He winked. “Lookin’ forward to it.”
Once I’d opened the door, I stepped out, my cheeks warm when Ryo gave me raised brows. We started down the hall. “I do love that you’re happy, Wolf, but it might be best to leave the bedroom activities to the bedroom. Then I won’t have to guard a door and have to listen to the sounds you and Ruin make.”
My face heated more. “It’s not my fault.” God, I sounded juvenile.
Ryo scoffed. “You didn’t exactly stop him.”
“It’s hard to stop him.”
“I do not need to know, but like I said, it’s good to see you happy.”
Smiling softly, I nodded. “I have never felt like this before.”
“I know. I’ve seen you with men in the past, and none of them brought out this side of you.” Ryo pulled the door to my office. “Now it’s time for business. Do you think you can keep your mind on it?” He smirked.
I glared. “I’m not that bad.”
“Says the man who stared out the window yesterday while his cousins tried to speak with him.”
He had me there, but that was because Josh had been outside washing his bike, shirtless.
My phone rang on my desk. It was a call I had set up a couple of days ago. One that would change some of the businesses in the Takahashi family. Ryo slipped around the desk and answered it on speaker, “Wolf’s office.”
“Link here” was said gruffly.
“One moment, please.” Ryo put him on hold and met my gaze. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Yes. It’ll be better for the future. Not only for the family but for Ruin and me.”
Ryo nodded and handed me the phone. “Link, Wolf, thank you for taking my call.”
“Only taking your call because Talon mentioned your name. What do you need?” I had spoken to Talon a couple of days after they’d left and asked him if he knew of anyone he trusted in the illegal side of businesses. Someone who would be interested in some ideas I had. The next day, Talon had called back and given me Link’s name and number.
“Actually, I have a business proposition for you.”
“Know who you are. Heard of the Takahashi family. Consider me intrigued.”
“I’m hoping you would be interested in taking off my hands 80 percent of my drug and gun trade.”
“Eighty percent? What happens with that twenty percent?”
“I would become a silent partner. I want nothing to do with the businesses, but I figured since the Takahashi family worked hard to gain the clientele in the first place that we deserve something still.”
Link snorted. “If you take 10 percent, then we can talk further.”
I smiled, expecting as much; it was why I had started at twenty to begin with. I had been putting off this decision for a while, but it was crunch time. I wanted to try and get this family clean.
Talon had promised me Link would be trustworthy to deal with since he’d been business partners with Travis, Talon’s brother-in-law, before he sold everything over to Link, who now ran the most successful prostitution ring in Australia. If I asked to be a silent partner, and we all agreed to the terms, it would work out without Link stabbing me in the back at some point. Talon would never have given me his name in the first place if there was a chance otherwise. And I trusted Talon, as he would do good by Josh. Talon also liked the idea of me getting the family out of the spotlight when it came to those businesses, for safety’s sake. Again, because of Josh. I agreed with him, of course. Josh’s safety, along with my family’s, meant a lot to me.
It wasn’t like the Takahashi family would suffer for money. We had other businesses, like transport, restaurants, and our anime stores, to bring money in, and they did.
“I’ll agree to 10 percent.”
Link whistled. “I’d like to meet the person you’re doing this for.”
I stilled. “Who says I’m doing it for someone?”
Link chuckled. “No one, but I can tell. If you’ve spoken with Talon, you’ll know about Travis. He got out of it for a woman.”
I hummed under my breath but said no more.
Link snorted. “Got it loud and clear. Whoever it is, is off-limits. Get some paperwork together, prove to me these businesses will be worth taking off your hands, and we’ll do dinner.”
“I’ll get it done. Dinner will be set for Monday next week at the restaurant Tokyo. Seven p.m.”
“Got it, see you then.” He ended the call, and I placed mine back in its holder.
Turning to Ryo, I asked, “Did you hear that?”
“Yes. It’s good you started at 20 percent.”
“Especially when I only wanted ten.”
Ryo nodded. “Are you positive he’ll keep you out of it?”
“Talon and Travis are. Once he accepts, and I’m sure he will, we’ll have to get word out the Takahashi family isn’t linked to the gun and drugs trade.”
“I’m sure the news will spread without us having to lift a finger. When are you going to tell Ruin?”
I smiled. “Once it’s done. He’ll be annoyed, believing he’s responsible for this new direction, but I’ll have him understand it was something I had been hoping for, for many years. I’m tired of how my father fucked this family over and how we’ve always lived on the edge, wondering when the next rival would come at us.”
“It’s a good move. Will Link be able to keep safe when the rivals realise we no longer hold the cards?”
I shifted my gaze from the computer screen up to Ryo. Was that interest in his eyes? “By any chance did you see Link’s photo?” Ryo was bisexual, but I wasn’t sure anyone else knew because he was a very private person.
His jaw clenched. “It’s my business to know everything about a man you’ll be dealing with for your safety.”
I smirked.
Ryo scowled. “I may have seen his photo,” he admitted. I couldn’t blame him for being attracted to Link. If I didn’t have Josh, I might have thought the same. Link was older than us, very good-looking, and covered in more tattoos than even Josh.
Although Josh had the perfect number. When I’d asked about them, he’d explained they all meant something. His body was a piece of art, one I loved to look at every chance I got.
“Do you know you get this soft look on your face whenever you think about him?”
“I do not,” I clipped, knowing I was full of it. Even when Josh annoyed me, I still wanted him close. “One day you’ll find someone, and when that day comes, I can’t wait to hassle you about it.”
“I will never be as… smitten as you are with Ruin.”
“Just wait.” I grinned. “Now, don’t you have work to do, like myself?”
“Do you remember how?”
“Do you remember how I kick your arse when we spar?”
Ryo rolled his eyes and bowed. “Of course, Wolf. Call me if you forget something.”
“Get lost, Ryo.”
He walked towards the door. “Taro-sama,” he called, hand on the doorknob.
I looked up from the computer. “Yes?”
“You do this family a great honour by leading it.”