The garage itself was nothing special on the outside. It was tall and covered in graffiti in certain places. The side doors were caged and locked up. Marcus had to approach with a key and undo the padlock so we could get in. Oichi looked around, rather unimpressed and just shrugged her shoulders in a disapproving fashion. C.J smirked at this and nudged her.

“Yo gonna love how it iz on the inside, girl.”

“My name is Oichi…not ‘girl.’” Oichi grumbled.

“Don’t pay him any attention, ma’am.” Marcus laughed. “He was raised by wolves.”

“Least I ain’t be’n someth’n I ain’t!” C.J snapped back, causing Marcus to frown and shoot him a venomous stare. Oichi raised an eyebrow curiously.

“What does that mean, Marcus?” Oichi asked.

“…A story for another time, ma’am.” He replied. “Welcome to our little base of operations.” With that, he opened the door to let Oichi in.

While the outside had been quite unsatisfactory, the inside however was another story entirely. While there were broken or repairable cars parked in the spaces, these were just for cover. Oichi noticed that the doors of the cars looked slightly more new or refurbished than the rest of the cars. Seeing where she was looking, C.J grinned.

“Ya notice our doors?” He chuckled. “We putt’n these doors on our shipment cars e’rey time we go to deliver.”

“Why these doors?” Oichi asked. C.J walked to the nearest one and opened it up. He then pulled out a pocket knife and cut a small hole into the fabric on the inside of the door, revealing at least 5 bags of white powder that Oichi knew to be cocaine. This was the Hamen secret…hiding the drugs inside the doors of cars?

“Where do you make the drugs?” Oichi asked.

“We don’t.” Marcus explained. “We’re the distributors for cartels across the borders. We used to make our own supply, but that ended 8 years ago.”

“What happened eight years ago?” Oichi asked.

“…The new boss took over.” Marcus sighed. “He sold most of our good equipment to pay off gambling debts.” Oichi sneered and crossed her arms.

“So now we splitt’n profit with the cartels.” C.J added. “They get a cut, an we get a cut.”

“And so do the other syndicates we pay up, like the BD.” Marcus snapped. “See, the Black Death group is a gun smuggling group as well as drug dealers. They’ve got their hands in both markets. They only allow us to exist in their territory if we pay them a tribute fee every few months.”

“If you don’t pay it?”

“Things start to get worse for us.” Marcus grumbled. “First, all of our dealers and street urchins who distribute start disappearing…working for the Black Death syndicate instead of us. Then our cartel suppliers get squeamish and stop responding to our calls. Finally, if we still don’t pay up…they call the police on us.”

“I see. What’s my husband to be done about it?”

“That nigga ain’t done jack shit!” C.J laughed. “I don’t rememba the last time that bitch come outta his house!”

“Shut it…” Marcus snarled.

“He’s in his house?” Oichi asked. “I was under the impression you were taking me to him.”

“We are. He was supposed to be here to greet you. I’m sure he’s in the back.” Marcus explained. With a polite nod, he lead Oichi and C.J into the back of the garage, away from the cars. Beyond those doors was a large office area with a few punks hanging around inside, smoking cigarettes and weed at the same time and looking either bored or downright depressed. A few took note of Oichi and one made a cat call, causing Oichi’s nose to wrinkle in disgust. But something was a miss…where was the boss? Where there was a large desk in the corner where a boss or leader would rest, there was no one. Marcus seemed just as troubled.

“Where’s Hamen?” He asked one of the punks.

“Ain’t seen ‘em.” The answer came gruffly. “Still at the estate, I guess.”

“He was supposed to meet us here! Why is he still there!?”

“Why don’t ya go over’n ask?” Another thug spat. “Get outta here, man…yer ruining our break.” One Hispanic man whispered something in Spanish and his buddy laughed. The room didn’t take Marcus seriously….nor Oichi. She had a feeling this break of theirs was actually how they always were. This almost didn’t seem worth her time. Marcus growled and marched out of the office and back to the garage.

“My apologies, Miss Taiga…it would seem that Hamen forgot about our meeting.”

“Forgot, or didn’t care?” Oichi grumbled as she was lead back towards the car. She noticed C.J had stayed behind to get high…and Marcus didn’t seem to mind. He took the drivers seat and cranked on the ignition.

“Hard to know…but we have to head to his estate.”

“If Hamen is owing money to other rival gangs, why does he have an estate?” Oichi asked.

“His Dad gave it to him…to keep him out of trouble.”

“His dad?” Oichi questioned.

“Hamen’s grandfather was a made man in a Sicilian mafia family. Hamen’s father and his uncle are both strongly loyal to the mafia…but Hamen himself is a disappointment to his family…squandering money away and wasting his life on material things rather than dedicate himself to something. To keep him from disgracing the mafia further, they gave him this little drug organization, and a nice fancy ass estate to run…and it keeps him busy and content.”

“With all due respect, it sounds to me like your boss is a fool.” Oichi muttered. Marcus sighed and gave a curt nod, not turning to look at her.

