Page 75 of Cruel Fate

I’ve never been too interested in owning a bar or strip club. The few times a lucrative opportunity presented itself, I shrugged it off. My father kept our business clean, buying up companies and helping them thrive instead of ripping them apart and selling them off piece by piece to the highest bidder. Investing in the people behind the business instead of stomping their missions into the ground.

Kindness made my father rich, now Denton and Cramer are taking shots at the reputation my father built.

An honest businessman.

Someone who had a heart.

I stand by that, and I will until I die.

“There’s potential for trouble,” Ash agrees, watching me down my drink, “but the club isn’t what’s bothering me right now. You?” He raises his eyebrows at my empty glasses. The waiter sets a third on the table, and I’ll nurse this one for the rest of the evening.

“Lucille told me that Zarah moved some of her clothes out of the penthouse. She’s going to live with you?”

Ash’s face evens out, and light shines in his eyes when I mention my sister’s name. The son of a bitch really loves her.

“Yeah. You don’t mind? I hate saying goodbye at the end of the day.”

“I wish you would have talked to me about it, but that’s my selfish side. I’m glad she’s happy. I’m going to miss having her around.”

“It was kind of a sudden thing. Like you and Stella. She started working at the office and...I like being near her.” He leans forward, his face earnest. “I’m glad you wanted to get together. I’ve been wanting to ask you something for a whilenow.” Ash blows out a breath, and he bounces a leg in agitation. Nothing makes him nervous, and my blood pounds. Whatever makes Ashton Black anxious should scare me shitless. “You might think I’m crazy, and maybe I am, but...I love her, Zane. You’re like a brother to me, and Zarah, well. Can’t live without her, and I don’t want to try. With your permission, I’d like to ask her to marry me.”

I open my mouth to say...what, I have no fucking clue, but Ash bulldozes over me.

“We’ll have a long engagement. A couple of years at least. She’ll be twenty-one soon, and if we wait until she’s twenty-three, maybe twenty-four, it’ll be good for us. My dad warned me about that—marrying before we’re ready—but I love her, and if she’s wearing an engagement ring, maybe I can stop feeling like she’s going to disappear.”

He nervously runs his fingers through his hair and beckons the waiter for another drink. It appears promptly by his elbow before I can even process what he said.

Ash wants to marry Zarah. I suspected it, but not now. He’s right, though. Zarah will be twenty-one soon, and if they have a two-year engagement, and that’s how long they’ll need to plan an affair like that (Christ, it will take that long to iron out a prenup), she won’t seem so young.

I don’t say anything.

“I want to take care of her, Zane,” he says quietly.

I force a smile. I have no doubt Zarah will be safe in Ash’s care. He may have a dangerous edge, but he’ll use it to protect my sister from anything...and anyone. Holding out my hand, I say, “Congratulations. Well done.”

Ash erupts in a laugh of relief. “I thought you were going to say no.” He shakes my hand, his grip stronger than it needs to be.

There’s no point in saying no. Ash gets what Ash wants. Had I objected, it wouldn’t have meant jack shit to the man sitting across from me. That can be admirable, but it can also be a pain in the ass.

“I’ve always thought of you as my brother,” I say. “Now we will be.”

“My mother and father are pleased,” he says, and I fight a scowl. Last to know. “We’ll be merging the two biggest companies in King’s Crossing. We’ll be a force to be reckoned with,” Ash crows, a glow of victory on his face, and I bat away the suspicion he’s marrying Zarah to get his hands on Maddox Industries.

It wouldn’t be that simple. Their prenuptial agreement will be two inches thick and cost a fortune in our attorneys’ billable hours by the time I’m done, but his words set off a warning. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open. Nigel can help me. God, what a mess I’m asking him to take on.

“Yes, we will,” I murmur. The thing I can’t forget is Zarah’s happiness. She loves Ash—and I’m sure she wants to be his wife. That’s more important than anything else. “Thank you for the bodyguard.” They aren’t cheap, and Ash protecting Zarah comes at a cost.

“I worry about her. My father made a few phone calls, and there’s no news about the crash.”

“No. I’m going to talk to him about that at the party. It’s time to do some of my own digging.”

Ash nods in satisfaction. “I agree. Speaking of digging, I looked into Stella.”

I frown. “Why?”

“When you and Zarah introduced me to her at Temptations, her name sounded familiar. Did you know she grew up in foster care?”

“Yeah, we’ve talked about that.”

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