Behind the Dragons (Book 4 of Billionaire Bad Boys Series)

8

Kobee climbed the stairs to the second floor. Oki’s apartment was right near the stairs. Kobee knocked on the door and waited. The door opened partly just enough for the man inside to peek out. Then it shut so he could remove the chain and then open wide to let him in. Stepping inside Oki shut the door and leaned against it nonchalantly lighting his cigarette. Oki Akiyama was considerably older than Kobee and calling all the shots. The other Black Dragons looked to him for leadership.

Oki was a fair-sized man; he wasn’t towering just under five-eleven. His hair was shoulder length, but he wore it tied back beneath a black skull bandana. His jeans were baggy, and he was just wearing a long white sleeved undershirt tucked into his baggy jeans which he held up with a thick black spiked leather belt. His face was well groomed sporting a thin mustache and a short soul patch. His dark eyes were cruel and cold, and he didn’t look pleased to see Kobee.

Oki took a long drag from his cigarette and then as he exhaled he looked at Kobee, his body blocking the door so Kobee couldn’t leave. “Well now as I live and breathe it’s our young friend. I thought you were in jail.”

“My attorney got me out.”

“So, your legal problems are over?” Asked Shogo. Shogo Kita was a heavier set man. His hair was buzzed short, and he was what Kobee would politely describe as beefy, and like Oki, he was much older than Kobee. He was a nasty ugly sort of fellow that snarled most of the time. He worked as an enforcer for the Black Dragons; he wasn’t very tall, but he had a lot of weight to throw around which made him intimidating. Just like the last time Kobee had seen him Shogo was seated in the exact same spot on the couch as he always was. The couch had a permanent indent from where his fat butt frequently resided.

“No.” He confessed. “They’re still investigating me, but they couldn’t hold me. My lawyer got the eyewitness statements thrown out and their resulting search of my room. But he says they won’t stop they’re going to find another way to lock me up and search my place.” He said reaching into his coat and taking out the bag of narcotics. He held them out to Oki. “That’s why I’m returning this. I can’t afford to be caught with it. Also, I can’t hang out with you guys anymore. My lawyer says it’s best for my case if I stay out of trouble.” And the Black Dragons were nothing but trouble.

All the men present laughed. “You can’t be out,” Reiji said lighting up the bong in his hand. He inhaled deeply, held it and then exhaled and relaxed back in his seat passing the bong and lighter to Tadashi who was seated on the armchair next to the couch. “It doesn’t work that way. Once you’re in you’re one of us forever. You can’t just change your mind and walk away.”

Reiji Fukui was a short, thin young man, older than Kobee but not by much. His hair was short and spiked with gel. He might have been a small man, but he was wiry and quite the scrapper. He usually carried a pistol tucked in his belt. He was always the first to draw and had already served two sentences. One as a juvenile and the other he had just gotten out on a few months ago.

“Cops came around here the other day asking about you,” Oki said as he smoked his cigarette. “Asked us if you were here getting high and selling pot? Now, why would they come here and ask that?” He asked calmly, but his tone was irritated.

“I was arrested for rape and murder; I had to tell them where I was. I needed to prove I couldn’t have done it; I was willing to plead to a lesser charge of possession if it would get me off the hook.” He tried to explain.

“Not cool dude,” Reiji snarled, “you went and dragged us into it. Now the cops are sniffing around. We got a narco detective watching us. You know how hard it is to sell with a pig tailing you?”

“I’m sorry I wouldn’t have dragged you guy into this if I thought there was any other way out. Speaking of it, you guys are lousy friends. You lied to the cops and kyboshed my alibi now I can’t prove I wasn’t there. What the hell kind of friends are you?”

“Friends?” Tadashi laughed as he exhaled the pot from his lungs. “You’re a f*****g p***y; we’re not friends. Besides if you were a real friend you wouldn’t have ratted on your buddies. Go down with some f*****g class.” He hissed.

Tadashi Ueda wasn’t much older than Kobee, three or four years but he was one of those baby-faced guys that looked younger than he was. He was a big guy for an oriental. He stood almost six feet when he wasn’t slouching. His hair was short in the back and longer in the front often in his eyes. Like the rest of them, he wore the typical thug attire, baggie jeans and t-shirts under an oversized jean jacket, like Kobee he often wore a knit cap.

Tadashi was one of the nastiest guys in the Black Dragons. He was perverted and violent, the man had no conscience whatsoever and he was almost always stoned, but he was one of those functioning drug addicts. He smoked a pound of pot a day and could still walk straight and talk with coherency. Without a drug test, it would be hard to tell he was high.

