Pragma

He comes first.

Akira Hebikawa, the heir of the strongest ruling Yakuza family. Unhinged, impulsive, belligerent, careless. A continuous pain in the butt for his bodyguard and right hand. Me.

We couldn’t be more different. We’re opposites who got together to fight against a common enemy, then never parted. He took me in out of curiosity and boredom, and with nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to, I followed him.

It was hardly love at first sight. I can’t pinpoint when these inconvenient feelings started to develop. Nevertheless they did, and slowly grew with time. Years to be precise. I quickly learned to push them down where no one could see. Not even myself.

Now out of the blue, the big boss orders Akira to get married, digging an even deeper grave for my ever-growing affection. I never had a chance, though. I’m a gaijin—an outsider—and I always will be. It doesn’t matter how long I’ve been part of the family, how obedient or loyal I am.

But Akira? He’s a Yakuza prince. A straight prince, with a future already planned and paved for him. Or so I thought. Because suddenly he wants to experiment…with me. How can I say no to that when I’ve been dying to have him under me? Skin to skin, breath to breath.

But each suitable marriage candidate he meets makes my heart ache, my desperation grow, and my inner fight rage. On top of that, danger is lurking. Old and new enemies are closing in from all sides, just as someone from my past comes back into my life without warning.

One false move, and I could lose everything. But don’t I need to actually have something to lose it? Have him?