I released something that could have been either a laugh or a sob. “I’m not good enough to be a proper artist. I like to play with watercolors, but I’m nothing special. I’d be broke in no time.”

Painting was a pipe dream. A beautiful one, but unrealistic. I was no better at art than any other rich girl who’d had private tutoring.

“I don’t think so.” Sage touched a fingertip to my forehead—the part she liked to call the third eye despite the fact she knew it freaked me out to envision another eyeball there. “You don’t have enough faith in yourself.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway. Saving Lennox Securities is what’s important. Protecting my dad’s memory and keeping the family together. At least, what’s left of it.”

“Willow, do you think—”

My phone rang, cutting her off, and I was grateful for the distraction, right up until I saw who it was.

Tom.

“Don’t answer,” Sage urged. “Let him stew for a bit. He takes it for granted that you’ll put yourself on the line to fix his problems when he won’t risk his own neck to do it.”

But I answered the call. Tom might have been troubled, but he was my only family, and that meant something.

“Did you find anything?” he demanded, sounding as though he was teetering on the edge of panic.

“No, but—”

He sighed loudly. “Did you at least get in and out without anyone seeing you?”

“Um, about that.”

“What happened?”

“He caught me.”

“Shit. Did he call the cops?”

“No, thank God. But he didn’t deny he’s planning a takeover.”

Tom groaned. “Hell. I was afraid of that.”

“Me, too. What now?” I asked. “Is there something we can do to stop him? Surely there’s no way he can be successful since you have a majority share.”

“We don’t know what else King has up his sleeve,” he said. “He wouldn’t make a move on our minor shareholders without something solid. Don’t worry, I’m putting steps in place to protect us.”

“What kind of steps?” I needed specifics. Tom was good at making promises that didn’t pan out.

“I can’t tell you, but I will soon.”

“Uh-huh. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I’ve got this.”

His words didn’t make me feel any better. “See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” His tone was brusque. “See you then.”

The call ended, and I couldn’t help but shiver. Tom and his schemes made me nervous. I could only hope he wouldn’t do more harm than good.

Sage took my hand. “I’m going to do the forgiveness practice tonight, and you should too. I don’t want you bottling up all those negative emotions from dealing with Ronan and Tom.”

“Maybe I will.”

I doubted it.

Sage had shown me how to do the practice, which was supposed to cleanse your emotional wounds, but sometimes I’d rather stick a Band-Aid on the problem and pretend it wasn’t there.

Chapter Three

Ronan

My encounter with Willow Lennox was fresh in my mind when I met with my two business partners in one of King’s Security’s conference rooms the following day.