Page 17 of Owned

Riku leans in. “Dinner with your mom?”

I whip around, glaring. He just tilts his head.

I turn away, gripping my phone tighter. “I’ll be there, Ma.”

“Good. Love you, baby. See you tonight.”

“I love you, too, Mama.”

I hang up and exhale.

Riku folds his arms. “Perfect. We’ll go together.”

I was mid-step to my bedroom, and now I’m just standing there, staring at him.

“What?”

“We’ll go have dinner with your mother tonight,” he says easily, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“Tell me I did not just hear you casually invite yourself to my family’s house.”

He shrugs. “It’s the perfect opportunity.”

I sputter. “It is not an opportunity! It’s a—” I shake my head. “A private, intimate gathering.”

His brows lift. “I’m intimate with you.”

My brain short-circuits. “That’s not—You can’t just—”

He tilts his head to the side. “Babe.”

I groan into my hands. He steps forward, grips my chin, tilting my face up. “You’re mine, Maryam. They’ll need to meet me, eventually.” I swallow hard, my heart beating fast. His thumb drags over my bottom lip. “Might as well be tonight.”

* * *

RIKU

Maryam is still staring at me like I’m crazy when my phone buzzes. Kenji.

I answer. “What’s up, brother?”

He chuckles. “What’s up withyou?”

I’m grinning like some lovesick fool. “Not sure, man.”

He laughs. “Happy for you, Ri’. But this necklace shit needs to be handled.”

I don’t want to leave Maryam, but he’s right.

I rub my jaw. “Give me forty-five minutes.”

“Okay.”

We hang up. I Then turn to Maryam.

“Something wrong?” she asks.

I step closer, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. “I have to takecare of something.”

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