ASH UNTANGLED HERSELF from Mischa, careful not to wake him. She’d rather stay on the couch with him for the next few days. She didn’t know if he had to make into the office at any specific time. His past behavior said that wasn’t a priority for him even before he surrendered his share in the firm.

She didn’t have the same luxury. She refused to play the I was with the boss card. Especially if he wasn’t the boss anymore.

She left him to sleep on the couch, and went up to her room. As she got ready for work, last night played on a loop in her head. Not just the sex, though the light ache between her legs was a pleasant souvenir. The entire evening was fun. Like time spent with Mischa tended to be, when she let go of everything else.

It was pity. He feels sorry for you.

She winced at the mental voice, and tried to box it away in the dark corners of her mind. It went most of the way, but little jagged edges still poked out, taunting her. Making her question his motivation.

If she kept listening to those scars, she’d lose something amazing.

Just because things are sparkly and bright with him now, doesn’t mean you won’t be miserable when you admit the truth.

Damn it, she hated that voice. She spent her entire shower, and then her time getting dressed, arguing with it. She knew it was lying, but that didn’t shut it up.

She headed back downstairs, and found Mischa up and in the kitchen. His hair was damp, dark locks clinging to his temple. He wore jeans and a T-shirt that hugged everything tempting. A reminder of the lines and hard muscle that lay underneath.

Heartbreakingly handsome. The pain behind her ribs said the statement might be literal. Or she was being a tad melodramatic.

When he saw her, he smiled, but he seemed to look past her rather than at her. He nodded at the counter, and the cup of coffee that sat across from him. “For you, if you’d like.”

The warmth in his voice was tinged with something she couldn’t identify, but that spoke to that nagging voice inside she couldn’t silence. She made her way to the breakfast bar and the drink he’d poured her. It was on the opposite side of the counter, meaning there was no reason to come near him or come into contact with him.

Why was she over analyzing that? He’d made a kind gesture—she took a sip—including getting the cream and sugar balance about perfect. “Thank you,” she said.

This was good. Right. What it should be. Friendly. Informal but not too intimate. Exactly appropriate enough to be disappointing. Wow, she was screwed up in the head. He was giving her what she demanded, and she was upset over it.

“I talked to Victoria.” She looked up in the shift in tone, but his expression was as pleasant and calm as when she’d walked in the room. Was he struggling with this, too? “She’ll meet us at the building this afternoon.”

Of course he found time to call his gorgeous ex, get ready for work, and make coffee, while Ash was dragging her feet trying to get her head on straight. “Sounds good.”

The drive in was quiet. Mischa tried to start conversations a few times, but Ash’s doubt wasn’t having it. She wanted to beat her head into the glass until she could think straight, but what if that didn’t work?

Great. Her doubt was crippling every decision.

She thought being at work would make things easier. Away from him. Isolated. Alone with an avalanche of tasks. But she couldn’t focus on anything. She’d try and dive into a project, only to realize fifteen minutes had passed and she was staring at a blank form or questionnaire or query window.

Her messenger chimed with a note from Mischa.

We’re getting lunch. Do you want to go with?

It was that late already? And she hadn’t done anything except talk herself into dizzy circles. I’ve got to finish some work. Thanks though.

Yes. She should have said yes.

K. Don’t work too hard, Mischa said.

That was that. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. To push away the doubt. To find her center. To grasp any semblance of sanity that might be hiding in the cracks of her mind.

She’d managed to get into her work, and focus on the screen, when someone touched her shoulder. Heat seared through her, and she knew without looking, it was Mischa.

“Eat.” He set a takeout bag next to her, and hovered his mouth near her ear. “And yes, this is me admitting I care.”

Her stomach fluttered. She turned to thank him, but he was already striding back to his office. She sent him a quick note over messenger. Thank you :*. She hit send before she could figure out it was a bad idea.

He sent her back a :D. It was amazing how such a simple thing could make her feel so giddy.

