Capitolo 22 :: 22

Pubblicato: 20-05-06 - Ultimo aggiornamento: 20-05-06

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Ryo slammed the front door closed with a savage curse. He has failed. He couldn’t find Silver Fox. Heck, he couldn’t find even a fleck of proof the guy was in town.  

He has failed. The great City Hunter has failed. Utterly and completely failed. He has failed his best friend. He has failed her. Kaori. He has failed the most important woman in his life.  

And because he has failed, she was going to die.  

His fists clenched as he started prowling upstairs.  

But she wasn’t going to die. He would protect her. No matter what happened, he was going to save her.  

But could he fight against an invisible opponent?  

He had to. He had to do everything in his power and everything he never attempted to up until now. He had to do everything to keep her from harms way – even if it meant he was the one who would end up dead in the end.  

He had to do everything; he had to save her, because he could never be able to bear the thought of her being dead because of him.  

He had to save her.  

Kaori slowly emerged from the kitchen, carefully holding the mugs of steaming tea… and almost dropped them as she spotted Reika at the window, blubbering over her notebook.  

»What the hell are you doing?!«  

Reika’s head snapped up as she looked guiltily at the redhead in front of her. Kaori looked like a Valkyrie, with her eyes blazing with anger, and the steam erupting from the mugs in her hands.  

»I’m… I’m sorry,« she quickly mumbled, closing the notebook, and dropping it on the windowsill. »I didn’t mean to pry.«  

Kaori stormed to her, thrusting the mugs into her hands. »Yeah, okay.« She picked up her notebook. »But now, that you did indeed pry…«  

»I won’t tell a soul,« Reika whispered. »I couldn’t.« Her eyes brimmed with tears. »I’m so sorry, Kaori. You really do love…«  

»Shush!« Kaori lifted her index finger. »Not a word, do you hear. You stumbled on something really private here.«  

»I know.« Reika never felt this shitty in her whole life. Those drawings in the notebook really were private. An important insight into the mind and soul of this seemingly extroverted woman. Seemingly, because, now that she saw the drawings, she got a glimpse at Kaori’s true self… The dreamy-eyed girl who has drawn those images, deep down inside her heart still believed…  

»I shouldn’t have…«  

Kaori smiled slightly. »It’s okay. I ain’t gonna kill you for that.« She nodded toward the two mugs. »Could you hold that for me a sec? I need to take this to my room.«  

»Sure.«  

»I’m sorry you had to see that,« Kaori mumbled as she moved through the door.  

»I’m not,« Reika whispered shakily.  

Kaori threw the notebook on her bed, hiding her face in her hands. How could she have been so stupid as to leave it on display like that. Could she have been any more retarded than that?  

Slithering into the bathroom, she quickly rinsed her burning cheeks with cold water. She sure knew how to pretend like nothing happened. She has learned from the best. How she acted all nonchalant-like, while deep inside she wanted to scream and run for cover as she spotted Reika leafing through that damn notebook. She just hoped the woman would indeed keep to herself what she learned tonight.  

Fidgeting with the strings on her slacks, she decided it was past the time she returned to the living room and maybe find her tea still warm. She needed to keep pretending like nothing happened, wait for Ryo to get home, let Reika tell the news she came here to tell, and then…  

Kaori sighed heavily. When Reika left, she and Ryo would finally have that long-postponed talk!  

…  

As she closed the door and moved down the hallway toward the living room, Ryo emerged around the corner from the staircase.  

Their stares collided, their eyes held, neither of them able to look away.  

Ryo’s heart thumped inside his chest at the sight of her. These moments, when he could look at her and drink in her beauty, have been scarce in the past few days. He spent most of his time out of the apartment, scouring the city for Silver Fox, not daring be in her presence for fear he might capitulate and…  

God, but she was beautiful with her hair loose around her shoulders, her enormous hazel eyes that at that precise moment swam with a strange, unidentifiable emotion…  

Kaori’s breath hitched in her throat as she felt herself blush under his intense gaze. Only he could do that. Turn her into a blushing, babbling idiot just by looking at her. And he did just that. He stood there, feet away, and just looked at her.  

