“It’s all good, honey. I get it.”
Mimi grazed her bottom lip with her top teeth. Usually that move would get my dick paying attention, but he was asleep. It proved Mimi wasn’t my one. God, it sucked, because I wanted to find her, and Mimi was a great woman. But honestly, now wasn’t the right time to be thinking any of this shit.
A change of subject was what was needed. “You’ve got a lot of people in the family.”
She laughed. “Yes, you could say that. Some still live in Japan. They refuse to…. Well, I guess they don’t like Australia or the US, where our other uncle resides over the Takahashi family that moved there.”
“What’s so different from there to here?”
“Everything. In Japan, they’re stricter than here.”
“Fuck.”
“Exactly. In a way, it was good Dad moved us here. Although, he was still strict. More with Taro since he is the family’s heir. If Taro ever spoke out of turn, he was punished.” Her lips thinned. “Really, I had the better end of the deal.”
“Doesn’t mean your turmoil is any less than his, Mimi. You were gonna be sold off like an item instead of a person.”
Mimi poured herself another drink. “Right. Some still do that in Japan. The main difference from here to there is how different the houses are. Traditionally, we should live in wooden houses with mat flooring and sliding doors. Rooms are divided by partitions of paper. Which makes things awkward when you can hear things going on in the other room.”
“You would have been young when you lived there, yeah?”
“I was, but Mother always went back to see her family and took Taro and me with her.”
“How is your mum?”
Mimi shrugged. “I haven’t seen her yet.”
I dipped my brows, confused over why that wouldn’t have been the first thing she’d done. They’d been close, right? Hell, if I hadn’t been home in ages, I’d head straight to my mum.
“How come?”
“I didn’t want to interrupt her praying.” She took a sip of her drink and whispered, “I worry she won’t want to see me.”
“Babe. She will. You’re a cool chick. I’m sure your mum has missed you.”
She smiled softly. “A cool chick?”
“Yeah.”
I glanced down at her hands as she wrapped them around her glass and sucked in a deep breath. “I’m sorry for how I acted after….”
“It’s fine, honey.”
She shook her head. “It wasn’t. I didn’t know what it was back then, but I have a feeling now that I looked to you for comfort and… I didn’t want to lose that after we’d slept together, because I worried I wouldn’t keep that comfort if we didn’t keep sleeping together. I also realised recently it was more leaving the compound that I worried about. I felt safe there.”
“You’ll always be a part of Hawks, babe. Even if you don’t sleep with any members. Hell, Mouth could get you a job in there cleaning or working the bar to pay for your room. Never think we’d kick you out because you don’t have one of our cocks between your legs.”
A blush hit her cheeks. “You and… Cowboy were the only ones I’d slept with.”
“Cowboy, hey?”
The blush deepened. Shit, if I had to guess, someone had a crush.
“Yes.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I also wanted to thank you for coming here with me. I didn’t think it could be like this between us.”
“It’s nice. Now that you don’t hate me.”
She laughed. “Yes. Though, I never hated you. You annoyed me, a lot, with your cocky ways, but more in a brother way.”
“Babe,” I drew out. “Never call me a brother, since we fucked.”
I drew another laugh from her. “You’re right. If anyone heard, it would be weird.” She rested her hand on my arm and looked up at me, suddenly serious. “Honestly, I must thank you for coming. Having you here… it helps knowing I’m not alone in this.” She shook her head. “I know I have my brother and mother here, but it’s been so long since I’ve seen them, and Hawks has become a part of my life.”
I placed my hand over hers. “We’re your family also, Mimi. Always.”
She smiled softly up at me.
“Say, can you tell me what that situation was with the woman hangin’ all over Wolf? I had a feelin’ I missed somethin’.”
“You did. He only had her there to distract the family from my arrival.”
Shit. “Then I fucked it up.”
Mimi shook her head. “You didn’t. He would have sent her on her way in the end anyway.”
“Back to his room. I thought your brother was gay.”
“She’s an old friend of Taro’s and would have known to leave and not enter his room. Taro’s only into men. But if Taro had a man draped over him, a war would have started.”
I snorted. “Yeah, I could see that happenin’.”
Bigoted fucks.
“Am I interrupting something?”
We jolted apart like we’d been caught making out by our parents. Only it was Wolf standing in the library doorway, glaring at us.
“No, you’re not,” Mimi said with a grin. “Come join us for a drink, aniki.”
His eyes softened. “Of course.” He stepped into the room and made his way over to the bar. His gaze dropped to Mimi’s hand on my arm and how mine still covered hers. Was he worried his sister and I would start things back up again, and he didn’t like it?
Wolf curled his arm across Mimi’s chest and pulled her back into his arms, kissing her temple. “It is good to see you in this house again, shisutā.”
Her hands lifted to grip his arm. “It’s good to be here, with you.”
“What’s that you call each other?”
“Aniki and shisutā?” Wolf asked.
“Yeah.”
“Brother and sister.”
I nodded. “Sounds cool when you say it.”
“Who, me or my sister?” Wolf asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
Rolling my eyes, I replied, “Never mind.”
“What about if I speak to you in Japanese, will it turn you on?”
I snorted. “No. Again, I ain’t into guys.”
Mimi slapped her brother’s arm. “Stop teasing.”
“Shikashi watashi wa sore ga sukidesu.”
I didn’t know what he said, and I’d never admit it to him, but it sounded good. Instead, I kept his gaze and took a sip of my drink.
Wolf laughed as he nodded to my glass. “Can I have a sip?”
I scowled. “Get your own.”
“But your mouth hasn’t been on any of those.”
What the fuck?
“Shall I leave the two of you alone?” Mimi asked teasingly.
“No,” I blurted.
“Yes,” Wolf said.
“No,” I clipped.
“Yes. I could go all night. Just ask me.” Wolf winked.
“Can we go back to when you were threatening me?” I suggested. It was easier then. I didn’t know if he found me attractive and wanted me. Because seriously, the guy flirted like it was his own language. If I was into guys, his flirting could have worked; instead, it just twisted my gut, since he wasn’t getting the hint I wasn’t into it.