Page 75 of Torgash

"And you were losing because you used your leverage to win my war." Flat. Brutal honesty. "You handed me victory and walked away with nothing."

Air catches in my throat. "So you fixed it. Made it all better. Swooped in and solved the problem I couldn't."

"No." He's close enough now that I catch his scent—leather and soap and that unique scent that is all Ash. "I kept a promise I made in your bed three months ago. I told you I'd get justice for Carman, even if you hated me for it."

"I don't hate you. I hate what you did."

"Then why are you here?" His eyes search my face. "You got what you wanted. Carman gets justice. Derek pays, and Shadow Ridge wins. It's everything you wanted."

"Because you didn't give me a choice."

"Neither did you when you left." His voice cracks slightly. "You made your decision. I made mine."

We're three feet apart. I can see the pulse in his throat, the way his hands clench and release like he's fighting not to reach for me. The same fight I'm losing.

"What did Derek's confession really cost you?" I flew all this way to find out.

"Nothing that mattered."

"Don't." I step closer. Heat radiates off him. "Don't dismiss it. Tell me what justice for Carman cost you."

He studies me for a long moment, weighing something in his mind. Finally, he sighs. "Legal connections. Resources I can build again."

"And Shadow Ridge?"

"Vargan's running the chapter. Club's fine without me."

"That's not what I asked."

His jaw works. "They don't need me anymore, and what I wanted wasn't there."

The words hit harder than they should. "Because of me."

"Because of the choices we both made."

Another step closer. Close enough now that I have to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.

"Why didn't you want me to know?" This question matters most. "Why arrange it all anonymously?"

Something shifts in his expression. "Because you didn't want my help. Made that abundantly clear. But Carman deserved justice, with or without your permission."

"And you?" My voice drops. "What did you deserve?"

His laugh is bitter, barely a sound. "I'm an orc with bloodstained hands, Nova. I don't waste time thinking about what I deserve."

"That's not an answer."

"Fine." His voice turns sharp. "I deserved to know why you couldn't tell me what you were planning."

The truth sinks in, heavy and undeniable. I'd done exactly what I accused him of—made decisions that affected us both without consultation, without trust.

"We're even, then." I meet his gaze steadily. "Both making choices the other didn't ask for."

"Is that why you came? To establish equal footing?"

"I came because—" The words stick in my throat. Why did I come? To confront him? To thank him? To understand what kind of man dismantles his life to keep a promise to someone who walked away?

"Because you fixed what I couldn't," I finally say. "And I needed to know why."

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