A sleepless night spent in the Los Angeles county jail and then a morning spent with a sociopath left Kogami thoroughly exhausted. After a long, hot shower he was laying bare-chested on a sofa in Agent Iazzetti's home. Enjoying the silence, he pulled the damp towel over his eyes and took a deep breath. It was the first time in the last 36 hours that he was able to let his guard down and relax. A cup of caramel latte was sitting on the coffee table beside him, but he was too tired to even think about simple pleasures.

Back at home, MWPSB cases were difficult enough on the surface without pretenses. Being buried so deeply undercover was a terribly trying experience. While Kogami was enjoying the rigors of the challenge, he was forced to admit that it certainly took a mental and physical toll.

With one eye partially opened, he caught movement over the back of the sofa and grinned. He had missed seeing the girl's face, but he had not missed the face of Tigger, even as the blur of orange and black vanished over the edge. Kogami pretended to be unaware, yawning loudly, and stretched his arms over his head. Using the towel to rub his damp hair, he waited for the attack.

In a fairly decent Australian accent, Phoenix whispered, "The Japanese Wolfhound is rarely seen outside of the mysterious island it calls home. A hunter can recognize it by the faint smell of cigarettes, Armor All Tire Cleaner, and Irish Spring soap." Unable to contain herself, she started giggling. "The Japanese Wolfhound never travels in a pack because they are solid bad asses in a fight, so it's best to use total surprise in order to capture them."

With a leap, Phoenix came flying over the back of the sofa. Kogami barely had time to tense his abdominal muscles before the 10-year old and her backpack came crashing down on top of him. He growled fiercely and held her arms against her body to keep her from slipping away.

"Japanese Wolfhound, huh? Well, have you ever heard of the American Cotton Finger?"

Phoenix stopped her struggling and giggling to stare up at him. "The American Cotton Finger? Are they dangerous?"

"Only if you're a stuffed animal. The American Cotton Finger is known for abducting stuffed animals and keeping them in a pouch, usually on their backs so they can't get away. But they have a secret weakness."

"What's the secret weakness?"

"They're terribly ticklish."

Phoenix stiffened in alarm. "Ko! Ko, don't do it! Don't—" Phoenix burst into a fit of hysterical giggling as Kogami poked her repeatedly in the ribs. "Kogami, stop! Please!"

"Hey, you two!" Nysa called from the adjoining kitchen. "No horseplay in the living room! Besides, breakfast is ready. Come and get it."

"Last one there is a pinto with a busted glass tailpipe!" Phoenix raced to the kitchen.

Before Kogami had time to grab his latte and go to the counter, the 10-year old had returned to the livingroom with her plate and a large glass of chocolate milk. Perched at the coffee table with a pile of chocolate chip pancakes and scrambled eggs, she pressed the remote in search of car shows on the television.

"You really didn't need to do this," Kogami said, his stomach growling.

"Considering what you've been through in the last 24 hours, it's the least I can do," Nysa replied. "I see the sweat pants are a good fit." She reached into the dryer and pulled out a red t-shirt. "Give this a try. Hope it doesn't still smell like mothballs. Most of my brother's stuff is in storage now."

Kogami pulled the t-shirt over his head and torso. "Certainly smells better than that holding cell."

"Can't believe McNeill paid your bail and then picked you up. What a bastard!"

"Guess he wanted to see what he was dealing with up close." Kogami sat down on the breakfast nook stool and stared into his orange juice. "He had quite a collection of cars."

Nysa paused in her cooking to look at him. "Like what?"

"Mustang GT500. Nissan Silvia 320. He even has a Toyota Trueno AE86." He met her austere eyes. "Mean something to you?"

She snatched the file folder from the side of the refrigerator and laid it out in front of him. There were pictures of the cars that he had mentioned. "For each car that you mentioned, there's a dead racer who previously owned it. That brazen son of a bitch! He has no shame."

"Isn't this enough evidence to bring him in as a person of interest. I saw the cars. I could testify—"

"Circumstantial evidence at best." Nysa gathered the pictures and threw them back in the folder. "By now he's had the vin numbers scrubbed and the titles cleaned. Bastard!"

