Page 61 of Ruin

As I opened my mouth to speak, the windows in the kitchen shattered under gunfire. I was up off my stool, wrapping an arm around Taro’s waist and dragging him down to the floor. “Fuck,” I clipped when the shots didn’t slow. We needed to move, get behind the counter for added protection.

Nothing could happen to Taro.

Fucking nothing.

I took his hand and urged him to move by me. “Stay low. Get around the counter,” I ordered as I ran my gaze over him like he was doing to me. I could only see a few cuts and scrapes from the glass shattering over us, but no large wounds. Taro started forward on his hands and knees, looking back once to check that I followed.

Screams started, more gunfire.

Shouts.

One that sounded a lot like Botan. “Get the fuck out of here and live or die here trying to get to our master.”

“No. Tell yourmasterto come out here.”

“He will not speak to the likes of you,” Ryo countered.

Taro rested back against the counter with a gun in hand. I crouched in front of him, pulling my gun free, and eyed the doorway. No fucker would get in here for him.

Protect.

Protect.

Protect.

It was the only thing that ran through my mind.

“Who are they?” I whispered over my shoulder, eyes still to the door.

His nostrils flared as he stared at me. “Rivals,” he snarled low. “Stay here,” he ordered.

I pressed into him before he could move. “No,youstay here.”

“Josh—”

“Wolf, come out here, or that room won’t be the only one we shoot up.”

Fuck.

How did they know what room Taro had been in in the first place?

Taro pushed at me, but I didn’t move. He wasn’t going out there. “Josh,” he clipped.

“You are not goin’ out there.”

“I have to. For my people, my family.”

I ground my teeth together. If it was me, I would do the same thing. The thought of him in harm’s way soured the taste in my mouth, and an ache formed in my chest.

“Josh,” Taro said gently as I heard Ryo trying to stop the situation. I turned enough to see him; his hand rested on my shoulder, where he squeezed. “They need to pay for this. For coming onto the property during our time of grieving.”

Drawing in a deep breath, I nodded. “But together.”

“Josh—”

“Together, Taro, or not at all.” I wasn’t giving up on that.

With narrowed eyes, he bit out, “Fine.”

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