1.1 | The Yakuza Bride

Chapter 48

The next few days passed smoothly. James had taken to ignoring him but the rest of Owen's crew were cordial. Christmas came and went without much fanfare, though they were served ham and some sort of sticky pudding as a bonus. They also received items from their families and Leon had his mail tucked securely into his jumpsuit. He slipped it out the moment he was back in his bed and scanned the few lines of printed words.

Dear brother

I have made contact with our cousin and conveyed your previous concerns. He agrees with you. He also sends his regrets that your little bird is missing. All effort is being made to recover her.

Your only sister

He heaved a sigh. Hana missing? How the hell had that happened? And where could she be? With her Uncle? Or, God forbid, with Juan? Either way, it didn't bode well.

Maybe he should have seen her safely away even before he began his plans. But it was too late for regrets now. He raked his knuckles through his hair in frustration and let out a heavy sigh.

'What's the matter, kid?'

Owen's head popped out from the top bunk. His hair flopped down and Leon managed to crack a smile at the sight.

'C'mon, tell me,' he urged him with a friendly grin. His face was quickly turning a shade of brick red from the blood rush.

Owen hopped down and without invitation, flung himself onto Leon's bed. He scooted over to make space for him.

'I've been hearing you sigh for the past few minutes.'

'It's nothing,' he muttered lamely as he shrugged a shoulder. How could he tell Owen that he had been in the midst of a gang war and that his wife was kidnapped? The sort of danger that Leon encountered was something Owen could never understand. 'Just some family stuff.'

'Ah.' His cell-mate made a face. 'Wouldn't want that. But when we're in here, there's not much we can do to help, eh?'

Leon leaned back against the wall. True, there was nothing he could do in here. Nothing he could help with. But his thoughts couldn't help but stray to her.

At that moment, a harsh rapping on the doors broke them out of their reverie.

'Daily activity!' the guard announced.

Owen gave a whoop and bounded to the door.

'C'mon, kid!'

~

Half of the gymnasium had been transformed into a library for the Winter months. Guards were stationed on all four sides of the hall while prisoners hung around in tight groups. Once he entered, he could already differentiate the factions. Everyone stuck to their own racial groups, their own gangs. So far he hadn't spotted any Russian mafia.

It was a pretty arrangement. Everybody avoided everybody, but they all knew well enough to keep their eyes at the back of their heads.

They joined their lunch crew at a table set close to the shelves.

'Sup fellas,' Owen said with his usual gusto as he slid into his seat.

The others gave him their mumbled greetings, and Owen dived into storytelling mode, prattling on about some guard or other. Leon always wondered how he had so much to say, especially when other people didn't seem interested. He must have been bored to death alone in his cell before Leon came!

In the middle of 'what some prisoner did to a guard', or something along those lines, Leon rose from his seat and headed to the shelves. He wasn't about to spend his free time listening to Owen, for Owen would repeat his story a dozen times anyway.