Chapter 159
Vincenzo had his cell phone pressed to his ear, his eyes fixed on the dark road ahead, as if he could see beyond it. The call connected, and I soon heard his firm voice echoing through the silent room.
"You're watching the wrong warehouse," he said directly, bluntly. "We just discovered Rafael's real location."
On the other end of the line, the agent's muffled voice responded with surprise and frustration.
"What's the new address?"
Vincenzo took a deep breath. His eyes fixed on me for a second, and he shook his head before replying:
"I'm not giving that information over the phone. It's not safe."
"I understand perfectly," the agent replied, his tone already calmer. "Where should we meet?"
"Downtown Tokyo. In three hours."
"We'll be there."
Vincenzo hung up, and the sharp sound of his cell phone being tucked into his pocket seemed to seal a new stage in that mission.
I approached, my heart still racing from everything that had happened. The four Yakuza men were sitting on the ground, tied up, with expressions of pain and anger, but still alive. And dangerous.
"What are we going to do with them?" I asked, glancing at the wounded men. "We can't just leave them there."
Vincenzo already knew the answer. He pointed to one of his bodyguards, the most robust and experienced, who hadn't said a word since the beginning.
"Stay with them," he ordered. "If they try to escape, shoot them in the legs again. But don't kill anyone. When you're done, hand them over to the police."
The man nodded silently, as if he'd done this a thousand times before.
Then Vincenzo turned to the other bodyguard, a younger one, but with a watchful gaze and impeccable posture.
"You're coming with us."
The security guard approached immediately, positioning himself next to Nancy as if she were the most important person in Japan.
"Now we're going to walk," Vincenzo said. "Without attracting attention. No noise, no rush. Total discretion."
We all nodded. No one argued. I just straightened my jacket, took a deep breath, and fell into step beside him.
As we walked through the sparsely populated streets of that part of Tokyo, my legs ached and my body screamed for rest. But I didn't feel tired. Only adrenaline. And, deep down, pride.
I looked at him.
Vincenzo walked as if there was no uncertainty in the world. Shoulders squared, eyes forward, strides firm. The city could explode around him, and he would keep walking like that. With purpose.
He looked back at me for a second, and, in a rare gesture, smiled.
A small, almost imperceptible smile. But it said it all.
And that's when I understood.
Even living in a world of shadows, I fell in love with the light he hid.
I continued walking beside him, the sounds of the city in the background, the lights of Tokyo beginning to appear as we approached the center. It was like entering another world—a world full of color, noise, movement… and yet, I could only focus on the silence between our steps.
Nancy, despite being exhausted, remained alert, looking around with restless eyes, as if expecting someone to jump out of an alley. The security guard beside her maintained a rigid posture, his gaze constantly scanning the surroundings.
Vincenzo walked ahead. And I… I was right behind him, watching every step, every calculated movement.
In my head, a question began to echo, out of nowhere, like an insistent whisper: will we ever have peace?
The question took me by surprise. Because I knew that loving Vincenzo came with a whole package of chaos, danger, and courageous decisions. But still… sometimes, all I wanted was this: an ordinary afternoon, a hot coffee, a comfortable couch, and him telling me everything was going to be okay without anyone pointing a gun at us.
But in that moment, I realized it wasn't time to think about later.
Now demanded everything from me.
"Let's go!" I said, almost like a silent scream. Not to him. Not to Nancy. But to myself.
Life was taking us into dangerous territory, and whatever awaited us in that warehouse, I knew it wouldn't be easy. But I also knew we weren't alone. We were together. And that was already more than I could ask for.
"Are you okay?" Vincenzo asked suddenly, looking at me sideways.
"I am," I replied firmly, even though my heart was still racing. "Just concentrating."
"That's good," he said, and for a second, his eyes softened. "We'll get him out of there. I promise."
I nodded, saying nothing. That man didn't make empty promises. And if he promised, then I would believe him. Even if the whole world said otherwise.
Nancy cleared her throat behind us, breaking the tense atmosphere a little.
"Seriously... is no one here going to comment on how this place looks like an action movie set? I feel like I'm in a John Wick movie, Japanese version."
I laughed. Quietly, but I laughed. And Vincenzo even let out a sigh that almost sounded like a laugh.
So—the most that could be expected of him in that situation.
We continued on, through the illuminated streets of Tokyo, each step bringing us closer to the decisive moment.
The meeting with the agent would be soon.
The mission was about to begin.
And my heart? It was torn between fear and hope. Between what I was… and what I was becoming.
But one thing was certain.
We were about to save Rafael.
And no one—absolutely no one—was going to stop it.
As we walked through the illuminated streets of Japan, I found myself looking around, almost without meaning to. Neon lights danced in the storefront windows, colorful signs reflected in the glass of the buildings, and even the smell of the air seemed different, like something you only smell when you're far from home. It was beautiful. Intense. And even in the midst of all that chaos, walking beside Vincenzo gave me a strange calm, as if his presence alone was enough to make me breathe easier. It was crazy, I know. But for a second, I saw beauty even in the most tense moment of our lives.
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