A Haunted Love - 6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Kazuma woke up the next morning to find Hideki snuggled against his side, much like a kitten. He rarely allowed himself the luxury of sleeping next to someone in bed. The baggage was too heavy to bother with, so his lovers left in the middle of the night, or in the morning with minimal conversation.

Kazuma couldn’t remember the last time he had slept beside a man he was attracted to without it going all the way. Hideki certainly broke all his barriers.

Sweeping his fingers through the dark hair covering Hideki’s face, Kazuma kissed Hideki’s forehead. He extricated himself from Hideki’s warmth and pulled the covers over Hideki.

Sliding out of the large bed, Kazuma went to the bathroom. He returned minutes later to find Hideki hugging his pillow. A smile tugged on his lips as he picked up his phone on the bedside table. Walking to the windows, he leaned on the wall as he sifted through the updates Sora had sent him.

Sora had compiled lists of the people Hideki worked with at the office, highlighting potential suspects. She’d included background checks on Haru and Jin, the manager at the club. Once again, he couldn’t see anything that would trigger a kidnap attempt from both friends.

Rubbing his eyes, Kazuma slipped his phone into his pocket and turned to watch Hideki sleep.

This night had changed their dynamics.

Getting this close to Hideki wasn’t part of the rule book, but he couldn’t help wanting the younger man. Hideki got under his skin and kept digging himself deeper with every moment. The deeper he cared for Hideki, the more uneasy Kazuma got. One mistake, one misstep on his part, and Hideki would land in trouble.

Kazuma sighed.

A year ago, this uncertainty had not plagued him. He had been sure of his skills as a protector, good at his job, never known doubt in his decisions, until his last assignment: until Josephine Wood.

Josephine, Kazuma thought guilt raring its ugly head.

Josephine was an eighteen year old socialite right out of high school. Her parents were industrialists who lived in Tokyo. They hired him to protect her after a kidnap and ransom threat right as she prepared to enter college.

Kazuma had run a tight ship with Josephine. Tight enough to frustrate Josephine. She had complained daily when she couldn’t meet her friends, or leave the house as she pleased.

One night, tired of fighting with Josephine, Kazuma agreed to compromise with her, and allowed her to go to a pool party in a hotel in Shinjuku. He had felt confident that his security team would manage to keep track of Josephine. However, once they reached the hotel, they found the place packed with college students. Kazuma had a rough time keeping up with an excited Josephine.

He remembered her jumping into the pool to join friends in the water, one minute he had eyes on her, and the next he lost her. She disappeared in the crowd of people.

Kazuma wiped a hand down his face at the memory. The panic he felt as he realized the situation was out of control. Josephine’s kidnappers grabbed her in the water, got her out of the pool before he could realize she was lost. By the time Kazuma managed to empty the pool to confirm her missing, Josephine’s kidnappers had already taken her out using the service wing of the hotel.

There started a chase he would never forget. A chase that ended in a bleak warehouse by the docks, and a metal box holding Josephine’s lifeless body.

Kazuma had not slept for months after that.

Blinking away the nasty memories, Kazuma’s gaze focused on Hideki.

He would not lose Hideki.

***

“Move your office here,” Riku told Hideki later that morning.

Hideki paced the length of his father’s desk.

“I don’t want to.”

“You need to,” Riku said. “Your security is only effective if you make life easier on them. Gallivanting around—

“I’m not going on lockdown because of one incident.”

“Two,” Riku corrected. “We have two incidents with Kazuma beside you, Hideki.”

“I’ve had plenty more before he joined the team,” Hideki said. “Don’t do this to me. You know I hate it when you try to keep me away from the world.”

“Someone wants you bad enough to run you off the road. How much luck do you think you have? I don’t see you surviving another attack.”

“Dad.”

“Son,” Riku countered with a small smile.

“Don’t make fun,” Hideki said, shaking his head. “This is not our agreement. You’re supposed to let me do what I want—

“Not when your life is in danger,” Riku said. “I’m not losing you, Hideki. Move your operations to the house. Your staff can manage the office without you.”

“How long will this lockdown last?” Hideki asked.

“Until the culprit is caught,” Riku stated.

“That could take ages.”

“Then ages it will be,” Riku said.

Hideki stared at his father in disbelief. Knowing there was nothing he could say that would change Riku’s mind, Hideki stormed out of the study. He ignored Kazuma who stood outside the door waiting his turn to see Riku.

