{ WARNING! Reference to a sexual assault in this chapter! Actually, two of them. Read with caution, Loves!} 

The Chinese elders arranged for Ash and the others to stay at 42 Westwood in LA, but there was a catch. His adoptive son, as well as a bodyguard and a maid were also in the house, as the owner was out on business.

As they arrived, Ash didn't stray from Eiji's side much.

" Welcome. I'm sorry that my father is not here to offer you hospitality, but I will gladly do it in his place." A timid Chinese person said, and by the looks of the hair and face, they would've assumed that it was a girl. But no. It was apparently a guy and they all had to ditch their stereotypes at the door.

Shorter didn't know this guy personally, but he figured he was a fellow Chinese. He looked over him and wondered why he was talking so quiet.

" I'm Yut-Lung Lee."

" Hey. I'm Ash. Do you know when your father will be back from his trip?" He asked, dying to know. This might've been the answer he was looking for as far as Banana Fish went. All he knew at that point was that the Chinese elders had found the place the dead man had told him, and this was a start.

" Our maid, Tou, will show you all to your rooms upstairs. Would you like a tour afterwards?" Yut-Lung asked so quiet that hardly any of them could hear, but Ash agreed. He looked behind the long haired Chinese male and saw an even larger Asian guy. He was built, having a muscle structure like that of The Rock. He knew it must've been a bodyguard, but he didn't bother asking more than that.

As they all made their way up the stairs, there was a long hallway that greeted them. Multiple bedrooms were located on the stretch of space, 6 or 7 at least.

Ibe and Max got a room, as did Skip and Shorter, and Eiji and Ash got the other one. There were two queen sized beds in each one, as well as an attached bathroom.

" I'll give you all a moment to get settled. Meet me in the entryway for your tour when you'd like..." Yut-Lung told them, and Ash nodded, keeping Eiji by his side until they went into the bedroom. Eiji thanked him first, but Yut-Lung couldn't help but notice the way the Japanese guy and Ash, a notorious killer who'd he'd heard of many times, were so close together all the time.

As he and his bodyguard, Ying Yue, made their way downstairs, Yut-Lung smirked to himself and played with his hair.

" That Japanese guy with Ash... I want you to seduce him." He told him, to which his bodyguard looked surprised. " Don't bother stopping if he doesn't go for it, either."

" May I ask why, sir?"

" I want to see what Ash will do if he's in danger..." He replied, and with that, it was decided.

" Isn't this place huge?" Eiji chuckled and fell back on the bed. " I've seen hotels that aren't this big."

Ash folded his arms. He couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, but he tried to put his mind elsewhere. Nothing very suspicious had happened yet, and he wondered why the elders would've put Shorter in any danger. It wouldn't have made sense if they did, right?

" I guess." Ash shrugged. He didn't want to tip Eiji off that he was suspicious or worry him.

" Of course the American wouldn't be impressed." Eiji huffed, sitting up and sticking out his tongue. " Places like this in Japan cost tens of millions to own, and I don't mean in Yen."

" I'm sure... it's a smaller island country. Land alone would be an arm and a leg." Ash said, walking over and looking down at Eiji. " But then again, what would I know? I've never been there..."

Eiji laughed to himself slightly.

" I'd love to take you someday..." He said, and Ash almost felt himself agreeing to it and leaning in, but he mentally kicked himself and stopped dead in his tracks.

" We'll see." He replied coyly.

After a while, he and Eiji left the room and found everyone else waiting for them in the hall.

" What took so long? Did you get lost?" Skip asked.

" We were just talking and lost track of time." Eiji chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. Shorter raised a brow at Ash and pulled down his sunglasses, but did it out of Eiji's line of vision. Ash felt his cheeks heating up and flipped his friend off, and they all went downstairs.

Yut-Lung took them to the fancy dining room, then the luxury kitchen, flipped on the lights to show off the patio, and showed them the living room as well. And as they circled around by the staircase, there was a door that hadn't been opened.

" What's in here?" Skip asked, glancing toward the door.

" Oh, that's just the office." Yut-Lung brushed it off. " Anyways, since you're all guests here, I feel rude. I didn't offer you beverages. This way." He said, going back toward the kitchen. Ash was already eyeing him, getting the feeling that something was weird about him. But maybe it was just because he was a solo adopted boy and hadn't had much human interaction.

