“Actually, I’m more anxious than anything.”

“Anxious for what?”

“Anxious to get this stupid thing over with.”

He looked at her sharply. “If you’re not willing to do this, then I will find someone else who is.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and slumped back in the chair with a heavy sigh. Luckily she hadn’t offered him that simpering little-girl pout or he would’ve booted her ass out the door—no matter what promises he’d made. “I said I’d do it.”

“Then act enthusiastic. My reputation is at stake here.”

Three knocks sounded, and Amery poked her head in. “Is this a bad time?”

Ronin smiled at her, grateful for the interruption. “No. Katie was just complaining again about her role at tonight’s event.”

“Please explain to me what being a ring girl has to do with learning the mixed martial arts fight-promotion business?” Katie demanded.

“A, ring girl is your job, so suck it up and do it or quit—your choice. B, while you’re waiting to prance around the outside of the ring, reminding attendees which round it is and who our sponsors are, you will be sitting next to Sandan Zach, paying very close attention to how the fighters are scored.”

“I dated an MMA guy. I know how to score.”

Amery said, “I’ll just bet you do,” with such sweetness that Katie didn’t recognize the sarcasm.

Ronin forced his face to remain blank, but inside he was laughing. “Regardless, pay attention to everything. The scoring, the judges’ actions, the crowd’s reactions, what the sponsors are doing in front of the crowd and behind the scenes. You will be tested.”

Katie opened her mouth and snapped it shut before she stood. “You’ve got it, Sensei.”

After Katie slunk out the door, Amery said, “Can I trip her as she’s walking around the cage?”

He chuckled and pulled her onto his lap. “That’ll f**k with my liability insurance, so no.”

“She annoys me.”

Although Amery had gotten over her bout of jealousy, she still eyed Katie with distrust. “I know she does, baby. She annoys everybody.”

Amery ran her fingers through his hair. “Is it worth it? She’s still sporting that spoiled rich girl attitude. Even Ito, who is more Zen than you, wanted to drop-kick her into next week.”

“Katie’s brattiness is a defense mechanism. She’s a scared kid who’s never been accountable for anything in her life, and she wants to be taken seriously.”

“So that’s why you’re making her walk around the ring in front of a thousand people in booty shorts, a boob-baring halter top, dolled up with pageant queen hair and makeup? So sponsors will take her more seriously?”

Ronin slapped her ass. “She needs to learn ringside protocol. If I gave her a clipboard and put her next to the judges? She’d act like she was in charge—her pride wouldn’t allow anything less. These next-level promoters would treat her like a bimbo and think our organization was unprofessional.”

“So while she’s dressed like a bimbo, she’s learning humility as well as learning the business.” Amery grinned. “Such a wise grasshopper you are, Sensei.”

“Jesus.”

“What did TP do for you that resulted in this huge favor you’re doing for him?”

“He fixed Blue’s lease issue. After this, regardless of how Katie does working for Black and Blue Promotions, all chits will be cashed in and I’ll have a clean slate with TP. For the first time in more than ten years.”

“You’ve never told me your history with TP.”

He reached up and twined a hank of her hair around his finger. “After I earned enough money to buy a place to establish my business, I found out no bank would loan me money because of my credit history.”

“The billionaire heir had bad credit?”

“I had no credit history. I paid cash for everything after I moved to the US. I had no official income because fighting was a cash-only business. Even when I had three bank accounts totaling more than three-quarters of a million dollars, no financial institution would lend me money to buy the piece-of-shit building in a crappy section of Denver.” He continued to twist her rosy-gold hair. The soft curl reminded him of the silken ribbons he’d bound her with last night. “Also at that time, the trust funds Grandfather had set up in my name across the globe were worth seventy-five million dollars.”

Amery’s mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding me?”

“No. So technically I had the cash to buy the building outright—but I wanted to make my own way.”

“Technically?”

“My name is on the accounts, but I’ve never considered it my money. I did research on various banks and came across TP’s company. He had a reputation as a wild card, and the Denver financial establishment didn’t like him, painting him as a liar, so I chose him.”

“Why?”

“Because if he was a risk taker, he’d take a risk on me. If he blabbed the information about my family connection, I could chalk it up to him being a liar and a blowhard. Win-win.”

Ronin remembered how cocky he’d been demanding a meeting with the CFO of Pettigrew Financial. Luck or karma or serendipity had been on his side that day because TP agreed to meet with him privately.

If Amery thought Ronin was tight-lipped now, it was nothing compared to how he was back then. But something about TP had prompted Ronin to spill every detail of his life, his family and financial connections, the reasons why he didn’t use them, the resulting struggles because of that decision, and his business goals. TP had coolly taken the information and sent Ronin away with the promise he’d get back to him.