"It's a good thing BabyGirl was in the impound yard."

"Definitely. If he had the chance, he might have killed you both, taken the car, and had his lawyer make up whatever story he needed to get away with it. At least we know, he's still interested. Watch your back, Ko." She clapped him on the shoulder and put the folder to the side. "Watch Akane's back, too."

"Speaking of...where is Akane?"

"When I didn't hear the shower running, I went to check on her. Poor thing must have taken a shower and then passed out cold on the bed. Let her sleep. It's been a long night for both of you. You just wear it better than she does. Do you always go this hard, Kogami?"

Kogami ran a hand anxiously through his hair. "Does it show?" He took a bite of the pancakes and chased it down with orange juice.

"Only to someone who's been around long enough to recognize it." Nysa added a pancake to his stack. "My first job with the Bureau was debriefing agents who had just come in from the field. It was difficult to watch. Men and women turned inside and then out. Undercover for months, sometimes years for a single operation. It's only when they come up for air that they discover what they've lost...family, friends, birthdays, holidays, and for what? To maybe put a bad guy away for a few months. They never quite recover."

"I know the feeling."

The FBI agent stared at him. "I read your jacket, Enforcer Shinya Kogami. Doesn't it get lonely being a wolf?"

Kogami looked up the stairs into the corridor leading to the room where Akane was sleeping. "Not when you have the moon by your side."

"Can't argue with that. A scoundrel and a romantic. I'm starting to understand what she sees in you." Taking his half empty plate, she chuckled as she started cleaning up the kitchen. "Go get some sleep, Ko. Squirt and I have some running to do. Won't be back until later tonight. You'll have the run of the place." She raised her eyebrows suggestively. "And the privacy."

Kogami snorted softly and made his way up the stairs and into the corridor. Akane was snoring, lightly, but still snoring. He could hear her before he got to the doorway. Quietly going into the room, he sat down on the edge of the bed and watched her while she slept. There was a beauty to her face, unmarred by the usual thinly veiled scowl or narrowed eyes she used to reprimand him for his behavior. He had grown to love all of these faces, but there was something altogether perfect about her when her mind was free of any worry and far from this world. He wondered where her dreams had taken her, and if he was, even in some small part, a part of them.

Her phone hummed and vibrated noisily on the nightstand. To keep it from waking her, Kogami picked it up and read the text message: Dinner tonight @ Dis? Say 9? —Luda

Within seconds, his own phone hummed from his back pocket. Checking it, he saw the same message. We'll be there, he replied. Kogami chuckled when a holographic map appeared above Akane's phone with a crossing marked at the location of the night club.

Brushing a stray hair from Akane's face, he stood up and kissed her cheek. Just beneath her chin, he saw the winter sapphire. The heart-shaped pendant cast a speckled blue aura on the pillow beneath her chin. The emerald's surface appeared fiery with the encrusted diamonds embedded into its many facets.

If Akane even suspected the value of the jewel, she would never had accepted it from him. One-of-a-kind—it was a gift that he had bartered with what remained of his soul. Its value was eclipsed only by his love for her and the emotion she, and only she, was able to draw out of him. He touched the sapphire, rolling it between his fingers as he watched her sleep. With a yawn, he closed his eyes and scratched lethargically at his chest.

Kogami lingered wearily on the edge of the bed, cupping his face in his hands, and closed his eyes. He was more tired than he wanted to admit, and there was no cure for it except to sleep until their evening dinner appointment. Walking to the other side of the bed, he slipped beneath the comforter beside Akane.

Though he tried not to disturb her, Akane stirred and rolled over, curling herself against his chest. "Ko-ga-mi," she said in her sleep.

Kogami smiled and kissed her nose, while making himself comfortable in the bed. He wrapped his arms about her and stared into her face until, with a sigh, he nodded off to sleep.

