An image jumped into Ronin’s head of sitting at the table with paper and pens, Shiori curled up in their grandfather’s lap while he patiently drilled Ronin on reading and writing. “I’d forgotten that.”
“I’m not trying to paint Nureki Okada as a saint. But he’s not a villain either.” She smiled softly. “Well, not all days.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
She stood. “Because you, your sister, and I need to discuss some family things.”
“What things?”
“I’ll go into more detail tomorrow. Lunch will work, since you’re not teaching during the day, and who knows what Shiori is doing with her time since she quit.”
“She quit? Quit what?”
Her eyes turned shrewd. “Your sister resigned from Okada weeks ago. How else could she spend all this time here?”
His jaw dropped. “She never even f**king mentioned that.”
For once his mother didn’t give him a pinched look about his language. “I’m not surprised. But you’ve been so wrapped up in your own life that you hadn’t noticed all her free time?”
Chastised, he retorted, “I had a couple of life-changing events, a couple of health issues, so I wasn’t as aware as I might’ve otherwise been.”
She offered him the half smile that signified the conversation was over. “It appears you and Amery worked things out.”
“Mostly. The rest will be handled after she’s living here permanently.”
“Your Amery is a beautiful girl. I can see she makes you happy.”
“She does. She also has that electric spark that lights my life.”
The remaining house tour didn’t take much time. Amery had made the bed in their room and put away the silk scarves. When they finished the tour in the kitchen, he saw Amery had fixed her hair and put on makeup. He found it sweet she wanted to make a good impression on his mother.
“Would you like something to drink?” Amery asked.
“Tea?”
“We have pretty much everything except for that.”
“Of course. Do you share Ronin’s dislike of tea?”
“No. After I move in, I’ll stock it for when you visit.”
Message received: Amery wasn’t going anywhere.
That pleased rather than annoyed his mother. “Excellent. I look forward to having tea with you, Amery.” She faced Ronin. “I apologize for dropping in and interrupting your evening. I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch.”
“Where are you staying?”
“With Shiori at the Ritz. She’s got an extra bedroom in the penthouse suite she insists on.” She patted his cheek. “So much more fun to cramp her style than yours, Ronin-san.”
He grinned and walked her to the elevator. “Want me to ride down with you?”
“Not necessary.” Right before the doors closed, she said, “Sweet dreams, my handsome boy,” in Japanese, like she used to when she tucked him in at night.
Amery’s arms circled his waist. She rested the side of her face against his back. “You okay?”
“Oddly enough, yes. But that was bizarre. Must be the month for surprise parental visits.”
“Looks like yours went better than mine. You two were on the roof for a long time.”
“She gave me a few things to think about.”
“Like?”
Ronin turned around. “Like I wondered why Shiori was still here, but she hedged every time I asked. Come to find out, she quit Okada several weeks ago.”
Amery dropped her gaze.
He grabbed on to her chin and tipped her face up. “You knew.”
“Yes, but—”
“No buts.”
“After I decided to sign the contract, Shiori warned me I wouldn’t be working with her. A week or so later I got to thinking about how suspicious that sounded, so I called her on it, so she told me the truth. It’s been hard not telling you because my loyalty to you will always come first. But she begged me not to say anything because she needed to wait until the timing was right.”
“And for you, did that loyalty start before or after Okada cut you a big fat check?”
Immediately after he said it, he knew it was a dick move.
She stepped back. The hurt on her face sliced into him, and he reached for her, but she dodged him. “Did you ever consider the reason that your sister doesn’t share anything personal with you is because you can be such a judgmental ass**le when it comes to family stuff?”
Keep your goddamn mouth shut for once, before you make it worse.
“I didn’t ask to be her confidante. But I like her. I don’t hold a grudge against her for your mistake. Granted, I don’t know everything that’s gone on in your family saga—frankly I don’t want to know. But if we’re going to be together, then your sister will be in my life. I intend to have her as a good part of it because god knows I don’t have anything like that with my family.”
“What the f**k does if we’re going to be together mean?” he demanded. “We are together. We goddamn live together.”
“Not yet we don’t. And right now, I don’t want to be in the same apartment with you, let alone the same bed.” Amery snatched her purse off the end table. “Unfuckingbelievable.”
“Amery—”
She whirled around. “That’s what you took from everything I just said? You made it about you? Why don’t you think of someone else for a change? You really believe that Shiori is hanging out in the dojo because she needs a place to train? Wrong. She’s there because she wants to rebuild her relationship with you.”
“Then why didn’t she just say that?” he bellowed.
She poked him in the chest. “For that reason, right there.”
He couldn’t think of a damn thing to say as the elevator doors closed in his face.
• • •
THAT’S how Ronin found himself at the Ritz-Carlton at nine o’clock at night.
Maybe it’d been typical behavior for him, commanding his sister meet him in the bar. But she’d agreed, so he must not have been too much of a raging ass**le.
He’d taken a booth in the corner and ordered. He’d barely had a chance to savor the subtle notes in the scotch before Shiori slid across from him.
The waiter was immediately tableside, wearing a big smile. “Ms. Hirano, it’s wonderful to have you back. What are you drinking this evening?”