Ronin got right in her face. “No f**king way, no f**king how, never f**king happening. Stay away from me; stay away from Amery; stay away from my club.”
“Not so Zen now, are you, Master Black?”
“Leave Denver, or I will f**k with your life in ways you can’t even imagine.”
“You already f**ked with my life. Getting returned to Japan like a defective toy humiliated me on more levels than you can comprehend. So paybacks are a bitch, Ronin-san. And I plan to be around until I get mine.”
He expected her to create a bigger scene, but he wasn’t prepared for her to lean in and wipe her lipsticked mouth down the left side of his white shirt.
She grinned at him, red smeared across her chin, as she turned and vanished into the crowd.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“I’M not sure on that font,” Amery said. “Too curved. Too fat.”
Molly laughed. “Think a fat font on low-calorie snack packaging would be considered creating a subliminal message?”
“I can’t believe people get paid to think about this stuff. Did you know that Okada has fifty food scientists on staff?” Amery shook her head. “Do some kids grow up with the goal of having a career in food science?”
“I don’t know. But I hear getting a job in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is a sweet gig.”
Amery groaned. “Let’s call it a night.”
Molly stood and stretched. “It’s weird working this late because you leave a vapor trail as soon as five o’clock rolls around. What are you and Ronin doing tonight?”
Nothing, since she hadn’t contacted Ronin yet.
After he’d pointed out her admittedly selfish behavior Friday night, she’d had every intention of calling him first thing Sunday morning after spending Saturday working, pretending everything was peachy. But on Sunday, Emmylou had a meltdown after her breakup with Sasha and had sounded near suicidal.
As much as Amery had appreciated Emmylou’s friendship over the years, it occurred to her as she listened to her friend complain and cry that Emmylou’s friendship was one-sided. She’d never asked about Amery’s state of mind during her breakup with Ronin. She’d never asked how things were going after they’d gotten back together. Since they hadn’t spent much time together recently, Amery had invited Emmylou to the MMA fight—and then had to listen to Emmylou’s diatribe against men’s need to prove their dicks were superior through violence and then recite stats on physically abused women who were involved with those types of men who used steroids and their fists.
Seemed Emmylou’s personality had undergone a drastic change in recent months, and Amery didn’t like the changes. She’d keep their landlord and tenant relationship businesslike from here on out. Then she vowed it’d be the last time she’d waste an entire day trying to make someone else feel better about herself at the expense of fixing her own problems. By the time Amery had returned home, she’d been in no frame of mind to offer Ronin the apology he deserved.
Four loud raps on the front door had Amery checking to see who’d show up so late. Ronin? No. He’d use his key and come in through the back door.
Shiori was impatiently tapping her foot on the other side of the glass. Amery unlocked the door and Shiori walked past her with a brusque, “We need to talk.”
Then she stopped abruptly upon seeing Molly.
“Shiori Hirano, VP of Okada Foods, this is my assistant, Molly Calloway.”
Molly offered her hand. “It’s good to finally meet you in person. I’m excited to work on the new Okada line.” When Shiori stared at her blankly, Molly added, “Oh, I enjoyed watching you fight the other night.”
“The feeling is mutual,” she said, obviously not really paying attention to the conversation, and headed toward Amery’s office.
When Molly raised both eyebrows in a silent, Is she always this self-absorbed? Amery shrugged.
“I’ll lock up,” Molly said, grabbing her coat and purse. “See you tomorrow.”
Amery waited until Molly left before approaching Shiori as she prowled in Amery’s office like a caged cat. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but why are you here?”
Shiori whirled around. “I need a drink.”
“Did something happen to Ronin?” Amery asked sharply.
“Not in the way you think.”
“Start explaining. Now.”
Those beautiful golden eyes, identical to Ronin’s, were a little wild looking. “Naomi is in Denver and she confronted Ronin tonight.”
Amery froze. “Why?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t hear their conversation, but I saw her smug f**king face as she walked out. When I tried to talk to Ronin, he cut me off and bailed. So I know you want to go to him, but there’s more to the story with Naomi and it’s time you knew the truth.” Shiori looked more miserable than Amery had ever seen her.
“Now I need a goddamn drink. Come upstairs.” She shut off all the lights as they headed to the back room.
Shiori took one look at the circular metal staircase, then slipped off her spike heels.
Amery hadn’t spent much time in her loft in recent weeks. Since she practically lived with Ronin, it shouldn’t be such a big deal to make it official and tell him yes, she would move in with him. But what if she rented out her loft and everything with Ronin fell apart? Where would she go? She’d suffered through something like that with her ex Tyler and had no desire to repeat the experience.