                                                                                          # # #

With a distinctly Dominican flavor that radiated through its interior design and decor, Dis was a popular, upscale night club with a spacious bar and a reservations-only restaurant. Occupying a notable corner in an affluent district of Los Angles, the venue was crowded, both inside and outside, with eager patrons seeking a drink and a meal in a culturally rich atmosphere of salsa and meringue. Rolexes and Tiffany jewelry spoke to the rank and status of the diners as they sipped authentic, home-brewed beer from chilled glasses or drank vintage wines from celebrity labels.

It was not that Kogami stood out or marred the sultry cityscape in any obvious way, but he felt oddly out of place among the urban elite of Los Angeles night life. However, the confidence he carried in every stride and the intensity of his presence assured his place among the diverse sea of faces in the restaurant's many adjoining rooms. From the ceiling fans situated high above the dance floor to the billowing sheer drapes in the large glass-panel windows between rooms, the bombastic percussion of the music and the island life played throughout the establishment.

While the island murals and polished wooden cathedral ceilings were beautiful, Kogami was more distracted by the magnificent woman sitting at his side. Akane was especially ravishing in the restaurant's festive ambience. Having borrowed a party dress from Nysa, she allowed the federal agent to do her hair and make up for the evening. Made from taffeta, the dress was a blend of dark crimson and black, which was accentuated by Akane's exceptionally pale skin.

A tight-fitting halter-top collar embraced the graceful curve of her neck. The exquisite dress was sleeveless and showed off the definition of her shoulders. Draped snugly over her svelte torso, the embossed material enveloped her lithe curves in a shimmering waterfall of silk. Beginning with a deep crimson at the neckline, the ruddy hue intensified in color until it faded into a black, cascading eruption of ruffles, which ended in an uneven hem just above mid thigh. Like a gossamer web caught in a spring breeze, a short, offset train of lace hung from the rear of the dress and swayed behind her leg.

To complement the dress, Akane was wearing black fingerless gloves and thigh-high fishnet stocks with intermittent floral patterns that accentuated her long legs. Ignoring the expensive stiletto heels in Nysa's walk-in closet, Akane had chosen a pair of modest black heels to complete the look and a floral barrette made with crimson rhinestones. Despite good food and better company, it was difficult for Kogami to keep his eyes off of her during dinner.

Akane was enjoying his attention. Between the swapping of personal stories and conversation, she tried to hide behind coy smiles and vivacious banter. But Kogami caught her stolen glances when she thought he wasn't looking. He barely said a word, except to answer direct questions, because he could not focus or take his eyes from her.

Luda hung his head over the back of their booth and rubbed his stomach. With a groan, he glanced at Kogami and shook his head. "I ain't never seen a skinny man put food away like that, man. Not a real man's food, and Dominican food is a real man's food." He laughed as Rocio playfully hit him with her napkin. "People eat like that in Japan? I heard that Asian food fills you for like a minute and then you hungry again an hour later." They all laughed at the witty wisecrack.

Looking flirtatiously at Kogami, Akane sipped at a glass of white wine. "That last dish was delicious, Luda," she said. "What was it called?"

"Sancocho," Rocio replied. Dressed in a black, strapless leather dress, she looked like a super model as she leaned affectionately over Luda's shoulder. "It's a very popular dish in my country."

"Wars have been started over some sancocho," Luda said. He rubbed his full belly appreciatively as Rocio caressed his forearms.

"May I ask you a personal question?" Akane whispered.

"Yes, you look good enough to be my side chick as long as your man doesn't mind," Luda said. "Don't want to have to show him these hands." He rolled his fists at Kogami, and they all laughed at the playful threat of violence. "I'm just kidding!" He raised his arms over his head to shield his face from Rocio's fists. "What's on your mind, girl?"

"Do you ever race with the other Patriarchs?"

Though innocent enough, the question struck a nerve, not only in Luda, but Rocio as well. They both stiffened for a moment, and then Luda smiled, running his fingers along his girlfriend's anxious hands. "I used to race with the Patriarchs, but no longer."

"What happened?"

Kogami narrowed his eyes in warning and hoped that Akane would take the hint to back off. She had a tenacious sense of curiosity that often caused her to overstep the boundaries of personal space and privacy. "Hey, why the interrogation?"