“Hyde,” Kazuma called.

Hideki kept walking needing to work out the frustration building inside him. He couldn’t blame his father for worrying about him. Hell, he was worried. However, once a lockdown started, it didn’t end easily. The last time his father had insisted on a lockdown, he’d ended up stuck in the estate for almost a year.

Hideki stalked downstairs to the basement where there was a swimming pool and changing rooms. He changed into swimming shorts he had left in the changing room the last time he’d gone swimming. Putting on swimming goggles, he dove into the water and swam under water for a full lap before he came up for air.

***

“Hideki is not happy with me.” Riku stood staring out the windows in his study. He turned to Kazuma. “I can’t help but worry. I don’t think these people are playing around anymore. Yesterday was serious.”

“It was,” Kazuma agreed. “Sir, I know you’ve allowed our agency to look into your business dealings. So far, we’ve found none that would lead to the attempts on Hideki’s life. Do you have anyone you suspect?”

“I suspect everyone I do business with,” Riku said, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter that there is no evidence. I don’t trust anyone right now.”

“Which is good, but you must have someone you suspect.”

“You met her yesterday,” Riku said with a scoff.

“Hideki’s mother?” Kazuma frowned.

“Yes.”

Kazuma shook his head.

“She doesn’t look like someone who’d want to hurt Hideki. In fact, she worried about him—

“That’s news to me. Kazuma, I’ve never told Hideki the reason why we divorced.”

Riku moved to sit: pulling out his large chair, he sank into it with a heavy sigh.

“Why did you divorce?”

“Because,” Riku stared at him, then shook his head. “When Hideki was one year old, I came home to find Naoki drowning him in his bath. The doctors said she was depressed, but it wasn’t the first time she’d done something like that. I was terrified she’d succeed when I wasn’t around. So, I ended the marriage, and send her faraway from Hideki.”

“She has changed,” Kazuma said, though he doubted it would convince Riku. The past was hard to forget. He was sure Riku would never see Naoki in another light. “She has a daughter now.”

Riku shrugged.

“It doesn’t matter. Naoki’s heart is damaged. She might try to take Hideki from me as revenge for taking him away from her.”

Kazuma sighed. “I’ll check into her.”

“That’s wise,” Riku said. “Allow Hideki anything he wishes within the estate. His lockdown is never easy.”

“Does it have to be a full lockdown?” Kazuma asked.

“What are you suggesting?”

“Hideki can work from home, but allow him time to go out and meet his friends.”

“Haru and Jin may visit.”

“Yes, but Hideki might want to go out with them.” Kazuma wondered why he was fighting for Haru at all. That punk needed to be smacked. “Allow him the choice; it makes it easier for him to stay without complaint.”

Riku sighed and leaned back in his seat.

“Hideki doesn’t really complain. When he’s unhappy, he’ll turn cold.”

“I know that.” Kazuma smiled.

“Very well, as long as he’s safe, Kazuma-san. I can’t lose my son.”

“Yes sir,” Kazuma got up and left the study.

***

Hideki swam until the point of exhaustion. He came up for air after his last lap and leaned on the wall, tugging off his swimming goggles, he pushed his hair back, wiping water out of his eyes with his hand.

“Feeling better?” Kazuma asked above him.

Hideki glanced up to find Kazuma squatting on the side of the pool. He held a large towel, and wore a handsome grin.

“You should join me,” Hideki said, standing to his full height.

“Perhaps another time,” Kazuma said, holding out his hand to help him get out of the pool.

Hideki took the strong hand, and smiled when Kazuma pulled him out in one swift motion. The warm towel Kazuma wrapped around him was welcome. He buried his face into the cotton with a sigh. He had no idea how he was going to survive in this estate without leaving.

Kazuma took another towel from a table set right by the pool, and used it to rub Hideki’s hair dry.

“You’re not stuck here,” Kazuma said, as though reading his thoughts.

Hideki met his gaze with a frown.

“What does that mean?”

“I talked with your father. You can work here, but if you want to go out with Haru and Jin, you can. Of course in a controlled setting.”

“You did that for me?”

Kazuma smiled, giving him a short nod.

“You looked so upset.”

Hideki leaned up and kissed Kazuma.

“Thank you.”

Kazuma wrapped his arms around him and deepened their kiss.

