Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
LINK
Smitten. I was so fucking smitten, I wanted to punch myself in the face for being so cringe.
My poor baby was a muddled mess inside his brain, and I was sure he was thinking I was unhinged for liking him.
But I wasn’t. I was only loco when it came to protecting my people and businesses; I’d kill any man or woman who fucked me over.
But I knew without a doubt that I was going to wear Ryo down and we’d live a happily-ever-after life.
After I killed all his family for making him think he wasn’t worthy of someone’s time and attention.
At the door to the dining room, I pushed it open for him and waved him through with a grin.
He glared and clenched his jaw, but I knew on the inside he was swooning for me.
The room was packed. I fucking hated how many eyes there were because I knew Ryo couldn’t be himself. His shoulders pushed back as he stalked toward the head of the table where Wolf and Ruin were.
“Hey, I guess we didn’t get here early enough. Lucky the food hasn’t arrived yet,” I commented as I followed Ryo, who hummed in return.
His reserved ways in front of people were cute.
Though, I bet it had to do with his family and how they brought him up, and it made me want to hunt them down and smother them with bags over their heads.
If they ever showed their faces around Ryo, I’d shoot first and ask questions later.
Still, the only good thing they did was bring Ryo into the world, because I wouldn’t have met him otherwise.
Cheers to illegal activities.
“Hey,” I called to Ryo’s friends as I pulled out his chair while he bowed at Wolf. But then I saw the flare to Ryo’s gaze, which was on the chair, so I quickly dropped down into the seat next to his.
“Link, I see Ryo got to you.” Ruin tapped his cheek and neck.
I grinned. “I deserved it.”
Ruin snorted before asking, “Heard you got shot at too.”
I glanced at Ryo to see his jaw clench. “Ha, yeah. Just a little misunderstanding, but that was all sorted.”
“I would like no talking about business at dinner,” Wolf commented. “Katon,” he called.
The older guy popped his head out of the swinging door at the back. “Taro-Sama?”
“Please let the kitchens know we’re all ready.”
“Of course.” And he disappeared again.
As Wolf was drawn into a conversation with an older woman and Ruin spoke with Ryo, I took the chance to look along the full table. Family of Wolf’s from all ages sat talking or looking at something on their phones.
No one questioned what I was doing here. No one gave me a strange look, like I shouldn’t be here. They’d all just accepted my appearance.
It showed me that Wolf ran his family well. They knew to trust him.
“It wasn’t always this peaceful at the dinner table,” Ryo said softly beside me. When I turned to him, he went on. “Wolf had members who disrespected him and his life choices.” His gaze flicked to Ruin. “They also made it clear they hated Wolf’s sister.”
I grunted. “She’s a Hawks club girl, yeah?” I was sure I heard that somewhere.
“Used to be. She’s dating a brother of the club.”
“So what happened to those family members?”
“Punished by the law,” Ryo said.
Wolf was setting his family up on the straight and narrow. Probably why he let the cops handle those members. Where if it’d been me, I would have wanted their blood coating my hands for betraying me.
Maybe Wolf did run his family well, but not everyone liked how he did it.
Were there problems within these walls still?
Was Ryo in trouble here?
“Anyone else in the family that needs to be watched?” I asked, gaze moving over the people slowly.
Fingers brushed over the top of my hand, and I looked back to Ryo, whose gaze held humour.
“What?”
He opened his mouth and closed it, shaking his head.
The doors at the back opened, and the staff rushed in with trays of food.
“Oh yeah, bring it on.” I rubbed at my gut, almost drooling from the scent wafting around.
If Wolf wasn’t a silent partner and I could spend more time here, I’d do it for the food alone.
Well, that and my snookums too.
As I piled my plate high, I asked, “Wolf, do you know if your neighbours would sell?”
“Why?” Wolf asked after he swallowed his mouthful.
Shit, it probably wasn’t the best time to talk about buying it so I could be close to Ryo and have a secret passage to see him whenever I wanted.
Plus, it’d be good to cut down the eyes on Ryo in case they noticed how much he meant to me.
If we could hide it behind closed doors, then maybe my drama from the businesses wouldn’t touch him.
Unless I also went on the straight and narrow.
Well, fuck me, that thought had never really crossed my mind. I may have said something to Ryo before, but it was a passing comment. Could I seriously give it all up for the man next to me?
Maybe.
If he wanted me too.
“No reason,” I said quickly.
Ruin snorted and coughed out “Bullshit.”
I scratched at my chin with my middle finger.
Wolf asked, “How old are you, again?”
“Age is just a number, baby.”
Goddamn it.
I shouldn’t have called him that.
I turned to Ryo, who gripped his knife a little too tightly.
