Lorelei James: Unwound

“No,” the student said calmly.

“Excuse me?”

“I decline the challenge. I wouldn’t come at you from the angle you’ve been demonstrating. That’s why no one in the class has mastered it. With all due respect, Godan, this teaching method is ineffective.”

Rather than show irritation, Knox grinned. Ronin knew he lived for this comeuppance shit.

“Since you have ideas on how our training time might be better spent, defend yourself any way you see fit.” Then Knox rushed her.

She lowered into a defensive stance, allowing herself to get steamrolled, the equivalent of offering the alpha dog her throat.

That didn’t make Knox happy. “Partner up at the heavy bags. We’ll work on kicks for the remainder of class.”

Ronin stayed in the dark corner, assessing each student’s skills. Clearly they needed to put the screws to this class—he saw several students slacking on basic techniques. Their lack of discipline reflected on him as owner of the dojo.

Knox dismissed class student by student—as was his prerogative. He retained the female student until everyone had left.

“Please stand.”

She gracefully propelled herself upright.

“Why did you refuse to demonstrate the reversal of the technique?”

“Out of deference to you, Godan.”

She called him Godan, his belt rank, and not Shihan, a term used for the highest-ranking teacher besides the sensei.

“Explain that,” Knox demanded.

“I am merely a visitor to your domain.”

Knox loomed over her, but she wouldn’t meet his gaze. “So you let me win because you didn’t want to show me up in front of my students?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, hell no. We’ll go again. This time? No holding back. And that is an order.”

“As you wish.” She fortified her stance.

For a big guy, Knox was fast on his feet, very adaptable in the moment. But he didn’t stand a chance against the woman’s speed and intuition.

She dodged, ducked, and knocked Knox down, immobilizing him against the mat with her elbow on the back of his neck. She held his wrist in a joint lock, which, if he moved the wrong way, would result in a fracture.

Ronin stepped forward. “Release him.”

The woman immediately let Knox go. When she offered him a helping hand, Knox tugged her to the mat, trying to regain ground, but she merely pulled a reversal and Knox found himself in the same subservient position as before.

Knox swore under his breath.

“Ill-advised attempt at saving face, Shihan.” Then Ronin addressed the woman. “I take it you didn’t introduce yourself to my staff?”

She shrugged. “You gave me a guest pass. I used it. It didn’t include welcome to the dojo instructions.”

Such a smart mouth. “Let him go.”

She glanced down at Knox. “Do I have permission to put him in his place again if he doesn’t behave?”

“Shihan?” Ronin prompted.

Knox gritted out, “I won’t engage her.”

“Wise move.” She stood and bowed to Ronin. “Sensei.”

Ronin gestured to the petite woman, who failed to pull off an innocent look. “Knox, this is my sister, Shiori Hirano.”

“Your sister? Fuck me.”

“No, thank you.” She sniffed. “I never fuck guys I can top.”

“Shiori. Knock it off,” Ronin warned.

Knox’s gaze zeroed in on Shiori’s plain black belt. “What’s your rank?”

“Rokudan.”

“You outrank me?”

“Yes, which is why I didn’t want to engage you.”

“You don’t have that option with me.” Ronin kept his eyes locked on hers. “Get dressed and meet me in the second-floor conference room. You’ll know which one I mean. It’s missing a window from when I threw a chair through it after your conversation with my girlfriend yesterday.” He spun on his heel and exited the room.

Ronin made it halfway down the hall before Knox caught up to him. “I guess I expected your sister would look more—”

“Like a fire-breathing dragon lady?”

“No, more like you. Although I see the resemblance in your combative attitudes.”

He bit back a snarl.

“Are you in the right frame of mind to deal with her?”

“Probably not. But it’s been a long time coming.” Years. Since everything that had gone down with Naomi.

Knox set his hand on Ronin’s shoulder. “Then I’ll stick around and run interference.”

“Not necessary.”

“I insist. You’re a powder keg and she’s a match. The dojo has sustained enough damage in the last day.”

“Good point.”

They stopped in the conference room. The window hadn’t been replaced, but he’d cleaned up the mess.

“Any luck tracking Amery down today?”

Ronin shook his head. “Molly wouldn’t talk to me. The state of Amery’s apartment indicated she’d be gone for a few days.”

“How’d you get into her place?”

“I’ve got a key.”

“A key,” Knox repeated. “As in . . . you two exchanged keys? Does she have access to your penthouse?”

“Yes.”

“Jesus. We need to change the security codes to the building right away.”

“No. I want her to be able to get to me. It’ll show I trust her.”

“Why should she trust you? When you weren’t honest with her about anything?”

At the comment, Ronin turned to face Shiori, leaning in the doorway, still wearing her gi. “You’re ballsy enough to speak of honesty to me?”

She tsk-tsked. “How quickly you’ve forgotten the importance of discretion.” She gave Knox a haughty be gone with you gesture.

“Knox stays.”

“We don’t bring outsiders into family business.”

“Guess you broke that rule when you introduced me to Naomi and fucked up my life. I trust Knox implicitly, and he might just be the only thing keeping me from killing you.”

Knox leaned forward, blocking her from Ronin’s sight. “Not helping. Take it down a notch.”

Shiori sidestepped Knox and sat at the end of the table. “Don’t feign surprise that you forced my hand and my appearance in Denver by insisting that the company hire your latest squeeze.”

“I didn’t force anything. I provided the name of a qualified designer for a project you discussed with me months ago. You want me to take an interest in the company, and when I do, you still question my motives.”

She steepled her fingers. “So your interest in this specific Okada project is your way of telling me you’re considering taking the reins?”

“That’s always been your dream, not mine,” Ronin stated. “How long are you here?”

“Undecided.”

“I didn’t think Grandfather let you out of his sight.”

“You wouldn’t know, since you haven’t been around both of us together for a long time, have you?”

Zing . He deserved that. “Did you arrive with an entourage?”

“Just Jenko. He insisted on checking the security at the Ritz since I’ve leased the penthouse for the foreseeable future. He also interviewed potential security specialists, should I require one. I doubt that’ll be necessary, and I’m looking forward to a little breathing room.”

Jenko, Shiori’s bodyguard, wasn’t employed by the family company, Okada; therefore, he didn’t answer to their grandfather. Hiring the former Sumo wrestler was one of the few things she’d done against their patriarch’s wishes. “Jenko won’t remain in Denver with you?”

A look of sorrow flashed in her eyes. “He has a wife and daughter. It’s not fair to ask him to be away from them indefinitely.” She inhaled a calming breath. “Look, I’ll admit I didn’t arrive in Denver with good intentions toward Amery. But I did have good intentions toward you , Ronin. I wanted to see if you were being taken advantage of by this woman.”