“You weren’t all right,” he says plainly.
There’s so much more meaning than those words convey. Dice knew I wasn’t okay, so he did what he had to do. It’s not about claiming or owning me. It’s about protecting me.
Dice would do anything for me.
CHAPTER12
DICE
“You killedJames because I wasn’t all right,” Lily says.
I nod.
“There’s something I need to ask you,” she adds.
I bow my head, waiting for her words.
“Can you check Mr. Harry’s house? I’m almost positive he’s keeping Piper there. She’s been gone for over a week. I’m really worried about her.”
The image of Tomo gouging my mother’s eyes strains my vision, mixing with Niko’s words.We need this,Niko had said.You owe your life to the Endo-kai.
“You want me to check his house?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
“Now?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “I guess so.”
I run through the possibility in my head. I couldn’t investigate Harry Hayes’s house without raising suspicion. Mr. Harry already pulled James over to apologize to Lily when I was standing right next to her. It won’t take long for him to connect the dots and see that we’re working together.
This is why I never wanted to get close to Lily. She’s getting tied up in mafia business, whichwillget her hurt.
And my loyalty must stay with the Endo-kai.
“No,” I say.
“No?” She tilts her head to the side. “You’re not capable of breaking into someone’s house?”
I glimpse over the basement, searching for a reason to harness that rage against Lily. After all, she’s the one who contacted me. She’s the one who got herself into a mess with the yakuza. She’s the one who did this to herself.
That rage never comes.
“You just disemboweled a man and we screwed over his dead body, but you won’t rescue my friend?” Lily places her hands on her hips, her expression stretched with frustration. She has no idea what she’s talking about right now. “It’s not like I’m asking you to kill anyone.”
The urge to shove her against the wall and scream at her to think for a second grows inside of me.
But I would never scream at her. Instead, I would kiss her irritating mouth for being so full of determination. For being so fucking admirable.
“Why won’t you help me find Piper?” she asks. Her eyes water. My composure starts to cave. Rage tightens my shoulders.
No.It’s not rage. It’s—
It’s—
Is thisguilt?
I turn away from Lily. Why would I do anything for her friend? Lily is the one who matters. As long as Lily is safe, I don’t care what happens.
