“Well darling I understandperfectly why you need the protection after what you’ve beenthrough. You poor dear.” She took her hand in hers and squeezed itaffectionately. “Your secret bodyguard is safe with me. I try notto put too much into the media about the horrible things thathappened to you, but I am glad you are safe. I’m sure your fatheris relieved to have you home.”
Sure he is. “Thank you MissPierce.”
“Anytime. Nice to meet youMr. Casey.” Eveline turned and shook his hand.
“You too.”
She walked away calling topeople carrying tables through the halls.
“I’ll wait here,” Ryansaid. He looked past her to Peter who nodded.
“Shut the door Kat,” Petersaid from behind her.
She did as he asked,sparing one last look at Ryan before the door severed herview.
“Come in. Sit.” He pointedto the chair in front of his desk.
She’d been in that roomonly a handful of times in the last twenty one years. It was hisplace of business and usually off limits to her and Anna. It wasdark—intimidating. Of course it was purposely made that way. Shemade her way over to the chair he indicated and sat down with herhands folded on her lap and her back straight.
He came around and sat onthe corner of the desk while looking down at her. “I want to knowhow you are.” He reached over and nudged her chin so she’d look athim.
“Fine.”
He tilted his head. “Mr.Casey seems to be quite capable of protecting you.”
She clenched her jaw.“He’ll do.”
“Do you likehim?”
She chose her words verycarefully so he wouldn’t know what was going on between them. “Idon’t like a man in my sister’s room, and I don’t like him so closeto mine. I have no privacy.” She added a slight edge of irritationto her tone.
He chuckled. “I expectedso.”
“What do you really want? Idon’t want to be here any longer than I have to.” She was trying todivert him off the subject of Ryan. She was afraid he would seethrough the lie.
His expression changed toanger. “You are ungrateful Katya.”
She shrugged. “I’m in aprison.”
He waved his arm and stoodup. “You can leave at any time!”
“And have another drug gangkidnap and abuse me. No thanks.”
“You blame me.” It wasn’t aquestion.
“Of course I do! If youwere honest with what you really do, I could have taken moreprecautions.”
He scoffed. “Yes, if I washonest. What is honesty? There is no such thing Katya! You arefooling yourself.”
“There is so. Mamawould—”
He raised his hand in angerand she flinched. He paused and smiled lowering his arm. “No thereis not. Kat, you are continuously trying to anger me. This is goingto stop right now. I’m going to explain something to you. You arenot a man. If I had a son, he would be part of this business. Butwomen—a woman, does not need to know a man’s business or where hismoney comes from. Their role is entirely different. She needs tolook good and listen to her father.”
“And I was raised in anAmerican city, not Russia.”
“It doesn’t matter whereyou are raised, they are our traditions.” His voice rose again. “Ifyou were raised in Chechnya you would have been a whore on thestreets by the time you were twelve! I gave you privilege! You’remother overdosed on heroin and you use her against me!”
She looked away from him.Her jaw trembled and her lower lip shook. She knew exactly whathappened to her mother and she hated him more than anything else atthat moment.
“Hate me all you want, butI am your father and you will obey me. I fired that psychologist.What good is it to have him if you are this way?” He waved a handat her.
She still didn’t look athim.
“From now on you willlisten to me. I will have no more outbursts in front of my men,” hecontinued. “It is disrespectful, and I’ve punished people for less.Do you understand?”
She never answeredhim.
“Katya?”
“Yes sir.” She finallyturned her hot stare on him. She knew the punishments he wastalking about. After the blinders were off, she saw his scarredknuckles, just like Ivan’s. He was responsible for hurting people,beating them, killing them.
“Good. Now that we havethat settled, tell me about your captivity.”
She steeled herself, calmedher voice and spoke. “I never saw anything.”
He tilted his headassessing her with his steel blue eyes. “No? What about the secondtime?”
“The last thing Iremembered was the horrible sound of exploding glass and crumpledmetal—the accident. When I woke I was in a cold darkroom.”
“That’s it?”
“Until R—Mr. Casey showedup and rescued me.”
“You heard, or sawnothing?”
She shook her head. Hedidn’t look convinced at all. “Except the dead men.”
His brows popped up. “Yousaw the men Casey killed?”
She nodded. “I did.” Shehad to give him something because she knew he wouldn’t let her gountil he had some collaborating information. She’d make sure itwasn’t much, but it had to be something. “He found me in the roomand got me out.”
Peter folded his armsacross his chest and stared down at her. “How many did hekill?”
He was trying to confirmRyan’s story. Well, she honestly didn’t know that part. He didn’ttell her, for good reason. It would have upset her. “I don’t know.I just saw the two that were outside the door of my cell. We wereshot at when we were driving away. Mr. Casey pushed me down so Iwouldn’t get hit, so I didn’t even see where we came from or how wegot out of there. That’s when he got shot.”
“Did you know how many menwhere there?”
“No, I have no idea.”.
He seemedconvinced.
“I promise, that is all Iknow,” she added honestly. Thank God he didn’t ask her aboutblowing up the house. “Anything else?” God, she wanted away fromhim as soon as possible.
“Yes, are you ready
