Demon Warriors 4: Takeo (11 page)

Takeo closed his eyes, feeling his heart shatter. “I want to protect you every second of every day. It drives me crazy for you to be out of my sight for even a second.”

Kamiko finally turned and looked at him, his eyes haunted. “But then I will wither and die. I need to spread my wings, Takeo. I stayed safe for too many years. I want to experience life, but I want to experience it with you.”

Takeo didn’t see a solution. He was basically damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. He couldn’t stop needing to protect Kamiko.

It was hardwired into his DNA somehow. But if he continued down the road he was on, he would lose Kamiko anyway. There just wasn’t a way out of the hell he was living in.

This was worse than Baku, worse than hell.

“What do you want me to do, Kamiko?” Takeo whispered. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.” He held his breath as he waited for Kamiko to speak, but no sounds came from the man. Kamiko just went back to looking out the window.

The silence between them lengthened. Takeo began to think that maybe Kamiko didn’t have an answer for him. Maybe there wasn’t one. Maybe Kamiko was right, and they were not meant to be together.

Takeo inhaled a shaky breath and slowly climbed to his feet.

There really seemed only one thing left for him to do. Takeo had to give Kamiko the freedom he seemed to crave so much. Even if it meant he slowly died a painful, agonizing death as his heart was ripped from his chest.

“I am sorry, little flower.” Takeo swallowed hard past the lump of sorrow building up in his throat. He backed up to the edge of the shadows and started to step through them. “I give you your freedom.”

* * * *

Kamiko was going out of his mind. After his cryptic words, Takeo had simply disappeared. No one seemed to know where he was or they weren’t talking. Going back home to Japan seemed like a good idea when Zeus mentioned it, but now, so far away from everyone he knew and loved, it seemed like the edge of hell.

It didn’t help that every time he brought up Takeo’s name, everyone either became really quiet or they changed the subject as quickly as they could. No one would talk about him. And the demons weren’t talking to Kamiko.

He had spotted them here and there when he was out and about.

He knew that Wayland even now watched him from across the street.

Everywhere that Kamiko went, there was a demon warrior watching him. Of course, if Kamiko tried to approach them, they stepped back into the shadows and disappeared.

Kamiko was running out of ideas on how to find Takeo. He hadn’t meant for the man to leave him permanently. They just needed time to think, both of them. Deciding what they wanted out of the relationship between the two of them was going to be the only way they could hold it together. They were changing, and that meant their relationship was changing as well.

Kamiko loved Takeo, but he also needed to have the freedom to discover who he really was. That didn’t mean he wanted to be alone, just that he needed to spread his wings and fly a little bit. He would have preferred to do it with Takeo at his side.

Why couldn’t anyone understand that?

Kamiko felt like he was fighting a losing battle. No one would tell him where Takeo was or even talk about him. He had, apparently, become a pariah to the demon warriors. They wouldn’t have anything to do with him. And once again, he was all alone. Only this time, he knew exactly what he was missing—the other half of his soul.

Kamiko pushed himself to his feet and walked across the room to the phone. There was only one person he knew of who could get him back to Pride Pack Valley. From there, he would start his search for Takeo, and he wouldn’t stop until he found his missing mate.

Kamiko dialed the number he knew by heart then turned to smile at the demon warrior he could see standing across the street, leaning up against a building.

He had a plan.

“Yasuko, this is Kamiko. I need a small favor.”

* * * *

Wayland stood up straighter as he watched the lights in Kamiko’s home suddenly darken. It was barely ten at night. The lights shouldn’t have gone out this early. Something was wrong. He just knew it, and if he fucked up this assignment, there wouldn’t be enough pieces left to glue him back together. Panahasi would be pissed.

It wasn’t just Panahasi he was worried about. As scary as the dude was, Wayland was more frightened of Takeo at the moment. The demon had lost his ever-loving mind, and Wayland wasn’t sure he was ever going to find it again.

After Takeo had come back from visiting Kamiko, Panahasi had taken him away. None of the other demons knew exactly where, and Panahasi wasn’t talking about it. He had just come back and ordered twenty-four-hour protection for Kamiko. They just weren’t allowed to approach Kamiko or talk to him unless his life was in danger, and then they could only take him somewhere safe.

