Ronin snorted. “Lust knows no boundaries when it comes to you.”

One of the bodyguards leaned in and spoke to Stanislovsky. He nodded. “Sadly, it will have to wait. Other matters need my attention.” He offered Ronin a salute and a bow before whipping around and marching out the door.

Amery stared after him. “Is he for real?”

“Yes. He’s more eccentric than TP, but both men wield an insane amount of power in this town.”

“And you’re friends with them. You’ve done favors for both of them.” She paused. “You told me how you ended up knowing TP, but how’d you end up on Stanislovsky’s radar?”

Ronin looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. “Because of TP. Those two have a . . . friendly rivalry. They back each other, but they’re also fierce competitors. So when I started having problems with the construction crews I’d hired to gut the dojo building, Max’s crew just showed up and took over. They did the work for half the money in half the amount of time.”

“But then you owed Stanislovsky favors.”

He nodded. “Max has little tact. He bulldozes his way into things and can’t figure out why he’s gotten stuck. I’ve helped him get unstuck a time or fifty.”

“Dangerous stuff?”

“Not bad. He has his own Russian leg breakers on his payroll, but there’ve been times when he’s needed security with discretion. Or he’s needed a diversion from his activities and certain businesses. I’ve assisted him with that.”

His explanation sounded too pat. She slid her hands up his chest. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I accept your past. But I don’t want to be in the dark about it. Better for you to tell me than for me to find out from someone else.”

“You’re right.” Ronin sighed. “Max runs prostitutes. It’s how he started out. And although he’s got his fingers in many more lucrative pies, he still controls the high-end escort service agencies in Denver. I don’t agree with what he does, and he knows that. But every time he’s asked for my help getting his girls out of a bad situation, or if they need protection, I haven’t hesitated.” His eyes locked onto hers. “And no, I’ve never traded my services for those services his girls offer.”

Don’t judge. This isn’t about Ronin running hookers; this is about him protecting them.

She could wrap her head around that. Ronin Black as a white knight.

“And to finish this conversation so it doesn’t stop us from getting on with our night, Max owns many clubs. I’ve trained his security and bouncers. That part all on the up-and-up.”

“Hey. Wait. Does Max own . . . ?”

“BDSM clubs? Yes. Does he own the clubs I’ve belonged to? No.”

“This is a lot to absorb.”

“I know, baby. But it’s in the past. Since TP and Max have this bizarre competition when it comes to my favors, I assumed it wouldn’t be long before I heard from Max. I just wasn’t expecting him to foist his kid on me too. Just what I don’t need—to be known as Black’s Babysitting Service.”

Amery laughed.

Molly and Chaz approached them.

“Is it safe to talk to you now that you’re done whispering naughty nothings to each other here in the middle of the room?” Chaz asked.

“We’re just trying to decide the best avenue of escape before anything else happens,” Ronin said.

“If you need a distraction, Molly could start a striptease.”

“Chaz!”

“What? I’d offer, but this isn’t really my crowd.”

“And with that”—Ronin intoned dryly—“we’re going.”

“Wait. We left my car at the arena, remember?” Amery said to Ronin.

“Leave it. It’ll be fine until morning.”

“If Chaz can drop me off, I’ll drive it to my apartment tonight and then to work tomorrow,” Molly offered. “It’ll save me bus fare.”

“Mol, that would be great.”

“You’re working on a Saturday?” Ronin asked.

“Yes. We’re behind on a few things. I’ll get my keys.” Amery wended through the thinning crowd and ducked downstairs to the coat check. No one was around. “Hello?”

Seemed like an hour before the coat check girl showed up, although it’d probably been only five minutes. But by the time she returned to the party, she saw the change in Ronin’s demeanor, even from across the room.

Molly and Chaz were silent when she rejoined the group. “Now what happened?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were working for Okada?”

He’d said it with such sharpness it sounded like Al Qaeda. Freudian slip, maybe? Amery looked at Molly.

Her eyes were filled with regret. “I’m sorry. I thought he knew.”

“Yes, one would think the subject would’ve come up since you’ve been working on the project for several weeks.”