"You asked the same question last night, Cerberus," Luda said.

"No, I didn't. It was a challenge," Kogami retorted. "One I didn't follow up on with more questions." He glared at Akane and shook his head. It was rare for the Enforcer to be correcting the Inspector's behavior.

Understanding that her question bordered on rudeness, Akane clasped her hands in her lap and bowed in apology. "I didn't mean to pry?"

"Lay off the lady, Ko. It's alright, Akane. It's not a story I usually tell, but that doesn't mean I don't tell it." Luda smiled sadly and swallowed the last of his beer. "My racing days ended on a strip of road that the Denizens call the Dolorous Chasm. It's a mountain pass 40 minutes from here near the beach. It's uphill and downhill. Starts fast and ends faster."

"Sounds like my kind of race," Kogami said.

"Careful, Ko. Pride is a vice best afforded by wealthy men." Luda looked across the table and gave Kogami a look of frustrated regret. "The race is supposed to end on an uphill slope, but if there's bad blood, the racers can keep going into the chasm beyond it. It's a one mile heat to a dead end and the ruins of an old church. I raced my baby brother into that chasm one night some years."

"But it's a dead end," Akane said.

"Yes, it is. Two of us went into that chasm, but only one of us came back out."

"Luda, I'm so sorry." Aghast, Akane covered her mouth with her hands. Trembling, she sat back against Kogami.

"My lesson, my burden. Whenever I need a reminder to keep my pride in check, all I need do is remember that fateful night." He held up a freshly opened bottle of imported beer. "I propose a toast. To friends, living or otherwise. There should be no strife with the vanquished or the dead."

The four of them clinked glasses or bottles as the waitress returned to their table. "Salud!" She placed a small plate of rice in the center of the table.

"Another dish?" Akane asked. "I'm not sure I could eat another bite."

"Good! This here is not for you, little girl! You neither." Luda batted Rocio's hands back from the plate and silverware. "This here is a man thing—concon."

"Concon?" Kogami asked. "What's so special about it? It looks like someone cooked the rice too long. It's burned on the bottom."

"Mind your tongue, boy. This here is the men's fare. They reserve this dish for the important people at the dinner table." Luda reached into the rice with his fingers and, as he was about to eat it, he suddenly deviated from his mouth to deliver the bite-size morsel to Rocio's full lips. "I ain't no fool, baby. I know who wears the pants in this pit crew." He licked his fingers and then wiped them on the napkin on his lap. "If I eat another bite, it's over."

Kogami followed Luda's example and took a morsel to feed to Akane. With a smile, she nibbled at it and left a small bite for him to sample. "That's good, Luda. That's really good."

"Hell yeah, it is."

"Anything else I can get for you?" the waitress asked.

"A tow truck," Rocio said, slapping Luda's belly.

"We are definitely calling it a night," Luda said. "But before we go, bring the ladies some of those tostones to go in a box please. "

"Separate checks, sir?"

"Nah, just one. I got this," Luda said. He waved his hand at Kogami and reached for his wallet.

"I insist," Kogami argued. "You've done a lot for us. The least we can do is pick up the tab."

"Or," said the waitress, "you can try the dance off."

"Dance off?" Eyes narrowed in confusion, Kogami glanced at Luda, who gave him a defiant, mischievous smile.

"Have you heard of bachata?" Admiring his muscular frame, the waitress appraised Kogami from head to toe and showed her approval with flirtatious grin. "To settle the bill, you have a Latin dance off. One song, one winner, and the crowd decides. Winner gets a rose. Loser gets the tab."

"My man, behind the wheel, you're a fiend. But out there," Luda said, pointing to the dance floor, "I'll ruin you."

"Sounds like a challenge." Kogami smiled at the waitress. "Bachata it is."

The waitress put her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly to direct all attention to her. The shrill note cut through the noise of silverware and idle chatter. "Bachata, mes amigos! Bachata amore!" The shout was a cue to the DJ, who stopped the music to clear the dance floor.

