Page 36 of Ruin

Low pointed from Ryo and me, bluntly asking, “You two together?”

Ryo choked on his sip, shaking his head.

“No,” I replied. “Ryo is my assistant.”

Low’s brows rose. “An assistant who works this late and comes to bars with you?”

“Low, stop interrogating them,” Josie said.

“I think it’s fun,” Mimi commented.

I glared over at her. “Ryo is also my personal guard.”

“You must be important,” a blonde woman asked. “Sorry, my name’s Mena. I’m with Dive, and this is Della. She’s with Handle.”

“Nice to meet you all. I’m Wolf, and this is Mimi and Ryo. To answer your question, I run the Takahashi family. We have a lot of businesses.”

“Must have some enemies to have a guard with you,” Low said.

I smirked. “Some.”

She hummed under her breath and pointed over to the men. I glanced there to see Ruin at the table with the other bikers, his arm around the woman. Another man stood with them. “As I was saying, that’s Rommy with Ruin. She’s mine and Dodge’s girl. Good friends with Ruin.”

Friends. Were they only friends?

I went to turn my attention back to Low, but something else caught my eye. The man named Beast had his hand gripping the back of Knife’s neck in a claiming manner. Knife turned to look up at Beast with a warm smile. He said something that had Beast’s eyes heating.

Low knocked my arm. “Yeah, they’re together, but it’s best not to stare too long because one or both of them will rip your head off if they think you’re into one of them.”

“Together?”

“That’s what I said.”

I leaned closer to Low and asked, “Pick introduced Josie as his and Billy’s.”

Low laughed. “Lucky bitch has got the both of them twisted around her finger. They’re all totally devoted to one another.”

A new feeling expanded in my chest. I didn’t quite understand it, but it was part jealousy and envy, if I had to guess. They could all love who they wanted and didn’t care what anyone thought. I was only becoming that way after many years. This was what I wanted for my family, but I doubted I could ever have a connection of trust and acceptance within the family like these people had.

Mena started speaking with Ryo, and Mimi was still distracted by Josie and Della when Low leaned closer. “You’re into our boy Ruin, hey?”

Was it that obvious?

I didn’t say anything in case it would upset Ruin in some way. Low snorted. “It’s cool. You don’t have to say anything. I can tell.” She put her elbow to the table and rested her chin on that hand, looking at me. “Just know that if you hurt him, there will be many coming after you.”

I clenched my jaw. “You have nothing to fear from me. Ruin isn’t into men.” I was an idiot. I fell right into her trap and gave my feelings away anyway.

She hummed under her breath. She picked up her glass and held it out to me. “Cheers to the future.”

This woman puzzled me, especially that glint in her eyes. I clinked my glass against hers and answered, “Yes, cheers.”

I was happy for Ruin and what he had with these people. His family. They cared, and it was certain they would continue loving him no matter who he ended up with.

Did I dare hope it would be me?

Not yet.

Chapter Ten

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