Beast, Part Two (The Church #5)

Sex Club

Chapter thirty-five

Zel

T he hot water from the shower rains down on my body, helping to clear my head. The visions of my childhood disappear to the back of my mind.

You are here.

You are safe.

They can’t find you.

I repeat the words in my head over and over. It was the very first lesson I learned from Priest. The day he showed up at my parents’ house and dragged me out of that box will be a day I’ll never forget. Losing Priest has brought back many of my memories. Things I’ve worked hard to forget.

“As long as I’m alive, you will never have to fear them,” his words from the day he rescued me play in my head.

Turning off the water, I climb out of the shower. I grab the towel on the hook beside me and wrap my lower half before going over to the mirror. My jet-black hair has grown over the last few months I’ve been here. Now the front hangs in my face.

“Zel, pull your fucking hair out of your eyes.” I can almost hear Priest’s voice as if he’s standing here beside me.

Glancing down at my chest, I catch sight of the colorful artwork that adorns my upper body.

The vision of my eight-year-old self being held down as I’m tattooed for hours replays in my head.

“You belong to us, Kenji. For the rest of your life, you will belong to us.” I shake the memory away, hoping it goes back to the deepest part of my mind.

Turning away from the tattoos, I head into my room to dress.

Before long, I’m heading down to the dining room to catch up with the plans for today. Before I walk into the room, I shut my eyes and take a deep breath. I shed my concerns and worries and plaster a smile on my face.

I walk into the room to find Lucien alone.

“I see class hasn’t started yet.”

Lucien looks up from his computer. “You’re the first one here today.”

I pull out a chair and take a seat, propping my legs up on the table. “Did you sleep at all last night?”

It’s been a week since we took down Adam at that church. Yesterday, we realized that a little over a month had passed since we lost Priest. Last night, my brothers and I stayed up late reminiscing about the man that raised us.

“I got about three hours, but my mind wouldn’t rest though. What about you?”

I smile. He doesn’t need to know that I haven’t slept more than an hour a night since Priest died. My problems are not my brothers’.

“Like a baby,” I lie.

Hawk is the next to enter. He looks exhausted.

“I’m never drinking with you guys again,” he grumbles as he takes a seat.

Lucien and I both laugh at him.

Many and Kimi walk in together. Kimi takes a seat beside Lucien. Many leans against the wall.

“We are not equipped for alcohol,” he says, grabbing his head.

“No one told you guys to stay up drinking,” Kimi jokes. “All of you are too old for late nights.”

Maksim enters with a bag of frozen peas over his head. “All of you are too loud.” He flops down in the chair beside me.

Beast is the last to enter, looking perky and relaxed. He didn’t have a sip of alcohol last night. He explained that because Summer couldn't drink, neither would he.

Beast takes the seat at the other end of the table from Lucien.

“What’s the latest?” He asks as soon as he sits down.

“DOE has moved diligently through Corbyn’s homes. They’re down to the last three on Maksim’s list. They plan on hitting those three tonight. After that, it will be up to you, Lucien.”

He nods. “I can handle that. I’ve also tracked down Micah. He’s back in the states.”

Micah has been one of the harder siblings to find. He does a lot of Corbyn’s business overseas. He’s rarely ever on US soil.

“If Micah is back home, keep an eye on the underground sex clubs. His favorites are Aces, Pearls, and the Red Dragon,” Maksim says, laying his bag of frozen vegetables down on the table.

“I’ve heard of Ace’s, but I’ve never heard of the other two,” Beast says.

“Pearls is a lot like Aces, except only the very wealthy are allowed membership,” Kimi explains. “Vito runs Pearls.”

The funeral was the first time I met Vito and his brothers. We have yet to meet the one they called Mason, but they have been lending us their support this entire time. Guns, money, anything we’ve needed, they have offered. Even before Priest died, they were helping us and we just didn’t know it.

“Now, Red Dragon is a different beast completely,” she goes on to say. “It’s a lot grimier, and they have a lot stricter rules than Aces and Pearls. Their clientele is mostly criminals, and I’m not talking about your petty thief. I’m talking about the type of people that have no problem dropping bodies in rivers.”

“So not the type of place you want to run in with guns blazing?” I ask.