Excited patrons hurried back to their tables and ordered last-minute drinks before returning to their seats. As word spread of the challenge, there was muted applause throughout the crowded nightclub. In response, servers quickly took their positions along the walls, and the overhead lighting dimmed in the bar area and then room by room throughout the restaurant's dining chambers.

With the exception of some track lighting in key areas, the only illumination was a series of warm spotlights that flooded the dance floor that was centered between the bar and the three main doors to the dining room. As the hushed voices in the establishment grew quiet, a fusion of salsa music rose from the speakers around the dance floor.

Luda got up with a cocksure grin on his face. As he led Rocio to the dance floor, he took her hand and lovingly kissed each finger. "Your funeral, Cerberus. Remember, you asked for this."

"Kogami," Akane protested, "this is a really bad idea. I can't—" She looked passed him to where Luda and Rocio were taking their positions. Rocio's hands caressed the back of Luda's head. His face was nestled in the fine curve of her neck and shoulder. Winking at her, he embraced her slender waist against his lower body. "I can't dance. Not like that."

Putting the fedora on top of his head, Kogami gave it a firm pat to secure it. Leading her to the dance floor, he took her hand and held it and her tightly against his chest. She was trembling, so he ran his hands slowly down her bare shoulders, along the small of her back, and between the firm swellings of her ass.

Gasping at his touch, Akane arced her back and pressed herself harder against him. She she grasped at his shoulders, Kogami's hand lingered on the back of her thigh. His long fingers massaged the smooth material of the dress and the firm flesh beneath it. "Remember that night after the fireworks in Kitsune Park?"

Akane pulled away from him. "You bring that up here? Kogami!"

"Ssh," he whispered in her ear. "I'm not being cruel." Kogami put his hands on her hips and tried to maneuver her body into the necessary position for the rhythmic footwork, but she resisted his efforts. "Just listen to the music and then make a figure-8 pattern with your hips. You can do that. I know you can."

"And just how do you know that?" Her voice was muffled as she hid her face in the warm, shadowy folds of his leather jacket.

"I've seen you and Shion and Kunizaka in the gym dancing to Latin music."

"You were spying on us?"

"I wasn't spying. It was Kagari. He took video and showed me later. I wanted to be mad at him, but I was impressed. Of course, he thinks Shion is the better dancer. I think you've got potential, Inspector. But then," he whispered, kissing her forehead sweetly, "I might be a bit biased."

Akane gave in to his charm, as he knew she would, and walked demurely at his side. She stiffened in humiliation as every eye in the establishment turned to them on the dance floor. "Kogami!" she hissed through clenched teeth. Her body stiffened abruptly in confusion. "Is your leg supposed to be there?"

"This is called the offset position," he explained. "Keeps you from stepping on my toes."

"That far under?"

Kogami sank deeper into his knees and urged her to follow him until he could feel the warmth between her legs through the top of his jeans. "That's the close position. Bachata is a very sensual dance." He ran his lips across her neck and then abruptly spun her away in front of him, while holding on to her hand. With a roguish grin, he reeled her back in to him.

"Kogami, I don't know about this." Akane struggled to compose herself after the dizzying spiral. She glanced over at Rocio and Ludwig, who were embracing each other lovingly. The couple eyed their competition with playful, taunting eyes.

Kogami sighed in resignation. There was no margin for error. No way to save face now that they were committed to the dance floor. The audience was watching from their seats. Walking away only meant humiliation for him and her. There was only one way to get Akane thinking in the right direction. He had to invoke her fury.

Akane was usually at her best in most situations, but she was never better than when she was angry. Kogami remembered how furious she had gotten in the car when he power drifted into a parking place on the curb near the carnival. He could still feel the sting of her fingers across his face. The memory spurred him to action.

As the music swelled in volume, Kogami brought his hands up the back of Akane's neck and not-so-gently grabbed her by the hair. Forcibly tilting her head to the side, he exhaled warm breath along the length of her long neck until goosebumps ran across her skin. Unsettled by his heavy-handed aggression, she struggled to be free of his grip, but he did not relent and did not let go.

