Kia Ora...

Right, can time slow down a bit... just take a pause for a few days so I can catch up. There are so many stories rattling around in my head, some demanding more attention than others, but it never feels like there is enough time to get them all written... but such is the life of a writer.

Caught has almost hit another milestone... less than 2k words to go until it hits 50k. When I first sat down to write this story, I thought it might hit around 45k, but once it's completed it will be closer to 60k!

There will be a special email going out for Easter filled with books that are on sale for the holiday weekend.

Updates

• Deviation (Nagoya Crimes 2) has passed the 20k mark. On target to (hopefully) release at the end of April/early May.
• Secret Short Story... is taking a bit of work to write as minor characters keep trying to take over the story... which isn't good when I have a 15k word limit for it.
• Almost 6k has been written on Knight (Crime Lords 4) - the main focus of this book will be Mao and Jun, though the rest of the Crime Lord boys will make appearances along with a new few characters.

Sneak Peek - Knight (Crime Lords 4)

(Coming Mid-Year)

Sliding his hands into the pockets of his pants, Mao stared at the map spread across the table, coloured dots marking each of the major cities needed to be conquered before their influence stretched into the smaller rural areas. Some would be easy to obtain though not without a certain amount of bloodshed. Cities that were comparable in size to Greertown and yet only had one major player that needed to be forced into submission while others required fighting on several fronts when negotiated entry into the cities didn’t work.

But it was possible. One unified criminal empire.

Countries were already governed by a singular political power, so why couldn’t that be replicated by those who operated in societies shadows?

Mao couldn’t see why not, easily envisaging himself as the king with Jun standing alongside him—a long trusted and faithful knight. It wasn’t as though the members of the Omori-Vasilev Syndicate weren’t already seen as Crime Lords, so wielding that power over the entire nation wasn’t that great a leap to make. Anything was possible if you put your mind to it…

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Read where the Crime Lords fun all started!

Kings - Dukes - Princes

Caught (Smoke and Shadows 1)

Chapter Thirty-One

“I’ll talk,” Mizawa said, spitting out blood along with a couple of teeth. “I’ll give you the names. All of them.” Hate blazed in his eyes, along with fear and resignation. Mizawa wasn’t stupid. There was no way he’d walk out of here alive, and even if he did, he wouldn’t live for long. The men whose secrets Mizawa had been determined to keep wouldn’t trust that his lips had remained sealed. And while death at Takeshi’s hands wasn’t going to be pleasant, Yoshitake could understand why Mizawa had finally capitulated—his honour would remain intact if Takeshi killed him.

Yoshitake pushed off the wall and strode toward the centre of the room where Takeshi stood in front of Mizawa tapping the bloodied blade against his thigh. A grin stretched tight across his face, wolfish and hungry for more than blood. He pressed his front to Takeshi’s back, one hand gripping the man’s hip tight while the other slid further around to stroke Takeshi’s hard cock.

“Then start talking,” Yoshitake said, pinning the man with a hard stare.

Mizawa swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to Takeshi’s crotch and a wistful longing flickered through his eyes as he watched the movement of Yoshitake’s hand. The action couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than what it was, and it only made Mizawa’s being involved with those determined usurp Takeshi all the more puzzling. Yoshitake narrowed his eyes and stared hard at the man, searching for the cracks in the mask he wore and the answers that lay beneath. The answers wouldn’t save the man’s life, Mizawa’s death warrant had been signed the moment he’d aligned himself with men who sought power that wasn’t theirs. But Yoshitake needed to know why a man like Mizawa would willingly pledge his loyalty to those who hated every fibre of his being…

“Shimadaira… he’s the one calling the shots now that Fujiata is dead… but there are men scattered throughout the different wards who are following him…men who are looking to overthrow their own bosses simply because they swore allegiance to you.”

“And what’s your reason for following him?” Yoshitake asked, flicking the button of Takeshi’s pants open and sliding the zip down. “You… are not the type of man whom any of them would appreciate in their ranks.” He shoved Takeshi’s boxers out of the way and fisted his lover’s hard cock as the man leaned against him, head resting on Yoshitake’s shoulder while soft whimpers tumbled from his lips.

Mizawa dragged his attention away from the sight of Takeshi’s cock sliding through Yoshitake’s tight grasp, eyes widening in shock while a dark blush streaked across his pale skin. “How did you…” he spluttered and yet the subtle shift of his toward Kenta couldn’t be disguised behind his shock.

