[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Tokuma s shoulders.
Promise we ll always be together, Toku, Musashi whispered. His breath was warm against
Tokuma s skin.
Tokuma reached up and took Musashi s hand, laced their fingers together. Musashi s plea always
made his heart ache. They d both been through war now and knew that there was no such thing as
always. But if Musashi wanted him to say it, he would. He d do anything for this man.
I promise, he whispered, even though he knew it was a promise he could never keep.
22
Sedonia Guillone
CHAPTER THREE
Tokyo, Present day
Holy shit. Seated on the edge of his uncle s bed, Toshi stared at the love letter in his hand.
The letter was one of many in the drawer of Musashi s bedside table. In each one, Tokuma Imoru
declared his endless passion for Musashi.
Holy shit. It was one of the first slang expressions Toshi had learned in English. Michael, his first
lover used to say it and Toshi had picked up the phrase. It had amused Michael, the difficulty he d
had saying the l in holy, but once Toshi had mastered the language, he d used this epithet quite
frequently, since life seemed to provide ample opportunity for it.
Apparently, his uncle and Tokuma Imoru had been lovers for years, and Musashi had never said a
word. Toshi had known that his uncle and Tokuma had been in the war together. Was that when
their love affair had begun?
His heart sped up, tightening like a rock pounding at his sternum. Sweat broke out in his armpits
and he breathed hard, as if he d just sprinted. Secret. Musashi. His uncle. How the hell?
He exhaled, fought for normal breath. It didn t work. His heart seemed to resist the calming
exercise. Emotions clawed him. Betrayal. Hurt. As if he d just been pushed away by his uncle s
invisible hand reaching out from death. Musashi had known his nephew was gay for years and he d
kept this secret.
Toshi?
Toshi looked up.
John stood in front of him. He d been waiting respectfully in the living room of Musashi s little
cottage behind the Genjin family home. His blue eyes radiated concern. I came in when I heard
you curse.
Toshi held up the letter. His hand shook, making the thin paper flutter. He opened his mouth to
speak but the roil of thoughts and emotions inside him prevented him from speaking.
John sank down next to him and slipped the paper from Toshi s hand. May I?
Toshi nodded. His shoulders sagged and he stared down at his empty hands while John held the
letter. Only then did it occur to him that John couldn t read Japanese. It s a love letter from Imoru
to my uncle. A very passionate one.
23
Beautiful Samurai, White Tiger
Oh. Wow. John s voice held a note of wonder. Another second passed. Oh& wow. The letter
fell from his hand.
Toshi looked at him. What?
John s cheeks colored under his tan. I m sorry, Toshi. He bent down and retrieved the paper. I
didn t& I mean& It s a love letter. I get& images& you know.
Not now, please. Images?
John s blush deepened. Yeah. You know.
Toshi hitched a small breath. No, he didn t want to imagine Musashi and Tokuma& naked. He
cleared his throat, plucked the letter from John s hand and stared at it some more, slouching over.
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
You didn t know, I take it. John s voice soothed him a bit.
Toshi shook his head, lifted his gaze to John s. No. He never said anything. Not a word in all the
time I knew him. Toshi shook the photo. But even so, John, I m a detective and I didn t figure it
out. I knew my uncle my whole life. He shook his head. We spent a lot of time together. He
encouraged me to be myself. I don t get it. He raked a hand through his hair. The edges of his
sight blurred and his breathing tightened again. His gut turned and his heart pounded. The person
he d loved most in the world had been lying to him from the very first.
Hey, Toshi& John squeezed his shoulder again, sliding his touch down Toshi s back to rub over
his jacket. It s all right. Even detectives can go into denial, especially about loved ones. Besides, it
doesn t mean you love him any less, right?
Toshi sighed. Of course not. He took another deep breath. This time, his body responded. His
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]