While he was fiercely devoted to her and tolerated the leash imposed on him, it was time to remind Inspector Tsunemori that the wolf that laid willingly at her feet was still dangerously feral and still a beast. His obedience was a phantasm to placate her into a false sense of safety. That safety was an illusion. Beneath the manifesting passion that burned within his heart, Kogami wanted nothing more than to devour her body and soul.

Staring intently into her eyes from beneath the dark brim of the fedora, Kogami recognized the signs of alarm in Akane's face. He experienced an intense feeling of satisfaction at her helplessness, as well as a simultaneous pang of guilt for frightening her. Wide with dismay, her eyes burned with indignation, even resentment, but she did not pull away. Even as he held her wrists in his powerful hands, she did not resist him.

"I would die for you," he whispered slowly, fervently in her ear. Kogami kissed her, impassioned by her closeness, and breathed in the aroused sigh of her response as if he were deprived of air. "Be with me."

With her arms wrapped about his neck, as if he were her only anchor, she whispered his name in surrender, "Kogami." Her head fell weakly back across her shoulders. When he brushed his lips softly across her ear, Akane shuddered involuntarily. Back arced stiffly in the throes of passion, she grew heavy and faint in his arms.

"No cymatic scanners here, Akane, no Sibyl. No ranks and no Ginoza." Kogami swayed with her as the measured pulse of the music grew to a crescendo. He held her fingers against his muscular chest above his heart and moved her body from side to side with the rhythm. "I want you."

Moving his hips in a circular motion, Kogami bent sharply at the knees and slowly moved his offset leg beneath her to synchronize their movement. Without resistance, Akane swung her hips seductively and followed his leg in order to perform the rapid dance. The motion was accentuated by the multiple ruffles of the dress and elicited a round of applause from an appreciative audience.

Guiding her hands across his chest, down to his waist, and then behind his back, Kogami led the dance and pressed his swaying hips against her. He laid his hand against her cheek and, partially cupping her chin in his palm, he forced her to look up at him. Akane did not resist. He could feel the heat of her breath as he lightly brushed her lips with his thumb. "I want you," he said, his voice husky with passion. "Say it."

Eyes glassy, she breathlessly replied, "I want you." Akane's breathing quickened, and she desperately wrapped her fingers in the fabric of his t-shirt. "I really, really want you."

To taunt her, Kogami agilely stepped away and spun Akane in a quick revolution in front of him before bringing her back against him in a reverse position. Standing behind her, he cradled her back and shoulder against his muscular body while moving his hips in increasingly slower, circular motions until he was grinding against her hips. From this intimate position, he rubbed his hands up and down her arms. He hung his head over her shoulder and left soft kisses across her skin.

Aroused by his touch, Akane closed her eyes and guided his promiscuous hands. She slid his fingertips upward across her swaying hips, stomach, and finally over her breasts to her neck. Then without warning, she shoved his hands away from her body and pirouetted just out of his reach. On her terms and in her time, she closed the distance between them. Staring into his eyes, Akane gently raked her fingernails across the back of his neck and down over his defined chest muscles and abs. Pretending to reject him, she snatched the fedora from his head and covered her heart with it.

Akane closed her eyes and danced alone in front of him. Arms and hips undulating provocatively from side to side, she held the hat above her head to tease him. Opening her eyes, she twirled the fedora on her fingers and beckoned him to come take it from her. The audience roared loudly at her boldness and shouted their approval.

Comfortable with the sultry movements and rhythm, Akane sauntered back to Kogami, reached above him, and put the fedora back on the crown of his head. Then bringing her knee up, she momentarily wrapped her leg around his leg and arced her back, reaching for and nearly touching the floor with her fingertips. To balance her, Kogami held her by the waist and then brought her back from the provocative pose.

Interlacing their fingers, Kogami raised their joined hands up into the air above their heads and brought them back slowly out to the side. Bodies pressed closely together and moving in time to the music, they stared into each other's eyes. Words were unnecessary. Her gaze was intoxicating, and he ached to have her, regardless of any spectators.

