She rested her free hand on his shoulder and brushed it down his arm as she turned. After shooting me daggers again, she finally left the room. I didn’t give a shit that I’d pissed her off.
Wolf picked up a knife and twirled it around his fingers. He rested his elbows on the table and leaned my way. “Never speak to me like that again.”
My lips tipped up, and I chuckled low. I leaned close also. “Your sister’s back for the first night, yet you sit there with some bird on your lap ignoring the glares she’s getting—”
“Ruin,” Mimi snapped low and shook her head.
Wolf flicked the knife my way, holding it with the tip of the blade to my neck. “What goes on at this table or in the house is how I want it. You’re here because I allow it. That can change if you piss me off again.” He placed the knife back down, smiled at the people around the table, and clapped his hand before he took Mimi’s hand and squeezed it.
Mimi smiled up at him.
Fuck.
Maybe I’d jumped to the wrong conclusion, and I’d missed something.
Doors opened, platters were brought forward and set down throughout the table. No one moved to grab their food though.
Wolf cleared his throat. “Tonight, we welcome back my sister, Mimi, and with her is our guest, Ruin. I want no harm to come to either of them. If something happens, the person responsible will be punished.”
What the fuck? Seriously, I didn’t think Wolf ran the whole house like Talon did the Hawks MC, but they all sat there listening to him like the brotherhood listened to Talon. Some looked peeved over the idea of not harming us, but the others nodded and accepted his order.
I thought that’d be it, that we could eat and get out of there, especially for Mimi’s sake, but of course it wasn’t.
Jiro stood. “I will not eat at this table with people who desert the family and dishonour us.” His hard gaze landed on Mimi.
A look of anger swept over Mimi, and she stood. Her chair screeched over the hardwood floor. All eyes were on her when she said, “I would not have dishonoured the family if one of you had listened to me when I said I would not marry that man.”
“It was a promised business deal. You have no right to tell us how to run things. You listen and do as you’re told.”
I snorted. I couldn’t help it. “How fuckin’ outdated.” I grunted when a foot met with my shin.
Wolf glowered at me before he stood and rested his hands on the table, staring down the room. “Since my father has signed everything over to me, you have noticed some things have changed already. More changes will come. Within the family and businesses.”
Another man stood quickly. “It is not something we speak of in front of outsiders.” Gazes turned on me and Mimi. Christ, I couldn’t fucking believe Mimi was seen as an outsider for not marrying an old fucker.
“I did not say I would speak of all changes now. The businesses are for another day, but for the family, that is another matter. I want to touch on one subject only. No longer will the women of the family be bargained off in any type of deals. They will not be forced into an arranged marriage unless they are willing and I hear it from them myself.”
“This is not how it’s done,” Jiro boomed.
Goddamn old prick.
Wolf straightened. “It is now, on my word.”
“Come,” Jiro ordered two women and three men, all of different ages, beside him. If I had to guess, one woman was his wife, the other his mother. The men looked younger, maybe his sons. Jiro stopped, and when he did, the rest of his family halted and looked down at two girls in their late teens. “Yuri, Hina, now.”
They bowed their heads and stared at their plates.
“Ima oki nasai, on'nanoko,” the wife snapped in Japanese.
I saw the older teen take the younger’s hand. “W-We don’t want to marry the men you have us set with.”
Jesus Christ. They were younger than Mimi and already had been set to marry someone. That was fucked up. I wanted to wrap my hands around Jiro’s neck and choke the life out of him.
“You are my daughters. You will follow my rule!” Jiro yelled.
I stood, ready to storm around the table and lay the fucker out. A hand dropped to my shoulder. Wolf’s. He didn’t say anything to me. When he removed his hand, he moved closer to Jiro and said to the room, “From this day on, the women have their say on how their lives are lived.” He stopped just before Jiro. “That is my word.”
“They are my children.”
“They are a part of the Takahashi family.” Wolf cocked his head to the side. “Tell me, Oji-san, who runs the family?”
Jiro’s jaw clenched, along with his fists. “You.” It was pretty clear he left off “for now.” Calculating intent filled his eyes. I expected he wouldn’t even flinch from killing his own nephew—as long as he had control in the end.
Mimi’s life wasn’t the only one in jeopardy within these damn walls. Wolf’s was as well.
I hadn’t, as yet, seen the muscle backing Wolf. Would he have enough protection? Would they both? I’d stick around and stay close to see. If not, I would make sure they did by calling the brothers in.
“Yuri, Hina, come,” Jiro tried again. If they left, I worried for their safety. I wouldn’t put it past Jiro to beat them bloody for “dishonouring” him in front of the rest of the family.
The girls looked to Wolf. He smiled gently. “If you wish to move to this side of the property, I am sure your aunt will love the company.”
“You will not take them!” the mother yelled.
I caught Mimi wrapping her arms around her waist and biting her bottom lip. I quickly moved around the table and rested my hands on her shoulders in support. She leaned back into my chest.
Wolf’s gaze hardened and swung to the woman. “The girls will still be within the walls, just closer to me so I know my ruling will be followed.” Yeah, Wolf also knew the girls were going to get in the shit for speaking up.
Jiro’s face shot red as he screwed it up. He took two steps back and grabbed Yuri’s hair. She cried out as he pulled her from her seat. Hina started crying. She dropped to her knees and pressed her forehead to the floor by her father’s feet.
“They are not your problem. I am their father. They will do what I say.” He shook Yuri by the hair, a whimper falling from her lips.
Fuck this.
I started around Mimi, but she gripped my arm. “No,” she uttered. “Taro will take care of it.” I took another step. “Please, Ruin. It’s a family matter. You can’t get involved unless asked by the head of the family. Please.”
I didn’t like it one damn bit. But I locked my body down and glanced back to see the men had joined Jiro at his back. All of them scowled at the girls like they were a disease.
“You do not want to do this,” Wolf warned as he removed his white jacket.
“You have no say over my children,” Jiro snarled.
“I have a say over the treatment of any member of this family, and I do not like what I see. Let Yuri go, Jiro.”
“You will call me Oji-san, boy.”
Wolf chuckled without humour. “You do not deserve the title when I have no respect for you.”
Jiro’s face screwed up again and he pushed Yuri away. She stumbled and dropped to her butt. In the next second, Jiro raised his hand and slapped Wolf across the face. A bit of a bitch move, but maybe it was something this family did.