Out of Her League: A Gemi Kittredge Mystery Book 2 (Gemi Kittredge Mysteries) by Shawn McGuire

Author:Shawn McGuire [McGuire, Shawn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Brown Bag Books
Published: 2021-10-29T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

I spent the night either looking pretty at Tanaka’s side or getting drinks and filling plates with hors d’oeuvres for him and the men that gathered around him. Playing the role of eye candy was humiliating, but I had to admit, it was a rush being around someone with that much power. Kenichi Tanaka was in full control and surprisingly soft-spoken. In fact, keeping his voice low appeared to be a tactic he employed. While the other men tried to talk over each other, the moment Tanaka uttered a word they all quieted and leaned in to hear what he had to say. If they wanted to be sure to not miss anything, they had to give him their undivided attention. And whatever he said seemed to become law. If he had told them to run full speed to the end of the property and jump off the cliff into the ocean, I was sure some of them would have done it.

I listened closely, hoping to get information on Ashlyn or something helpful for either Mother or Malia regarding the faction. The discussions, though, sounded like the types any other group of men would have. They talked about sports, wives, mistresses, children, their golf games, and their businesses. While I had expected to hear murmurs of mob hits and hush money, they spoke instead of investments and stock prices and whether upgrading their IT department was necessary. Disconcertingly normal. Especially considering they were all armed with handguns at minimum. If a fight broke out, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if short swords also appeared. The wakizashi, basically a small katana, could easily be hidden inside those suit jackets.

“Is it always this calm?” I asked Tess when we met near the bar.

Swaying and slurring again, she replied, “What were you expecting? A kung fu fight to break out in the middle of the crowd?”

She was teasing me. “I had no idea what might happen. Mother only prepped me on how to act like a lady and interact with the men. It all seems so . . . normal.”

Tess giggled, missing the glass she was filling and sloshing some of the liquid onto the table. “Oopsie. Tonight is your basic meet-and-greet. If you’re hoping for heat, that will come tomorrow. The top three men from Tanaka-kai and the splinter faction will meet in the boardroom. It may not come to dueling with swords by the pool, but I guarantee tempers will get hot.”

It was after eleven o’clock when a man I’d been looking for but hadn’t seen yet entered the gathering room. The shaggy black hair and crazy-eyed appearance made Noboru Shinoda instantly recognizable. Tanaka’s second-in-command, until recently at least, was the catalyst for the weekend’s gathering. And from the way the crowd quieted as he crossed the room, every single person here knew what could happen if things didn’t go well.

“Shinoda-san,” Tanaka stood, and they bowed to each other. “I wondered if you were going to show up. I was about to send everyone home.

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