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"It is my job to take care of you. That includes making sure you eat when you are supposed to." I turn away from her so I can pull out my overnight bag from the closet. "I have to go away for a little while to handle some things but I will be back as quick as I can." I turn around and catch the sad look on her face at me leaving. "While I am gone you will stay with my Grandfather and the two of you will take care of one another, yes?"
"Yes. I'll take care of your grandfather." I turn so that I can hide my smile from her. That old man doesn't need taking care of but it is too sweet that she wants to do it for me. I wait until she is up and can walk me to the door before I give her another kiss and walk away from her. Walking away from her feels like having my soul ripped out and I don't care for it. This better not take long or else the person is going to be that worse off when I find him.
***
It took me one day and I was back on the plane before the sun was setting. I am anxious to get home and now I owe a few favors to a Russian friend of the family but my little blossom will never have to worry about that threat again. The only reason it didn't take me longer was because the Russian had already tracked the man down and had men watching by the time I got there. Once there, we made quick work of what we had to do.
I let myself into the house exhausted at all the flying back and forth and the lost hours. I'm not sure if Grandfather and Quinn are sleeping so I try to be as quiet as I can be. I am halfway to the room when I hear my grandfather's voice in the dining room.
"It wasn't popular to like Americans back then because of the whole war thing. But Niko didn't mind. She just said it wasn't her war to fight and that you could love a culture while still not liking everyone of that culture."
He is talking about my grandmother, Niko.
"Losing her was one of the saddest parts of my life." I peek in and see Quinn place her hand on top of my grandfather's offering him comfort.
"I was so in love with her that for a while I didn't care who ran the city or the organization or anything at all but her. People complained but I showed them why I was the leader of my people. I told them that she was the mother if I was the father and that they should love and protect her like a mother or I would make all of them suffer. Niko was the sweetest person, no one who met her could treat her poorly and so everyone grew to love her. And then one day we found out she was up against something that I couldn't fight with my hands or my weapons."
Quinn leans in listening with all of her attention to the story my grandfather is telling. "Cancer."
"Oh no." I hear the utter sadness in Quinn's voice for someone she never met.
"I wasn't a good man after...," grandfather stumbles over saying the words out loud. "I let my son suffer because of it. I was a hard man then. Mean and cruel. The city paid dearly for the loss of my Niko. And unfortunately so did my son."
"No, you were just hurting so badly."
"But he was too. I let violence swallow both of us up. The streets ran red with blood. I knew if I didn't send Eito away he would die too. So I made him go to the only place his mother loved more than her home. I sent him to America." He smiles through his sadness thinking about my father. "And within a year he was bringing me back Sarah. Watching the two of them reminded me so much of me and Niko that for a while it was like having her back with me. They gave me my Akio. I was watching over the boy the day the plane crashed into the sea. It was the second darkest day of my life. But this time I understood I had a choice to make. I could go off and take my pain out on the people of the city or I could try to raise Akio differently - away from the violence and crime that so stained my own hands and that of my son."
"I started businesses that didn't have anything to do with the organization and kept them clean. I also made the choice to step down as the oyabun, passing it on to my second in command. I told them it was for health reasons but I just wanted something different for Akio."
"You did an amazing job with him. He is so...," I wait with held breath to hear what she is going to say about me. I shouldn't be listening but I can't stop now even if I tried. "He's so tender when he wants to be. He has a way of taking care of things, of me, that makes me...want him to."
I hear grandfather chuckle more. "That is called trust my girl. It is a good thing to have between two lovers."
I can't stand not being able to see her face any longer. I need to see the blush I know will be spread over her cheeks.
"Grandfather, Quinn," both of them turn to look at me and I can see the tears that have run down Quinn's cheeks at my grandfather's story of his loss.
"Akio, your home!" She is standing and comes to me before she can stop herself. I meet her halfway and pull her close to me. My bag falls from my shoulder as I breathe her in.
"How are things, my boy?" I can tell by the look in his eyes what he is asking.
"Everything went well. The Russians are hard workers and help more than they know."
"Oh, I am sure they know exactly how much worth their help amounts to." He chuckles again before turning from the two of us. The Russians and the Yakuza have a long history of helping each other - for the right price. "Now if you don't mind, I am off to find my bed. These old bones need a rest from all the work we put in today. Goodnight."
I don't wait for him to finish before I am sweeping Quinn up in my arms and making my way down the hall to our bedroom. "What kind of work did you and my grandfather do today that had him so tired?"
A big smile blooms across her face telling me she had a good time whatever it was. "We planted flowers in the back garden and even a cherry tree."
The old man is wise. He could tell that this would make Quinn invested in staying, giving her roots with us so to speak. "And did you enjoy planting stuff with my grandfather, little blossom?"
"Absolutely. I just wish I could stay to watch them grow. Maybe I could visit from time to time to find out how they are doing."
I kick the door shut and make sure I lock it. Not that my grandfather is going to interrupt the baby-making process but I still want to make sure we have our privacy. "Quinn," I wait until she gives me her eyes so I'm sure she is listening to me, "you aren't going to 'visit' to see them grow."
Hurt flares to life in her eyes and I hurry to extinguish it, "because you will be living here with me." I go to the edge of the bed and sit with her across my lap.
"What?" She whispers the word like she can't believe what I just said.