Hideki clung to Kazuma’s pale blue shirt and lost himself in their kiss. He loved Kazuma’s kisses. No one had ever kissed him the way Kazuma did.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Haru’s voice penetrated the sensual haze enveloping him, making him stiffen in Kazuma’s arms.

Hideki started to step back, but Kazuma wouldn’t let go of him. There was no guilt this time, instead a wave of annoyance swept through him. He was annoyed that Haru had interrupted their kiss.

“Hi Haru,” Kazuma said, brushing a kiss on Hideki’s jaw, rubbing his shoulders over the towel. “You should have called.”

“I’ve never called before,” Haru said in defiance. His tone irritated Hideki. “Hyde, tell him.”

Hideki sighed and Kazuma allowed him to step back.

“I’m on lockdown.” Hideki told Haru, dragging the towel on his head off. He threw it on a lounge chair and met Haru’s gaze. “You know how that goes.”

“What happened?” Haru asked, following him to the changing rooms. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“I had a hard night.” Hideki said, going to the shower. “I had no time to call.”

“Caught up in Kazuma’s arms?” Haru asked, bitterness in his tone.

Hideki stepped under the hot water with a sigh.

“So what if I was?”

“That’s nice,” Haru said with a scoff. “Hyde, you don’t ever stop to think about me, do you? Do you think this is easy for me?”

Hideki closed his eyes and let the water run over him, praying Haru would walk away without arguing. He didn’t know what he could say that wouldn’t hurt Haru.

Turning off the water, Hideki concentrated on drying and getting dressed.

Haru sat on a bench by the wall, his arms crossed against his chest. When Hideki was done dressing, he chose the bench across, and stared at his oldest friend.

Haru looked handsome as ever. In a white v-neck tee and dark slacks, Haru looked as though he had come straight from home, instead of his green houses. His eyes were bright with emotion.

“I don’t know what to say to make this easy.”

“Why him?” Haru asked.

“What?”

“Why do you respond to him?”

Hideki stared at Haru confused.

“I don’t understand.”

“I’ve tried everything,” Haru said with a sigh. “You’ve remained this closed-off iceberg. Never making an effort to even look my way. He comes along, and you’re moaning with the first kiss, clinging to him and melting away. How does that happen?”

“It just does,” Hideki said.

He didn’t know why Kazuma made him feel like he was going to explode with need but he liked it.

“Yeah,” Haru said looking away. “What happened last night?”

Hideki stared at his hands.

“There was an incident on our way back from seeing Naoki.”

“You introduced Kazuma to Aunt Naoki?” Haru asked, making Hideki glance up.

“I had a consignment to check.”

“Oh how convenient,” Haru scoffed.

“I don’t need this.” Hideki got to his feet. “I’m trying to meet you half-way but you’re making it difficult. I don’t owe you anything, Haru.”

“Don’t you?” Haru asked, getting up too.

Hideki stared at Haru then cursed under his breath.

“I don’t think we should talk right now.”

“Hyde.”

“Go home, Haru.”

Hideki started out the door.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to remind—

Hideki stopped to look at Haru.

“You meant to remind me. I’m in a bad mood today. I don’t want to fight, so go home, we’ll talk later.”

“Hyde.”

“It’s getting harder to breathe, Haru. Give me a fucking break.”

Hideki left the changing rooms to find Kazuma waiting for him outside. Hideki didn’t pause to check whether Haru followed him. Instead, he led the way upstairs.

He didn’t like fighting with Haru.

Their past was too tangled. Hard feelings tended to crop up during any fights, and he hated it. Haru being his best friend and ex-boyfriend, he didn’t want to regret any of those relationships.

Hideki started for the second floor of the house. Whenever he worked at home, he used the library because it was the most comfortable room for work. The library was also equipped with all office equipment needed to ensure a smooth transition.

“What do you want done about Haru?” Kazuma asked, once he was seated behind an old mahogany desk by the windows.

Hideki swung his chair from side to side, frowning at the windows.

“Did you tint all the windows in this house?”

“They’re also bullet proof,” Kazuma answered with pride.

“When do you sleep?” Hideki asked, amazed. “Leave Haru alone, he’s upset.”

“What is going on with you two?”

The library windows had an excellent view of the front of the house. Hideki frowned when he saw Haru appear in the front drive. Haru walked to his car slowly, his gaze returning to the windows on the second floor. Haru knew he was in the library.

Hideki got up and moved to stand by the windows.

