to suck and lap at them.
Robin threw her legs to each side of Jason’s prone body. He was nude, thick upper body and arms that narrowed to a toned abdomen and waist. His strong upper body had given him the six-pack that most men spent hours in the gym to achieve. Jason’s physical build was due to years of moving in and out of wheelchairs or just pulling and moving himself around with just the strength of his arms and upper body.
His six-pack ended in a V that led down to springy, rust colored hair, which surrounded a large and magnificent appendage that could be described as almost club-like. Robin took a moment to appreciate Jason’s absolute beauty. Even his legs, which were not as developed as the rest of him was not made less by the cut of his muscles.
Robin ran her hands up his torso and Jason’s breath caught. He blinked slowly and moaned. Baclofen might have done a great deal to help with his spasticity but it had done nothing to counteract his skin sensitivity.
Robin could feel the goose bumps raise along his skin and so as not to over stimulate him too soon, she lightly tweaked both of his nipples and then positioned herself against his lap, using his shaft as a handhold to steady herself.