CH327

CH326
Hotaru 
 
I heard a few mourning gasps and clenched my jaw. They could just as soon move to the turtle's city, but it wasn't that simple. Ryuu had some sort of city-wide covenant about loyalty, wealth, what he essentially called the nobility of his city. They'd be paying a heavy price to leave this party, let alone being kicked out of Ryuu’s city. 
"Beat Nara to death."
Nara's head shot up. He started trying to escape, yanking and thrashing in the arms of Ryuu’s men who didn’t even flinch at his attempts. Adele let out a fearful wail. And Ryuu, that bastard, sounded as unaffected as he would ordering dinner.
"He’s had too much fun terrorizing Ren and facilitating that disgusting little stunt of Hotaru's." 
“You can’t! What about —”
"As for Hotaru… crush his hands." 
A chill licked down my spine. I went stiff, staring at the phone in absolute disbelief before looking up at the man holding the phone. He smiled wryly as if he was going to personally enjoy it.
“Make sure he can never hold a gun again. Or grip much of anything, really. Since he doesn’t understand that he should keep his hands to himself, but don’t sever them. He should be reminded of his transgressions for the rest of his life... whatever is left of it.” 
The blood rushed from my head. He was a fool if he thought his men could really do enough damage to keep me from being able to use a gun in the future. I always recovered. My hands—the hands that had held my empire together, that had wrapped around a thousand triggers, that had built everything I had—were not so weak as to break no matter what they did, and yet… the dread, the fear that was pooling in my gut was very much real.
The man holding the phone was looking at my hands with a surgical sort of look.
“You’ve got it boss.”
"And since he likes putting bullets in people, put one through his shoulder." 
I gritted my teeth. That was just plain petty.
"Before you leave, get a map and GDP estimate of the territory that Nara manages and everything he owns. It'll be sold and the proceeds will be given to Ms. Black as compensation for emotional and physical damages. Adele and Nami are to be left destitute. That means seize whatever money they may have, the keys to their home, car, whatever. Leave then with nothing more than a pair of shoes, a phone, and a single change of clothes. They’ll be exiled from the city as well. Let them feel what it's been like for Ren." 
I swallowed hard, fingers curling into weak fists. 
The silence stretched. Then, Ryuu chuckled darkly. 
“Oh, and Hotaru… Happy Birthday.” 
The call ended. 
And then the first blow landed with a sharp crack and a cry from Nara. The man holding the phone, tucked it into his pocket and pull out a lighter.
“Hold him.”
I braced myself, clenching my jaw. I wasn’t going to scream. I wasn’t going to yell or struggle. The man looking down at me, opened a lighter and drew a thin needle of fire. My stomach fell. He smirked.
“You didn’t think I was just going to crush your hand, did you?”
 
 
Ren 
I woke up to the sterile chill of a hospital room, the ceiling above me was cracked and ugly. Everything was too white, too quiet. But it was welcome, I could feel the real Ren relaxing at the back of my mind while I hovered on the edge of exhaustion and panic. My heart was racing, even as I knew I was safe. Well, I thought I was safe. The memories of the day rushed through my mind. The urge to run screamed through me and then the pain set in, keeping me in place.
Something was wrong, I knew, but I couldn’t say why I knew for certain that I shouldn’t be in this much pain still. A soft groan of pain escaped me. My whole body ached and throbbed. Some of it was sharper than others, pushing through whatever was in the IV hanging over my head. One of the strongest patches of agony pulsed through my shoulder and hand. My fingers wouldn’t move. I blinked slowly, trying to piece together where I was, what had happened, what state I was in now... 
Then I heard the soft click of fingers on a keyboard. I turned my head just enough toward the sound and saw him.  The deep breath of relief that escaped me, melting me into the softness of the bed was indescribable.
Ryuu was sitting in a chair beside my bed, sleeves rolled, collar undone, a tablet in his hands as he scrolled through something and typed on the separate keyboard sitting on the table beside him. My eyes burned, staring at him. Tears threatened to escape, but I held them back, simply watching him and drawing.... a sense of peace at the sight of him. Even now, after all that had happened, he looked composed. Dangerous, but composed. Just like always.  
Always?  
I frowned at the thought. It didn’t feel wrong, but it was odd. I had never met Ryuu before, but perhaps the real Ren was reacting to having seen him on television or something. That sense that this was him in his natural state felt real. For a moment, I imagined him in another place, another time, draped in a long flowing silk robe, reading from a scroll, an ink brush in his hand, hair tied up neatly.
He’d look up at me. Smile.
Hello, wife...
My heart lurched and twisted with a longing grief that brought tears to my eyes. I tore my gaze away hoping to ease the ache before it got much worse. I blinked back tears and shifted in bed, grimacing at the feeling of my bare skin against the sheets. The hospital gown was paper thin. My arms and chest covered in white gauze. My right hand was encased in a cast. I could only imagine what the rest of me looked like as my face started to throb and my ribs ached.
We’re alive, the real Ren whispered.
We are.
Ryuu looked up when I stirred. 
“You’re awake. How do you feel?” 
His voice was low, gentle. Softer than it had been before. It caressed my sense. Again, I saw someone else in his place. The man with dark opal eyes, dressed like he’d stepped out of an old painting. A man with a different face and without that ring of gold around his pupils. I blinked the vision away as I tried to speak, but my throat was dry, my mouth thick with the taste of old blood and cotton. 
He stood from his seat and leaned over, pressing the button over my head before pouring a cup of water with a long straw. He offered it to me and I latched onto the straw greedily. Before I could even get a sip, he pulled it away. I looked up at him.
“Slowly, little bird,” his lips twitched into a ghost of a smile. “Slowly.”