Their maid wasn't around, so Yut-Lung actually fixed drinks himself and went around the table, setting them down in front of them. By the time he got around to Eiji, though, the glass slipped out of his grip and the cold water splashed all over his lap.

Yut-Lung gasped.

" I'm so sorry!"

Eiji jumped somewhat, but figured that it was just an accident. It wasn't like he'd never done that to someone at his job.

" It's fine." He told the other, standing. " I'll just go change..."

Ash wondered if maybe he should've gone with Eiji, as weird as that sounded. And maybe he would've listened to his instincts, but he didn't want to prove Shorter and Skip right. He stayed put, deciding maybe he should've been keeping his eyes on Yut-Lung instead.

Eiji trudged up the stairs and thankfully remembered where he and Ash's room was. He entered, going over and digging through his bag for a sweater, laying it on the bed as he began to unbutton his shirt.

There was a gust of wind, and Eiji perked up as he saw the door opening. He used the sweater to cover himself.

" Um... sorry? This room is occupied." He nervously chuckled, and he figured that Yut-Lung's bodyguard would've left after that, but it didn't happen.

" The name's Eiji, right?"

Eiji gulped.

Meanwhile, Ash was staring Yut-Lung down. He wondered why he was questioning him so much, but at the same time, it was hard not to. No one was ever that quiet all the time, not anyone he'd ever seen. And he'd seen a lot of people.

Shorter glanced over at Ash and could tell that he was thinking deeply about something, wondering if maybe he had a bad feeling as well.

" Eiji's been gone a long time..." Ibe worried.

" It's only been a few minutes. I'm sure he's fine." Max tried to tell him.

" ASH!" Was yelled from upstairs loudly, making Ash practically leap from his seat. That was Eiji's voice and he knew it in .2 seconds. Rushing toward the stairs, the blonde drew his gun and sprinted.

" EIJI!"

" ASH!" Eiji screamed, and Ash kicked down the bedroom door, bursting in and finding Yut-Lung's supposed "bodyguard" with Eiji pinned against the wall, his shirt still on the bed and Eiji's pants pulled down.

Eiji squeezed his eyes shut and squirmed.

" Drop him or I'll splatter your brains against the wall." Ash growled, cocking his gun. He sounded demonic in his tone and it was clear that he was dead serious.

There was a slight standoff, but as Yut-Lung and the others arrived, things became more heated.

" Ying Yue! How dare you! Get out!"

The bodyguard backed up slowly and Eiji was finally able to stand, pulling up his pants and frantically grabbing his shirt. He rushed behind Ash, peeking over his shoulder, all the while Ash was trembling with rage.

" Yeah. Get out before I decide against showing you mercy." Ash hissed, and the suited man was gone, knowing he'd done well for his master.

" I'm so sorry." Yut-Lung apologized. " I will fire him at once. Are you alright?" He asked, but really, he was thinking about how enraged Ash was. So there was something special about the Japanese boy. There had to be. Eiji had even yelled for Ash instead of calling for help. He knew he could use that to his advantage just as his higher ups desired.

" Can everyone give Eiji and I some privacy?" Ash said, it not being a question. Even Shorter and Skip seemed alarmed by his tone as he shut them all out and locked the door.

" Are you okay?" Ash turned to Eiji, putting his gun into his waistband.

Eiji was shaking lightly, pulling on his sweater.

" He just came in while I was changing..." He murmured. " I guess I didn't think to lock the door..."

Ash watched Eiji with beading eyes and almost found his arms reaching out to hug him, but stopped himself.

" We're keeping the door locked when you sleep and I'm keeping watch. Something isn't right here..."

Eiji wasn't sure why, but his heart was still racing. As he stared into Ash's eyes it only seemed to get worse and he wondered what was making him so erratic. And no, it wasn't the fact that he would've been assaulted. Ash saving him almost made him more worked up.

But still... Ash staying awake for him would've made him feel guilty. He didn't need all that.

" Ash... please. I'm okay... get your sleep." Eiji tried to tell him, and Ash was quick to shake his head, putting his hand on Eiji's shoulder.

