She blew across her coffee before taking a sip. “Monopolizes,” she repeated. “Really? If I recall correctly I asked you to lunch last week, which you declined. I also asked if you wanted to have a drink with me, which you also declined. And the reason you declined is that hot little Latin piece of ass you’re hiding from Andre, remember? The week before that you couldn’t be bothered to answer a single text from me. That is somehow my fault? Bull. Shit.”
“See? This is why we’re worried about you. You snap at the drop of a hat and if anyone raises any questions about Ronin, you get defensive. And I’ll be frank—I’m worried that the only reason he’s teaching you how to fight is so you can be even more like him.”
Her angry gaze zoomed to Emmylou. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Look at this from our point of view. Ronin’s job is all about violence. Are you telling me that you don’t see anything wrong with how he’s isolated you from your friends?”
“You think he’s isolated me? How the hell would you know that?” she demanded of Emmylou. “You were out of town all last week. The week before that the only time you approached me was the night of the self-defense class I’ve been taking for weeks, which, again, just indicates how little you care about the important things going on in my life.”
“And you’ve deemed Ronin the most important thing in your life after only a few weeks? You don’t see anything wrong with that?” Chaz asked. “Right after you started seeing him you refused to go to the bars you’ve always gone to with us. Is that something Black demanded from you? Telling you that you couldn’t hang out with us anymore?”
“I cannot f**king believe we are even having this conversation. And excuse me for being a total selfish bitch, but after years I’m done going to strictly g*y hangouts. Why is that? Not because Ronin decreed it, but because I can’t count the number of times you—both of you—have ditched me during happy hour and I ended up going home by myself anyway. So the way I see it? You’re pissy that I’m not at your beck and call anymore to fill the void when you get bored and don’t have anyone else to go out with. But guess what? I don’t give a shit what you think about Ronin. I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions about things, including who I choose to spend my free time with, so suck it up. Both of you.”
Chaz and Emmylou stared at her in total shock.
“So, is there anything else? Or are you still going to try and convince me the time I spend with Ronin is the real issue here?”
Silence.
“Good. Now if you’ll excuse me, I do have actual work to finish.” Amery spun on her heel and headed to her office.
She let out a little scream when she was abruptly jerked back. Then both Chaz and Emmylou were right in her face.
“Looks like North Dakota has grown some big, sharp teeth. Brava, darlin’, but that’s not what this is about.”
Amery snapped her teeth, which caused both Chaz and Emmylou to take a step back. It just further annoyed her when Chaz and Emmylou exchanged a pointed look. “For Christ’s sake. Tell me.”
“You want to play hardball? We’re game. We’ve heard things about Ronin from people who’ve dealt with him,” Emmylou said.
“He’s a scary man, chère,” Chaz said. “And the cautionary tales we’ve heard don’t make him fairy-tale prince material like he’s led you to believe.”
“He’s an eighth-degree black belt and a martial arts master; of course he’s scary.” Amery’s eyes narrowed. “And who exactly did you hear these cautionary tales from? Because I know Ronin’s confidantes, and they wouldn’t tell tales out of school. Literally. So that makes me question your source.”
Chaz looked cowed, but Emmylou remained defiant. “All I can say is it came from a reliable source. Someone who’s in the Denver sports world.”
Where would Emmylou have picked up something like that? Then she remembered Emmylou had done on-site work with the Rockies last week. And the one person in the Rockies organization who might have any interest in her relationship with Ronin was . . . Tyler.
No. A sick feeling took hold of her. Surely Emmylou wouldn’t listen to Tyler. “Tell me the name of your reliable source.”
When Emmylou dropped her gaze, Amery knew.
“Tyler Pessac, my self-absorbed ass**le ex who annihilated my confidence and was the direct cause of me licking my emotional wounds for over a year, is your reliable source?”
Fury boiled up. Amery inhaled two deep calming breaths before she spoke again. “Did you even consider, for one f**king minute, that Tyler approaching you with information about the dangerous Ronin Black might be born out of jealousy? Tyler saw me with Ronin at the Colorado Sports Banquet. He saw how happy I was. He knows Ronin is a better athlete, better looking, better connected, and a better man in all the ways that really count. He also saw that Ronin is crazy about me. And that made Tyler a little crazy because the only time I ever appealed to him after he started cheating on me? Was when another man was attracted to me. That’s the only thing that ever validated my worth in his eyes.
“You know how long it took me to dig out of that pit after Tyler dumped me. Or at least I thought you did because you were there supposedly supporting me. So I can’t believe . . .” The word came out choked and she took a second to breathe. “I can’t believe you’d take that lying sack of shit’s side and even bring this up with me. Especially when I’m truly happy with a man for the first time in my life.”
Chaz turned on Emmylou. “Tyler was your source? Are you f**king kidding me?” Then he faced Amery, his eyes filled with remorse. “I swear to god I had no idea or I wouldn’t have—”
“Back off. Both of you. Leave her alone,” Molly said hotly. She walked over and inserted herself between Amery and Chaz and Emmylou. “I came back to get my purse, so I overheard Amery having to defend herself to you two. Friends don’t do that shit and you both know it. Now get out of this office and don’t show your faces again until you can apologize. I mean it.”
Chaz and Emmylou both slunk out.
Immediately Molly gave Amery a hug. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I overheard them bitching about you spending all your time with Ronin and I thought that’s all they were going to talk about with you. If I’d known what they really had planned . . .”