I changed my pen name because it got boring. I hate boring.

Chapter16. Where Do We Go From Here

She pulls back, but doesn't release my shoulders. Her nails leave angry red marks on my pale skin, but I can't feel them. I can't hear anything but my own racing heartbeat. Her eyes are still closed, but her lips still ghost over mine. My grip on her waist tightens in anticipation. Finally her crimson eyes snap open, staring into my own viridian depths. She's starting straight into my soul, igniting my cold heart into an inferno.

She places her cold hand on my burning skin, rubbing my cheek like a mother would do a distressed child. My throat tightens; my hands began to feel clammy. I resist the urge to wipe them on my jeans.

She doesn't say anything, just continues to study my face intently. I feel the need to fidget underneath her burning gaze. Finally after what seems like forever she speaks, so lowly her accent thickens.

"Riku looks like you." She whispers, tracing my features with her fingers. I give a small grin.

"She has your lips and charming dimples." I tell her. At my words the light, but still there dimples make appear on porcelain cheeks. Her full red lips look so inviting; I just want to kiss her all over again. Tawny hair falls into her eyes and I reach up and gently tuck it behind her ear. I've never been so gentle unless I'm holding Riku. It feels like if I grab her or touch her too hard she'll shatter into a million pieces at my feet.

I care about her. I care about her a lot. She has given me the greatest thing I have ever had, and that is our beautiful daughter. We both gave each other something that would bond us forever. I don't feel like the Natsuki I once was. The Natsuki who only thought about herself with selfishness, arrogance, and ignorance. I feel like the Natsuki that is slowly but surely growing into someone that is admirable.

I didn't notice she undid my pony tail until my raven strands spilled over my shoulders and down to my lower back. She takes a few strands in her small hands, lifting them to her face, and then letting them fall back down. She circles around me like predator, a smile on her full lips. I weakly follower her with my eyes because I'm drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

Her hands lightly caress me from behind, curling themselves around my lean abdomen as she presses herself to my back. I can't move because stuck in a trance. I stare down at the ground as she moves my hair to the side and kisses the base of my neck. Goosebumps erupt all over my skin like a wildfire and I close my eyes and lean my head to the side to give her better access.

Smooth hands crawl under my shirt, ghosting over my abs once before removing themselves completely. I open my eyes and suddenly she's standing in front of me, staring up at me with eyes full of emotions I am unfamiliar with.

She places her left hand over her heart and her right hand over mine.

"Watashi mo sore o kanjiru." Shizuru whispers in my ear.

I looked at her with shock in my emerald eyes and a small smile comes to her lips. "I have ever since that night you came for me."

She brings my hands to her lips and kisses each knuckle softly and I pull her into an embrace, shuddering violently. She buries her face into my neck as her strong arms wrap around my torso. Tears fall from my eyes and drip onto her shoulder but she does not let go, only hugs me tighter.

A few moments after our embrace we can hear crying from the bedroom window. It's Riku, she's probably hungry. She pulls away from me and gives me that beautiful, dimpled smile I have grown to love. When she's not teasing me of course. Though her teasing smirk is equally as charming if not sexy?

"I'll take care of her. Will you come inside?" She asks.

"In a moment. I want to shoot a bit more." I say to more to the stars than to her. She nods softly, getting on her tippy toes and kissing my cheek. I watch her walk off with glowing green eyes. When she disappears behind the door is when I decide it's safe to breathe. I smile as I go to retrieve the forgotten basketball. I shoot the ball and I smirk as it goes through the net with a loud swish. As I go to retrieve the ball I hear something that chills my insides.

The clicking of a gun followed by a-

"Freeze bitch!" I jumped in terror, probably not smart after they said freeze. I furrow my brows as a familiar laugh echoes though the dark lot. I whip around to see a certain snow haired gangster clutching her stomach and laughing hysterically. I try to calm my racing heart as I glare at her. "What the hell is your problem?" I yell.

