Chapter Five

~ Jos ~

My frustration was so great, I wanted to pound my fists into a wall.

"What does that mean?" I asked in the most controlled voice I could muster. I had figured out that Miko grew tense when I shouted. He feared something, and I hoped it wasn't me. I knew I could be loud and boisterous and...well...loud.

That's just who I was.

"Miko," I said when the man didn't answer. "You need to tell us what is going on. Why isn't it safe for you in Japan anymore?"

"I bring shame to my family by my very existence. For my entire life, my grandfather has stood between me and the others. Now that he is gone, there is no one to stand between us and I fear that my grandfather's brother will order my death so he can remove my stain on the family name."

I turned and drove my fist into the wall.

Miko didn't make a sound.

Monty sighed. "You'll be fixing that."

I knew I would, but the anger I'd felt when I figured out no one had told Miko he was getting married had turned into a rage so great, it was either punch the wall or go hunt down the bastards that threatened my new husband.

When I turned back, Miko was standing so close, our chests brushed against each other.

I forgot to breath.

"You are hurt?" Miko's soft voice rushed over me as much as the touch of his fingers on my fist did. Like warm silk.

"I'm fine, Miko," I whispered.

Miko peeked up at me. "You are angry."

"I am."

Miko's head cocked to one side. It was the most animated I'd seen him since we left the barn. "Why?"

"You belong to me now." Probably shouldn't be all possessive like, but that ship had sailed the moment I laid eyes on him. "No one threatens what's mine."

My gaze flickered to Miko's lips when his tongue came out and licked along the plump edges. Oh, the things I wanted to do to those luscious lips. The things I wanted that tongue to do to me.

I should be shot.

"I am yours now?"

"You are." There was just no other way about it. From the moment we said the words and signed on the dotted line, Miko belonged to me.

I hadn't known what to expect when Monty offered his deal. Fifty-one percent of the ranch would be deeded to me on the day we got married. The other forty-nine percent would be Monty's until his death, at which time, it would go to Miko. I would still hold controlling interest, which only made sense. I'd lived on this ranch for years. Miko had never even been on a ranch.

"But I also belong to you," I added.

Miko's eyes widened. "You are mine?"

"I am."

"I...own you?"

I smirked as I raised my hand and slid it along Miko's cheek until I could wrap it around the back of his neck. "I'm pretty sure you could own me with a smile."

Miko's breath stuttered in his throat loud enough for me to hear it, to feel the little warm huffs against my skin. There was a glint of something in Miko's eyes when he raised them to look at me, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I didn't know him well enough.

Hell, I didn't know him at all.

I'd be changing that.

Miko firmed his jaw. His nostrils flared. I could tell he was gearing up to say something and he was afraid of my reaction.

"Just say it, Miko, whatever it is."

"I...No punishment."

What?

"Miko—"

"If I own you and you own me, then no punishment."

As firm as his tone was, I could feel Miko shaking against me.

He was terrified.

"Miko, I will never hurt you. No one on this ranch will. If someone even looks at you wrong, I'll wipe the floor with them."

"Have you been punished before, Miko?" Monty asked.

Miko shuddered before giving a sharp nod.

I growled as I clenched my jaw. "Who?"

I didn't think I needed to explain what I was asking.

Miko shook his head. "It matters not."

Oh, but it did.

I glanced at Monty over Miko's head. I doubt the man had to look hard to see what I was thinking. When he nodded, I knew we were in agreement. Whoever had hurt Miko, they would pay, and pay dearly.

We just had to find out who it was.

It didn't look as if Miko was willing to talk about who that might be, so I decided to take the conversation in a different direction. "How do you feel about the fact that we got married this afternoon?"

Miko squinted up at me. I don't know what he was looking for, or even if he found it, but small smile curved the corners of his lips. "You are mine and I am yours, yes?"

"Yes."

Miko nodded. "I am good."

My eyebrows lifted up to my hairline. "You're good?" What sort of answer was that? "Miko—"

"I will live here?" Miko asked. "With you and father?"

"Yes." He wasn't going to be living anywhere else. "Our suite is upstairs."