She nods. “Let’s just say it would be much better for all of us if he goes to Aces or Pearls. It’s easier to get into both of those with no negative outcome. Heck, I’m sure Vito would let us walk right in and put a bullet into Micah’s head at Pearls.”

We don’t need any more enemies right now. We had enough to last us a lifetime. Best-case scenario, Micah goes to Pearls, we call up Priest’s friend to set him up. One of us goes in and makes a quick kill. Worst-case scenario, we piss off a fucking crime lord and now we have a bunch of gangsters trying to kill us.

“Reach out to Vito now,” Lucien says. “I’ll go ahead and hack into all three of their databases. No matter where Micah decides to go, he will need to make a reservation.”

Lucien starts typing on his computer.

Kimi pulls out her phone. She taps at her screen as if she’s sending off a text. Only a few minutes pass before she speaks again.

“Vito says if Micah comes into Pearls, we have free range to do what we want.”

We all nod.

“We still need to figure out a plan,” Beast says. “I can take this one.”

Maksim shakes his head. “Not a smart move. Micah won’t be alone and if him or his men spot you, it’s game over.”

Word got out that we killed Adam in that robbery. Phoenix told us that Corbyn is pissed, but still doesn’t suspect anything. Thanks to Phoenix, we now know that Corbyn is getting a little more desperate. He’s been asking around about finding our location. He’s finally scared.

“Welp,” I say, shrugging as I take my feet off the table and place them on the ground. “I guess this one is mine.”

“We will play it the same way we did with Nolan,” Kimi goes on to explain. She’s stepped right into the shoes of Priest as far as leading these meetings and directing us. “Many and Seth will go as backup just in case things go left. The rest of us will stay here and guide you. It will be easy to get in and out of Ace’s and Pearls. Let’s not make this one too complicated.”

I dip my chin, agreeing with the plan.

“Fuck,” Lucien says, getting our attention. He looks up at us. “He just made reservations for Red Dragon.”

“Dang it,” Kimi swears or at least her version of swearing. “That changes everything. Lucien, how fast can you make up a criminal profile for Zel?”

Maksim shakes his head. “The type of clout he will need to get into Red Dragon can’t be on a resume. It has to be by word of mouth. His name must ring bells before they will allow him in.” He scrubs a hand down his face. “I might have to bite the bullet and make an appearance.”

“That’s too risky,” Hawk says. “By now your name is out there as being a traitor. They will either kill you on site or notify Corbyn and all this is for nothing.”

Although I hear them talking, my head is swimming.

“You belong to us, Kenji. For the rest of your life, you will belong to us.” The memory comes charging back to me.

I’ve spent all my life running from my past. Trying to distance myself from the woman that birthed me, and the man she recruited to raise me. They say you can never outrun your past. I guess it’s true, because it has finally caught up to me.

“I can do it,” I say, cutting into the debate that was going on around me.

The room becomes quiet.

“You’re missing the point, Zel. You don’t have a name in the underworld. We can’t get you in.”

I turn to glare at Lucien. “Tell them Kenjiro Isamu is coming.”

“Who?” Hawk asks.

“Isamu?” Maksim says, leaning up in his seat. “As in Isamu-Kai the fifth largest Yakuza clan in Japan?”

This is part of my life I was hoping I could take to my grave. I always assumed this would never see the light of day. I guess once Priest was gone, I should have known it would come out.

“Yes,” I sigh. “And I promise to tell you all about it, but if we’re going to get into the Red Dragon we need to move fast.”

“He’s right,” Lucien says, going back to his computer.

“You know that if you’re going in as a member of the Yakuza, you will have to prove yourself. You can’t just toss that name around,” Kimi states.

Running my fingers through my overgrown bangs, I sigh. “I know.”

Kimi looks at me skeptically. I wonder why Priest never told her the truth about me.

“You never have to worry, Kid. No one will ever know,” Priest’s promised words play back in my mind. I guess he meant what he said.

Kimi shakes her head. I assuming she’s figured out I have this under control.

“Alright, you’ll need bodyguards. Seth, Hawk, and Many you go in with him. Maksim, and Beast, will be your trail. If it goes left, you two will need to intercede. I’ll stay here and be your eyes in the sky.”