Kobee glared at Tadashi; he didn’t appreciate this man sticking his nose in where it didn’t belong. “What do you care, you weren’t even there that night. So, the cops aren’t talking to you.” Kobee snapped.

“You told them we were dealing.” Oki barked. “Now they’re looking at all of us. You screwed every Dragon in this neighbourhood.” He said advancing on Kobee. “You know what the Triads and the Yakuza would do if a member were caught talking to the cops like you did?” Kobee didn’t like the way that sounded. Suddenly the other guys rose to their feet and surrounded him. “See we’d kill you but that might raise some red flags with the pigs. So, tonight is your lucky night.” He said with a menacing smile. Shogo and Reiji restrained Kobee, and forced him down on his knees and bent him over the coffee table. “You get to walk out of here with your skin,” Oki said drawing a switchblade, “but not your finger.”

Kobee tried to fight, but they had him immobilized. Shogo forced his hand flat against the coffee table. Kobee pleaded, his heart was beating wildly. He couldn’t move. Oki pressed the blade of his knife against Kobee’s pinky finger and cut off the tip right at the knuckle. Kobee screamed from the pain. His blood spirited out of the wound covering the table. They let him up, and Kobee cradled his wounded hand trying not to cry, crying would only make things worse.

“Get your sorry ass out of my place,” Oki growled as he drove the point of his knife into the top of the coffee table. “And if you talk, if anyone comes around here asking questions about anything a missing finger will be the least of your worries. See we won’t kill you, no that lets you off the hook way to easy. We’ll go after someone you love.” His crooked smile grew. “We’ll go after that fine piece of ass you call a sister. We’ll pass her around until every Dragon’s had a go, and then we’ll cut her f*****g head off while she’s still alive and conscious, so she feels everything.” He warned. “You only get one warning. Now get out.”

Kobee picked up his severed finger and quickly left the apartment. His shirt was soaking up the blood seeping from his hand. He ran all the way home. Once inside he went right to the washroom tearing it apart looking for bandaging. All the noise had brought Naomi out of her room. She took one look at him and panicked.

“What happened?” She demanded, taking his hand in hers and looking at the wound. “Oh my god, you’re hand.” Kobee was starting to feel faint. He’d lost a lot of blood. Naomi wrapped a towel around his hand trying to stop the bleeding. “We got to get you to a hospital. Maybe they can reattach it.” She said getting up and heading for the phone to call an ambulance. He would have protested but his head began to spin, and he fainted.

***

Naomi stood in the hospital hallway watching the doctor inspect Kobee’s hand through the triage window. Her mother was pacing the hall while her father remained seated in one of the chairs lining the hall in the waiting room overflow area. It was a busy hospital, and tonight it was packed. They would have had a long wait too if Kobee’s condition hadn’t been time sensitive. If they got on it quick enough, the doctor might be able to graph the severed finger to his hand, and he would only lose mild mobility in that finger, which wasn’t a loss. It was the least significant finger on his left hand, luckily Kobee was right-handed.

The hospital staff had called the police when they saw Kobee’s wound. Kobee was telling some c**k and bull story about accidentally cutting his finger off using a meat slicer at home to make a sandwich. No one was buying it. Kobee had gone out to see his gang buddies and had come back one finger short. The police kept asking him about the Black Dragons, this sort of a wound was consistent with Japanese mafia punishment. It wasn’t a stretch to assume the Black Dragons were punishing Kobee for telling the cops about their drug dealing. It was a hard lesson to learn to keep his mouth shut; sometimes the consequence was worst then just prison time. It was a lesson that seemed to take because Kobee was keeping his mouth shut.

Since the police were once again questioning Kobee about the Black Dragons, Naomi thought it imperative that Brandon be present. He showed up a half hour after she called his cell. He was coming down the hall in a pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt beneath his open leather jacket. He looked very different from his usual suit and tie. He was dressed like he had been out, and he smelled like beer when he reached her. They had only been apart for a few hours. When she called him at two in the morning, she had expected to be drawing him from his bed, but it would appear he had been at a bar. Funny hadn’t he said he had reading to do all night? She shook the thought off. It was none of her business what he had been doing all that mattered was that he was here now.

Brandon stopped by her side and looked through the window at Kobee with the doctor. Then he looked farther down the hall where two uniformed officers were waiting to speak with Kobee. “Your brother is going to make me grey before my time.” He complained. “It’s been six hours, and he’s already in trouble. What happened?”

