Loving Jiro (15 page)

Finally, the swaying of the car ceased. The back door opened, and the man pulled her out. She stumbled a few feet before gaining her balance and looking around. They were inside an underground parking lot.

One of the men stood guard with a gun at the ready. Kiara's eyes widened at the sight of it. She took a few steps back, but the other man yanked her forward, shoving his grim face close to hers. He gestured to a duffle bag at his feet that she hadn't noticed them removing from the car.

"In this bag is all you need to take care of yourself, find a place to live. If you stay away from Fuschida-san, not try to contact him, you will get a bonus. You and your friend can live a comfortable life, away from the Fuschida family."

Kiara couldn't believe her ears. She stood there blinking, head feeling like it would explode with all the thoughts vying for attention. She didn't need wonder any longer. Grandfather had arranged this whole kidnapping, and now he was trying to buy her off to keep her away from his grandson.

The man in front of her untied her hands and removed the gag from her mouth. He stuffed everything in the car, and he and his cohort slid into the sleek black vehicle before pulling off. Only after they were gone, and she was left in a daze with the duffle bag, did she remember the man had said she and
her friend
could live a comfortable life with the money Grandfather had given her. What friend were they talking about?

"What's up, Kiara?"

She turned around almost in slow motion to find Odell.

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Kiara's mind refused to believe that Grandfather could be so cruel as to tell Odell where to find her, yet here the jerk was. The fact that the old man had done his homework, finding out about her past, should have told him of how Odell used to abuse her. This situation was a testament to how far the man would go to get her out of his grandson's life. She guessed he hoped Odell would kill her this time, ensuring she would never darken their doorstep again, and eliminating the need to pay her more money to stay away. The hurt that a person could be that depraved, as depraved as Odell himself was, tore at her insides.

"Leave me alone, Odell,” she told him and picked up her bag.

He darted forward and snatched the bag away, a challenge in his eyes. “Now what? Yeah, I know everything, how you been a rich Japanese guy's whore all this time. I wondered why I couldn't find you, why my P.I. always found a reason to be out of town permanently before he located you. What happened, you hook up with the Asian mob?"

She frowned. “I don't know what you're talking about.” She spun away and began walking toward the exit.

"What are you going to do without the money they gave you, Kiara?” he called after her.

She didn't look back. “I've made it on my own many times before with nothing in my pockets. I can do it again.” Weariness stole over her limbs. Odell was true to form. He would steal the money given to her and leave her with nothing. But just as she said, she would always make it. She just hoped this time he had lost interest in her. Maybe he was here just to get his hands on the money, and he would disappear.

No such luck. “Where do you think you're going?” He caught up to dig his thick fingers into her arm. “I know those guys are going to contact you in a few days to give you more money. I'm going to be there."

Jerking her arm free, she faced him. “No, you're not. I'm done with you. Get lost, Odell! You got what you came for. There's the money. Now go spend it, and leave me alone."

For her smart mouth, she got a slap across the face that landed her on her ass on the greasy ground. Her cheek stung. She worked her jaw, blinking away tears as she stood. “Don't you touch me again,” she whispered, standing slowly.

He swung again but she ducked, spun away and began running in the opposite direction. The parking structure curved upward. She headed higher to another level, intending to locate a door or elevator that would take her back to ground level and out to freedom.

"Get back here!” Odell was in hot pursuit.

Kiara ran faster, looking around for anything that would help her fight him off. Of course, there was nothing. The only thing present in such a neat place were cars. She wished she could break into one and run his ass over with it. That wouldn't work. If she stopped even for a second, he would be on her. As it was, she was running uphill and wasn't as fast as he was. Fear gave her an added burst of speed, but it wouldn't last.

An exit door came into view when she rounded a corner. Kiara pushed to get to it, hearing Odell's footsteps close behind. She reached for the knob and found her entire body slammed into the door. Odell grabbed her hair to jerk her head back. “What the fuck, Kiara, did you think you could get away from me?"