She pulled a sandwich from the bag, and her stomach growled at the scents of oregano and basil that greeted her. A reminder she’d only had coffee for breakfast. She grabbed napkins and plasticware from the bag as well, and her fingers brushed something else. What the... She pulled out CD in a plastic case. Master Remix #2 was written on it in black Sharpie.

She wanted to listen now, but didn’t have any headphones. Dropping it into her purse, she made a mental note to listen as soon as she got home.

The nagging he only likes you out of pity voice was still there, but it was softer. She’d have to strain to make out the words, and she wasn’t going to do that.

She finished her lunch and dove into work, finding the focus she needed until it was time to meet Victoria.

Like that morning, the conversation on the drive was stilted, but this time Mischa was distracted. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and hummed tuneless music.

“Is everything looking all right?” Ash asked.

He nodded. “Paperwork is in review. Odds are good everything will clear.”

She rested a hand on his knee. “Then you’ve got this.”

“I know.” He glanced at her, zero doubt on his face.

“So, why the jitters?”

“Because I have no idea what comes next.”

“Does that scare you?” She wasn’t sure how to interpret the words, but he didn’t sound upset.

He laughed. “Are you kidding? It’s fucking amazing. I can’t wait to figure it out.”

The excitement in his reply sang to her heart. Without thinking, she understood exactly what he meant. “It does sound kind of awesome.”

“Though I do hope...” A frown whispered across his face, before vanishing. “Never mind.” He pulled into a parking lot.

“What?”

“Later. Victoria’s already here.” He parked near the curb of a warehouse-sized building.

Ash was curious about his unfinished thought, but there would be time later to ask him for details. It was an odd sensation to have faith in that, but even with the persistent doubt haunting her, she believed there was time.

Victoria strolled to meet them as they climbed from the SUV. “I have to admit, I’m curious about this,” she said. Her tone was cool, and the way she glanced at Ash was dismissive at best.

If they’d met under other circumstances would there still be this friction between them that Ash didn’t completely understand?

“I’ve got good news,” Mischa said as he came to stand by Ash’s side, arm close enough to brush hers. She itched to reach for his hand, but an invisible restraint held her back. How was she going to break this?

Victoria started back, expectation on her face. “I’m not sure you and I define that the same.” Another glance at Ash.

“We do.” He nodded at the building. “It’s going to take a little while to get all the paperwork signed, but I thought you might like a tour of your new rec center.”

A rainbow of emotion flashed across Victoria’s face in an instant—disbelief to shock to acceptance, and everything in between. “You’re serious.”

“As much as I’m capable. Yes.”

Victoria squealed with delight, and threw her arms around Mischa’s neck, squeezing him tight. “Oh, my God. Thank you.”

Jealousy stabbed Ash in the chest so hard it nearly stole her breath, and she swallowed past a lump in her throat.

Mischa extracted himself from Victoria, and pushed her back. He took Ash’s hand, the simple gesture acting like a salve. “It’s mostly Ash’s doing, and idea. I’m just the wallet.”

“Thank you.” Victoria gave her a little more attention this time. The ice in her look hadn’t melted, but her tone was sincere. “Do I get to hear this story while you give me the grand tour?”

“Of course.” Mischa dropped Ash’s hand long enough to unlock and open the front doors, then tangled his fingers with hers again.

As they made their way through the property, he gave Victoria the highlights of the idea. He had this property that wasn’t selling, and she needed a building. They’d run a crowd-funding campaign, and he’d write off the difference.

He left Ralph Wolfram’s name out of the mix, along with any other negative details.

“But how are you going to afford something like this?” Victoria asked. “You have that kind of liquidity?”

“Tristan is buying me out.”

Victoria stopped, mouth slightly agape. She snapped her jaw shut. “How’d you pull the stick out of his ass to get him to agree to that?”

That didn’t sound like the Tristan Ash knew.

“What happened between the two of you?” The tone of Mischa’s voice said he felt the same.

“Ask him.” Victoria was back to cool and composed.

They continued the tour, and Ash was content to linger behind, admiring the work. Experiencing it in person was a whole new world compared to the images she’d seen, and Mischa’s influence was everywhere. In the curves and lines and careless order.