“Ryo—”
“Wolf, you have two appointments tomorrow outside of the property. I’ll make sure there’s extra guards with me.”
“Okay?” Wolf drew out slowly.
Fuck, shit. I knew calling Wolf baby was gonna rile my man. I hadn’t meant it. It’d been a slip of the tongue.
As I went to eat, I rested my hand to Ryo’s thigh and squeezed. After I swallowed, I whispered out the corner of my mouth, “Won’t happen again.”
His gaze flicked to mine and then back to his plate, and I only relaxed when he nodded once. The rest of the table went on about random things while I sat and watched, only chatting when someone, mainly Ruin and Wolf, spoke to me.
I needed to watch what I said and did because I never wanted Ryo to second-guess about taking this chance on me.
He was prickly, but he was mine, and if I didn’t take his emotions into consideration, then I’d be a fuckwit.
He was important, and I’d make sure he knew it, even when the truth scared him.
A smile tugged at my lips when I thought that if Ryo had a shell like a turtle, he would hide himself inside it any time I talked about feelings.
Which was fine with me.
I liked him as he was.
Sitting back, I watched as he chatted with Wolf. He’d dressed back in a suit after we’d had sex, while I’d borrowed jeans and a tee from him.
I wanted to see him naked again.
I wanted to mess up his perfectly styled dark hair after we’d been making out for a while.
Hell, I couldn’t wait to sleep beside him in his bed.
Would he be the big spoon or the little? I reckoned I could talk him into becoming the little spoon, since I really liked the thought of covering him as much as I could with myself while we drifted off to sleep.
Ryo leaned back. “Stop staring,” he bit out lowly.
I grinned. “Can’t.”
He rolled his eyes and picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth. “If you’ll excuse me, I have things I need to see to.”
When he stood, I pushed my own chair back. “What he said.” I thumbed at Ryo to Ruin and Wolf before I moved to push my chair in. “Thanks for dinner.”
Ruin tipped his chin up as he smiled, while Wolf nodded once, and then I rushed to catch up with Ryo, who was nearing the main entrance.
When I fell into step beside him, I asked, “Where’re we going?”
“I’m going to speak with the team.”
“Okay, I’ll come.”
“I wish you wouldn’t,” he muttered.
I grinned when he looked at me. “Noted and denied.”
Unless he really wanted me gone, then I’d go and wait in his bedroom for him. I knew where that was.
Although, when he just sighed and said no more, I took that as a sign for me to follow along like a little loyal puppy—who’d hump his master’s leg anytime he could.
Hell, my cock jerked under the jeans at the image of sucking Ryo’s cock while I ground my aching dick against his leg.
He loved having my mouth in the shower; the sounds he made were locked away in the part of my brain dedicated to Ryo.
“What are you smiling about?”
“Humping your leg.”
He stumbled, and I quickly reached out to stop him from falling. Of course, he shot me with a glare before walking on.
“Make sure I never ask you that again.”
Chuckling, I brushed the back of my fingers against his. “That’ll be a no. I like you knowing everything on my mind.”
“Please, don’t feel free to share your thoughts.” His lips twitched.
Grinning, I told him, “But, baby—”
His face shut down of any emotion.
Grabbing his wrist, I pulled him to a stop.
He withdrew his arm to cross both of his over his chest. “I have things I need to do.”
“In a sec.”
People rushed by. I didn’t have a clue who they were, but I waited for them to be out of earshot while Ryo clenched his jaw.
“Look, I’m gonna fuck up like that shit with Wolf, calling him what I do you, but you gotta understand that it means something totally different when I say it to you.”
He stared off down the hallway. “It shouldn’t matter.”
Blow up my heart, he was annoyed he was jealous, while I fucking loved it.
“It does matter. If I do it again, fucking kick me or something. I hate irritating you or making you feel like you aren’t my special snook when—”
“Oh my God, please shut up.” Blushing, he covered his eyes with a hand.
Chuckling, I tapped at his chin, and when I had his eyes, I said, “If we weren’t at risk of being spotted, I’d totally kiss you right now.”
He let out a snort that sounded half scoff and half annoyed groan.
It was cute.
“I think you need to see a doctor.”
“Of love.”
He blinked before screwing up his nose. “Ew.”
Spluttering out a laugh, I asked, “Did you just ew me?”
His lips twitched. “You were too corny.”
Grinning, I nodded. “All right, I’ll give you that. Now let’s get this done so we can go to bed and snuggle.”
“I do not snuggle.” He glared, turned, and stalked off. But it wasn’t as fast as before and almost like he wanted to wait for me to catch him.
Fuck yeah, I was growing on him.