Her head spinning, a thought of Jiro's handsome face slid across her memory. Her heart longed for him, but he was out of reach, probably didn't know she was gone yet. She could imagine that Grandfather had manufactured a letter supposedly written by her saying she was leaving. There was a good chance Jiro wouldn't come looking for her. He would more likely believe she had wanted to leave and that it was the best way given he would have sent her away eventually.

While her chest constricted thinking of never seeing him again, her anger rose also. Odell thought he could take away her freedom. He had better be prepared to kill her because she wasn't giving it up.

She lifted her foot and slammed it down on his. He cried out. His hold on her loosened. She put a foot up to brace on the wall and shoved backward hard. The two of them went down to the floor when Odell lost his balance. She heard the smack of the back of his head hitting the cement. She whirled away and stood not to run but to kick him in his side.

"Ah! You bitch!” he screamed. She kicked again. He rolled away and gained his feet. She looked around for a weapon. There was still nothing. “What you going to do, Kiara? Huh? You've done it now. I'm pissed. You need to relearn your place, and I'm prepared to teach you."

"Fuck you, Odell!” she spat. She raised her hands, ready to scratch his eyes out if he came close. For the first time, he looked unsure. “I'll kill you, in your sleep if I have to, but I will. My lover asked me if I wanted him to kill you, and I said no because I didn't believe in taking a person's life, even your sorry life. But I'm over that! If you touch me once more,
I'm
going to end your life. You can count on it."

"Not if I end yours first!” He came at her with a punch to her jaw and another following in her stomach. She sank to her knees. He moved around behind her and threw his full weight on top of her so they were both flat on the ground. “You look good, Kiara,” he muttered in her ear. “Gained some weight while you were gone. Maybe I should get me a little taste right here. Bet you've been missing dick as big as mine ‘cause I bet his was microscopic, huh?"

She spit out blood, laughing. “Don't fool yourself, Odell. He was way bigger than you, and he knew how to use it."

He raged, hurting her eardrums. With an arm around her neck, he yanked her up some from the ground so he could tear open her blouse. She tucked her chin close to her chest, bringing the meat of his arm up to her mouth. Without a second thought, she bit deep and hard. Odell screamed. Kiara felt his skin tear and his flesh give way to her sharp teeth.

All the strength left Odell's body. His hold went limp. Kiara pulled up a knee and shoved. He rolled off her to his side. She scrambled to her feet and stood over him. Tears ran down his face as he nursed his torn arm. Kiara spat blood into his face, reared back and kicked the side of his head as hard as she could. Odell's eyes closed. He was finally still.

Footsteps on the stairs made her jump. Someone opened the door and stopped with an exclamation at seeing Odell on the ground covered in blood. The man looked at her, and she could imagine she looked just as bad.
Where were you all this time
, she wondered resentfully.

"Ar-Are you okay?” he asked.

Tears slid down her cheeks. “He attacked me,” she murmured. “I don't know where the strength came from to hurt him. I think ... I think you should call the police."

The man bobbed his head, yanking his cell phone from his jacket. Soon other people began appearing from nowhere. Kiara heard sirens in the distance. On unsteady legs, she moved around Odell's body and retrieved the duffle bag. Someone had produced a chair for her to sit on. She sank into it and rested her head on her bag to wait.

Kiara tugged her blouse down over her hips and picked up her brush to bring some order to her hair. She could hardly believe it had been a year since she last saw Jiro, and she still missed him with everything inside. But her life now was simpler if more satisfying. She managed a small art supply store, a fun job if ever there was one. Grandfather's money had provided her a place to live in a random city, away from everyone she had ever known. The difference this time, of course, was that Odell would never again be bothering her. The court had determined that her actions were self-defense. She was a completely free woman.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Still thinner than was probably healthy, but doing okay. And one day, she would stop hurting over loving and losing Jiro. Maybe she would even meet someone new, who had a normal job, from a normal background.

She shrugged. “Well, that's not today. Let's go, woman. You have to open the store.” A smile stretched her lips. She had not accepted any additional money from Grandfather's men to take care of herself, but did accept just enough to have work done on her jaw and her teeth. Now she was as good as new.

