Bitter Heat

by Mia Knight

  “Ariana and I received lots of boons from Dad. You received the least. Leaving you his estates was his way of honoring you,” Colette said quietly.

  “I have money,” she whispered.

  “He told us that as well,” Ariana said.

  The tears stopped coursing down her cheeks. “What?”

  “I don’t know why you kept it a secret. You let us think you had no job. Where did the name Thalia Crane come from anyway?” Colette asked.

  She leaped to her feet and faced her sisters with her hands on her hips. “That wasn’t his to tell!”

  “He was proud of you.”

  “He promised!”

  Colette and Ariana glanced at one another. Their somber expressions melted into grins.

  “What?” Jasmine growled.

  “Did you make him pinky swear?” Ariana asked.

  She glared at her sister. “If you tell Rami, I’ll kill you.”

  “He already knows.”

  Jasmine grit her teeth. Her anonymity was being blown out of the water. At this rate, the whole world would know her identity by the end of the year.

  “So you’re a writer,” Ariana said with a shrug. “What’s the big deal?”

  “The big deal,” she stressed through clenched teeth, “is that I’m the new Fifty Shades, and I’ve already caused enough damage.”

  Ariana waved her hand. “You’re an artist.”

  “I bought the boxed set,” Colette added. “I’m going to read the series when I’m on maternity leave.”

  Jasmine covered her face with her hands and moaned.

  “What? I’m trying to be supportive!” Colette said defensively.

  “You’re going to gouge your eyes out once you’ve read it,” Jasmine predicted.

  Colette shrugged. “You don’t know that.”

  “Look at you!”

  Colette looked down at herself. “What?”

  “You’re you!”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You’re wearing pearls and Mrs. Straitlaced. You can’t handle it.”

  Colette tipped her nose in the air. “We’ll see about that.”

  Jasmine paced toward the view of the city lit up at night. “This is not okay.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic, Minnie. Your dream of being a writer came true. What does it matter what we think?”

  “It doesn’t,” she muttered even though it was a damn lie.

  She respected her sisters for who they were and what they accomplished. She would rather have them believe she did nothing than read the writings of her soul and sneer at it. It was one of the reasons she had concealed her identity. The writing was hers alone… or it had been before Sarai and her father decided to tell the whole planet.

  She wandered toward a gold mirror hanging on the wall to see the damage her latest crying session had wrought on her face. She looked awful. Good thing she had sunglasses in her purse.

  “Dad was really proud of you,” Colette said.

  She sighed. “I know.”

  Even while they were estranged, Maximus had kept an eye on her. He tracked her writing career, was aware of Thalia Crane’s success, and was notified immediately when she left Roth and filed for divorce. When she came to him for help, he already knew everything.

  “Is the series about…?” Ariana began before Colette shushed her.

  “Yes, it’s about Roth and me.” It was a lost cause to act like it wasn’t. It would be obvious to her sisters if they read the books. “And I just found out he knows too.”

  Her sister’s horror summed up how she felt when he’d dropped that bomb on her. She had never spent time with her sisters. They were usually too busy for that. They had obviously cleared their schedules for the evening, which showed how much this talk meant to them. Weeks of guilt and loneliness seeped away.

  “He knows?” Ariana choked.

  “Yep.”

  “How did he find out?”

  “His assistant read me as Minnie Hess and then checked into Thalia Crane since she’s an avid romance reader, saw the similarities between the writing style and the story, and put it together. Then,” she said with relish, “she gives him the books as a gift, and he fucking reads them.”

  Ariana had her hands over her mouth while Colette twisted her pearl necklace.

  “Why would she do that?” Colette asked.

  She clapped her hands. “Exactly!” She threw up both her hands. “She thinks I wrote the series as a love note to him or something. Ugh!” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot irritably.

  “Did you?” Ariana asked.

  “Of course not!”

  “How did he take it?” Colette asked.

  She shrugged. “He was more flattered than anything else, I think.”

  “Well, that’s something at least.” Colette cocked her head to the side. “Is he…? Did he say anything about us?”

  Jasmine frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “About Dad or the company?”

  “No. Why?”

  Colette and Ariana glanced at one another before returning their attention back to her.

  “We were wondering if he was going to cause any trouble now that he’s back,” Ariana said.

  “Why would he? His fight was with Dad, not you.”

  Colette shifted uncomfortably and then winced.

  “Why are you supposed to be on bed rest? Is something wrong?” she asked as she paced back toward her sisters.

  “She has high blood pressure,” Ariana said as she kicked off Colette’s heels and forced her sister back against the cushions. “If you don’t relax, I’m going to tell Lyle.”

  “Why haven’t you told him?” Jasmine asked.

  “I’m in the middle of something at work. Once it’s done, I’ll relax and prepare for the baby,” Colette said irritably.

  Jasmine perched on a gold coffee table in front of her sisters.

  Colette eyed her thoughtfully. “Dad was proud that you made it in your own arena.”

  Jasmine nodded. He had mentioned that to her before.

  “He said you don’t fear failure and that’s why you’ve been able to move on and become a success.”

  “I’m not making millions,” Jasmine said defensively.