Haru stood by his car for a moment, hand braced on the top of his car as he stared at the library windows. A moment passed, and then Haru got in his car, and drove off.

“Hyde,” Kazuma said behind him.

Hideki moved away from the windows.

“What?”

“Why do you care if Haru’s upset? You’re the one in danger.”

“I’ve told you before, don’t try to understand my relationship with Haru.”

“I need to,” Kazuma said. “I’m tempted to ban him if all he does is act up.”

“Don’t even dare,” Hideki warned.

“Why?” Kazuma asked.

“Because,” Hideki frowned. “I—

“Tell me.”

“I owe him.”

Now it was Kazuma’s turn to frown.

“What do you owe him?”

“Haru lost someone important because of me.” Hideki moved his chair closer to the desk. “Don’t stop him from coming to see me if he wants. Ignore our fights. It’s always been that way between us. We sort it out.”

Kazuma’s frown only deepened.

Hideki pointed to the stack of documents his assistant had brought over.

“I need to get to work. I’m sure you have things to do too.”

Kazuma sighed and left the library.

Alone, Hideki sat back and rolled the chair around to the windows. His gaze on the spot where Haru had stood, his thoughts filled with the memory of Haru’s first love.

Keijo Takuya.

They’d been in high school. Hideki remembered Keijo following him and Haru everywhere they went. It wasn’t easy for him to make friends, but Haru and Keijo had hit it off right away. Hideki had accepted Keijo because of Haru. They went to see movies, played baseball and video games after school…messed around doing nothing, Hideki smiled. The only thing he never allowed was bringing Keijo to the estate.

One afternoon after baseball at school, Hideki walked into the locker room at school to find Haru and Keijo kissing. The sight of them wrapped in each other’s arms made Hideki jealous. He had thought Haru his and the sight of Keijo kissing Haru pissed him off. From there, his relationship with Keijo turned into a push and pull: Keijo pushing the boundaries with Haru, and Hideki pulling Haru out of Keijo’s grasp.

It didn’t end well…Hideki thought.

His jealousy turned Keijo crazy.

The night Keijo died, he and Haru were attending a benefit gala hosted by his father. Keijo sneaked into the hotel disguised as a waiter and asked Hideki to meet him on the roof of the building. Bored, Hideki escaped the gala and hurried upstairs only to have Keijo grab him and threaten to throw him over the building.

They struggled. Hideki got the upper hand pushing Keijo off him. Keijo’s footing was imbalanced, he slipped and fell over the wall. Hideki remembered holding on to Keijo’s arms with all his might. When Haru ran into the scene, he screamed in surprise and tried to come up to the railing to help Hideki. Hideki ordered Haru to go get help.

Hideki closed his eyes remembering Keijo’s smile when he stopped holding on to Hideki’s arm. Essentially letting go, so Hideki was holding Keijo’s dead weight, fighting to pull him up alone…his arms burning, it had felt like he was going to fall over too. Then Keijo’s hands slid out of his grasp….damnit…

Hideki opened his eyes escaping that horrible moment. Haru had loved Keijo. Keijo died because Hideki hadn’t been strong enough to pull him up.

And so, Haru blamed him for it.

***

“Hideki says he made Haru lose someone important,” Kazuma said, his gaze on the overhead screen in the security room. “Who was important to Haru?”

“Haru’s parents are both alive,” Sora said into his ear. “Haru has no siblings. He owns the green houses, they supply his flower shop downtown. His relationships are tied into Jin and Hyde. I’ve combed through work colleagues, and schoolmates he still talks to, but there is no one suspicious. Jin and Hyde are his primary friends. There are no major incidences that really stand out.”

“Alright, maybe we shouldn’t look at incidences in Haru’s life,” Kazuma said. “No one has documented them as they do Hideki’s.”

He closed Haru’s file on the screen and opened the dossier Renegade Securities had on Hideki’s life. It was a thick file. Riku had documented incidences in Hideki’s life as though he were cataloguing birthdays and graduations.

“You want us to look at the security files we got from Riku-san?”

“It’s the way Hideki said it,” Kazuma said. “Haru lost someone because of him. Don’t you think it would be caused by a kidnap attempt, or a raid…?”

“I get it,” Sora said. “Hmm…good thinking, there are four major incidences in Hideki’s file before Riku got formal security companies involved. First one starts with a trip to the hospital, at age one, a near drowning.”