They finished the tour back in the foyer of the building. Mischa turned to Victoria. “Will this work?” he asked.

“Yeah. Absolutely. I can’t believe you’re donating it. Not that I want you to change your mind.”

“Can you work in a place like this?”

Victoria studied him for a moment, brows knit together in confusion. “Me? I don’t work with the kids directly. I have a nice cozy administrative office at our main headquarters.”

Ash wasn’t surprised.

Mischa looked like he was. “Who’s going to be in charge here?”

“We haven’t decided yet. We were saving that until we actually had a spot. I never expected...” Victoria spun around, before facing him again. “Did I say yet this is amazing?”

There was a soft knock on the front doors, and all three of them swiveled toward the noise. Kelly stood outside, peering through the glass.

“You have a mini-me?” Victoria looked at Ash. There was no edge to her voice, though.

Ash wasn’t listening. She sprinted the few short steps to let her sister in. “What are you doing here?”

“Nothing.” Kelly stepped into the building. “I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer. Your office said you were here, so I asked Emma’s mom to drop me off.”

Concern surged inside. “What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t want to go back home.” Kelly’s voice was so soft Ash had to strain to hear. “I want to stay with you.”

“Are you all right?” Victoria approached them, voice kind and attention on Kelly.

Kelly shrugged, still looking at Ash. “I’m fine. But it’s boring at Dad’s. I miss you guys.”

“This is where I’d bow out, and let the three of you talk, if I was a normal, not-nosy person,” Victoria said. “But in my line of work, you learn to see signs. What’s going on?”

Ash hesitated. It had been hard enough to tell Mischa the truth, and she liked him.

“I used to live with Ashy, because Dad is never home. He was okay with it, and now he’s not, and I don’t like it at his house.” Apparently Kelly didn’t have the same issues with sharing.

Victoria twisted her mouth into a frown, and looked at Ash. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Uh... sure?” Ash couldn’t think of a good reason to say no. Or at least, a polite reason. She followed Victoria to a far corner of the lobby.

“I’m not going to pry for too many details, but I want to help.” Victoria’s tone had shifted to something kind, like the night in the country club. “She’s too old to be your daughter.”

“Kelly’s my sister.”

“Is Dad abusive?” Victoria sounded sympathetic, and any disdain or judgment was gone.

Ash shook her head. She didn’t want to go through this again. Once with the police and again with CPS was more than enough. Still, she found herself saying, “Never physically. “

“Disturbing qualifier.”

Ash winced. “He left her home alone a lot when she was younger. As in, for days. She’s been with me for a while and he decided he wanted her back.”

“Like she’s some kind of toy?” Disgust leaked into Victoria’s voice.

“Probably more like a piece of furniture or a trophy.”

“If she wants to stay with you, I know people who can help.”

It was nice someone else wanted to do something. “I’ve already talked to CPS. Mischa has spoken to lawyers. My dad’s influential—a name everyone knows, and a bank account to match kind of man—I don’t think there’s anything else you can do. I appreciate the offer, though. Really. No one else seems interested in helping.”

“I’m not going to do it, you are. You’re going to talk to him and change his mind.”

Ash’s gut turned in on itself, and bile rose in her throat. “No. That’s pretty much what got us to where we are now.”

“I’ll tell you what to say, and make sure you can back it up.”

“No no no.” She was repeating herself and didn’t care. “You don’t know him. I can’t afford to make this worse.”

“I don’t have to know him specifically. I know how people like him work. I hate to be that person who says trust me, but... No, wait. I don’t. Trust me on this. Give me a few days, and I’ll get you what you need in order to make him wish he’d never fucked with you.”

Ash raised her brows in disbelief.

“Okay, maybe it won’t be that severe, but it’ll let Kelly come live with you again.”

“Thanks.” Ash wouldn’t get her hopes up, but she appreciated Victoria’s offer, and there was no reason to be rude. She’d brace herself now for disappointment, so she was ready when this plan fell flat.