  “If your sales trajectory and book releases stay consistent, you should hit that figure within the next three years,” Colette said.

  “Will you stop digging into my shit?” she snapped and shook her head. “You’re just like him.”

  “Less than ten percent of writers live off their earnings, so your income is impressive. You built something out of nothing, just like grandpa.” Colette rubbed her tummy as she stared at the fire. “I like rules.”

  “I know you do,” Jasmine said and shot a bewildered look at Ariana who shrugged.

  “I know how the game works. I also know the players and my place in the hierarchy. I’m at the top,” Colette said. “Dad said I won’t go forward if I’m too afraid to make mistakes.”

  Jasmine tilted her head to the side as she examined her sister. “Those pregnancy hormones are doing a number on you.”

  Colette’s mouth set into a thin line. “Lyle thinks it’s funny.”

  “I can see his point. You’re not yourself.”

  “No, I’m not. I hate it. I can’t think straight. I’m just reacting without thinking, and it’s so unlike me.”

  “It’ll pass,” Ariana soothed, patting her thigh. “Soon, Polara will be here, and it’ll all be worth it.”

  “Polara?” Jasmine echoed with raised brows.

  “Your second niece.”

  “Polara?” she said again.

  “What’s wrong with Polara?” Colette asked sharply.

  “Nothing. I’ve just never heard it before. Sounds like a heroine from a fantasy novel.”

  “Polara’s a badass name,” Colette said severely.

  While she tried to bite back a smile, Ariana eyed her soberly.

  “We really are sorry for the
way we acted. You haven’t received anything from Dad, no money or his support with Roth or your career. We should have expected him to do something like this for you.”

  “I don’t need the money, though, and I don’t want to manage it,” she said.

  “We have people who will monitor it for you. You don’t need to worry about it,” Colette said, sounding much more like herself now that they were talking about business. “If you want to sell one of his properties, let us know first. We may want to buy it from you.”

  She let out a long breath. “Ooookay.”

  “You forgive us?” Colette asked.

  “Yes.”

  She didn’t have to think about it. She hadn’t expected an apology or even an acknowledgment of what they’d done. Their family never discussed sensitive subjects, but it seemed their father’s death had affected her sisters as well. The weight she had carried to Colorado and back lightened considerably.

  “Are you going back to Tuxedo Park?” Ariana asked

  “Yeah.”

  Colette sighed as she finally relaxed into the cushions. “Are you going to be okay there by yourself?”

  “Yes. It was hard being there after he passed, but I think I’ll be okay now.” She pursed her lips. “I think I need to get rid of my place in Chelsea.”

  “You shouldn’t have gotten that place. I told you to stay at my place on—” Colette began but stopped when Jasmine waved her hands.

  “I didn’t want to stay on the Upper East Side.”

  “Why not?”

  She glared at her sister. “I don’t want to see all my classmates and have to answer questions about why I’m not married or have kids when I walk to the coffee shop.”

  “Do you want us to handle your apartment in Chelsea?” Ariana asked.

  She sighed. “Yes. I don’t think I want to go back with the paparazzi there. I’ll probably head out of the city tonight. I have a lot of work to do anyway.”

  “Let us know if you decide to travel,” Colette said slowly, eyelids fluttering as she struggled to stay awake. “It’s just us now. And we’re gonna do the same with keeping you informed about our whereabouts, especially if you want to be there for the birth.”

  “Yes, I want to be there,” she said immediately.

  “So it’s settled,” Colette said as she finally gave in and closed her eyes. “No going off without security. You have to take precautions now.”

  “I will. I’m going to head out now,” she said and got to her feet. She went to Colette who instantly tried to sit up. She pressed her back down and kissed her cheek. “Get some rest.”

  Colette clasped her face between both hands. “I’m really sorry, Minnie.”

  She swallowed hard. “I know.”

  “I haven’t been a good sister to you,” she said quietly. “No wonder you went to Colorado. We’ve never been there for you, have we?”

  “Stop.”

  Colette let out a shaky sigh. “This is why I never wanted to be pregnant. I’m starting to care about people.”

  Jasmine grinned. “The snow queen’s melting.”

  “I am who I have to be,” Colette said sternly as she kissed her cheek. “But I want to do better for Polara than my mom did for me. You never had a mom, but you’re better with kids than me. Why?”

  “You think you have to do something. You don’t. All you have to do is listen. They’ll do the rest.”

  Colette searched her eyes. “I worked with Dad every day, but I didn’t know anything about him. I didn’t ask questions; I just followed orders. You had a different relationship with him. He changed once he got sick, and I didn’t have time to see him once I took over the company. You got the best of him. I was envious of that.”

  She didn’t know how to respond to her sister’s blunt honesty.

  “I would have done anything for him, but he entrusted his life to you. I didn’t handle that well either, but I know why he did it,” she whispered.

  “Why?”

  Colette’s eyes watered. “Because I wouldn’t have held his hand when he crossed over.”

  A tear slid down her cheek.

  “I wouldn’t have known what suit he wanted to wear in his casket.”

