Burn (Breathless #3)(18)

“Forgive my assumption, but she sounds horrible.”

“It’s no assumption. She and my father are both lousy people. Not just lousy parents, but lousy in every aspect. I firmly believe the only reason she had so many children is because my grandfather came from a large family with several siblings, and he wanted my mother to give him several grandchildren. And if nothing else, my mother will not piss off the old man because she depends on him too much for support. So she had us, but he paid for our upbringing, such as it was. The only times she or Dad ever had time for us was if the old man was present. I don’t know what was worse. Them being lousy parents or them acting like caring parents around others.”

“That sucks,” Josie said. “I adored my mother. And my grandmother. They were wonderful women. So what happened with your sister? And how old is she?”

“Brittany is the youngest. She’s thirty now. My mom married her off right out of college to a much older man who had the right pedigree. The marriage lasted two years and Brittany bailed, getting nothing in the divorce settlement. That pissed my mother off even more because in her words, she’d worked damn hard to land a husband for Brittany and the least she could do was suck it up and remain a dutiful wife until her husband died, leaving her a rich widow and the means to funnel money to her parents.”

“Wow,” Josie whispered. “That’s insane. I mean that’s stuff from some historical saga. I didn’t think there were really people like that in this day and age.”

He smiled. “Sorry to burst your bubble.”

“So what prompted Brittany’s visit?”

“She wants out,” he said quietly. “As I said, she got nothing in the divorce and she’s been living with my parents ever since. She has a college degree but has never had a job. She came to ask me for help. Primarily financial help, but I think she was looking for an ally. Emotional support as well.”

“And did you help her?”

“Of course. I set her up in an apartment, got a bank account opened for her with enough cash to last until she starts work. In a few days she’ll take a position in one of my hotels. The rest is up to her. I gave her the means to start a new life, but it’ll be up to her to make it successful. My mother is going to give her shit. She’ll want Brittany back under her thumb where she pulls all the strings. I just hope Brittany has the balls to stand up to her.”

“I think it’s wonderful that you did so much for her. She must have felt like she had no one to turn to.”

Ash shook his head. “She didn’t. And regardless of how shitty she may have treated me in the past, I do realize that she didn’t really have a choice. Mom wouldn’t have allowed anything else. She seems sincere now, and if she is, then I’ll do whatever I can to help her. I don’t care what my parents and other siblings think of me. Brittany hasn’t gotten to that point yet, but she will.”

“Other siblings? How many do you have?”

“Three including Brittany. I have two older brothers who are both in their forties and neither one of them can support their families without help from my parents and the old man.”

“That’s sad. So if you don’t have anything to do with them, how did you make it? I mean you’re obviously successful.”

“I think it’s your turn,” he pointed out. “I’ve spilled my guts and so far all I know about you is that your dad is an ass**le and your mother passed away after a long battle with cancer.”

“I’ll let you ask a question as soon as you answer my last one.”

He arched an eyebrow at her. “Then I get two because you’re already over quota.”

Her lips twitched in amusement. “Do you have any idea how sterile this conversation is with all the talk of keeping score?”

“It doesn’t have to be. And okay, I’ll answer, but this is the last one until you catch up.”

“Deal,” she said with a smile.

“I became friends with Gabe Hamilton and Jace Crestwell in college. Jace’s parents were killed in an accident when he was twenty and he had to take over caring for his much younger sister. Our focus changed after that. Before we had a f**k-it attitude and while we made the grades, we were more concerned with beer and women. We formed our business as soon as we were out of college. We started with a single hotel. Poured our heart and soul into it, and every penny we could scrape up or borrow. We waited a year before we expanded. Using the first hotel as collateral, we were able to secure financing for another property. From there, using the early hotels and their success, we expanded rapidly and began to have an easier time finding investors.”

“So your family had nothing to do with your success, then.”

“None whatsoever,” he bit out. “I wouldn’t take a dime from them. Didn’t want the strings attached. And I wanted them to have no part of my business.”

“Guess they didn’t take that very well,” she murmured.

He grinned. “Nope. They were pissed that A: I made it without them and B: I don’t give them money. It’s kind of like if your dad showed up tomorrow and wanted you to be one big happy family.”

Her eyes grew stormy and her lips tightened at the mention of her father.

He leaned forward, sliding his hand across the table to cover hers once more. A muscle jumped in her arm and she shivered, chill bumps forming and racing across her skin.