“It’s true…Hamen’s a bastard. Everything C.J says is the truth…but that doesn’t change the fact he shouldn’t say those things. If we don’t show respect to authority, then we’re no better than common crooks. Like you, I respect the mafia and it’s strong ties of loyalty and devotion. I’m afraid that it’s a bygone age now…now I suppose we truly are just a band of crooks and criminals.”

“Marcus, you don’t strike me as a typical gang member.” Oichi pointed out finally. “You speak politely and you show a sense of respect and duty I don’t sense from the others I’ve seen. Why?” Marcus fell silent, focusing on the driving. “I’ll find out eventually, so might as well talk.”

“…I grew up to a family poor as dirt.” Marcus answered. “But my parents busted their asses to get me to college. I went to Yale.”

“YALE!?” Oichi cried.

“I know, shocking right?” He chuckled. “I was going to get my business degree…start a booming business, become a CEO, and pay my parents back for everything they gave me.” He sighed and his smile vanished. “But, 2 years into my time at Yale, my father died, and my mother suffered from dementia. I went home to take care of her, giving up my college career to do so. She died almost a year later in a car accident.” Oichi and Marcus both were so silent now that the car engine sounded as if it was the radio speaker in their car. Oichi bit her lip and looked down, unsure how to respond or what to say towards that. She didn’t need to though, Marcus continued.

“I tried picking my life back up; tried working hard to get back in college…but it seemed like everything had fallen apart for me. I took out loans to pay for my home and food, and soon I was so caught up in debt that…well, I went to the only people who could help me.”

“The mob.” Oichi concluded.

“I met Hamen’s uncle, who offered to pay off my debts in exchange for employment under him. As long as I didn’t have to kill anyone or take part in the drug smuggling, I agreed. Ever since, I’ve been running the numbers for Hamen’s uncle, and now Hamen himself. But, like before…it feels like a waste of time. I’m a no one to this gang, just some college boy drop out who was pretending to be someone I could never be. Some black kid from nothing, believing he could be a CEO of his own business? Even now it’s hilarious.”

“No, it’s not.” Oichi snapped back forcefully. “Don’t mock yourself for trying to rise above where you began. Humanity has made it’s entire existance built on that notion of succeeding beyond our limitations.”

“Pretty words…but idealism often falls in the face of reality.” Marcus shrugged.

“Not if the ideal is MADE a reality.” Oichi replied. “I can’t promise your CEO position or a college degree…but if you stick with me and keep showing that same dedication and respect you have been? I will do everything in my power to make sure you reach your goals.” Marcus shot Oichi a glance and gave an amused smile.

“I’ve got a good feeling about you, Miss Taiga. I really do.” He laughed. “I hope Hamen doesn’t chase you off like he has some of his other wives.”

“Let’s worry about that bridge when we come to it.” Oichi giggled.

“Speaking of which…we’re here.”

The luxury home was massive. Sitting like an ancient castle, the building was 3 stories tall and very rustic looking, but also possessing a modern allure that allowed one to appreciate the asthetic of the design. It had a stone finish around the base that complimented the fine wood structure, with large glass windows and panes that flashed the setting sun repeatedly, giving the house a beautiful aura of mysticism. The large gate that blocked their way opened after a moment and, as Marcus drove closer, Oichi could see even better the gorgeous structure of the house. This was really the home of a fool like Hamen? It didn’t seem possible…or fair! A scattered number of trees and bushes littered the yard that surrounded the estate, and the soft grass was like a lake that threatened to swallow the area itself. When Marcus parked, Oichi stepped out and allowed him to lead her to the building. There was an armed guard in front of the door, glaring daggers at them.

“She the new fiancé?” The guard asked.

“This is Oichi Taiga…is Hamen in?” Marcus asked.

“Pool.” The guard grunted, pointing his thumb over his shoulder.

“A pool?” Oichi cried. She’d often wanted to visit a home with a pool.

“You’ll see when we get inside.” Marcus grumbled, still looking rather dissatisfied. He lead her inside and as Oichi looked around, her breath caught in her throat. The inside was enormous, with rugs, wall ornaments, and mirrors to reflect the owners grandness. A series of fancy couches and fluffy cushions filled the den, and branched off from that, dawned with pillars to mark the passage, was a large kitchen and dining room. A grand staircase lead up to the upper floors where she could see a balcony overlooking the den on the second and third levels. Beyond were massive windows, peering out into the ever darkening sky and revealing an enormous patio with a massive pool, stetching out with its embracing corners as if to wrap around the back of the house entirely. There were three men sitting by the glass doors out to the pool, two of which were black and one was white. They were poorly dressed, and were slouched over like C.J…hoodlums.

And outside, resting in the circular jacuzzi on the far side of the larger pool, as bubbles popped and water frothed around his body, was a rather round man. He had long, wet hair that fell down near to his shoulders. He had a large stomach and a slight scar just under his ear. He also had on nothing but underwear as he reclined in the hot water. He was breathing relaxed as his chest heaved up and down.

“BOSS!” Marcus shouted as he walked out towards the pool, with Oichi right behind him. Hamen glanced up, one eye opened in disinterest.

“Marcus? I thought you went to the airport.” He grunted.

