Schooled: The Mastered Series Read Free Page A

tensed; his grandfather was calling.
    The conversation lasted longer than she’d expected. Ronin said her name several times. He even laughed—a genuine laugh.
    That boggled the mind. From everything she’d heard, and what she’d read online, Nureki Okada was one scary man—even at his advanced age—and not prone to joking. Ever. Someone had even commented he’d had his funny bone removed in his youth in favor of having a shark’s fin implanted.
    Ronin hung up and remained quiet longer than usual.
    “Is everything all right?”
    “Yes. My grandfather sends his best wishes that we enjoy our time in Japan until he sees us in Tokyo.” He paused. “It’s . . . strange how much easier it is to speak with him now. I thought he’d be cold and pull that ‘I’m disappointed’ bullshit, especially since Shiori is in a holding pattern as far as continuing in the family business. But he seems happy with how my mother is handling everything.”
    “That’s good, right?”
    “Very good.” Ronin threaded their fingers together. “He asked about you.” A soft smile curved his lips. “Wanting to know if you were pregnant yet. In the past I would’ve seen that as him meddling in my life.”
    “But now?”
    “Now I see it for what it is. His way of wanting a connection with us and having hope for the future.”
    Amery laid her head on his shoulder. “I can’t wait to meet him even though I’m scared shitless of him.”
    “Believe me, I understand.” Ronin nuzzled the top of her head. “I’m so glad you’re here with me, Amery.”
    When the car stopped, Ronin waited for the driver to open the door. “I know what you’re thinking. It’s not like me to allow others to wait on me. But it’s different here. It’s an insult if I don’t allow these people to do their jobs.”
    After they exited the car, Amery realized they were in an alley of a residential street. None of the houses, all crowded together, were higher than two stories. This seemed an odd place for a hotel.
    Keeping hold of her hand, Ronin led them up a narrow stone walkway. At the front door he exposed a security box hidden in the siding and punched a code on the keypad. She heard the locks pop before he turned the handle and opened the door.
    He issued instructions to the drivers before he looked at her. “I want to show you my favorite part of the house while they’re unloading the luggage.”
    Ronin towed her through the back door onto a private patio.
    Both sides were blocked off by wooden soundproofing barriers. Paper lanterns hung from the rafters. Two papa-san chairs sat alongside the walls, facing outward. At the bottom of the path a tree was in full bloom and just beyond it a slatted bench overlooked a grassy slope that led to a body of water. On the right side was a raised box, filled with sand and stones and camouflaged on the back side by flowering shrubs.
    Immediately a sense of peace settled over her. She knew from her pre-trip research that private green spaces in the major cities in Japan were rare and treasured, so this was someplace special. It reminded her of Ronin’s rooftop Zen garden in Denver.
    Ronin’s arms came around her. “What do you think?”
    “It’s lovely. But we aren’t at a hotel, are we?”
    “No. At one time this was a hotel but now it’s Grandfather’s Kyoto residence. It’s more economical to stay here than if we had to pay for a luxury hotel.”
    “Fine, I’ll give you that. What else?”
    “This place is centrally located, less hassle getting to the areas of Kyoto I want to show you. It also gives us the most privacy. Okada owns this entire complex so we don’t have to listen to screaming children and smell fish cooking through the walls like in other rentals. And this house is huge by Japanese standards. Since my mother stays here frequently, she’s decorated this western style.”
    “Meaning what?”
    “Meaning no futons, but permanent beds. Meaning a real dining room table, a decent