Wayland still wasn’t sure what had happened between Kamiko and Takeo. Again, Panahasi wasn’t saying anything. Wayland and the rest of the demon warriors who had been ordered to watch over Kamiko started to suspect that Kamiko had rejected Takeo.

Maybe he couldn’t handle seeing Takeo in battle. Maybe it was the whole demon thing. Maybe Kamiko had never truly cared for Takeo, although Wayland doubted that one. He’d seen how Kamiko looked at Takeo.

Whatever had happened, it was destroying Takeo, and that was something Wayland couldn’t forgive Kamiko. Takeo had grown up in hell. Kamiko was supposed to be Takeo’s reward for the horrible life he had lived and the things he had seen and done to save the world from the bad guys. He wasn’t supposed to continue living in hell.

Wayland pushed himself away from the edge of the building and started walking slowly across the street. He knew he wasn’t supposed to approach Kamiko, but maybe if he talked with the guy, he could convince him to go back to Takeo—anything to stop his friend’s suffering.

Besides, he needed to check on Kamiko and make sure he was okay.

Wayland walked across the street then made his way up the stairs to the home Kamiko was borrowing from a friend. He drew in a breath of courage and hoped he wasn’t making things worse, and then knocked on the door. After several moments of silence, he knocked again, then again. By the fourth knock, dread filled him.

Wayland turned his body slightly and shoved at the door until it gave way and crashed open. He stormed into the house, ready to give Kamiko a piece of his mind. He was no longer interested in trying to fix things between Kamiko and Takeo. He wanted to chew Kamiko out for not staying safe. The lights should be on—at all times. It was the only sure way to know no one would come from the shadows.

A quick search of the place let Wayland know he was in deep trouble. The house was totally empty. His ass was so fried. Takeo would tear it apart after Panahasi got done with him—assuming there was anything left.

Wayland walked through the nearest shadow and right into Panahasi’s living room. The man was sitting at the table drinking something red out of a glass. He slowly folded and set his newspaper down on the table when Wayland walked in then turned and arched an eyebrow.

Wayland swallowed hard. “I lost him.” Panahasi stood, his sheer size towering over Wayland as murder gleamed in his eyes. It had been a very long time, eons, since the leader had been this pissed at him. And Wayland remembered the last time.

It hadn’t been pretty.

“I gave you one job to do, and you screwed it up?” Before Wayland could open his mouth to defend himself—and he really wasn’t sure what he would have said anyway—Panahasi was gone.

“Well, fuck me.” Wayland knew for a fact that this wasn’t over.

Wherever the leader had gone, whatever he was doing, he wouldn’t forget Wayland’s screwup.

He just prayed Panahasi didn’t tell Takeo.

“How the fuck did I get caught up in this mess anyways?” he asked himself as he grabbed the wineglass that Panahasi had abandoned. He sniffed the liquid and then took a drink, wiping his tongue on his sleeve as he sat the glass down.

“Since when does he drink wine?”

Ah fuck, he was talking to himself now. Wayland grunted as he left Panahasi’s penthouse and walked back down to his own apartment to wait for the leader’s return.

Takeo owed him big for this one.

If he didn’t tear Wayland apart first.

“Who are you again?” Kamiko asked as he stared at the elf. It wasn’t Keegan. He knew Keegan. The elf had left an impression with Kamiko. And Kamiko was in dire need of the man right about now.

“My name’s Carter. Maverick sent me, but we need to hurry because if Tryck finds out I’m here, he’ll eat Maverick.” Okay. So Christian had sent him an unbalanced elf. Kamiko could deal with that.

“What’s your plan?”

“I need to get to the demon realm,” Kamiko answered as he looked around the club where Yasuko and Minsheng now lived. It was loud and had too many flashing lights. He wasn’t sure how the two men could stand being there. It would drive him crazy to be around this all of the time.

“The demon realm?” Carter asked and then whistled low. “I don’t think Maverick knew you wanted to go there.” Kamiko bit his lip as he stared up at Carter, pleading with his eyes. “So you won’t take me?”