“He went to return those drugs to the Black Dragons.” She whispered so the cops and hospital staff couldn’t overhear them. “He was only gone forty-five minutes, and he came back with a severed finger.”

“Did I not tell him to stay away from those guys?” He asked annoyed.

“He said if he didn’t sell the drugs or return them they would come after him and kill him. I tried to talk him out of going, but he never listens to me.”

“Have the cops spoken to him yet?” Brandon asked.

“They tried, but the doctor insisted they leave the room so he could examine him.” She informed him.

“What has he told them so far?”

“That he accidentally cut it off using a meat cutter at home.”

Brandon looked at her like he couldn’t believe what she was telling him. “Are you serious? He thought they’d buy that?” He shook his head. “He couldn’t come up with anything better. Does he expect me to work miracles?” He then reached for the door handle to the examination room. “I’m already working evenings and weekends for free the least he could do is stay out of trouble.” He muttered to himself as he went into the room. Naomi and her parents followed him into the small room. “Well Doc, what’s the prognosis? Is he going to live? Because I’m going to kill him.” Brandon said coming to the foot of the bed.

“Who are you?” The doctor asked.

“He is my lawyer,” Kobee said. “It’s ok; he can stay.”

The doctor sighed and then turned to face their parents. “Well, I think we got it in time. We’ll rush Kobee into surgery right away and graph the finger back on. He won’t have use of it for a few weeks, but if all goes well, he may get out of this with nothing more than a nasty scar.”

That was very good news. Naomi was glad to see he would be ok. The doctor left the room to talk to the on-duty nurse about rushing Kobee into the OR. Once he was gone, Brandon shot a nasty look at Kobee. “Six hours. It’s been six hours, and I already have to pull your ass out of the fire. What the hell were you thinking?”

“It was an accident.” Kobee lied.

“Don’t give me that bull.” Brandon snapped. “It insults my intelligence. The police aren’t buying it either. You have a rape and murder one charge hanging over your head and the first thing you do when you get out is to go see your thug friends. The DA has you under a f*****g microscope, and you are acting like an i***t. Do you want to go to prison?”

“I don’t know what you were thinking.” Their father scolded.

“I was thinking that they were going to kill me if I didn’t return their stuff,” Kobee growled. “I had to take it back to them.”

Their mother slapped Kobee in the side of the head and started yelling at him in Japanese. Brandon got between them stopping the beating. “Ok look we can handle this. The first thing is you got to tell the cops the truth. You can’t start lying now it will impede your credibility.”

Kobee shook his head. “No, I can’t do that. I can’t talk to the cops; you got to make them leave.”

“If you don’t want to go to prison you have to do as I tell you,” Brandon said firmly. “Tell the cops the truth.”

“Don’t I have the right to remain silent?”

“Yes, you do, and usually that is what I would tell you to do, but you’re not the suspect in this you’re the victim. The cops can’t get these guys if you don’t cooperate.”

“I can’t tell them the truth. If I do, I’ll lose more than a finger.” Kobee said sadly.

“Did they threaten to kill you?” Brandon asked.

Kobee shook his head no and looked at Naomi. “Not me… her.” Everyone looked at Naomi, and she felt a sense of dread building inside her. “They said they would do horrible things to her. They said they would cut off her head.” Naomi’s hand went to her throat instinctively. “You see I can’t talk. I don’t want anything to happen to my sister.”

“They can protect her, put her in witness protection,” Brandon suggested. “Staying quiet will only make things worse. Are these the same guys that were supposed to be your alibi and claimed they didn’t know you?” Kobee nodded. “They’re not worth protecting.”

“But Naomi is. She believed in me when the cops came for me. She got me you. I can’t let anything happen to her. You don’t know these guys; the cops can’t protect her.” Kobee said sadly. “Please, you got to make them go away.”

Brandon sighed. He looked at Kobee and then Naomi. Naomi was trying not to hyperventilate. Her brother was going to get her killed. “Ok, we won’t trust the cops, but you can trust me.” He said looking Kobee in the eyes. “I know people in high places. I know judges, politicians, lawyers, I know FBI and DEA agents. You’ll plead the fifth when the cops question you. Stick to your story, they’re not going to believe one word of it, but they can’t do anything if you’re not willing to press charges. You’ll go home, and you will stay out of trouble. In the meantime, Naomi is going to pack a bag, and she’s going to come to stay with me. I got a second bedroom she can crash in.”

