“Let him go, Remy,” she said softly. “Please.”
He clenched his jaw, turning back to Kennedy. The man had the relieved look of a condemned prisoner who’d narrowly escaped a one-way ticket to the execution chamber.
Not so fucking fast.
Viciously grabbing the man’s chin with one hand, Remy commanded, “Take a good look at your daughter.”
Kennedy obediently looked across the room at Zandra.
“Every time you think of her from now on,” Remy snarled, “I want you to remember her as the angel of mercy who saved your sorry hide today. But understand this. If you ever come anywhere near her again, if you even think about contacting her, I will take great pleasure in disemboweling you. That’s not an empty threat, motherfucker. That’s a promise.”
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.