Page 9 of Ruin

“I never remembered you being so outspoken before.”

Mimi shrugged. “I’ve realised you’re more like a brother to me, and I’m always real with Taro.”

“I am not like a brother to you.”

“What, is your ego taking a hit now you know I’m not attracted to you?”

I scoffed. Mimi was full of shit; she still found me hot. “You still like me.”

They both stared at me, lips twitching.

Fuck me. I did sound vain. “Whatever.” I glared.

Wolf started taking dishes out to lay them on the counter opposite from where I stood, with Mimi standing close. After I heard the door close and a throat clear, I looked up from the mouth-watering dishes and into Wolf’s amused gaze.

I didn’t want to ask, but I had to open my mouth. “What?”

“If it would make your ego better, I could bed you, even though you aren’t my type.”

I was everyone’s type, dammit. I snorted. “Don’t go doin’ me any favours. Besides, I ain’t into guys like that…. But, for curiosity’s sake, what is your type?”

Of course, they laughed at my expense once more.

Groaning, I waved a hand in front of me. “Don’t bother. I don’t care, since I know I’m everyone’s type. Can we just fuckin’ eat?” I reached over and pulled a bowl close, wondering what in the fuck had I got myself into. Yeah, it was good Mimi was being herself around me and no longer seemed to want to throw daggers my way every second, and that she wasn’t into me. But I wasn’t sure I was going to survive their teasing or stop myself from looking like a self-centred, vain dickhead if we were here for another day or two.

Chapter Three

Ruin

When I walked into the dining room for dinner, still with no shoes on, I paused. Wolf sat at the head of the table with a woman on his lap, draped over him. He smiled up at her like she was his first course.

Didn’t he say he was gay?

Now I was just fucking confused. Hell, maybe he played both ways. If I had a thing for dudes, I’d do the same since it gave me more options of people to fuck. It was a smart decision on his part, really.

“Sir,” Katon said from my side. He’d come to get me from my room, stating dinner was ready to be served. Wolf and Mimi had shown me to the room early, and I’d tried to get some shut-eye, but it hadn’t worked. Instead, I’d jacked off in the shower, then called a few people to catch up.

Rolling my eyes, I asked, “What’d I say, Katon?”

His smile was small. “Ruin, if you would head to the end of the table and sit beside Taro-sama, I will let the servers know everyone is here.”

I actually didn’t want to sit down at the damn table, since there were twenty-odd too many people for my liking. If this was what family dinners were like here, I didn’t want to be a part of it, but I was damn starved once more.

“Got it.” I made my way down the long-arse table. Seriously where did they get a table so big?

When I’d entered, I’d caught the attention of most at the table. Some stared, others whispered behind their hands, and a few looked at me like I was dirt. Uncle Jiro was one of them, of course.

Even Mimi was watching me as I took my seat opposite her and beside Wolf at the head. She gave me a tentative smile, and I could read how uncomfortable she was sitting there by her posture.

I gave her a chin lift. “What’s happenin’?”

Someone down the table snorted. I swear all these people couldn’t be their whole family. When I said it was about twenty-odd too many, I meant it. I’d be happy just sharing dinner with Mimi and Wolf. The others all peered around, judging everyone, even from within their family. Right then, Jiro’s glare was transferred from me to someone across from him, another man a few years older than Wolf.

I pulled my gaze back to Mimi and tried again, “You good?”

She nodded, and a small “Yes,” dropped from her mouth. I didn’t like seeing her like this. She’d been smiling, laughing, and seemed at ease just that afternoon, and now she was like a rabbit waiting for the fox to bite.

I shifted my gaze to Wolf, which he met before he glanced to Mimi with thinned lips. Yeah, he didn’t like it either. So why in the fuck was he giving the bitch on his lap all the attention and not easing Mimi’s tension?

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