Page 177 of Little Sunshine

Just like I never had to stress about money, budgeting, or whether I had enough food to last me the week.

Not that I spent Ash’s money—much to his chagrin—but it was reassuring to know it was there if I needed it.

Somehow Veronica seemed to know that because she ordered, “Get it from your man.”

“He’s not here, so I can’t ask,” I lied. All I had to do was call, and he’d come. All I had to do was mention it, and he’d give it to me.

I just didn’t want to.

“No one said to ask. Take it.” Her words spilled out in a distracted ramble as she stayed alert and scanned around us. “He won’t even care. You must’ve gotten something from your mama ’cause he said your man wired over fifty-K like he was paying for a cup of coffee. That’s why he wanted me to try to reconnect with you.”

I might’ve been done with her, but at the confirmation that her messages were just another manipulative act, sharp pain sliced through me.

I did something I rarely had to do anymore—suppressed it. “Who are you talking about? What money?”

Veronica’s gaze landed on me. “From the… misunderstanding. Your man paid it off. He’s not going to care if you give me more. He won’t even notice.”

“Ash paid…” My jaw dropped. “You owed fifty thousand dollars to someone?”

My brain couldn’t fathom how that was possible. Hell, a couple of months ago, my brain wouldn’t have been able to fathom the life someone could live with fifty thousand dollars. Yet my mother must’ve blown through it like she always did on her quest for the easy life with more, more, more.

It wasn’t a surprise Ash had paid it. If he thought he was protecting me, I wasn’t sure there was a limit to what he’d do. That didn’t mean I was happy about it. Especially since he hadn’t told me himself.

Not giving her the chance to come up with some bullshit lie about how she’d donated the money to kittens and firefighters and kittens who were training to be firefighters, I stepped away. “I don’t care if he wouldn’t notice. I don’t steal from my man. I’m not like you.”

A sharp thwack cut through the air as Veronica’s palm struck my cheek.

Well, I was wrong…

She is a threat to my physical well-being, too.

I wanted to say it was her pain at the thought of losing me that overwhelmed her to the point of lashing out, but I knew better. It was about the money.

It was always about the money.

Veronica’s realization that I wasn’t going to help her showed she couldn’t manipulate me. That meant I no longer served a purpose. She didn’t have to watch her temper.

Elliot moved in to grab her, but the behemoth at my back got there first.

Wrapping an arm around my stomach, Ash shifted me behind his big body. His voice was low and calm but so fucking terrifying as he spoke to Veronica. “You’re done. I tried to give Mila the chance to come to the decision herself, but that time has run out. And so has yours. You’re out of her life.”

Desperate to see how she reacted to being put in her place, I peeked around Ash to see Veronica stupidly argue with him. “Who the fuck are you to tell my daughter what to do?”

“I’m her Daddy.”

Simple as that.

Her lip curled in disgust. “That’s disgusting, you abusive?—”

“Shut up,” I snapped, dodging from behind Ash. His arm wrapped around me again, but that time it wasn’t to protect me. It was to stop me from lunging at the bitch in front of me. When she opened her mouth, I held up a finger—and not the one I wanted to give her. “Don’t say another word. I don’t want to hear or give a fuck what you think of my relationship. I’m not even going to waste my time and breath bragging about all the ways it’s better than anything you could hope to have. I just want you gone. Forever. You’re banned from all Black Resorts properties and whatever other ones my Daddy has connections at. Now get out. You’re dead to me.”

Ash’s voice stayed low so only Veronica and I could hear. “I don’t care if you’re walking down the street and coincidentally see Mila. You better turn your ass around and run. Because if either of us sees you again, you’ll regret it. Understood?”

With hate in her blue eyes that she aimed at both of us, she didn’t have the chance to say anything before Ash shuffled us backward. Uniformed guards moved in to grab Veronica’s arms.

I’d kind of accepted that making scenes at Moonlight was my thing, but it was nothing compared to the one she created when she was physically removed from the property.

Ash turned his angry eyes to Elliot.

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