Out on the street, outside her apartment, she caught a cab, an occasional luxury, and gave instructions for the man to take her to Forty-ninth and Coleman. In the artistic quarter, she shared shop space with others like her who either sold paintings or sculptures or craft supplies. Kiara's shop was all about painting and drawing. She had everything the aspiring artist would need, including holding small classes monthly to teach students. No one as interesting as Jiro had come in as yet.

Kiara was just getting settled in at work, when her favorite customer came in. Her heart went out to this woman because she saw the same haunted look in her eyes that had been in hers for too long. “Morning, Toni. How are you?” Kiara asked brightly.

The woman's response was barely a twitch of her lips. “Hi, Kiara. I just need a little blue cobalt. You said you would have it in on Tuesday.” Kiara knew the escape painting was. Blue cobalt was essential to painting tranquil scenes, she had found.

"Of course, sweetie. Let me get it.” She shuffled through boxes she hadn't unpacked yet. “I was forced to get this other brand I feel is just as good, but a little pricier because my regular supplier had some kind of issue and...” She trailed off at the stricken look on Toni's face. “What's wrong?"

"Pricier?” she squeaked.

With a pain in her chest, Kiara watched Toni count out coins on the counter. Tears sprung to her eyes. “Don't worry about it. I can let you have it on credit."

Toni shook her head. “No, you have to make a living too. It's been hard for all us artists lately. I can do without it. I'll just hustle a little this afternoon.” Toni lifted a hand to her short-cropped hair. A noticeable bald spot sat just above her ear. She tugged on the surrounding locks, trying to cover it.

Kiara pretended to drop something on the floor and ducked down. Her body shook with sobs. She knew that look. At some imagined infraction, Toni's boyfriend had probably hacked off her hair to punish her. When she had herself in hand, she wiped her face and stood.

She reached across to Toni and gathered her in her arms. “Baby, leave him. You can come stay with me. You'll be safe, I promise."

Toni pulled away. “I-I..."

"Don't stand there and tell me you don't know what I'm talking about,” Kiara insisted. “I know the signs. And I know the escape found in painting. At least temporarily."

She looked down at her hands. “I have tried, again and again. He finds me. Every time. I don't know how. I dream of ... Never mind. This is my problem, but thank you for the offer."

The bell over the door rang. Kiara jumped along with Toni. She knew the woman's expression was as nervous as hers was with them discussing Toni's situation. But there in the door was a sight for sore eyes. Jiro's wide shoulders, his muscular body seemed less so, and dark skin circled his eyes, but he was just as handsome as always. She gasped.

At her gasp, Toni turned to look at her. “Is that the one that hurt you?” she asked fearfully.

Kiara shook her head. “No. That's the one who rescued me, helped me to believe in myself and grow enough to fight back."

The envy in Toni's sigh was clear. “Lucky.” She gathered her change up from the counter still mesmerized by Jiro's presence. Kiara dragged her own gaze from him long enough to scribble “No Charge” on a slip of paper and wrap two tubes of paint in it before inching it into Toni's large purse. She would have a happy surprise later. “Thank you for your help, Kiara. I'll come in later after I've made the money.” She turned and hurried from the store.

Jiro, who had held the door open for Toni, walked across to stand in front of Kiara. His gaze wandered over her body from head to toe, and she tried to see herself mentally as he must be seeing. Too thin, rumpled second-hand clothing, hair that wouldn't behave in the humid weather and just plain worn out.

"You are even more beautiful than the image I have held in my mind,” he said. She gaped. He stroked her cheek, surprising her with the public display. “I have missed you."

She stepped back. “Jiro, you shouldn't touch me. I'm sure your wife wouldn't like it."

For a long time, he didn't say anything. She wanted to sink through the floor for reminding him. Just one more touch, a hug, a kiss. But no, she had to remind him that he was not hers anymore, as if he had ever really been. Her heart shattered anew. Why couldn't she just get over the man? Her life hadn't been perfect with him. His servants thought she was worthless. His grandfather had set her up to be killed. Jiro himself was a killer and wouldn't change.