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he felt the shift of energy that simmered through his veins along with psychic impressions. Kiku s
emotions flowed into him through the point of contact. With each passing second understanding
flooded him. The truth made John exhale sharply. The pieces fell into place, much the same way
they had when he and Toshi worked on the Ronin Killings. You re protecting him, aren t you?
Kiku s eyes widened. Please& He looked caught in an inner battle. The anger in his dark eyes
shifted to something else, something softer.
Visions hit John, flowed through his mind. Kiku slicing off bonds around Yuzo s wrists, kissing the
reddened skin. Tears in Kiku s eyes as he gazed worshipfully at the younger man. Yuzo s hand
caressing his lover s bowed head.
Kiku s lips parted as if he was about to speak, but just then the soji screen door slid back.
Get your hands up, now!
John shot his gaze up. Me?
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Toshi looked at him. John, get off him, to the side.
The second John lifted himself up, Toshi and Natsuka were on either side of Kiku, guns pointed.
Sit up, hands behind your head. Toshi s voice was hard.
John watched Kiku obey slowly.
Toshi yanked out a pair of handcuffs and slapped them on Kiku s wrists behind his back. He never
took his gun off the man. Toshi s face was dark with rage, his beautiful eyes flashed at Kiku as if
he d shoot him dead then and there if Kiku moved a muscle. Toshi, it s all right. He saw Toshi s
fierce protectiveness and felt a surge of love for him.
What s all right, John? Toshi said, not looking away from Kiku. That this man attacked you?
He didn t attack me. If anything, it was me who attacked him. He s protecting Yuzo.
Did he tell you this?
John stood up from the bed, glad for the fact he d gone to sleep in his boxers. This would have
been a bad time to be the only naked man in the room.
No, he didn t tell me. Not in words, anyway. I& saw it, of course.
A sudden rush of feet pounded in the hallway and in the next moment, several disciples, including
Naoto and Koji crowded the doorway.
Sensei!
Stay back, Kiku ordered them calmly. He turned to Toshi.
Mr. Holmes is correct, he went on, his voice still calm, the tone one of surrender and sorrow. I
adore Yuzo. I would give my life to keep him safe. I got him away from the yakuza who treated
him like a slave.
Toshi s wary expression didn t shift.
So why kidnap him? Why force him away if you want to protect him?
Kiku heaved a deep sigh. He bowed his head with the air of someone preparing to speak of
something painful.
Because he s young and impetuous and doesn t understand the lengths to which a yak will go to
defend his own honor. Kiku paused.
Yuzo was someone else s property. Not just anyone else s property, but Suzuki s. When Yuzo
came here to stay with me, this yak felt I had stolen his property from him and slurred his honor.
Because I used to be one of them, he demanded a traditional apology from me. That was the only
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way he would consider the matter set right. Today is the deadline. I must apologize today or he ll
start a war against me.
***
Why a deadline? Why did he give you time to apologize? Toshi kept his gun trained on Fujimara.
Anger pulsed hot through his veins. He didn t know whom he was angrier with, Fujimara for
attacking John or himself for endangering John.
Out of respect to his father who favored me.
Toshi glanced at the man s hands. You ve already done yubizume once.
Kiku nodded.
That was for leaving. I didn t know Yuzo then. Now, that I ve taken what Suzuki considers his, I
must apologize a second time. I was willing to give the yak his apology Yuzo is worth more than
that small sacrifice but Yuzo went mad about it, said he'd run away from me if I did. When I
insisted it was the right thing to do, Yuzo threatened to go to an undercover cop and tell him where
to find the man in question. As you well know, that could have gotten us all killed. So one night I
drugged Yuzo and put him in hiding. I was able to convince him to stay there until it was safe.
Kiku shook his head.
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