My Akuma (Book One of The Yakuza Series) (✔️)

十 (Ten)

(Aria's POV)

I sat on the bench against the wall and watched Ryu. I watched as he pulled himself up and down with ease. I watched the way the muscles moved and flexed as he continued working out, the way the dragon tattooed on his back looked like it was moving.

Two days ago we left the safe house and came back to Ryu's apartment. His lead on my mother, Naomi, hasn't panned out like he wanted it to. This explains why he's been in the gym for the past four hours.

His apartment didn't originally come with a gym. He converted one of the bedrooms into a gym.

Why?

Because an extreme anti-social person like himself would never go to a public gym or even a small private gym where someone might have the audacity to speak to him or look at him.

Deciding that I was tired of watching him, I walked over and stood in front of him. Every time he lowered himself down, we were almost face to face.
Every time he lowered himself down, I poked his stomach.

The sixth time I did it he stopped and held himself suspended in the air.

"Koneko," he said.

"Ryu,"

He sighed and let go, dropping back down to the ground. The top of my head reached his chin as he stood in front of me.

He put his hands on his hips as he stared at me. It was mini stare down before he gave up.

"How can I help you, Koneko?"

"I want to go out for a walk."

He shook his head. "Not going to happen."

"You can come with me obviously."

"No."

"But-"

"No buts. Your psycho of a mother is still out there. The men that paid for you are still out there. Until I get some idea of what the f*ck is happening, you will stay inside. Understand?"

I glared at him, but I knew he wasn't going to give in so I just accepted it.

"If I can't leave then you have to cook me breakfast and dinner." I said crossing my arms.

"Not lunch?" He teased.

"No, just breakfast and dinner."

He shook his head and gave me a smirk. "Why?"

I adverted my gaze at that moment. He stepped closer and put his hands on each side of my face.

"Talk to me, Koneko?" He asked.

"You're going to start disappearing for most of the day. Gone for hours at a time to find my mother and the ones who hurt me. If...you make me breakfast and dinner then you have to be home to do it. You have to be where I can see you and touch you. Where I know you're safe."

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close against him, both of us ignoring the fact that he was covered in sweat.

He pulled back enough to see my face after a minute or two.

"How about I make you a deal?"

"What kind?"

"If I can say with certainty that you won't be in danger then you can come with me sometimes. Not all the time, but sometimes. But if I tell you do something then you do it without questions me or arguing. Deal?"