Any Way You Want It (Brand Clan #2)(80)

A fresh wave of terror swam into Kennedy’s eyes.

“Now say thank you to your daughter.”

The man gulped hard and looked at Zandra. “Th-thank you.”

She smiled contemptuously. “I didn’t do it for you. I did it for Remy. Because as despicable as you are, you’re not worth him losing a piece of his soul for ending your miserable life.” She looked at Remy, and though he couldn’t see her eyes, he knew they were full of the same tender compassion that had unraveled him that night in London.

He swallowed tightly, then sheathed his knife and stretched to his feet. Skewering his urine-soaked nemesis with one last lethal glare, Remy pivoted and strode from the room.

As he neared the doorway, Johanna stared up at him with a mixture of fear and fascination.

He spared her a curt nod before turning his attention to Zandra.

Without a word, she took his hand and led him down the hall, past the whispering servants and out the front door.

Her driver stood by the Phantom, which was parked in the circular brick driveway behind Remy’s black Escalade. The man nodded a greeting to Remy, who nodded back.

In silence he and Zandra started down the front steps. As soon as they reached the bottom, she released his hand and stepped back.

Dread tightened his throat. “Zandra—”

“Thank you for coming to my defense like that,” she said in a low voice. “You didn’t have to, but I appreciate it.”

He shook his head at her. “You don’t have to thank me. You know I’d do anything for you.”

She smiled bitterly. “Except be truthful with me, right?”

Remy flinched, the salvo hitting him square in the chest. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, baby. I was just trying to protect you—”

“By going behind my back to investigate my agency?”

“I had my reasons for doing that, if you’d just let me explain—”

She held up a hand. “This isn’t the time or place.”

“Then I’ll follow you back to your apartment and we can talk there.”

“I don’t think so,” Zandra said tightly. “I’m not ready to hear whatever you have to say. Honestly, I don’t even know that it would make any difference. You betrayed my trust, Remy. As far as I’m concerned, there’s never a good reason for doing that to someone you claim to love.”

Her words couldn’t have hurt him more if she’d taken a serrated knife to his heart. He stared miserably at her, wanting to touch her. To stroke her face, feather his fingers over her cheek and soothe her bruised skin. But he knew she’d reject his touch, and he couldn’t handle that.

Still, he had to get through to her.

“I wasn’t conspiring with the mayor. You may not remember this,” he rushed on as Zandra opened her mouth to interrupt him, “but Norwood’s senior advisor is my former CO. Keegan came to me a few weeks ago and warned me that the mayor was planning to investigate your agency so he’d have ammunition to use against your father. Keegan wanted to hire me for the job so I’d be able to warn you if there was any trouble.” Remy paused, his expression turning grim. “You need to know that one of your escorts failed the test.”

Zandra visibly tensed. “Who?”

“Brigitte.”

“Brigitte?” she repeated blankly.

“Yeah. Is she new?”

“No. I don’t have a—” Suddenly the confusion cleared from Zandra’s face, and she heaved an exasperated breath. “That wasn’t one of my escorts. That was Skylar.”

Remy frowned. “Your friend Skylar?”

“Yes. She was impersonating one of my girls. Long story,” she added with an impatient wave of her hand. “The point is, your mole—”

Remy winced at the biting accusation in her voice.

“—didn’t expose anything more than the fact that Skylar has a weakness for hot guys.” She smirked. “It’s a flaw we both possess, unfortunately.”

Guilt assailed Remy. “Zandra—”

She pushed her sunglasses up on her nose, reinforcing the barrier between them. “We’d better leave before my father or Johanna call the police.”

Remy scowled. “Let them. I don’t give a f*ck.”

“I do.” Her lips twisted cynically. “God knows I have enough damage control to tackle without adding an arrest to my troubles.”

Remy felt another stab of guilt. “Zandra—”

“Go home, Remington. There’s nothing left to say.” With that, she turned and walked to her waiting car. When Norman opened the back door for her, she hesitated.

Remy held his breath.

After another moment, she lowered herself into the backseat, dashing his hopes.

“Damn it.” Clenching his jaw, he started determinedly toward the vehicle. He couldn’t just let her leave like this. “Zandra, wait, damn it—”

Norman closed the door, then stood there protectively as if to say, If you wanna get to her, you’re gonna have to go through me.

Remy held the older man’s stern gaze for a tense moment, then scowled and backed down. He couldn’t very well fault the man for doing his job, especially when Remy was the one who’d interviewed and hired him in the first place.