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Apparently, everyone knew except me.
“She probably didn’t want to make things awkward between you and lover boy,” Marissa said with a song-song note at the end, engrossed in her phone once again.
Clenching my jaw tight, I finished changing and headed for the gym.
Had I been a complete fool?
If Dominic knew about this debt, then there was only one logical reason he kept his involvement from me. He was Ichiro’s heir, after all—heir and spy.
He was there to make sure the debt was paid. Or maybe he was tasked with interfering with and sabotaging our plans so we couldn’t pay it back, which would explain the date of the fight moving up after implementing our ingenious massage idea. Subliminal was bound to be a true moneymaker managed by someone like Ichiro.
Now I really needed to channel my nervous energy, only this time it was fueled by a growing rage.
I mean, sure, I had secrets too, but nothing that affected Dominic the way this debt affected me and my life. My sister’s life, too, and Frankie’s! All the people I cared about most.
Maybe he assumed I already knew or that it didn’t concern me somehow. I almost laughed.
Had he really lied to me this whole time? Used me?
If so, how had I not seen it before?
Or was there nothing to see?
Chewing on my lip hard enough to draw blood, I burst through the gym's front door and spun right back around. The next door over led up to Frankie's apartment complex, and someone had busted the lock years ago. I hauled the door open and stomped up the stairs, mulling the situation over.
In the very unlikely scenario that he didn’t know about the debt and was truly innocent, then I couldn’t involve him. His pride would have him trying to do something stupid like pay off the debt.
Sounded great on paper, but after everything I’d read about their family and learned from Dominic himself, going against Ichiro for my sake was sure to be a death sentence. Possibly for all of us.
There was a reason Ichiro Sato wanted this gym, and nothing would get in his way.
Whatever the case, I needed answers, and Frankie better be ready to face the hurricane headed her way?—
Me.
CHAPTER 23
Bree
As much as I wanted to shove Frankie’s apartment door open so hard it slammed against the wall, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. That much noise would bother our innocent neighbors. I settled for stomping in and closing the door harder than normal.
Wearing a fluffy pink robe, Frankie lounged on her worn, flower-patterned couch, watching a reality TV show and munching on popcorn. The bowl in her lap was so big, it almost needed a seat of its own.
Behind her, a narrow doorway led into the tiny galley kitchen while a door next to the TV opened into her bedroom and bathroom. Even combined, they weren’t much bigger than the kitchen.
Without taking her eyes off the screen where some college-aged kids were working on a yacht, she patted the seat next to her. “Hey, kiddo. You hungry?”
I stood between her and the TV. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?” She tried to peer around me.
I sidestepped and blocked her view again. “About the Satos.”
Squinting up at me, she flicked her hand toward the TV, pausing the show. “Is this a new guessin’ game? What about the Satos?”
I crossed my arms. “That they’re who you’re in debt with.”
Unfazed, she tossed another handful of popcorn in her mouth. “Not a big deal.”
