“How did you meet the bastard anyway? He was in classes with you?”

Raj nodded. “We’d met through a study group, and after I told him that he didn’t have a chance in hell with me, we became friends. It was an odd friendship, but he was always respectful after that. Years passed until a few weeks before graduation. He wanted to go to law school and prove himself, while I was sweating, thinking about my parents showing up on my doorstep. That’s when we struck a deal over cheap beer and nachos in the West Village.”

Ajay burst out laughing. “Raj, you are not the cheap beer and nachos type.”

“I was when I had no money,” she said. “And Robert used to play along.”

Ajay slid another naan onto her plate and took one for himself. “You borrowed his money to start your company, and he went to law school. Then he started working for you, right?”

“Pretty much. And then my brother showed up.” She took another bite of food. Ajay tried to ignore the way her eyes drifted closed when she chewed. The way she savored something he made for her was going to be the vision he revisited in the shower later that night. Her sensuality was like a drug he had to consciously ignore so he could pay attention.

“Your brother,” he said.

Raj nodded. “I had kept in touch with him and my mother. It was brief, and the conversations were hard, because they hated what I’d done. My father was completely out of the picture, but Mom still loved me. Anyway, Guru found out about my security business and said it was time to show loyalty to the family that gave me the opportunity to live free in New York.”

“He wanted you to use your business to help their drug trade.”

“Pretty much. At that point, drugs had become an epidemic in Punjab, and drug trafficking had peaked in profits. They wanted my loyalty. I refused. My brother cut me off. And then—” Her breath hitched. “Then my mother cut me off. Guru didn’t want anyone in the family to have any connection with me.”

“I’m so sorry.” He’d have to find out more about her brother, too. The thought of someone hurting Raj like that was . . . unacceptable.

She was being honest with him, sharing a part of herself that he didn’t think she’d be open to delving into. Whatever her reasons were, he’d honor her trust. And then, maybe later, he’d be able to beat the shit out of her brother for hurting her.

“I put it behind me,” she continued. “That’s why I was a bit shocked when my brother said she wants to see me one last time.”

“To assuage her guilt. Since she’s dying.”