Faye recovers from her laugh attack and pockets her custom made Dessert Eagle. "Nothing I just like fucking with you."

"So pointing a gun to my head is funny to you?" I say, crossing my arms.

She shrugs. "Maybe if it were actually loaded it'd be funnier."

I rub my temples tiredly as I feel a headache coming on. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Faye makes a stank face at me, curling up her lip and furrowing her snowy brows. "Damn, can't even say hello like a normal person?"

"Faye!"

"Calm down Teen Mom. I just want to talk." I glare at her tittle for me and wait impatiently for her to continue. It must be serious because for the first time I've seen; her blue eyes lack the usual joking playfulness they usually carry.

"The Triads are also looking for Shizuru." She says in perfect English. If this weren't serious I'd ask her how she knew English, but seeing it is serious I gasp.

"Why are you speaking English?" I reply in English, though my accent was much thicker than hers. So maybe English was her first language. And for the record Faye doesn't look Japanese. She looks American.

She snorts. "You never know who's around. This needs to stay between you and me."

I nod. "How do you know the Triads are looking for Shizuru?"

"Zuma and I had a little run in with a few of them."

I widened my eyes. Is that why she wasn't here? "Is she okay?!"

Faye nods, though her blue eyes are dark with anger. "Yeah, just a little freaked out. Listen Natsuki, they thought she was Shizuru. Someone must have hired the Triads to track her down."

A deep scowl returns to my face. "I thought they were gangsters not mercenaries."

"They'd be school girls for the right amount of cash."

I stared at her intently. "You mean some rich fuck hired a group of gangsters to hunt her down?" I said disbelievingly, knowing that rich fuck must be her dad.

"That rich fuck is rich as fuck because the Triads don't come cheap. Trust me I know." Faye seethes.

"It's Takashi. I know it's him. He's the only one who'd do anything to get her back so he can continue beating her." I spat in anger.

"Maybe he's partners with the Triad's leader. Do you know who the Triad leader is?" I ask.

The young Yakuza lord shakes her head. "No one knows who the Triad King is, but whoever they are, they want Shizuru and they want her bad."

"Are you going to wait for them to come to you or something?" I ask the gangster.

"I don't bust back 'cause I shoot first." Faye says. "I've got to get back; I don't want her to be alone for too long."

"But you left her to talk to me unprotected." I point out. She slaps me on the back of my head.

"I keep my guns in her purse. She's never unprotected." Faye says as she starts to walk away. As this new information starts to sink in, her voice reaches my ears again.

"I'm American. Born and raised in Compton, California before the Yakuza came and got me." She says as she flicks me off before disappearing into the night.

I shake my head as I start to walk back towards my house.

Miyu watched with emotionless eyes as Natsuki walked back into her apartment. She had been coming to visit Alyssa before she caught sight of the green eyed girl and the target together. Now she sat in a tree, calling her boss to see what she would do next.

"Hello?" Tomoe's angry voice answered.

"I have located the target, awaiting further instruction."

"Is she alone?"

"No, she has hired the protection of a Yakuza leader." Miyu said.

Tomoe's voice grew angrier at all of these roadblocks preventing her from obtaining her precious Shizuru. "Who the fuck is their leader?"

"Faye Anthony, age 19. Born and raised in Compton, California. The lover of Shizuru's eldest sister." Miyu recited, luckily she knew English well enough to understand most of what the two were talking about.

"What is Shizuru-onee-sama's location Greer?" Tomoe asked impatiently.

"Kuga Natsuki's apartment."

"Ah, so she is with the Kuga brat? Very well Miyu I want you to do anything you have to do to bring me Shizuru-onee-sama."

"Kill them all. I want the baby dead as well. Shizuru and I will have one of our own one day. I don't need that abomination around. Kill that fucking baby."

"Understood. It will be done."

"Also Marguerite-san please refrain from eliminating any more henchman. We are terribly low."

Miyu almost sighed when she heard the sound of a gun going off.

"I can do whatever the fuck I want."

Damn, that's like insane on thirty different levels.