“Excuse me?” Naomi asked surprised by his suggestion.

“My building is security locked. The elevator from the parking lot requires a security code punched into a keypad, only tenants and staff know it. There is a doorman that keeps out the riffraff. If anyone gets past him, there’s the desk clerk that stops everybody that doesn’t live there. If they get past him, there’s a security guard on the elevator as well as two more armed guards on duty at all times in the security room watching the cameras, which are on every floor. And if they get past that my apartment door is reinforced and I have a personal security system that will alert the police if not deactivated within thirty seconds of entering the premises. Believe me, my family has been keeping people out for generations. My place is safer than Fort Knox.”

It did sound pretty safe. She trusted Brandon; he had been right about everything so far. “I think that would be a very good idea.”

Her mother began protesting going on about how inappropriate it was for a young unmarried woman to shack up with an unmarried man. Her father had to calm her down telling his wife it wasn’t shacking up, that it was to protect their daughter’s life. Naomi was surprised that her father of all people was onboard with Brandon’s idea, but he trusted Brandon, he had no reason not too.

“Then it’s settled,” Brandon said with finality. “Naomi will come home with me and if anyone asks no one knows where she went. The fewer people that know where she is, the safer she will be.” He then looked out the window as the cops came to the room. “Ok, game faces, remember stick to the story.”

The door opened and in came the uniforms. “So, the doctor says we can talk to you before you go into surgery and become too groggy from the anesthesia.” One officer said.

“My client has nothing new to tell you,” Brandon spoke for Kobee. “It was an accident.”

“Who are you?” The first officer asked.

“I’m Mr. Lee’s attorney.”

“If it was an accident why does he need to consult a lawyer?” The second cop asked.

“In this day and age, you should always consult a lawyer.” He said with a smile. “My client has nothing further to say. It was an accident.”

“If someone is intimidating him we can protect him.” The second cop said.

“There was no intimidation. It was an accident. My client has no intention of pressing any charges against anyone or anything.”

“We’d like to hear that from your client.” The first officer said looking at Kobee.

“It was an accident.” Kobee lied. “I’m not pressing charges against a meat slicer.”

With Kobee being uncooperative the cops shrugged and left. They couldn’t force Kobee to talk to them. Once they were gone Brandon looked at Kobee and wished him the best with his surgery, then he took Naomi by the bicep and lead her out of the room. “Let’s go pick up your stuff; you’re coming home with me.”

He reeked of beer. “Are you drunk?” She asked as they made their way down to the main lobby.

“I was having a few drinks with friends when you called. Remember I was off tonight. I wasn’t expecting to be putting out fires tonight.”

“I thought you said you had reading to do?”

“And I did it. I’m a quick reader, so I went out for some beers with friends. What’s with the third degree? I’m allowed to do whatever I want on my downtime. I don’t answer to you.” He snarled.

“No, you’re right, I’m sorry.” She apologized. When they stepped out into the night air, Brandon waved, and a black Lincoln Town Car pulled up. “Where is your car?”

“I was out drinking tonight. I took a car service.” He said opening the door. She climbed in the backseat and Brandon climbed in next to her and shut the door. “Gus, take us to China Town.” He instructed the driver.

The young driver looked back at him unsure about the order. “Are you sure Sir?”

“Yes.” The driver shrugged and faced forward. He drove them to her apartment.

Brandon told the driver to wait, and he walked her up to the apartment. He stood in her bedroom doorway while she packed a suitcase preparing to leave her family home for the first time. She had no idea what to bring so she packed what she thought she might need. She packed her dance tights and slippers. She packed jeans and t-shirts, and something to wear to bed.

“Bring a bathing suit.” He suggested. She just looked at him. “I have a hot tub you may want to use it.”

She grabbed her bathing suit and stuffed it into her suitcase and zipped it shut. She took one last look at her home. She didn’t know how long she’d be gone. Then she followed Brandon back down to the car. The driver put the suitcase in the trunk, and they both got into the backseat. The driver took them uptown. It was twenty minutes away and in the nicer side of Manhattan.

The car came to a stop outside a towering twenty-story apartment building directly across for Central Park. It was extravagant. They got out of the car and were immediately greeted by the doorman while the driver fetched Naomi’s suitcase. Naomi thanked the driver, and Brandon paid him. The driver thanked him and got back into the car.

