Feather Bound

Chapter 25

He watched as she entered the apartment, a slight sense of relief washing over him now that she was in a secure place. His instincts screamed for her protection, an overwhelming force demanding his full concentration to resist. Initially, he had considered taking her to his own apartment, even getting halfway there before coming to his senses.

Fortunately, Haruki's place seemed sufficient to ease his tension, the weight he'd been carrying fading with each passing second she spent inside. Now, he needed time to talk to the Commission, to initiate the necessary steps before succumbing to any impulsive actions. Because if he gave into them now, he wouldn't stop until that jackass was dead on the ground. Inhaling deeply, he steadied himself as Haruki closed the door slightly, leaning out to speak with him.

"What the hell happened?" She inquired, keeping her voice low. "You mentioned she got swept up in the crowd. The entire side of her face looks like it's going to bruise, and she's bleeding! There's no way that was from the mob, was it?" She looked down before reaching out, grasping his sore hand. He inhaled sharply at the touch, wincing as she looked it over before frowning up at him. "And what the hell did you do to your hand?"

"No, it wasn't the crowd," he replied, shaking his head and clenching his teeth. "Her ex-boyfriend tried to have her kidnapped. You should've heard the things he said to her, and his thug friend had her face smashed against the wall." Haruki covered her mouth with her hand, looking at him in horror.

"He tried to have her kidnapped? Holy fuck, he's actually crazy!"

"Yeah, well, his friend is lucky I stopped at just one punch. I really need to make some calls to the Commission."

"Yeah, you do!" She hissed in agitation. "They've been bitching me out all morning. I had to have my husband take Chiyo out while I tried to figure things out. It's a fucking mess!"

He sucked in a breath, guilt twisting his stomach. He could only imagine the hell she'd gone through, but once he communicated his intentions to the Commission, he was confident it would all be forgiven.

"Don't worry about it," he said, and she huffed in response.

"Don't worry about it?! That's all you have to say—"

"I'm having them move her in with me," he quickly interrupted, and she inhaled sharply, her eyes widening as she gaped at him.

"Seriously?" She breathed, and he nodded, shuffling nervously. Her eyes widened, lighting up with excitement, and he quickly pressed a finger to his lips.

"Don't start freaking out. She needs to be kept safe. I can only do it if she's closer to me. It's the next step of the program anyway. But I need to call the Commission. That bastard needs to be taken down. Please don't make a big deal out of this."

"It's a huge deal! My little baby is growing up! You'll be having your first kiss and everything soon!" She teased, faking a sniffle, and he rolled his eyes, groaning in exasperation. He could feel his face heating up, their moment in the alleyway replaying at the mention of his first kiss. He sucked in a breath, trying to ignore it. Haruki didn't need to know about the alley, and he certainly didn't have time for her teasing today.

"Please, just watch her for a little bit. I'll be back in a second," he said, grateful when she didn't argue, pulling herself back into her apartment with a smirk and closing the door behind her. He sighed, reaching into his pocket and finally fishing out his phone.

Thirteen missed calls from Haruki and nearly twice that from the Commission. He grimaced, scrolling through the angry messages from his handler before swallowing nervously. Handling this delicately was crucial now, especially with him missing the festival. If he led with the news that he wanted her moved in, it might be enough to smooth everything else over. Then he could discuss everything with the Vice President and see what could be done about Kuro. Taking one last deep breath, he steeled himself before hitting the call button. It wasn't sure it had fully rung once before Mamoru answered and was screaming into his ear.