Unwound

Shiori smiled. “As a matter of fact, I am. But that isn’t why I’m here. I wanted to see how things went with Ronin last night.”

“You didn’t talk to him today?”

“No. I’ve been busy since early this morning, and I’m not teaching at the dojo tonight. So what happened?” When Amery hesitated, Shiori said, “We can discuss this in private, if you like.” She opened the limo door.

“Cool.” She slid across the gray leather seat to the other side.

Ms. Impeccably Dressed practically floated into the car. Her champagne-colored linen pants didn’t have a single wrinkle, and her soft pink silk shirt had zero static. The woman never had a hair out of place. Even the night she’d shown up at the hospital at three in the morning, she’d looked like she’d just stepped away from a fashion shoot.

Amery checked out the interior of the limo. Tinted windows, plush carpet, tons of legroom. Seats that were both firm and cushiony. Beneath the sliding window was a console with a mini fridge. Even the ceiling was upholstered in velvet.

“I’ve been in a limo only once, when my friend Alyssa got married. I suppose that seems strange to you since having a car and driver at your disposal is your life.”

“It’s not like I have a choice. I don’t know how to drive.”

“At all?”

Shiori shook her head. “I don’t need to drive in Tokyo. And other countries I do business in frown at an unlicensed driver on their roadways.”

Amery laughed. “I suppose that’s true. But I can’t imagine not being able to climb in my car and drive wherever I want to.”

“Where would you like to go now?”

“Oh. I thought we’d just sit curbside and talk. Especially since it’s rush hour.”

Shiori pushed the intercom button. “We haven’t chosen a destination yet, so we’ll just stay here for now.”

“Let me know when you’re ready to go, ma’am.”

After winding her long, black tresses into a knot at the back of her head, Shiori secured it with a pair of chopsticks. Then she slid open a door on the face of the console.

“Holy shit. This is a fully stocked limo.”

“A requirement for an Okada executive since my job drives me to drink. What’s your poison today?”

“Rum and Coke would be great.”

“A favorite of mine as well.” Shiori flipped open another compartment, which contained ice. She filled two glasses and mixed the drinks like a pro, even adding a wedge of lime.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I hate to admit I usually drink alone, so this is nice.” She kicked off her heels, five-inch leopard-print Pradas, spreading her bare toes into the carpet with a soft sigh.

Amery sipped her drink. “I appreciate you coming by last night. By the time I got to Ronin’s place, he’d worked through some of his anger.”

“Did he tell you what Naomi said to him?”

“We discussed it this morning, which brought up some issues between us that we’d both conveniently shoved aside.”

“Can you talk about those issues?”

She studied Ronin’s sister. The big bad international corporate executive with tremendous sway in Amery’s career didn’t look so scary with her shoes off and her hair twisted into a messy bun. It occurred to her that since Shiori knew Ronin’s proclivities, she’d be a good one to talk to about her fears.

“Why are you sizing me up?” Shiori asked with that haughty edge.

“Relax. I’m just wondering if we’re off the record right now. I work for you, and I want to keep things professional.”

“Technically you don’t work for me since I . . .” She stopped. “Not important. But you’re also involved with my only sibling, so we’ll have a personal crossover regardless. I’m sure I’m probably the last person you’d trust, but I’d like to prove you can trust me. Obviously my first loyalty is to Ronin, and if you do or say anything that would put him in physical or emotional jeopardy, naturally I’d tell him.”

Good to know that after all the trauma Shiori had helped create in Ronin’s life that now she looked out for her brother’s well-being. “Fair enough. Our off-the-record time is just girl talk. But if you say or do something that might hurt him, same goes. I’ll tattle on you like a six-year-old girl.”

Shiori laughed. “Deal. And off the clock, my friends call me Shi.” She held her glass up for a toast. “May our shared secrets be as juicy as the men in our lives.”

Amery clinked her glass to Shiori’s. “Oh, I got that covered.”

“Did Ronin attack a heavy bag last night to work out his frustrations?”

“He was in the pool when I got there. His knuckles weren’t scuffed up like other times when he used his fists. But he was exhausted, so I imagine he did some punishing activity in the dojo.” Amery was a little clinical when she summarized what Ronin had told her.

“That’s not all of it, Amery. Probably not the worst of it.”

Why was she surprised Shiori had picked up on what wasn’t said? “Naomi told him she’d heard at the club that I refused to be his rope model in public. She asked him how he let a student dictate lessons to the teacher, which when phrased that way . . .” She swallowed a mouthful of courage. “It puts him in a bad light. But the thing is, since we reconciled, we haven’t discussed whether he’ll continue with demos. Or whether I’d be okay if he used someone else.”