As Tally walked into the arrivals hall, she spotted Isaac holding up a white sign with “Natalia McKenzie” written in black marker. She chuckled to herself and waved. He hurried over, immediately lifting her bag from her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” she said.

Isaac smiled. “It’s busy here. I wanted to make sure you saw me.”

“Couldn’t miss you, Isaac. You tower above everyone else.”

Isaac had managed to get a parking space right across the street, and within five minutes, they were on their way to the hotel.

“How’s he doing?”

Isaac twisted his head towards her, while still keeping an eye on the road. “He’s a little tense.”

Tally laughed. “Always so polite, Isaac. You mean he’s being a grouch and making everyone’s life miserable.”

He squirmed in his seat. “We’re all glad you’re back. Let’s leave it at that.”

“Has he spoken to you?”

Isaac nodded. “It was a bit of a shock.”

He didn’t expand any further, and Tally didn’t press. Isaac dropped her in front of the hotel. She trudged inside, an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach as she tried to second-guess Cash’s reaction when she told him Danny had shared the story with Luke. Danny, whom Cash had voiced concerns over when they’d met for dinner. She was going to have to tell Cash he’d been right. God, she hated it when he was right.

She drew the key card out of her bag, inserted it into the slot, and took a deep breath before pushing the door open. Cash wasn’t alone. Kinga and William were sitting on the sofa, and Rupe stood off to the side, wearing an unusually grim expression. No sign of Brad or Jamie.

“Hi,” she said, dropping her bag on a nearby chair. “Party started without me?”

Cash jumped up and strode across the room. “Hey, baby.” He cupped her face and kissed her before glancing over his shoulder. “Thanks for coming,” he said, effectively dismissing everyone. “I appreciate it.”

Kinga took the hint and immediately stood up. “Of course. We’ll see you tomorrow.” She rubbed Cash’s shoulder and kissed Tally on the cheek. “Try and get some rest. It’s going to be a big day.”

“Fucking understatement of the year,” Cash muttered.

Tally put her arm out when Rupe began to leave. “Can you stay a minute?”

“Of course,” Rupe said.

Tally glimpsed Cash’s puzzled look, which she ignored. She figured Cash might need emotional support from Rupe. Even if Cash didn’t, she did. She closed the door behind Kinga and William and sank down onto the sofa.

“What a day,” she said, rubbing her face with her hands.

“Well? How did the almost-fuck-up happen?” Cash’s tone was sharp, telling her he was close to the limit of his patience.

“Sit down.”

He hesitated, but after a brief pause, he did as she asked.

She took both his hands in hers. “I know this is a day or so earlier than we imagined, but the outcome is the same.”

“What happened?”

“And Kinga will help handle the press. You know how good she is at doing that.”

Cash snatched his hands from hers. “Stop fucking procrastinating, Natalia, and tell me.”

Tally glanced at Rupe then back at Cash. “Luke let it slip to someone he shouldn’t have. Accidentally.”

Cash shot her a furious stare. “Luke? Danny’s Luke?” When she nodded, he threw his hands in the air. “And how the fuck did Luke find out? No, let me guess. Danny fucking blabbed, didn’t he?”

Tally gnawed at the inside of her cheek. She reached for him as he jumped to his feet. “There’s no actual harm done.”

“No harm done? I fucking told you I wanted to keep this between us. But no, you had to do it your fucking way.”

Rupe opened his mouth to defend her, but she shot him a glance. “That’s not fair. We both agreed. And let’s face it—the only thing that’s changed is we’re going to print twenty-four hours earlier than planned.”

Cash clawed at the neck of his T-shirt, an expression of absolute fury etched on his face. “That’s all right, then. Fuck you, Natalia. And fuck Danny.”

Rupe launched out of his chair and loomed over Cash. “I’m warning you, dude. You speak to her like that again, and I’m going to give you the fucking pasting you deserve.”

Cash jumped up too and shoved Rupe hard in the shoulder, causing him to stumble backwards. “Oh yeah? You won’t push me right now if you know what’s good for you.”

“Stop it!” Tally yelled as she threw her hands in the air. “Both of you. For God’s sake.”

Cash’s arms fell to his sides. Without making eye contact with either her or Rupe, he slumped into the nearest chair and held his head in his hands.

“Everything will be fine, bud,” Rupe said, already back to his usual amiable self.

Cash lifted his chin, his face creased in defeat. “Guarantee that, can you?”

Rupe grinned. “Yeah. I got superpowers, don’t you know.”

Cash’s lips twitched, the first time he’d shown an iota of humour. “Do you mind leaving us alone?”

Rupe met Tally’s gaze, seeking her agreement.

“We’ll knock for you at ten tomorrow morning,” she said, standing to see him out. “You might as well travel to the arena with us.”

Rupe clapped Cash on the back and then gave Tally a hug. “I’m right down the hall. If you need me, holler.”

“We will.”

Tally closed the door behind him. As she turned around, Cash briefly met her gaze before dropping his eyes to the floor.

“I’m sorry,” he said, scraping a hand through his hair. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

She crossed the room and knelt down in front of him, her hands lightly brushing his thighs. “I know you feel like you’ve lost control, but once this is out, things are going to get better.” When he refused to focus on her, she squeezed his knees. “You have to trust me.”

His face twisted. “Were you scared of me? Is that why you had Rupe stay behind?”

“Of course not,” she exclaimed. “I wanted him here for moral support. I know you’d never hurt me.”

“I’m sorry for yelling. I didn’t mean to. I was all prepared for it coming out Saturday, and now it’s tomorrow instead…” He gave a weak shrug. “It caught me off guard, that’s all.”

Tally wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. He clung to her, and her heart wrenched painfully. “Whatever happens, ace, we’ll face it together.”