I'd moved in yesterday. The bunkhouse was no place for Miko to live.

"And I can have horse?"

I scowled. "I told you that you could, didn't I?"

"Then I am good."

That was it? A place to live and a horse? That was all he wanted in order to stay? Why was he so accepting?

"Miko, if you didn't know you were getting married, why aren't you more upset? People made decisions about your life without asking you." I hated that I'd been a part of that even if I hadn't known I was at the time.

"You let me choose," Miko said simply.

"What?"

"When you realized I didn't know, you explained things to me, and then you let me choose. I've never had that before. All decisions concerning my life, even right down to what I ate on a daily basis, were made for me. Here, you let me choose."

Miko's wide smile gave testament to how happy that made him.

"They chose what you ate?"

Miko nodded. "I was given food that would keep me healthy, but was not necessarily something I would choose for myself."

"We generally eat what Mrs. Gibbons cooks for us, Miko," Monty said, "but if there is something you don't like, you won't ever be forced to eat it."

Miko turned and gave his father a small bow. "Thank you. I will not..." Miko's forehead crinkled as he frowned. "I will endeavor to try new things and accept that Japanese food is not the same as American food."

"I'm sure Mrs. Gibbons can make you some Japanese food if you want it," I said. "And I believe there is a sushi place in town." I think. I'd never been there. Raw fish. Yuck. I'd rather eat a rattle snake, and had.

"We can go over all of the papers you signed tomorrow," Monty said as he stood and grabbed his cane. "I believe Mrs. Gibbons has dinner ready and we're having steak and baked potatoes."

"Potatoes?" Miko asked. "A starchy plant that grows in the ground?"

My jaw dropped. "You've never had a potato?"

What in the hell did those people feed him?

"I have not, but I've seen pictures. They look very...interesting."

"I like to add sour cream and chives to mine," Monty said, "but Jos does the whole cheese and bacon bits thing on his."

"You should probably try a bite before you start adding stuff," I suggested. "Just to see if you like it."

Miko gifted me with a small smile. "I will, thank you for your advice."

"You can have it any way you want or not at all. That is up to you."

Miko's inhale was a little uneven. "No one except my grandfather ever gave me choices before, and even then he could only allow me so much control over my own life. I'm not sure I know what to do."

"Your choices will never be taken away from you here, Miko. The only time I'll insist is when it comes to your safety." I was a pretty controlling bastard, but for Miko I would try and tamp down on that aspect of my personality. Maybe. "If you are uncertain, just ask me."

"Thank you."

I nodded because I wasn't sure what to say now. I was still pissed that people had taken Miko's choices away from him and realized that he probably wouldn't have married me if he'd known what he was doing.

Unfortunately, that changed things for me. I wasn't sure what to expect when Monty asked me to marry his son, but I had kind of hoped there would be a sexual component since I refused to break my marriage vows.

Now, it was starting to look as if Miko might not even be gay, and I'd forgotten to ask before I jumped feet first into this mess. Monty had dangled the ranch in front of me and I'd sold my soul to have a piece of it.

I was an idiot.

I kept my hand in the small of Miko's back as I led him out of Monty's office and down the hallway to the dining room. I could smell the food Mrs. Gibbons had cooked before we even got there, and my stomach growled. I realized, with everything that had happened, I'd forgotten to eat lunch and I was starving.

Monty took his usual spot at the head of the table. I guided Miko to the seat directly to Monty's right and then sat down next to him. Mrs. Gibbons set a bowl of salad on the table and then took the seat to Monty's left.

"Thank you, Mrs. Gibbons," Miko said. "This looks very nice."

"You're so welcome, Miko," she replied. "I hope you like it."

Miko's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yes, ma'am."

I reached under the table and grabbed his hand. His grip was surprisingly strong.

"Miko hasn't been able to try a lot of different foods, Mrs. Gibbons," I explained. "I suspect tonight will be an eye opening experience for him."

"Oh." Mrs. Gibbons frowned. "I'd be happy to make him something more traditional if he wants."

"No, please," Miko quickly said. "I would very much like to try what you have made. I have never had American food before."

