“That’s my damn woman,” Coyote snarled before he clipped me on the back of the head.
Grinning, I complained, “Jesus, brother. I was just being nice and showin’ her in.”
“Bullshit.” He shook his head and wound his arm around Channa’s waist; she seemed amused by our actions.
I swept out a hand and bowed. “Lead the way with your wonderful woman.” A sudden pang of jealousy had my smile dimming. Coyote could walk in there with his arm around his woman because she hadn’t pushed him away.
Shit. I wanted Taro there with me, but was I just being selfish and not taking him and his feelings into account?
I rubbed at the back of my neck, trying to ease some tension, and followed after Coyote and Channa. Coyote glanced over his shoulder and asked, “I thought you were headin’ out?”
“Yeah, was just gonna head out for a minute, but it’s all good now,” I lied, not really in the mood to party. I was worried about Taro. Worried his other uncle would try something, along with his other rivals.
I didn’t want to be here.
Maya stepped up and quickly pulled Channa away to meet the other old ladies in the club. Coyote nodded towards the bar. “Come get a drink with me.”
With a slap to his back, I said, “Sure, I could use one.” I ordered the drinks at the bar and slid one to Coyote, only he wasn’t paying attention. His eyes were on his woman. “Shit, brother, you’re totally in love.”
Coyote smirked. “Never really known what love is. Nothin’ like this, at least. So all I’m gonna say is that I think it’s damn close.”
I knew the feeling. I nudged Coyote’s arm and threw out a thought, one that I questioned myself about as well. “Or it could already be there, and you ain’t willin’ to admit it to a brother before you shared it with your old lady?” I hadn’t really admitted anything to Taro either.
I called him mine. Did that mean I loved him?
Maybe.
Dragging myself from my thoughts, I noticed Coyote hadn’t said anything about what I’d said. In fact, if I was to guess from the way he stared at Channa, my brother was definitely a goner. Christ, it was good to see; his happiness all but radiated off him. She was his one. Leaning closer, I told him quietly, “You didn’t even flinch when I called her your old lady.” Chuckling, I added, “I see weddin’ bells in the future.”
Coyote ignored my taunting and looked at me. “How’s bein’ back?” We’d been texting since I’d been gone and Coyote knew, like most of the brothers, that I was heading back today, since I’d gotten in contact with them earlier. They didn’t know the real reason why yet. Just thought I was back because the job was done. Mimi’s dad had died.
Smiling, I shrugged and turned to face the bar, placing my elbows on top so I could grab the beer bottle to play with.
“Brother” was all Coyote said.
Emotions suddenly suffocating me, I clenched my jaw. This past month had been a big one, full of shit that changed everything. Sighing, all I managed to get out was “Fuck, brother.”
“Talk to me,” Coyote said and kicked my boot.
I drew in a steadying breath. “The whole situation was intense. Fucked up.” It had been when it came to Mimi’s family and their old rules, the way they treated women. “But….” But then there was Taro.
“You gonna fill me in?” Coyote asked when I said no more.
I didn’t want to wreck his night by going over what Mimi had to deal with or my revelation. Straightening, I chugged back the rest of my beer and placed the bottle on the bar before I slapped Coyote on the arm. “Another time. Go enjoy yourself with your woman.”
“Ruin—”
I grinned but knew it wasn’t a normal one for me. “Nah, brother. It can wait. Seriously.”
“Fuckin’ bullshit,” he clipped as he dropped his bottle to the bar and clasped me on the back of the neck to give me a shake. He always read me too well. Knew I had shit on my mind. “Channa’s cool. She won’t care if I disappear, but you gotta talk, and we’re doin’ it. Let’s go to my room.”
Snorting, I told him, “Bossy bastard, aren’t ya?”
Coyote grinned. “Yep.” He started off to his room, and I followed. Sweat pooled at the back of my neck. He was a brother I could share anything with. Well, what went down with Mimi and her family, but did I want him to know about me and Taro? I wasn’t sure.
He unlocked his door and entered. I slipped in after him and closed the door as a thought occurred to me. I’d never looked at a guy in the way I did with Taro, so I checked my brother out, and all I got from it was that it felt weird to do so. I was man enough to admit he was good-looking, but he definitely wasn’t my type.
Not like Taro.
Coyote sat on the edge of the bed and waited. I didn’t want to sit. My mind was too busy. Instead, I paced and started explaining things that went down. How fucked Mimi’s father and uncles were. How Taro was trying to change things, but it was uncertain everyone would listen, and that there could still be problems.
“Her uncle was going to bargain off his teenage daughters?”
“Yep.”
“Fuckin’ lucky Wolf put a stop to it.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“Seems like he’ll be a good leader for the family.”
A small smile touched my lips. “Yeah.” I nodded. He was the best man to run the family. Already he was changing with the times and protecting those who couldn’t protect themselves.
“Still, it’s a messed-up situation.”
I hummed under my breath. It was, and it would be for a while, but I believed in Taro.
“Ruin,” Coyote called.
I faced him, not realising I’d been staring at the wall.
“Is there somethin’ else on your mind?”
I quickly shook my head. “Nope.”
Coyote sighed and ran his hands down his thighs. “You know you can tell me anythin’, right?”
“Yeah, of course, brother.”
He eyed me without saying anything more.
Shit. He knew I wasn’t being honest.
“You know how our ’rents always go on about how we’ll find our one. You think Channa is it for you?”
“I’m close to thinkin’ she is. Why?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. Coyote and I were close. He’d always had my back, and I knew he would when I told him.
His eyes widened. “You think you’ve found yours?”
I scrubbed a hand over my face and moaned. “I reckon.”
“Mimi? I always knew there’d be something if you just gave her more of your time.”
I huffed out a laugh and shook my head. “She’s a great friend, but it ain’t her.”
“Who?”
My gut tightened. “Wolf,” I muttered, keeping his gaze with a straight face, so he knew I wasn’t messing around. His head jerked back in shock, his hands lifted, then dropped, and he stood.
“Wolf? As in Mimi’s brother?”
“That’d be him.”
“You’re serious,” he stated. I nodded once. His confused face morphed into one of humour right before he started laughing his arse off.