All You Need Is Love II (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 28🌻

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There were several apartment buildings on the block.

The black Century was parked in a vacant lot hidden from the buildings view. The rest of the cars were parked discreetly, trying not to clump together in one place.

There weren't as many people as Gulf had expected, no doubt to avoid the possibility of adding fuel to the fire if they were discovered bearing down on this man in force.

"Is Bright here?"

"The guy who killed my father's right-hand man is the son of the second in command of the Hisakata Clan."

Mew took stock of the area from their vantage point in the shadows. The gusting wind chilled Gulf to core.

"You've heard of them, right?"

"Yeah."

Their name had appeared in an article Gulf had seen on the subway. They were the group battling the Koryu Alliance. But that was the only thing he knew about them.

"He's a playboy. Ten years older than me. His father, the second in command, was concerned over how reckless and hot-headed his son was, so he sent him to South America. He came back two years ago."

AA was talking on a cellphone, standing beside Mew, who wore a trench coat and scarf.

"He met a woman there and had children with her, then brought them back to Japan with him when he came back. Trouble is, he already had a wife and kids here. His first wife was upset, so he had to set them up in a separate house."

"Why did he kill your man?"

"I don't know what the politics are like in their gang," Mew practically spat the words out. "But after he got back, the Hisakata Clan started getting involved in drugs. Kabuki-cho was like an all-you-can-eat buffet to them."

Mew frowned. He hated the drug trade.

Gulf's entire body tensed as he listened to the story. He scolded himself for letting fear get the better of him at a time like this. He had to face up to the world he lived in now.

"But we have an agreement with them to look the other way about this incident. Of course, we're not the only ones making concessions. They've sworn to cut all ties with the guy Bright is after."

"What?"

"And they also provided a bride for you," AA interjected.

"AA!" Mew shouted. "Just because they offered doesn't mean I accepted! They say they're doing it to make peace, but you know they just want to use me to get their hands on Kabuki-cho. No way in hell! Who do they think I am?" Mew grumbled spitefully.

"If they found Kabuki-cho a tempting buffet, they would certainly see you as a mouth-watering dish, Boss Mew."

"Don't get carried away with yourself, AA." Mew glared at AA's smiling face. "And don't listen to any of that, Gulf. It doesn't matter."

Mew tightly tapped Gulf's cheek. He was in a daze.

"You're the only one I want."

"I---I know."

He didn't have time to appreciate Mew's warmth right now. There were more important things at hand.

"But we don't have time to hash this stupid stuff out right now. We've got to track Bright down."

"I'm coming, too," Gulf declared. "I'll help you look."

Mew folded his arms in front of his chest and raised his eyebrows. "Even if I tried to stop you, you would just ignore me, wouldn't you?" He sighed in defeat and lit a cigarette. "Well, we're not at war with them right now. All we want to do is find one of our guys." He brought his cigarette before his lips. "And this is the target."

He took a photo out of his jacket pocket.

It showed a man in a black suit, his head bowed. He looked to be in his late thirties. He had red-brown hair and a medium build. The photo was taken at a distance, so Gulf couldn't make out the details of his face, but he looked like the type who could easily get lost in a crowd.

"I'm not sure if he's changed his hairstyle or not. He's been in hiding the last six months, ever since he murdered our man."

Gulf could almost hear Mew's teeth grinding.

"Promise me one thing," Mew turned to look at Gulf. A thread of tension stretched between them. "If you find Bright first, whatever you do, don't let the guy he's after see you."

"All right."

Bright had a gun. Gulf had learned to truly fear that these last few days.

"If you find him, tell me right away."

"But my phone---"

"Use this."

Mew put his trench coat around Gulf's shoulder and, wrapping his scarf around his neck, he handed him his cellphone. "It's got AA's number on it. Call that number if you need to reach me." He ignored AA's frowns.

The trench coat smelled like Mew.

"To be honest, I don't like letting you go alone," Mew said with difficulty.

"I know."

"Don't do anything to make me regret it."

"I won't, I swear."

"Every last hair on your head belongs to me," Mew said again.

His fingers reached out to Gulf, and touched the cut on his lips.

The tenderness of this barest of sensations gave Gulf goosebumps. Then Mew turned away.

Gulf clenched his fists and ran into the night.

TBC