I nod as I stand from my seat. In order to don the persona of my old life, I need to clear my head and become someone I haven’t seen since I was eight years old.

“Zel,” Kimi calls out, getting my attention again. I turn back to face her. “There are rules in the Red Dragon. You’re going to need to follow them. All of them.”

Dipping my chin at her, I then turn and head out of the room.

Stepping into the crowded main room of Red Dragon at exactly half-past two in the morning, I glance around. Many, Seth, and Hawk, are behind me as my bodyguards. Beast is in the earpiece walking Hawk through the layout of the building.

The smoke-filled room is dimly lit. The neon lights make everyone seem extraterrestrial. All the furniture has sleek lines and is made of glass and metal. Each booth has a table equipped with a stripper pole and its very own stripper.

The main floor felt like any other strip club. Women in all different shapes and sizes filled the room, all vying for attention, looking for the biggest spender. However, to find Micah, I needed to be on the lower levels. Or the belly of the beast, as they call it.

As I make my way throughout the main floor, following the skinny Japanese girl that introduced herself as the hostess, I take in all the surrounding men.

It’s obvious these men are part of the criminal world. The rugged looks, the number of bodyguards and guns I see attached to hips give them away. If that wasn’t enough to tell me who they are, the way they glare at me is enough to warn me of their intentions.

“Okay, Zel,” Kimi says through the earpiece in my ear. “You’re going to meet Akito. He is the owner of the club. This part is going to be very crucial. You have to convince him you’re there to sleep with one of his women.”

We went over all this back at the ghost house before I left. In order to have access to the belly of the beast, you have to prove you are here for the reason of sampling a woman. Spectators don’t get access to that level. Too much at stake to let just anyone down there.

I touch my left ear.

“He hears you and he understands,” Maksims says, reading the signal off Hawk’s glasses. Not only is it too loud in here for them to pick my voice up clearly over the earpiece without me yelling, it’s also weird for me to walk around talking to myself. Too many eyes on me.

“Alright,” Kimi says when we stop in front of a red door. “You’re on your own from this point. Seth, you go in with him.”

The hostess knocks twice on the door before a male voice tells her to enter in Japanese. The hostess opens the door and steps aside. I tug at the hem of my suit jacket before walking into the room. Seth follows behind me. The door closes and I’m in the room with the man I assume to be Akito.

He looks to be around my age. His black hair is shaved so low he’s nearly bald. His tattoos cover his neck and hands. There are two other men in the room with us that I assume are his bodyguards. Akito sizes me up, taking me in from head to toe. I do the same with him. I don’t speak. In the Yakuza society I grew up in, I am of higher rank than him, so he needs to speak first.

Akito nods his head in a casual bow. I return the greeting.

“Kenjiro Isamu,” he says my full name with a grin. “I haven’t heard that name in a long time.”

“Ghosts don’t have names,” I reply.

Akito stares at me for a long moment before his grin spreads over his face.

“With all due respect, I hope you won’t be offended if I ask for proof?”

I knew this was coming. This is what Kimi was warning me about. There was no way I was going to resurrect that name without showing my proof.

Instead of replying to him, I slip my jacket off. Turning, I hand it to Seth. He looks a little confused, but he doesn’t say anything. Slowly, without taking my eyes off Akito, I undo my shirt. He watches me with a grin. Once my shirt is unbuttoned, I open it and slip it down my back and shoulders. I show him my chest and stomach first. His eyes widen as he takes in my marks. I then slowly turn so he can see my back. When I’m facing Seth, I can see the shock and confusion on his face.

When we were younger, I never went around my brothers without a shirt on. I was ashamed of my tattoos and the things I had to do to get these marks. The guys never questioned it. However, Priest knew what I was hiding.

Turning back to face Akito, I button my shirt back up.

“Proof enough?” I ask.

He dips his chin to his chest. “My apologies. What can I do for you?” his attitude and demeanor has changed.

Even though I have not been a part of Isamu-Kai for many years, my name still carries weight. Although, it isn’t my name that he fears as much as it is the man that gave me the name. I push all thoughts of my biological father out of my head.

“I’m in town for a short time. I want to be entertained.”

“And how can we entertain you?”

“I want access to the belly.”

