Any Way You Want It (Brand Clan #2)(77)

Because the alternative—living without her—was absolutely unthinkable.

*

Zandra didn’t offer her father a drink or invite him to sit down. She barely wanted to let him through the door. Of course, once he was inside, he helped himself to a chair.

She watched as he looked around the living room, his gaze landing on her mother’s paintings. Lightly at first, then returning to linger on each one. As he stared, something like pain and regret flickered in his eyes.

He’d hated being married to an artist. He’d hated having to share Autumn with her gift, resented the hours she’d spent painting instead of catering to him. He’d hated that no matter how viciously he ridiculed and brutalized her, she’d always found solace and healing through her painting. Even when he flew into a rage and maliciously destroyed her work, he couldn’t destroy the beautiful imagination that would fuel the next piece. Autumn’s gift was the only part of her he couldn’t conquer, and he’d always known it.

After her funeral, he’d gathered all her paintings and dumped them on the front porch, then called Zandra and told her to come pick them up. It was one of the few kindnesses he’d ever shown her.

She watched now as he swallowed visibly, then dragged his gaze from the familiar artwork to look at her. His eyes were unfocused and haunted, and for a moment she couldn’t tell whether he was seeing her, or her mother.

She waited for him to remember. Waited for the hatred and anger to slide back into place.

It didn’t take long.

“Well,” he said bitterly, “I hope you’re happy.”

Zandra didn’t sit down. She didn’t want to pretend that he was an invited guest, that this was a normal visit between a father and daughter.

She folded her arms across her chest, a defensive posture. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Haven’t you been watching the news? The very thing I tried to warn you about is happening!”

Zandra’s lips twisted scornfully. “Am I supposed to care that your political campaign is in trouble? Cry me a damn river.”

His face reddened with anger. “You conniving little bitch. This is exactly what you wanted to happen.”

Zandra snorted. “Oh, yeah,” she mocked. “I really wanted to have my name and photo splashed across the news so that complete strangers can be titillated by the details of my personal life.”

“And whose fault is that?” Landis spat, raking her with a look of scathing contempt. “Running a prostitution ring. Screwing men in public restrooms. You’re a whore. Just like your mother.”

Zandra’s temper exploded. “You bastard! Stop calling her a whore! Despite the abominable way you treated her, she was never unfaithful to you! It’s not her fault you were too paranoid and insecure to handle being married to a beautiful woman. It’s not her fault that she couldn’t even make eye contact with another man without sending you into a jealous rage!”

Landis lunged to his feet and charged toward Zandra. Though her knees trembled, she stood her ground, chin raised defiantly.

He stopped just before her, jabbing his finger into her face. “You’d better mind your tongue, little girl.”

“Or what?” Zandra challenged. “You gonna beat me like you did that night just because I screamed at you to stop hitting my mother? You gonna take off your belt now and whip me senseless just because I told you to stop smearing her memory with that ugly word?”

He glared at her, nostrils flaring.

Zandra didn’t back down.

And then suddenly he smiled. A slow, malevolent smile that made ice congeal in her veins. “You’re really feeling yourself today, aren’t you? I wonder how you’re going to feel when I tell you that Mayor Norwood is the one who leaked the story about you to the media.”

Zandra frowned. “Why the hell should that matter to me?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because your old friend Remington has been digging up dirt on you on behalf of the mayor.”

Zandra’s stomach lurched up into her throat. As the room spun around her, she stared at her father. “What the hell are you talking about?” she whispered faintly.

“Remington has been investigating your escort agency so the mayor can use it against me.”

Zandra’s hand flew to her mouth, but the cry of wounded disbelief had already escaped.

Landis smiled with vicious satisfaction. “That’s right, dear daughter. Your precious childhood hero has been betraying you behind your back.”

“I don’t believe you,” Zandra snarled.

Landis sneered. “Ask him. Ask him why he’s been secretly meeting with Norwood’s top campaign advisor.”

It wasn’t possible, Zandra told herself. Remy would never betray her like this. He couldn’t.

But she suddenly remembered the secret phone call he’d taken that night at her apartment. And she’d never been able to explain his sudden interest in dating her escorts.

Still, she resisted the damning evidence before her. Resisted the inner voice that reminded her she couldn’t trust her heart with any man.

She resisted all those things and lashed out at her father, “You’re a damn liar.”

His expression hardened. “You always think I’m lying to you.”