" No. I'll never forgive myself if I let anyone else touch you." The blonde said, and Eiji stared at him for longer than a normal friend would've, but then again, he wasn't familiar with American norms. He wasn't sure why his body temperature was rising and why his cheeks felt hot, and why he just wanted to hug his friend, and it made him feel weird inside. Maybe it was just how it felt to be around Ash, or so he told himself.

Ash slowly drew his hand back.

" It's getting late... you get ready for bed. I'll talk to the others."

After Ash had told everyone else what had happened and was fixing to come back into the room, Eiji was curled up under the covers and thinking any number of things to himself. He'd never felt like anyone the way he felt about Ash.

Ash came in and locked the door, even after talking with Yut-Lung and being assured that his guard was no longer on the premises.

" Just sleep, Eiji..." Ash told him, sitting on the end of the bed. Even as his body told him to stop, he raked his fingers through Eiji's hair in a soothing gesture. " No one else is getting in here..."

Eiji blushed, then let his head sink against the pillow.

" Thank you, Ash..."

If only things were as simple as please and thank you with those two.

...

It was half past midnight when there was knocking on the bedroom door, making Ash get up and draw his gun. Eiji stirred before sitting up.

" Who is it?" Ash asked.

" It's me, Max! Ash! It's Jessica!"

Ash flung the door open. That was when it occurred to him that Max was the second contact if anything went wrong.

" We have to go back! Golzine's men were there and they-" Max fumed.

" That's a day's drive at least! What happened?!" Ash exclaimed.

" They were there and they raped her, Ash! Two of your men are dead and Michael- I don't even know what they must've done to him, but he won't speak!" Max was completely distraught and Ash was pissed, hurt, not even sure how to respond.

Shorter and Skip emerged from their room.

" What's going on?" Shorter asked, having a gun in his hand.

" I have to go back to New York with Max. We have a situation. Shorter, I need you to be my eyes." Ash told him, and Shorter seemed to be at a loss.

Even as they were outside and getting in the truck, Ash stepped closer to his purple haired best friend.

" Listen, I need you to watch Eiji for me." He said, his voice sounding tender.

" Watch Eiji?" Shorter asked, raising a brow.

" Please... I can't let anyone else touch him..." Ash begged, and Shorter told him to calm down before agreeing. He knew how much the Japanese male meant to Ash.

" I'll do my best to keep them all safe." Shorter assured, and Ash painfully nodded before he and Max sped off.

Eiji stood beside Shorter, feeling an ache in his chest as he watched. He didn't want something to happen to Ash, praying to any god out there that Ash would come back to him safely.

And it was 6PM the next evening when they arrived in New York. Normally, the drive would've taken way longer, but Max was speeding like a mad man the whole way. It was astonishing that a cop hadn't pulled them over, but as they arrived, Alex, Bones, and Kong were waiting outside the house. They'd been guarding the house in the meantime, since Ash's other men stationed there were killed.

Max rushed inside the house and Ash eyed his men.

" Care to explain how the hell this happened?!" He hissed.

And inside, Max found his wife and son in the living room. Jessica had bruises on her face, along with scrape wounds on her arms and small cuts from fighting.

She stood, looking up at him with tears in her eyes. However, the urge overcame her as she smacked Max across the face, then hugged him and began to sob.

" I was so scared!" She trembled.

Max held her close and felt his pride as a man disappear, knowing that other men had had his wife. He didn't want to even think about the things they'd done to her.

" I'm so sorry, Jessica."

Ash came inside after chewing out his guys, then plucked Michael up from the floor and took him to the kitchen, and his little brother was hugging him like a koala bear. He just seemed traumatized.

Ash grabbed a juice box and some animal crackers and sat down with Michael, trying to get him to eat.

" You don't have to say anything. Just eat something..."

Michael slowly nodded, and Ash rubbed his hair and sighed to himself deeply. He wondered why his life was always so miserable and why those around him always ended up hurt. He wondered why the world hated him so much. He wondered why he only felt like himself when he was with Eiji.

All he knew was that things were getting worse and fast, and he had to do all he could to stop it.

{ Holy hellllll! I'm sure ya'll are wondering if Shorter will be blackmailed or not... all I have to say... is that you will be very surprised where things end up in a few chapters... *smirk*

PS... some people have asked if I'm a sadist. And to that, I have no comment :P }