My request takes him by surprise, but he hides it well. “We would be honored to supply you with your entertainment for the night. And what type of entertainment would you prefer?”

“Girl on girl.”

He nods before picking up the phone. “Send the new girl up to the office. I need her to escort a patron to the belly.” When he’s done speaking, he quickly hangs up the phone and stands.

“You’re allowed only three guards into the belly. We ask that you be as gentle as you can with our…. products. But, if by chance one were to get damaged, please notify us as soon as possible and I will supply you with another.”

The way he talks about women turns my stomach, but I don’t comment. Hiroshi would never allow the mistreatment of a woman around him. However, Kenji was taught that women are nothing more than property and, if used correctly, income.

“Understandable,” I reply.

He’s silent as he walks over to me. “Red Dragon is considered neutral ground. I ask that there is no bloodshed on my property.”

I chuckle, allowing the tension to build up between us. “Is that rule only for me or everyone?”

His nostrils flare. “Everyone.”

I shrug. “Okay.”

The door to the room opens and before I turn around, the sweetest scent I’ve ever smelled hits my nose. It’s soft, yet warm and chocolatey. When I turn to find who the scent belongs to, I lose all ability to move.

Standing before me is none other than a goddess. Skin so dark and flawless it looks unreal. Her large afro stands out on her head like a crown. She’s tall, in her heels she’s just below eye level with me, and I’m 6’2”. Her body is curvy, not as much as Malia’s, but more than Brooklyn’s. Her heart-shaped face emphasizes the slant of her dark brown eyes. I was drawn to her full, plump lips. She is fucking beautiful.

“Kenji, this is India. She will be your guide into the belly,” Akito says, but I’m not paying attention to his words.

The moment he introduced us, the goddess smiled. Even though the smile doesn’t reach her eyes, it is still stunning. The slight gap between her front two teeth makes her even more interesting.

“India knows all about the women and will help you pick the right ones for your enjoyment.”

I watch the goddess the entire time he talks. I can tell she’s new. It’s in the way she smiles and the way her eyes have not yet lost the glimmer of innocence. I was taken from a place not much different from this before joining the Church. I know the eyes of a woman that has been in this environment too long. This beauty’s eyes aren’t as vacant as I would expect someone that is used to this line of work and has become numb to it, but they also aren’t as lively as the females I noticed out front. Which leads me to believe she’s here by choice, but she isn’t happy about it.

“She can be of great service to you.” This time when he speaks of her, he reaches out a hand and glides it over her exposed arm.

The subtle shift in her stance let me know the touch isn’t wanted. But the fact she doesn’t pull away or look disgusted tells me it isn’t unfamiliar.

The urge to knock his fucking teeth out of his mouth erupts in me quickly. I twist my neck on my shoulder to fight down the tension.

“Remember why you are here,” I remind myself.

“Shall we get to it?” I ask, my words coming out harsher than I planned.

Beauty’s eyes flash up to mine. Not sure if the growl in my tone scared her or just shocked her. She quickly looks away when my gaze connects with hers.

“Absolutely,” Akito says. “I’ll charge all services to the card you have on your profile.”

“Sure.” I turn away from Akito.

Beauty leads the way to the door. My heart nearly stops in my tracks when I get a glimpse of her ass in her short dress. Damn.

We walk out of the room. Hawk and Many join us as she leads me to the elevator.

“Fuck me, look at her ass,” Maksim says through the earpiece.

I take a step to my right, blocking Hawk’s glasses’s view. We’re mostly quiet as we climb on the elevator. As soon as the doors shut, she turns and looks at me. When our eyes connect, she gives me a smile. This one is much more authentic than the one in Akito’s office. When I return a smile of my own, she tucks her lips and looks down at her feet.

I think she’s blushing.

“How long have you worked here?” I ask.

“Not long. Four months.”

Her voice has my cock hardening even more than the view of her ass. It’s sultry and raspy, like an old blues singer. I could listen to her talk all day.

“You like it so far?” I find myself asking as if she’s working at Taco Bell, and not a brothel.

Seth clears his throat. When I turn to look at him, he’s grinning like an idiot.

“Am I hearing this correctly?” Kimi says through the earpiece. “Is Zel flirting?”