And yet, she felt like he could see her soul… She felt like he was undressing her with his eyes. Not that she had much on clothes-wise. It was quite a hot evening, so she opted for large cotton slacks and a tank top…  

Make that a TIGHT tank top. She blushed furiously as that burning midnight gaze dropped off her face, moving lower as he flicked the tip of his tongue over his lips.  

Her nipples tightened against the light material. A very, tight top, indeed – hence, the whole undressing-with-the-eyes thingy wasn’t such a difficult feat to accomplish.  

Ryo felt his knees tremble as her nipples puckered under his gaze. She wasn’t wearing a bra… and he wished she wasn’t wearing that top either. His groin tightened and he clenched his teeth.  

He shouldn’t be thinking like that! He should be thinking about keeping her safe tomorrow. He should be thinking about her being engaged to Mick!  

»Hi!« he said harshly than he intended and wanted to kick himself as her eyes widened slightly.  

Kaori clenched her teeth. He was angry. What was his problem? He didn’t have a reason to be angry. She, on the other hand, had plenty of reasons to be angry!  

»Hi, yourself!« And, nose in the air, she stepped into the living room, slamming the door behind her, enjoying the slight gasp coming from him as the door closed in his face.  

Reika tilted her head. »Wasn’t that Ryo out there?«  

»Hmm?« Kaori arched an eyebrow and turned her head at the sound of the door opening behind her. »Oh, right…«  

Reika chuckled, seeing Ryo’s dark expression. He didn’t like being snubbed by his Kaori, did he? Or having the door slammed in his face.  

He scowled mightily at his part-time assistant. »What?!«  

»Oh, nothing.« Those two were too cute to look at. Both so adamant at not showing what havoc the other wreaked. But it was so evident. Even more so now, that she knew…  

»You wanted to talk to the both of us.« Kaori’s words brought her out of her reverie. »Are you planning on proceeding with that anytime soon?«  

Ryo growled. »If it’s one of those days, Kaori, don’t vent it out on us!«  

The hazel eyes sparked. »Bite me, Saeba!«  

»That’s it!« he hissed. »I’ve had it! This ends now!«  

Reika blinked. She never heard him speak with such vehemence.  

Kaori crossed her arms over her breasts, lifting her chin in challenge. »Oh, you’ve had it?! Oh, okay, sorry, I didn’t realize you were the one who had the right to call it quits! It ends now, huh? Fine! Let’s end it, shall we?! Bring it on, pal!«  

Reika discretely cleared her throat. The two of them obviously forgot they weren’t alone.  

Ryo glared at Kaori.  

She glared back.  

Reika downright coughed. That got their attention. They turned, staring at her mutely.  

»Now that I got your attention, kiddies. Would you be so kind as to sit down, be quiet, and listen to what I have to say?«  

With a mutinous glance in each other’s direction, Ryo and Kaori quietly sat on the sofa as far away from each other as possible. The tension was palpable. Reika could practically see the sparks flying between them. Pity they weren’t sparks of anger.  

Ryo snapped his fingers at her. »Are you planning to talk or not, Reika?!«  

»Is it one of those days, Ryo?« Kaori asked sweetly.  

»Don’t push it, Kaori-kun!«  

She put her tongue out at him.  

Reika rolled her eyes. They were worse than kids! She cleared her throat. Here goes nothing. »I found Silver Fox.«  

That certainly got them to shut up and focus on her.  

»What?« Ryo couldn’t believe it. She found him? How could he have missed the son of a bitch?! »How?«  

Reika looked sheepish. »Well, it was a friend of mine that found him, actually.«  

Ryo was on his feet in a nanosecond. »Where is he?!«  

»Birmingham.«  

»Where?«  

»England,« Kaori supplied softly.  

»I know where Birmingham is,« he hissed impatiently.  

»Why ask then?«  

»Kaori…«  

Kaori looked at Reika with an unreadable expression. »Please, go on.«  

»My friend works for the MI5 and they keep tabs on all crooks living in Great Britain.« She sighed. »Apparently, he went clean in the past four years. He’s a kindergarten teacher.« Her voice rose as she saw Ryo was about to speak. »And he hasn’t left the country in the past year or so.«  

Ryo tried to get it all to sink. If what Reika was saying were true, it would mean… It would mean they either had a copycat on their hands, or…  

No, he absolutely refused to think about the other possibility. It couldn’t be true. He refused to believe it to be true. 

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