"Well, I'm not sure how American steak and potatoes are, but it's definitely ranch food. My boys work hard and they play hard. They need hardy food to fill them up."

Miko glanced at me. "Her boys?"

"She means Monty, me, and the rest of the ranch hands."

"Oh yes, of course."

"Normally," I explained, "whoever is home during dinner joins us, but today was special so they are all eating in the bunkhouse tonight. Tomorrow, this place will be filled with ranch hands. We try to eat breakfast and dinner together."

"Not lunch?"

I shook my head. "Most of us are out on the ranch during lunch. Every morning, Mrs. Gibbons makes up a bunch of sack lunches we can take with us so we don't have to ride all the way back to the main house to eat."

Miko's eyes widened as he looked across the table. "Do you sleep?"

Mrs. Gibbons laughed. "I do, sweet boy, but these old bones don't need as much sleep as I used to. I like cooking so it's no big deal to make food for my boys."

I grabbed my fork and reached over to spear one of the baked potatoes. I held it up. "You want to try a baked potato?"

"I want to try everything."

I set the potato on his plate and then got one for myself. Next was the platter of steaks, then salad, and finally homemade dinner rolls. As I started preparing my potato, I realized Miko was watching me and mirroring my actions. I made sure to slow down with what I was doing so he had time to decide if he wanted to do the same or not.

I waited to cut into my food until Miko took his first bite of his food. He took just a small bite of the potato like I suggested then one with bacon bits and cheese on it. His smile grew as he took another bite.

"You like it?"

Miko nodded as he chewed.

I smiled back then cut into my own food. Things were kind of quiet as we all ate, which was a change from when the table was full of rough cattle wranglers. Quiet wasn't a term I'd use in reference to our normal meal times. Chaotic, deafening, boisterous...all good descriptions.

All accurate descriptions.

When I was done eating, I leaned back in my chair and rested my arm along the back of Miko's. Watching him eat wasn't like I expected. He savored each bite, letting it sit on his tongue for a moment before chewing.

It made me decidedly uncomfortable. I reached under the table and adjusted my growing erection, moving it away from my zipper before I had metal imprints.

When Miko finally laid his fork down, I blew out a breath of relief. I hadn't been sure how much more I could take before I'd be forced to walk away and find a dark room to relieve the ache in my jeans.

"You want dessert?"

I almost whimpered when he shook his head.

"I couldn't possibly." Miko rubbed his stomach. "I don't think I've ever eaten so much."

And just that quickly, my arousal deserted me. "Did they not feed you enough?"

I could tell from the flustered frown on Miko's face that he was choosing his words carefully. He seemed to do that a lot.

"I was on a very regimented diet."

"Not here." I tried not to snarl. "Here, you can eat whenever you want, whatever you want. Hell, you could eat everything in the house and no one would be upset with you."

"If you'd like to tell me what kind of snacks you like," Mrs. Gibbons said, "I'd be happy to make up some and keep them in the pantry for you."

"Oh...um..." Miko glanced at me.

"I think Miko is going to have to try a bunch of different things before he can decide what he likes," I told the cook. "He hasn't had a lot of time to explore his food pallet."

Miko reached under the table and set his hand on my thigh. I knew he was silently telling me thank you, so I just nodded...and tried to ignore the hand so close to my groin.

"May I use the bathroom?"

I know I was blinking blankly at Miko, but what grown man asked if he could use the bathroom?

"It's down the hallway," Monty said. "The door next to my office."

"Thank you." Miko stood and then walked out of the room.

I waited until he'd left the room before turning to look at Monty. "What the fuck, Monty?"

"I don't know, my boy." Monty rested his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together. "When we spoke on the phone, that lawyer, Mr. Sato, told me Miko had led a sheltered life back in Japan, but I think there was more to it than that."

"Sheltered life, my ass."

I was starting to think they kept him a virtual prisoner. Too many things weren't adding up. Miko's behavior for one. He acted more like someone who'd served time. I knew. I'd spent awhile in juvenile detention before I was found by Monty.

I wanted to punch something again.