  As Colette’s face crumpled, Jasmine hugged her. Colette didn’t make a sound, but Jasmine felt her body shudder as she cried. Ariana watched with a hand over her mouth and rubbed Colette’s back.

  “Now I feel sick,” Colette announced as she dabbed at her face with her sleeve. “How do people handle emotions all day long?”

  “Practice,” Jasmine said dryly as she helped her up. “Let’s get you to bed.”

  It was a measure of how exhausted she was that Colette let them tuck her in like a little child.

  “I’ve never seen her like this,” Ariana confessed as they walked back into the great living room.

  “Me either. It’s scary.”

  Ariana gave her a hug. “We’ll send you some emails about business things, but we promise to leave you alone so you can write.”

  “All right. Keep me posted about Colette.”

  “Will do.”

  When Ariana left, she went to Lyle’s office and knocked on the door.

  “Come in.”

  Jasmine walked in and found him sitting at a massive desk with the skyline behind him.

  He raised a brow once he got a look at her face. “I assume you guys made up?”

  She plopped in a seat in front of his desk. “Yup. Your wife’s in bed.”

  He frowned and shrugged back the sleeve of his shirt. “It’s nine o’clock.”

  She leaned forward, and whispered, “She broke down.”

  He frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”

  She mimed crying and smacked his desk. “Like full on.” When he grinned, Jasmine snapped, “What the hell is so funny?”

  “The baby’s changing her.”

  “Is that why you insisted she get pregnant?”

  He settled back in his seat with a cocky grin and didn’t respond.

  “You’re sick.”

  He shrugged. “So you guys hashed it out? You’re all good?”

  “Better than we’ve ever been.” She shook her head. “Feels like the world’s turned upside down since Dad died.”

  “Death changes people’s perspectives.” His expression turned serious. “You guys talked business?”

  “They’ll handle the accounts. I have no interest in the money. All I ever wanted was the country estate anyway. I have what I need.”

  “Good.” He steepled his fingers. “You have anything else to tell me?”

  She tensed. “What do you mean?”

  “About Roth.”

  “What about him?”

  “He’s your ex-husband.”

  “I know that.”

  “And you divorced him.”

  “So?”

  His eyes narrowed. “He’s back in New York.”

  “That has nothing to do with me.”

  He tipped his head to the side. “Roth’s done well for himself.”

  “Seeing his face on the magazines told me that.”

  “He has his hands in everything. Real estate, hedge funds, stocks…”

  “Good for him,” she said coolly.

  “Stay away from him,” Lyle warned.

  “That’s my plan. I’m going to Tuxedo Park tonight.”

  “Smart girl.”

  When she rose and turned to leave, he clucked his tongue to get her attention. When he pointed at his cheek, she made a big show of rolling her eyes as she went to him and kissed his cheek.

  “I know we’re fucked up and don’t call, but you know we care, right?” he murmured.

  “Yeah,” she said. “I’ll be in touch.” She was almost out of his office when she turned back. “You’re letting her name your kid Polara?”

  He shrugged. “She can do whatever she wants as long as she gives me an heir.”

  “You guys have a weird marriage.”

  “All
marriages are weird.”

  She shook her head as she left his office. Sunny and her guards were in a room off the entry hall. They rose as she approached. She donned her sunglasses as they boarded the elevator.

  “I want to go to Tuxedo Park tonight,” she told Sunny.

  “Do you need anything from your apartment?”

  “When you can, have someone deliver it all to the estate. I won’t be going back.”

  Sunny nodded and spoke into her earpiece as the doors opened into the lobby. There were more paparazzi now than when she arrived. They were too far away for her to hear their questions clearly, but she heard Roth’s name mentioned several times. That stupid picture of them was getting attention she didn’t want or need. Shit.

  She ducked into the SUV at the curb, closed her eyes, and tuned everything out as it pulled away from Hennessy Tower. Her mind filled with white static, and she didn’t try to change the channel or make sense of how she was feeling right now. She wanted to cry her heart out and let it all hang out, but she couldn’t. Not until she was in her room at Tuxedo Park. She breathed deep and willed herself to sleep, but she was too wired.

  In the past twenty-four hours, she’d had two monumental shifts in her life. The first being the bombshell Roth dropped about his vasectomy. And the second was this unexpected turnaround with her sisters.

  Her time with Roth in Colorado was a fluke. Everything had been working against her—the snowstorm, the lack of electricity, and the fact she was emotionally fucked after her father’s passing. She wasn’t going to bemoan her choices because it was done. She had fucked the ever-living hell out of him, and he proved once and for all that they never had a real relationship. A husband who got a vasectomy was one who didn’t want a permanent tie to his wife. She had beaten him to the punch by initiating the divorce. The only reason he fought was a need to prove her father wrong. Well, fuck him. He had humiliated her for the last time. They were over. They didn’t move in the same circles, so there was no reason to have another incident like the one in Colorado. I put my number in your phone. Use it. She pulled out her phone and found him under Roth, no first name. Her thumb hovered over his name. Even if she deleted him, he could still message her, so she blocked him. He could call or message all he wanted, but she would never know, and that was how she wanted it. If he wanted a hot fuck, then he could get it from any woman he chose. She wasn’t available.