Heart racing uncontrollably, Kogami struggled to control himself as her hands wandered across his lower back and hips. Kissing her tenderly on the lips, her cheek, and then her chin, he whispered, "Well done, Inspector." He felt faint and wanted nothing more than to be alone with her to satisfy his aching desire.

The music slowed and then stopped. An instant rumble of applause erupted from the crowd as they shouted accolades and encouragement to the dancers. Disregarding the crowd, Kogami stood in front of Akane. He resisted the urge to fall to his knees before her, and instead, continued to sway slowly with her, kissing her fingers affectionately. The cries of adulation from the patrons grew louder and reverberated in the cathedral ceilings, which caused the track lights to precariously pitch to and fro overhead.

Carrying two silver trays in her hands, their waitress joined them on the dance floor. With her back to the crowd, she attempted to offer the tray with the bill to Kogami. Hissing and booing, the patrons voiced their dissent. Laughing at their reaction, the server then leaned forward with the tray carrying a red rose. The voice of the gathering's approval came with the chime of silverware tapping crystal.

"Congratulations," the waitress said. "The crowd has spoken."

Akane reached for the rose with a smile as she curtsied to the audience. A second waitress came out to take an official picture for the restaurant. Playfully, Akane put the rose in her mouth and leaned toward Kogami, who took the stem in his mouth and smiled mischievously. A strobe light effect of flashes went off as the restaurant patrons got in on the moment and snapped pictures of them together after their victory.

The other tray, with the bill, was promptly delivered to Luda. The disgruntled pit boss shook his head in dismay and reached for this wallet. "You drive onto my streets, my streets, and bring down Patriarchs. I was okay with that." He shrugged unapologetically. "Even made me a little money betting against my own team. But no, that's not enough. You come into my favorite restaurant and humiliate me in front of my girl." Luda glared at Kogami, but struggled to keep a straight face as he complained. "Still, that's not enough. Now you costing me money as well as reputation."

"All in a night's work." Kogami grabbed the pit boss' offered hand and performed the elaborate handshake that ended with a thump of brotherly love on the chest.

"I swear, we were twins separated at birth." Luda pointed at Kogami. "You were the evil twin. I was the better looking one."

"Those were some serious moves, Akane," Rocio said. "Took me a year to train Ludwig."

"Ludwig?" Kogami asked. "That's your name?"

"Oh, so now you gonna punk my name?" Luda challenged. He wrapped his arm around Rocio, giving her a dirty look for the revelation. "My mother had a thing for Beethoven. Can you play piano, Ko?"

"As a matter of fact—"

"Shut up—just shut up." Luda rolled his eyes. "Is there anything he can't do?"

Akane smiled proudly, leaning her head against Kogami's shoulder. "I'm beginning to wonder."

"There's one thing I can't do." Kogami looked down at Akane and put his hat on top of her head. "Can't live without you," he whispered and kissed her cheek.

"Aww, querida," Rocio gasped.

"That was so corny." Luda glared at Kogami, who laughed at him.

"Luda, don't be rude!" Rocio slapped Luda's arm. "I remember when you used to be that romantic!"

Luda again rolled his eyes and sighed despondently. "I still am. You just don't take the time to appreciate it."

"Come on, Akane," Rocio pouted. She took Akane's hand. "Let's go to the ladies' room before we leave. I need to powder my nose."

"I thought you wanted to take these two home and show them Purgatory," Luda protested.

"Luda, why are you so dense!"

"Oh, let's go the ladies' room is code for y'all just need to talk girl talk." Luda shook his head with skepticism. He tapped Kogami on the chest. "Might as well go to the bar and have a drink, man. A talk in the ladies' room shouldn't take long. An hour. If they're really doing their make up, add another hour." He raised his arm in self-defense as Rocio swatted him with her clutch.

"Ludwig!" Glaring at him for his taunts, Rocio led Akane down the crowded corridor to the restrooms.

"We'll be outside!" Luda shouted after them. "With the cars! Waiting!" He turned to Kogami. "Got your smokes, man. This might be a while."