Yoshitake shook his head and huffed a wry laugh. “You’re not as subtle as you think… at least not now that your sole meaning for living is already dead. Did no one ever tell you that falling for a straight man is a dangerous business… they’ll always kill you in the end.”

“It was worth it,” Mizawa replied with conviction. “I’d do it again, regardless of the cost.”

Admirable or not, the man would still die.

“The wards infected by Shimadaira’s poison… which are they?”

Mizawa dragged in a ragged breath and struggled to lift his head as the effects of blood loss began to take it’s toll. “Fukushima… Hirano… Naniwa… Tennoji,” he managed to get out between long pauses for air. “They plan to send the Shirokawa-gumi back into chaos… kill the bosses… then kill you and Matsumoto.”

“Why would they kill me?” he asked, stilling his movements. “You and Kenta had sought me out with the intention of working together.” Not that Yoshitake had intended for the men who threatened Takeshi’s position as head of the Shirokawa-gumi to live. But the men shouldn’t have known that. He’d not stayed silent about his desire to head the organisation, nor that his actions in supporting Takeshi were all part of a carefully planned ruse designed to get the youngsters trust before ultimately betraying him…

Takeshi tensed beneath his hands, and not in a good way while Mizawa stared at Yoshitake as though he’d grown an extra head or two.

“They don’t believe your act.” The words fought their way through Takeshi’s lust addled brain to fall from his lips. “They don’t believe you’re working against me.”

Mizawa snorted and shook his head. “Trust me… only those who know what to look for, realise that what is between you… that this deadly game of cat and mouse you’ve been playing is nothing more than foreplay. Shimadaira and his supporters wouldn’t have a fucking clue that your both still… fucking. No, the old man wants stand at the top of the organisation, and he’s not foolish enough to believe that Yoshitake would let him take it without a fight.”

“It’s not position to relinquish.”

“No. It’s not. And nor should it be.” Mizawa paused for a moment, his head flopping forward before jerking himself back upright. “And I must admit Matsumoto… I thought you were too young for the position… didn’t have the balls to do what was necessary. But after all this… my opinion has changed. Boss.”

“A sudden change in heart… of allegiances, isn’t going to save your life.”

“I know. I’ve accepted my fate.”

Yoshitake pressed a kiss to Takeshi’s temple while resisting the urge to take it further. “Is there anything else we should know? Like when his supporters intend to carry out these assassinations?” he added. “Because now is the time to say it.” He released his grip on Takeshi reluctantly and took a step back.

“I have no idea. Kenta and I were too low ranked to receive that kind of information,” Mizawa replied, resignation hanging heavy in his voice.

“Quick and painless. That’s what I told you,” Takeshi said, stepping closer to Mizawa, a knife once more wielded in his hand. “But we both now painless is a promise I can’t keep… but I can make it quick.”

Yoshitake watched as Takeshi slid the sharp blade between Mizawa’s ribs and pierced the man’s heart. Next to a bullet to the brain, there was no quicker way to die. He groaned and adjusted his own cock as Takeshi spun around to face him, the knife still clutched tight in his hand while blood dripped from the blood.

“He’s dead. They’re both dead.” A feral grin imbued with a dark hunger stretched across his lover’s face as Takeshi stalked toward him. “And now we can fuck,” he said, dropping the knife and reaching for Yoshitake, blood smearing over his skin.

“About fucking time,” he whispered, hauling Takeshi into his arms, and slamming their mouths together.

They devoured each other while the scent of blood wafted around them. Fingers scrabbled at their clothes, tearing buttons and fabric until it fluttered to the ground leaving them naked. He hissed as teeth scrapped at his skin chasing the lines left behind by blood-stained hands as they delved lower and tugged at Yoshitake’s pants until they too fell to the floor. Takeshi’s followed soon after. Grabbing Takeshi’s hand, Yoshitake led him back to the tables set against the wall of the warehouse. He pushed Takeshi down onto them, chest pressed hard against the polished wood while his legs were spread apart.

“You make a gorgeous picture like this… all spread out and needy for me,” he uttered, tracing down the length of Takeshi’s spine until his fingers disappeared between the cleft of his lover’s arse. “Gorgeous too when blood is spilled by your hand, staining your skin like their deaths stain your soul… Love that the only person who gets to see you like this, utterly high on blood and death…is me. You’re mine Keshi…forever mine.”

“You’re mine too… Take. Don’t you ever forget that either. Your life… your death…they are all mine to command.”

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New Release from Abrianna Denae

The Last Beginning

Want more Yakuza? Check out books by Amy Tasukada

One Thousand Cranes (The Yakuza Path 3)