Glaring, I fight the urge to cross the room and slap him. “And whose fault is that?”
For a long moment, neither of us speaks.
The tension in the air feels thick enough to choke on, and I lift my chin as Raf appraises me—like one might consider a brood mare before deciding to buy it.
But I’m not interested in becoming anything of the sort for this pompous, self-centered prick. I’m here for my family—because no one gets to use us and toss us aside without facing the consequences.
Not Rafael Chiaroscuro.
And most definitely not Tatsuo Tanaka.
“So,” Raf finally says. “You came all this way to play house with me?”
Cute.
He still thinks he’s so clever.
But he has no idea what drives me.
And it’s certainly not the thought of being trapped in a house with him. “I came here for my family,” I clarify. “But I have a counteroffer to my father’s proposal. One that stays between you and me.”
Raf’s brow lifts, that rakish look of surprise uncovering the features I so recklessly fell for five years ago. “Do tell,” he insists, the laughter in his tone bordering on bitter.
I step closer, balling my fists so I don’t do anything stupid—like try to strangle him. Or wipe that smug smirk off his lips. “We fake it.”
Raf blinks, confusion flitting across his strong, masculine features, and a tendon pops beneath the dark stubble on his cheek. “Fake what?”
“The marriage,” I say. “We make it look real. Our families get their alliance. You can trust that my father will stand behind vows said before God. Then, when the Yakuza start losing ground and when the war’s over—we walk away. A clean break.”
Amusement tugs at Raf’s lips. “You think it’ll be that easy?”
To walk away from him?
I did it once before.
I can do it again.
But that’s not what he’s asking.
He’s asking if I can pretend to be with him, to do a relationship with the man who broke my heart, knowing that it’s all pretend. “Nothing about this is easy. But it’s smart. You get your revenge. We get ours.”
He tilts his head, intrigued. “You want revenge?”
As if I can’t want something because it was done to my family rather than myself.
Of course I want revenge.
I love my family.
I would do anything for them.
And the Tanakas promised my father compensation for his support. But when the bill came due, it would seem their word is as useless as their friendship. “The Yakuza promised my familyterritory. Power. Then they reneged. They stole from us too.” My voice dips lower, quieter. “You’re not the only one who’s lost something.”
Emotion flickers across Raf’s face, there and gone before I can interpret it.
He studies me silently for another long moment, as if assessing the veracity of my determination.
“And why,” he asks quietly, “should I trust you? You don’t exactly have a history of being honest with me.”