“Is that what this is?” Maksim laughs. “You speak as if you’re in high school. Tell her her ass is fat. Women like having fat asses.”

“Do not tell her that,” Kimi groans.

I ignore them as I place my attention back on beauty. The elevator doors open, and I am hit with loud noises and the smell of sweat, smoke, and body odor. The difference between this room and the main floor is night and day. Down here looks as if I walked into the den of sin itself.

Beauty leads the way out of the elevator. Men of all backgrounds crowd around tables of dazed women in all forms of debauchery.

Other than Beauty and the waitresses carrying the trays of food, no other woman here has on clothes. On one table a group of men with leather vests are triple penetrating a female with the deadest eyes I’ve ever seen.

On the next table, two chicks are being pinned down while a group of Italians take turns on them. The scene turns my stomach, but I remain stoic. My head stays high, and I keep my guard up.

“There, to Hawk’s left is Micah,” Maksim says. I turn to see a tall brown-haired man with a thick scar on the side of his face standing in front of a black door. He looks around the room, before opening the door and walking in. Two men stand on the outside of the now closed door.

“Excuse me,” her voice brings my attention back to her.

A guy with a pointed nose and flat forehead is standing in front of beauty.

“I’ve never had dark meat before,” the man says in a Russian accent.

“I’m not an entertainer,” Beauty says before side stepping the guy.

He grabs her arm. Before she can flinch from the grip, I pull my gun out and slam the butt across his face. He drops to the ground. He turns to stand back up, but my barrel is pressed against his temple.

I don’t have to look around to notice all eyes are on me. I can feel the tension seep into the room.

“Whoa. Whoa,” Seth says behind me. “Ze….Kenji, maybe we should rethink this move.”

“What the heck are you doing?” Kimi asks through the earpiece.

I ignore them all. My eyes are glued to the Russian. Was what I was doing stupid and risky? Yes, but my actions were damn near involuntary. I couldn’t have stopped it if I tried.

Taking a deep breath, I pull back my gun and place it back in my back holster.

“She said she isn’t an entertainer. Don’t touch her.”

The Russian climbs to his feet. “Who the fuck do you think you—”

“Isamu-Kai,” I give my Yakuza name.

The Russian’s gaze narrows before he takes a step back.

“All respect,” he says, holding up his hands.

I acknowledge his truce, then grab beauty by the waist and steer her away. She leads us to one of those black doors on the left side of the room.

Once inside, I finally let her go.

“Thank you,” she says, turning toward me.

“No need to thank me, Beauty.”

She looks down, her lips tugging up in a smile. She’s blushing again. “You’d be surprised how often that happens without anyone stepping in.”

“I can imagine,” I say.

She stares at me for a moment before looking away. “You can, umm, help yourself to anything in the room. Any preference for you two entertainers?”

Someone like you is on the tip of my tongue, but I hold the words back.

“No. I’ll let you pick.”

She blushes again. “Okay, enjoy yourself. I’ll be back with your guests in twenty minutes, Mr. Isamu.”

She walks out of the room, and I follow her every step, watching the way her hips sway in the dress.

“Fuck! Hawk, will you turn around and look at her ass?” Maksim groans.

I ignore him.

As soon as the door closes, we spring into action.

“Okay, Beauty said we have twenty minutes. We need to do it in ten,” Kimi says.

I knew I would need to strip off my shirt in order to prove who I was, so I couldn’t hide the things I would need on me. Many pulls the climbing rope out of his back and tosses it to me. Seth goes over to the chair in the room and drags it to the air vent in the ceiling. He climbs up and starts to remove the vent.

Hawk opens up his coat and pulls out the syringe he has placed there. This kill was going to be different. There is no way we could get a cleaning crew in here to get rid of Micah’s body. So, we needed his death to look as natural as possible.

That’s where DOE came in. They have a special drug they use for certain assassinations. Within seconds, it has the ability to stop a grown man’s heart. I was more of the bullet to the head type of person, but we had to compromise.

Our plan still only works if Corbyn doesn’t know what we’re doing.

I take off my jacket and toss it to Many. Wrapping the cord around my waist, I secure the end with a carabiner.

“Alright, the vents open,” Seth says climbing back down the chair.

