Dancing in a Cage (Mafia!Brothers and Sister!Reader)

Chapter 20 - Bad End

I didn't want the hug to end, but my luck from the previous night had clearly run out.

"We'll figure out a way to bring you home for sure next time," Karamatsu's deep voice rumbled against my ear.

"Hell, we'll steal you back tonight," Osomatsu tried to laugh before being cut off by Choromatsu.

"Honestly, if you try anything else, you'll only give Atsushi a valid reason to keep her away."

"Guys, I'll be okay," I tried to sound confident, "I'm going to get Todomatsu back. It'll be all right, and I'll make Atsushi honor his word."

"That's what we're worried about," Ichimatsu piped in before rubbing my head gently, as if I was a cat, "You're a Matsuno, and we're as stupid and hard-headed as anyone can get. We will be fine -- it's you doing something rash that we're worried about."

"I'm not going to do any--"
"Then what's this for?" Osomatsu held out my switchblade in front of me. I could only look up at it with a guilty stare, "You shouldn't be doing anything that will require this."

"No, Osomatsu, I do need it...just in case he tries to do something and I can't protect myself..." I tried reaching out to take it back, but Osomatsu held it above his head, a stern look on his face, "I can't -- I shouldn't rely on you all every time I'm in trouble."

Osomatsu softened his stern look before sighing and flipping the switchblade around in his hands. His eyes switched from me to Ichimatsu then to Jyushimatsu, before looking back at me. He put the switchblade in my still outstretched hand with a smirk on his face.

"Whatever you cut off, I want it as a souvenir."

----

During the drive to the Kanemochi manor, Atsushi had demanded over the phone for me to walk to the mansion from the car by myself, and he'd send over Todomatsu when he was certain that it was actually me and not another one of my brothers. After the call, Osomatsu had spouted off a few ideas of how to somehow turn this into a win-win situation, but all of his ideas were shut down by either Choromatsu or Karamatsu. They ranged from the ridiculous to the plausible, but when the car stopped in front of the Kanemochi mansion, there were no ideas that we agreed on. As I looked towards the mansion's front door, I saw Atsushi standing proudly with two bodyguards on either side of a kneeling figure.

"That doesn't look like Todomatsu," I quietly whispered before looking at my brothers. They seemed to have the same thought, and Ichimatsu reached out to me from across the way.

"If that's not really him, give us a clear sign and we'll figure something out," His hand reached mine and gave it a gentle squeeze before pulling away and pulling on the white face mask he had hanging around his neck. I nodded before opening the door and stepping out of the car. I began to walk towards the front stairway, each step feeling like it took an hour for my foot to find solid ground. The moment stretched into forever before I found myself standing a step away from Atsushi and the kneeling figure. I gathered every detail of the person I could before Atsushi reached down and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

"Those seem to be the eyes of my wife, but they could also be professional contacts," He moved my head around, as if he was inspecting a prize animal he wanted to buy. I glared at him with all of the silent anger I could muster, keeping my eyes on him as he turned my head in different directions. He released my head and motioned in a grand gesture towards the kneeling figure.

"You'll find him still alive."

I turned towards the figure and my heart felt like it toppled down the staircase.