The doorman opened the door and tipped his hat to them both with a smile. Inside Naomi came to an abrupt stop as she looked around the large lobby. It looked like something one would see in a five-star hotel with a lounge and fireplace. There was a front desk just like a hotel with people in fancy uniforms behind the desk they all smiled and greeted Brandon. Brandon escorted Naomi to the desk to introduce Naomi to the staff.

“Good evening Mr. Sanchez.” The desk clerk nodded respectfully. “I trust your evening was fun?”

Brandon smiled. “It could have been better. Kevin this is Miss. Naomi Lee and she will be staying with me indefinitely. I expect you will inform the staff and she will receive the same courtesy and respect you give me.”

“Of course, Mr. Sanchez, I will inform the others.”

Brandon then took Naomi by the arm and led her to the elevator where the guarded tipped his hat to them both. “Evening Mr. Sanchez.” He said with a smile.

“Evening Larry, this is Miss. Lee. She will be staying with me.” The guard nodded at her respectfully. “Make sure no one but Miss. Lee and people you know get on this elevator.”

“Of course, Mr. Sanchez.” The guard said with a nod.

They got on the elevator, and Brandon pressed the penthouse button. They rode the elevator up to the penthouse. The doors slid open, and they both stepped off the elevator and into a private hallway. There were paintings and gilded mirrors on the wall small tables with expensive vases and fresh cut flowers. The walls were a deep maroon colour, and the floors were dark hardwood. At the end of the short hallway were white double doors. Brandon took out his keys and unlocked the doors. He went inside, and Naomi followed.

Brandon shut the door behind them and locked it immediately deactivating his security system. “Welcome to my home. Consider it your home away from home.” He said walking farther into the foyer. It was beautiful with high ceilings and white marble floors. There was a large round cherry wood table in the center of the foyer with flowers. To her right was a coat closet. Brandon took off his jacket and hung it up in the closet then he took her coat and hung it up in the closet with his.

He then took her suitcase and led her into the apartment. It was incredible to the right was a short hallway that had two doors. “That’s my office, stay out of there. There is also a half bath feel free to use.” He said walking farther into the open room. To the right was an open kitchen with black marble counters and bamboo cupboards. There was an island with a pot rack hanging above it. In the corner of the kitchen was a glass door that looked like it led to a small walk-in wine cellar. “This is the kitchen; help yourself to whatever you like.”

To the left was an open living room with high ceilings and a sunken living area. The furniture was black and white contemporary, very lovely, very expensive. A black leather sectional was in the center of the room. There was a large fireplace, and a large flat screen TV mounted to the wall above the mantel. The far wall was all glass, floor to ceiling, and wall to wall windows with a door that opened up on to a spacious concrete balcony. From where she stood she could see what looked like a large hot tub, a barbeque and… was that a swim gym, she’d never seen one of those.

Between the kitchen and the living room was a suspended winding staircase that led up to a second story. Brandon mounted the stairs with Naomi close behind him. Upstairs was a small square hallway. There were three doors. “This is the washroom.” He said opening the door to the right of the staircase. Inside was incredible. There was a free-standing shower with glass doors and what looked like jets from all sides. There was a large Jacuzzi tub. A full wall vanity and a closet with towels.

Brandon then pointed to the center door. “That’s my room and this one is yours. You’re in luck I just redecorated it.” He said opening the door to the left. Inside was a king-sized bed with deep brown bedding. The walls were dark, and the carpet was a bright white. There were a free-standing antique wardrobe, a matching dresser and an incredible view from the window. It was beautiful.

“This is your home?” She asked standing in the middle of the room. It was lovely. She’d never been in any place so extravagant.

“Yep, this is home.”

“This was what you got as a graduation gift?” Brandon just smiled and nodded. He had generous parents.

“Make yourself at home.” He said placing her suitcase on the dresser. “I’m going to bed. I have to work in the morning.”

“Yes, I have class tomorrow too.” Luckily the school was just a few blocks away. It was very convenient.

“Yes, tell the desk clerk to call you the car service. Don’t worry about paying them they charge our family monthly.”

“The school is not far away I can walk.”

“Not with the Black Dragons looking for you. I don’t want you going anywhere alone. Just take the car service. Go to school and home and stay off the street and out of China Town. I’ll be home around six.” She just nodded. She valued her life so she would do as she was told. Brandon headed for the door. “Good-night Naomi.” He said leaving the room.

“Good-night Brandon.” He shut the door behind him, and Naomi was left alone in a strange place. Well, she supposed she should unpack and go to bed. She had to be up early in the morning. The class didn’t wait for anyone.