Chaz slipped his arm around Molly’s shoulders and pulled her back. “We’ll leave you two to work this out.”

For the first time since they’d reconciled, Ronin wore that unyielding mask, and her heart sank. She’d fucked up.

“So even after I warned you about her, you still allowed my sister to manipulate you?” Ronin demanded.

“It’s not like that. I’m not even working directly with Shiori—she just relayed the terms and options since she was here in town.”

“Terms,” he repeated. “Am I part of those terms?”

Amery blinked at him with confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve been a carrot, a stick, a wedge, and a damn doormat for Okada. What options were you offered if you returned to me?”

“None! My contract with Okada has nothing to do with you. Nothing. My designs beat out all other designs, even from big agencies across the country. Those are some powerful career-changing opportunities, Ronin.”

“And you didn’t think to discuss them with me?”

“You would’ve told me not to take it! You’re so damn suspicious that your family is trying to get at you through me.”

His eyes held a dangerous edge. “I have good reason to believe that, Amery.”

“Well, you’re wrong this time. And maybe this reaction was exactly what I feared and why I didn’t tell you.”

“Bullshit.”

They hadn’t raised their voices, but they were both angry. She noticed Ronin had blocked her from the room and backed her into a corner.

“Didn’t you just say to me, not ten minutes ago, that it would be better for you to find out the truth from me about my business dealings and not from someone else? Didn’t it occur to you how hypocritical that statement is?”

Telling him that she hadn’t expected Molly to blab would only piss him off more. Really, what could she say at this point? She’d fucked up. But she wasn’t the only one. “So what’s your excuse for not telling me what the neurologist said?”

Ronin looked shocked by that . . . and not the least bit contrite.

“Yes, I knew about your appointment, and I waited for you to talk to me. I gave you many opportunities, and you didn’t take a single one. So much for me being an important part of your recovery process. So much for us maintaining open communications about everything. You shut me out again.”

He crowded her. “Is this about payback? I didn’t tell you one little thing that happened in my life, so you use that as an excuse to hide a big goddamn secret from me?”

“First of all, your health isn’t one little thing. Second of all, how can you even say that to me? I’m not like that.”

“I didn’t think you’d keep something this fucking important from me either. Since we decided—together—to try to make this work, I have laid myself open for you. You know things about me that no one else does. Not only in our intimate relationship, but in my business relationships. What I’ve done for TP and Max? Very privileged information. It’s a testament to how much I trust you that Max spoke so freely in front of you tonight.”

Shit.

“I’m not surprised Okada chose your designs, because you have the talent and drive to get to the next level. But since this is my family in the mix, and I know what my family is capable of far better than you, you need to understand that I don’t trust it. I don’t want you to be beholden to them.”

“Excuse me, but you’re the one who suggested my company for the project in the first place. After all the bullshit that went down between us, I put it out of my mind. So it’s a huge ego boost that Shiori didn’t toss the designs in the garbage. She passed them on to the appropriate people in the company, and those designs stood on their own merit. That is completely different from you throwing your girlfriend a bone because you’re feeling sorry for her and you had the means to contribute to her self-worth.”

“Did you ever consider that I’d like to be a part of celebrating your achievements? Since you’re helping me celebrate mine tonight?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You are the reason I asked ABC Brazilian jujitsu to become part of Black Arts. You suggested I needed to think outside of my little dojo box and I did. I value your opinion. But I see now that you don’t value mine.”

Her eyes searched his. “Ronin. That’s not even remotely close to true.”

“You’re always asking me to share my feelings? Well, here it is. I’m pissed off at you. I don’t even rate the courtesy of you telling me that you’re working for my family’s company. I’m pissed off that you were concerned enough about my health to snoop around for answers but not ask me directly. I’m pissed off that you’ve been goddamn hedging about moving in with me. I’m pissed off you still haven’t told me that you love me even when we both fucking know you do. This has become a one-sided fucking relationship, and you know it.”

Dammit. Don’t cry. He’s right, and your tears will just aggravate him further and come across as manipulative.