Kazuma refused to elaborate on that. Riku hadn’t included the reason for the near drowning in the report, but now that he knew, Kazuma understood Riku’s reluctance when it came to Naoki.

Why would a mother try to drown her child?

“The records on the drowning are sparse. I assume it was settled right away. The next incident, Hideki is eight. He went missing for three hours, and was found in an abandoned building downtown. He was kidnapped by one of Riku’s ex-employees in an attempted blackmail. The culprit is serving out his term in a maximum prison.”

Kazuma wished he didn’t know the details to that attempt, but he’d read the file. It pained him what Hideki had to live through at age eight. The fear eight year old Hideki must have felt, all alone…Kazuma sighed.

“Third incident happened at age fifteen. He was threatened by—,”

Sora broke off.

“What’s going on Sora?”

“The name on these files…” Sora sighed. “It says Keijo Takuya, but I’ve seen that name…”

“Please stop thinking to yourself, I can’t hear it.”

“Haha,” Sora said. “I got it. Keijo was a schoolmate, went to high school with Haru and Hideki. This Keijo attacked Hideki at a gala at the Samsa Hotel. Details again are unclear.”

Kazuma pulled up the file Sora was reading and went through the details of the hostage crisis on top of a ten-floor building.

“Keijo is dead.” Sora read the conclusion. “Fell off the building. Rescue found Hideki screaming because he couldn’t save Keijo.”

“Strange when Keijo is the one who did the attacking.” Kazuma studied the file for a moment. “Find out everything about this Keijo. Maybe he has family who want revenge.”

“You got it.”

Kazuma stared at the picture of Keijo curiosity burning as he wondered what Haru meant when he’d told Hideki he owed him.

***

“Where are we going?” Hideki asked, later that afternoon.

Kazuma had walked into the library and dragged him out, urging him to his room. Kazuma cajoled him into wearing outdoor shoes. Now they were trudging in the meadow behind the house heading to the tree line.

“We’re getting air,” Kazuma said with a grin.

“I was breathing fine in the house.”

“Well, out here, you get fresh air not regulated air.”

“I like regulated air, all those bad particles taken out.”

“Live a little,” Kazuma answered as they reached the tree line.

They walked a few more minutes before they reached a small clearing Hideki recognized. He had liked playing here when he was young. No one to interfere with what he was doing, Aoki had shown it to him.

Hideki smiled when he saw a blanket with a wicker basket set in the middle.

It looked like Aoki had told Kazuma about the clearing too.

“I thought I would treat you to lunch.” Kazuma kissed his jaw. “What do you think?”

“Depends on what you have in the basket.”

“I don’t know what’s in the basket. Aoki prepared it for me. I will love her forever if she’s included strawberry cake.”

Hideki grinned.

“You have a sweet tooth.”

“Oh yeah,” Kazuma removed his shoes and stepped on the blanket. He sat down with his legs crossed and hands braced behind him, his gaze on Hideki…waiting.

And this was why he liked Kazuma…his patience with him.

How had Kazuma known to bring him here?

How had he known to drag him out here to let him escape the confines of his father’s house and a lockdown.

Hideki removed his shoes too and stepped on the blanket. He got to his knees before Kazuma and touched his unshaven jaw.

“I was worried you would start shaving this off.” He rubbed his fingers on the dark stubble on Kazuma’s jaw. “This look of yours has grown on me.”

“Does disheveled and unkempt turn you on?”

Hideki touched Kazuma’s lower lip with his thumb and sat back on his haunches.

“It seems so.”

Kazuma shifted moving close enough that there was only a small space left between their lips. Hideki took in a breath, bringing in Kazuma’s woodsy scent. Kazuma smelled so good, he wanted to keep taking him in.

Kazuma’s gaze was on his lips.

“Kiss me,” Kazuma whispered.

Hideki closed his eyes and kissed Kazuma without hesitation. He cupped Kazuma’s face, tasting his lips, savoring coffee and Kazuma’s heat. He moaned and came up on his knees letting the kiss take on a life of its own.

God, he loved kissing Kazuma.

Kazuma wrapped his arms around Hideki’s waist, holding him close.

The surge of heat was expected, the need to be closer was consuming…so consuming Hideki found himself straddling Kazuma’s legs, his arms wrapped around Kazuma’s shoulders. A soft gasp escaping when Kazuma tugged the tails of his shirt out of his trousers, Hideki gave in to the overwhelming passion Kazuma fanned inside him.

***