Page 103 of Igniting Sparks

“Really great.”

He claps me on the shoulder, tapping his beer can against mine. “Told you. When the hell are you going to start listening to me?”

“Considering I’ve avoided it for thirty-seven years, I’m thinking never?”

Ash snorts. “You know I’m always right, and I was definitely right about Mina.”

“Fine. You were right,” I concede.

“I know.” He buffs his nails against his shirt. Typical Ash.

“Hey, do you want to help me?” Ori calls out, waving Ash over.

“Duty calls. Pay attention, because I have a feeling thismight be you soon.” Ash offers me a mock salute and turns on his heel.

Whenever and whatever Ori needs, Ash is on it. Especially since he found out they were having a baby.

Total one-eighty, and I’m absolutely here for it.

But something else lingers in my brain. Ash isn’t far off, because I see a future much like his and Ori’s—and it’s all thanks to the lithe blonde who turned me on my head.

The last two weeks with Mina have been amazing. Even when we were faking a relationship, we had a blast together. Now that we’ve added seriously stellar sex and romance into the mix, it’s perfect.

Or maybe she is.

Either way, I’m happy.

But I’m also a man on a mission, because I don’t trust Bitsy to help Mina’s dreams come true. The woman is vapid and heartless, no matter what magnanimous face she wears in public.

And I don’t believe she truly loves either of her nieces—or she wouldn’t have subjected them to this ridiculous gladiator-in-ballet-slippers death match. Who does that? Turns family members on each other for sport?

Apparently, the ridiculously rich and locally famous.

I’m no fool. As soon as Bitsy catches wind that Mina and I are together—for real this time—she’ll stop at nothing to erase her niece’s name from the family tree. Just like she did with her mother.

But I’ve got an ace up my sleeve, too—a plan I think will outshine anything her aunt can offer. And it doesn’t come with any strings attached.

Even better? The people I need to speak to about the project are both coming to today’s festivities.

Perfect.

A few hours later, the party is in full swing, but I find Kiki tucked away in the shadows.

To be honest, I’m surprised she came at all. Since her husband, Drake, was arrested on suspicion of trafficking, her reputation as Sparkwood’s resident sweetheart has taken a nosedive.

In a single day, she went from prom queen to pariah—her entire life up for public scrutiny.

The worst part? She knew nothing about Drake’s other life. None of us did. Hell, Ash considered him one of his closest friends and was knocked sideways when he learned the truth.

Drake was considered a pillar of the community. He was the police chief, for Christ’s sake.

But we all have secrets we don’t share—not even with the people we love. Drake’s secrets just happened to be darker and far more devious than most.

The irony is that he’s cooling his heels in a cell while the real mastermind, Kevin Duncan, is still on the loose. That’s what bottomless pockets buy you—a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Kiki swore she knew nothing about the club or the women being trafficked in and around Sparkwood. She passed a polygraph and sat through hours of interrogation. In the end, they released her.

But the residents of Sparkwood haven’t been as forgiving, and all her years of good work vanished overnight.