“I’ll take you, but not a word to my mate.” That was no problem since Kamiko hadn’t a clue who Carter was mated to. He just knew he had to find Keegan so the elf could help him find Takeo. It didn’t matter who he asked. When he mentioned Takeo’s name, everyone had changed the subject. It was becoming very frustrating.

Kamiko had called Yasuko, who in turn told Christian. The vampire had then called Maverick, and apparently the alpha had sent Carter. He was grateful that Maverick didn’t care what Panahasi thought or he’d still be stuck in Japan.

“Ready?”

Kamiko nodded as Carter shimmered. He felt his stomach protest, but he was determined to find his mate. He had to let Takeo know that he wanted to be mated to him. The warrior had looked so distraught that he feared for Takeo’s very sanity.

He would ask Carter to help him find his mate, but he didn’t know the guy, and he wanted to make sure that Panahasi had kept his end of the deal with Keegan as far as finding his brother.

Besides, Carter was in a rush to get him where he needed to go.

Enlisting him to help wasn’t an option.

Kamiko hadn’t a clue where in the demon realm he was, but at least he was back. He released Carter and prayed he kept his lunch down. It was a nifty way to travel, but his stomach disagreed.

“Good luck,” Carter called before he shimmered away.

Kamiko glanced around, seeing a club called Diablo’s. He remembered this place. It was the same place he had been with his mate when that little twink tried to touch Takeo. Maybe he shouldn’t go in there.

He glanced to his right and saw Malcor’s Melting Pot. That seemed like the right place to start his search. Kamiko pulled the door open and walked in. The restaurant was dimly lit, giving its patrons some semblance of privacy. He squinted his eyes, searching the restaurant for Keegan.

He spotted the elf sitting at a table with a very large man.
That
must be Marino.
Kamiko swallowed as he realized his mistake.

According to Keegan, Marino was an asshole. He knew that the elf didn’t want anyone to know his association with Kamiko, but he was desperate.

He hid behind a floating wall, peeking out and trying his best to get Keegan’s attention without gaining anyone else’s. There were several other men surrounding Marino and the elf. Kamiko could see the bored look on Keegan’s face until Marino touched him, and then Keegan looked like he was going to be sick.

Kamiko wanted to teach the large man a lesson about touching when not invited to, but he had other things he needed to tend to first.

When Keegan looked over in his direction, Kamiko stepped out for a second and then hid again.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Keegan say something and then push away from the table. He knew the elf was going to be mad, but Kamiko couldn’t think of any other way to find Takeo.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Keegan complained quietly as he rounded the wall. “Do you know what Marino will do to both of us if he finds you here?”

“Takeo is missing,” Kamiko softly cried. “Please help me find him.”

Keegan sighed and then looked back around the floating wall before straightening and giving Kamiko a nod. “But it has to be quick.”

Kamiko felt like falling at Keegan’s feet and thanking the elf as the two shimmered from the restaurant.

* * * *

Takeo plucked a piece of lint from his pants as he stared at the floor. A thousand times he had wanted to run to Kamiko and beg him to take Takeo back.

But he knew Kamiko needed room to grow.

And that was what Takeo couldn’t handle.

He had paced the small room until he knew every mark on the wall and every crack in the floor, but nothing seemed to work.

Kamiko was with him, in him, plaguing every waking thought as well as his dreams.

He knew he was slowly unraveling. His sanity was slipping away being apart from Kamiko. The pain in his chest was limitless as Takeo curled up on the bed. He was a warrior, and no human should have this great hold on him.

But Kamiko did.

He was the only man, being, who controlled him.

“Takeo?”

Takeo was afraid to look, afraid his mind was playing tricks on him. He wanted Kamiko so desperately that he feared his mind had finally fractured.

He felt the bed dip and a warm hand caress his arm. His muscles tensed under the gentle touch, fear enveloping him that the hand was a figment of his imagination as well. He could even smell cherry blossoms.

Kamiko.

“Takeo, please.”

Cautious, careful, and curious, Takeo rolled over. He saw tears brimming in Kamiko’s eyes as he smiled down at him. “Why are you here?”

Kamiko wiped at his eyes as his warm and solid hand ran the course of Takeo’s arm. “Because I can’t live without you. I love you, Takeo.”

Takeo raised a shaky hand as he ran it over Kamiko’s short black hair. “It really is you.”