“Consider this fair warning,” Kanezaki said, standing back. “If tomorrow night doesn’t work out, I’ll cut you down the middle and feed you to my dogs.”
Jonny looked down and saw the knife against his gut. Isa and Kimura held him fast.
“Holy shit, yeah, yeah, I get it,” Jonny said. “Don’t kill me, Jesus, don’t kill me.” The words spilled out uncontrollably.
“You think we’d trust some shit-bag daburu like you? You’re not the only one with a part to play in this.”
Jonny nodded frantically. “I got it, I got it. Please don’t kill me. I’ll do it, I swear.”
Kanezaki smiled and waved the two men away. They let go.
“Something to remember us by,” Kanezaki said.
One of the men drew back a fist, swung hard and hit Jonny in the face. He went down hard, seeing stars, and felt himself land awkwardly in a puddle. Scrambling, he forced himself back to his feet, pain throbbing in his jaw.
“I’ll be watching,” Kanezaki said. “Keep your shit together and get back to work.”
The three of them walked back toward the main street, knocking into Jonny with their shoulders as they passed. Jonny stumbled, almost slipping over on the rain-soaked ground. He watched them stroll away, steady and calm, as though nothing had happened.
His heart thumping in his chest, Jonny waited until the three men had disappeared from view before slicking back his drenched hair, feeling cold water trickle down his neck. Anger rose up inside his stomach, flushing out the last remnants of fear. He clenched his fists, took several deep breaths.
His cell phone vibrated. He checked the caller ID.
Mariel.
Rain streaming down his face, Jonny ignored the phone and stalked back toward his car, keen to grab a fresh change of clothes and as many prescription painkillers as he could find.
He had a feeling he was going to need them.
Chapter 14
AFTER HER SEAT mate had fallen asleep during the flight, June had the chance to look closer at the pendant Amy had given her. Almost the size of a child’s marble, it was set in a white gold spiral. The shine of the pearl equaled that of the polished metal in which it was set, but it was the deep, warm, golden glow of the stone was beyond anything June had seen before. She knew Amy must’ve spent a fortune on it, even if it did come from the company she owned. June’s plan to pick up a birthday box of fudge from Seattle just wasn’t going to cut it.
Just before landing, June was able to slip on silk hose and change from flats to three-inch black pumps in the airplane bathroom. After touching up her makeup, she dabbed a bit of shine cream in her hair. To complete her transformation, she draped the pendant over her neck. With one last glance in the tiny airplane bathroom mirror, she practiced an airport-greeting smile. She was satisfied when her dimple made an appearance.
Off the plane in record time thanks to the first class ticket, she made a beeline for the baggage claim carousels. Halfway there, she was sidetracked by a man in a dark suit holding a signboard with her name on it. He introduced himself as Ricardo.
“Good afternoon. Hope you had a pleasant flight, ma’am,” Ricardo said. “Your car is waiting.”
“Is everything okay?” June asked, looking him up and down. His suit fitted him poorly, a little extra fabric around the shoulders. She figured a driver’s salary probably didn’t stretch to custom tailoring. “I wasn’t expecting to be met at the airport.”
“Yes, everything is fine,” he said with a smile. “Let me help with your bags.”
June pointed out her luggage as the carousel shunted into life, and Ricardo hoisted the heavy suitcase off the belt. June insisted on keeping hold of her purse and laptop.
Ricardo made for the exit. “The car is waiting out front.”
June followed him quickly, momentarily wishing she had stuck with flat shoes. She hadn’t met the new security team yet in person, and couldn’t figure why she needed ferrying from airport. She had been planning to take a taxi into downtown Seattle to the hotel. The route had been submitted and approved well in advance.
“Are you a part of the new security team?” she asked, settling into the back seat of the spacious limousine, a metallic black Lincoln Town Car.
“No,” Ricardo said, starting the engine. “You’ll be met in the lobby and your things will be delivered to your room. It’s all taken care of. There’s some traffic up ahead, but we should be at the hotel in a little over an hour. It’s going to be slow, I’m afraid.”
June glanced out the window as the limo pulled away from the curb and out into the sea of cars. It had been many years since she had visited Seattle, and those trips had only been for a few days at a time. Weekend modeling jobs had helped her pay her way through college and medical school, but rarely afforded any time to see the sights. Everything June saw out the window as they drove was new and different to her; shopping malls, department stores, apartment blocks, all gleaming with fresh paint and sparkling glass. It was hardly the image of Seattle she had stored in her memory all these years. She clasped her hands in her lap to prevent nervous picking and felt her stomach rumble. Despite skipping lunch on the plane, her digestive system was wreaking havoc with her nerves.