She jumped. “You speak English?”
“When I’m in the mood.” He took off his sunglasses and set them on the table beside him, next to the porn. His eyes were extraordinary, the red tattooed teardrops accentuating them. And she realized with a shock that his eyes were a clear, brilliant green, an almost unearthly color.
“Contact lenses,” he said, unnerving her even more.
“You read minds like your cousin?”
“You’re…what’s the word? Transparent. Why did Taka bring you here?”
“He thought we’d be safe here.”
“No, I mean why did he bring you to Japan? His grandfather isn’t going to be happy about it. Neither is his wife.”
Why did Summer feel as if she’d been kicked in the stomach? Lying about being married was hardly the worst of his crimes.
“His wife has nothing to worry about.”
Reno tilted his head sideways. “True enough, but I’m not sure she’ll see it that way. My grandfather had a hard enough time arranging the marriage, and she’d probably use any excuse not to go through with it. Taka’s got tainted blood.”
“I thought you said she was his wife?”
“Sooner or later. As long as Taka does what his grandfather asks him to. And in the meantime you’re in the way. So why don’t you tell me where the temple ruins are and I’ll get you on a plane back to your own country?”
“I told you, I have no idea where the temple is. Hana-san used to tell me stories about northern Honshu. Have you thought to look there?”
“That doesn’t narrow it down very much. Maybe I can help you remember.”
“You can’t help me remember what I don’t know,” she said nervously. Where the hell was Taka? Why had he left her with this junior psycho?
Reno’s smile was chilling. He had a stunning face—not as elegant as Taka’s, but younger, more impish. Except that there was absolutely nothing playful about him.
“I’m very good at helping people remember what they think they never knew. Taka might have foolish scruples about inflicting pain, but I’m not so troubled by manners.” Reno ran his eyes over her again. “I don’t think it would take long at all. The problem is, I’m not as experienced as Taka, and I’d leave marks. I might even make a mistake, go too far, and then we’d have a problem.”
“Getting rid of the body?” she countered, rallying.
He shook his head. “I have plenty of people to help me with that kind of work. No, the problem is that Taka wouldn’t like it.”
“You sound disappointed.”
“I am. I don’t like you. I don’t like what you’ve done to my cousin, and I’d be very happy to hurt you because of it.”
“I haven’t done anything to your cousin!”
He poured the beer into the glass and held it toward her in a mocking toast. “Kampei,” he said. “And you’ve fucked him.” He laughed. “Don’t look so shocked. I don’t mean literally. Of course he fucked you—you’re pretty enough in a conventional American way, and Taka has a soft heart.”
“A soft heart? Do you even know your cousin?”
“A softer heart than mine,” he amended. “If he hadn’t been squeamish he probably could have found out what he needed to know from you days ago.”
“I don’t know where the temple is.”
Reno rose from the table, pushing the chair away. “Let me see if I can help you remember,” he said, starting toward her.
“Get away from her!” Taka’s sharp voice stopped him.
Reno turned, smiling innocently, answering in Japanese. Taka was standing in the doorway, and suddenly Reno looked like a naughty child compared to the chilling menace in his older cousin.
“You can speak English, since you already have,” he snapped. “What do you think you’re doing?”