“I did…and you were going to meet us back at the garage.” Marcus argued.

“Is that what we agreed on?” Hamen shrugged. “Guess I forgot.” Marcus snarled, but said nothing. He quickly tempered himself and stepped aside to reveal Oichi.

“This’s Oichi Taiga.” Marcus announced. Hamen opened both eyes and looked Oichi over, a small smile growing on his round face.

“Oh you’re prettier than I thought you’d be.” He noted. “Came all the way from Japan, right?”

“Yes sir.” Oichi replied respectfully.

“Heh, there’s no need to be formal. We’ll be married pretty soon right? How about on Thursday?”

“But sir, that’s three days away!” Marcus gasped.

“It’s good to know you can count the days. I was worried about your intelligence for a minute there.” Hamen growled. “Now shut it.”

“No, it’s fine…Thursday is most fine.” Oichi replied, smiling. Marcus noticed that Oichi was throwing on more of a stereotypical accent than she had previously. It sounded so foreign…and stupid. “Can hardly wait for ceremony.”

“And I can hardly wait to have you in bed.” Hamen licked his lips like a predator, looking over Oichi’s body as if sizing her up. “You any good in the sack?”

“Oh, I is virgin…so I wouldn’t know.” Oichi answered honestly, covering the amount of frustration she was feeling.

“Oooh, nothing like your first time, right?” Hamen asked. “Well, I’ll be happy to teach you the way to do it.”

“Boss, with all due respect,” Marcus spoke up, blushing and trying to take the subject back on track, “this is highly inappropriate. Don’t forget, Oichi is marrying you to help fix our organization.”

“Fix?” Hamen asked. “Oh right, you were saying something about that, right? Well, I’ll just be honest…I don’t need your help.” He stretched and rested his hands behind his hair, leaning his head back. “Frankly, I’m happy with how things are. We’re alive, we’re happy, and we’re still in business. I don’t need advice or assistance in leading my organization.”

“But boss…”

“Marcus, when I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it.” Hamen barked. “My dad and uncle might’ve enjoyed having you over their shoulders, but I’m not as dumb.”

“Your Dad and uncle are both great men! Why would you say that about them!?” Marcus demanded.

“Uncle Anthony was a complete dumbass and died for it. Dad cut me off because he just couldn’t understand my interests and lifestyle. We’re not living in the 50’s anymore. You old fashion types SERIOUSLY need to get with the times.”

With each passing word, Oichi’s opinion of Hamen grew worse and worse, but her smile never faltered. She would manage this smile for as long as she needed to.

“Don’t you agree, Ouchie?” Hamen asked.

“It’s Oichi, sir.”

“Whatever…you seriously need a different name though. How about Olivia or something?”

“Husband call Oichi whatever he rikes.” Oichi smiled, giving a polite bow.

“Oh, I like the bow, keep doing that. So oriental.” Hamen laughed. “Alright well, go show her around, Marcus…ceremony’s on Thursday at two o’ clock. Make sure she gets something nice to wear.” Marcus said nothing but took Oichi by the arm and lead her away, Oichi didn’t speak until they were inside again and out of earshot. The warmer interior seemed to relax Marcus somewhat.

“I’m so sorry for his behavior! Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea…” Marcus sighed. “I can arrange for-”

“No, it’s alright.” Oichi answered, brushing her hair aside and grinning, getting rid of the stupid accent entirely now that they were alone. “Sorry for that display.”

“But he’s making you a little trophy wife! Changing your name, making you bow…are you really just going to smile and accept that for the rest of your life!?” He asked.

“Of course not. I don’t accept it.” Oichi answered. “But I will endure it for the time being. It’s a necessary pain I shall bear to see that this organization is saved. If saving this organization means I play the part of a dumb foreign whore for that pig, then I shall play my part well.”

“He doesn’t want your help…and he won’t accept it. I was afraid of this but…it seems he really does only see you as some new sex toy for him.” Marcus apologized with his tone alone. Oichi touched his shoulder and smiled encouragingly.

“Don’t worry, my friend.” Oichi chuckled. “This is all a good thing. Meeting Hamen and getting a peek into your operations? Knowing just how bad things are? This is all very good.”

“But…how?” Marcus asked.

“Because now I see the root of your organization’s problems…and after I’m married to that pig…I’ll begin fixing these issues.”

“How will you convince Hamen to work with you? It’s hopeless…maybe it would be best for you to return home.”

“No…I will not leave here in disgrace.” Oichi hissed back. “I will handle Hamen.”

“How?” Marcus asked. Oichi gave a mischievous smile.

"Leave that to me."

Oichi walked past Marcus and towards the kitchen. “Now where’s the bread? I could go for a sandwich.” Marcus watched this mysterious woman and felt a shiver run down his spine. What was she planning? What kind of woman had he just brought to his boss? He both admired her…and feared her. There was a cunning to her…a ruthlessness. Oichi Taiga was a woman not to be underestimated; and he feared…or rather, he HOPED that Hamen would make the mistake of underestimating this tigeress among wolves. A new age for this group was coming…and this woman would be at the front of it.