I hand the other end of the cord to Many. He ties his end to the side of the bed, securing it with another carabiner. He then tugs it to make sure it’s secure.

Hawk hands me the needle. The cap is securely in place. I stuff it into my pocket.

“Alright, do you remember the air vent layout?”

“Yeah. We’re five doors down from Micah’s room. It’s a straight shot.”

I climb up in the chair. Grabbing the ledge of the opening to the air vent, I use my upper body strength to pull myself up. Once I have most of my upper body in the vent, I pull myself further in. Once I’m fully inside the tight space. I settle down on my stomach.

It’s freezing inside this vent, but I ignore the cold. I’ve been in much worse conditions for longer.

“Eight minutes remaining,” Kimi says.

I army crawl my way through the vents. Moving too fast will make too much noise, so I take my time. I pass the vent to the first room. Glancing down through the grate, I find a man with tattoos all over his chest tied to a bed while a woman in black whips him with a belt.

Shaking the memory of the scene off, I keep going. I count the vents as I go so that I can find the right one. When I get to the vent above Micah’s room, I stop.

Peering through the grate, I search for him. He’s lying on a bed, stark naked. The speaker in his room is blasting some heavy metal song. Peering through the grates as best I can, I check to see if he’s alone. So far, the room is vacant other than him.

“Six minutes,” Kimi reminds me.

I easily remove the grate from the ceiling. It swings open into the room. But thankfully the music covers any noise. I situate my body over the vent so that I drop down headfirst. I’m hoping I measured this cord right, because if not, I’m falling into the room and possibly hitting my head.

Without delay, I fall out of the ceiling, my body dropping to the floor until I am merely inches away from the ground.

Thank goodness my measurements were accurate. Swinging my body up, I place my feet on the floor and unclip the rope from around my waist. The vent to the room is on his left and slightly behind him, but all it requires is for him to look over and he will see me.

Removing the syringe from my pocket, I creep over to the bed. At the last minute, Micah opens his eyes and turns to look at me. He darts out of the bed, charging toward me. We clash. He wraps his arms around my body, pinning mine down to my sides. He drives me back against the wall behind me, knocking the wind out of me. When he lets me go, he punches me in the ribs. Searing pain lights up my side. He throws another punch to my stomach that almost has my dinner making a reappearance.

When he goes to swing at my face, I move my head, causing him to punch a hole in the wall. Using that distraction, I slam my right elbow into his face. He steps back from the blow. I then kick him in the chest, sending him staggering back. He charges at me again. I drop low and sweep his legs from under him. He falls to the ground. Kneeling on his chest, he swings, but I dodge his blow. I flick the top off the needle and then jab the syringe into his neck.

He fights for only a second before his body starts to convulse.

“Four minutes, Zel.” Kimi reads off the time once again.

Movement at the door has my head swinging in that direction.

“Fuck,” I mumble. Flicking the top back on the needle. I stuff it in my pocket as I run for the rope.

“Pull me up,” I say as I wrap the cord around my waist.

Immediately, I feel the tug. Using all my lower body strength, I leap up off the ground and reach for the grate. I manage to get a hold of it with one arm. The rope continues to pull me allowing me to swing my other arm up.

The door handle jiggles, alerting me someone is about to enter. I swing my body upward, barely getting my feet in the vent as the door opens. Thankfully, whoever entered the room was talking to someone behind them and not looking forward. I grab the grate and swing it closed, securing it again.

Wiggling my body as fast as I can, I make it back to my room. Before I drop through the ceiling, I hear the high pitch scream of a female.

“Come on, Zel,” Seth shouts.

I wiggle my way down into my room from the vent, planting my feet on the floor. Seth climbs on the chair and replaces the vent. Many helps me untie the cord from around my waist.

We set the room right as best we can before my door opens. Two skinny half-dressed girls are standing in the doorway, their eyes wide.

“What’s going on?” I ask casually.

“One of the patrons is dead.”

Our night was cut short. Akito cleared the building to figure out what happened to Micah. We didn’t put up a fight. As I was climbing into the blacked out Suburban we stole for this mission, I look to my left and my gaze connects with Beauty. She quickly looks away, but for a split second, I have her undivided attention.