That meant dealing with his estranged daughter.
Mentally squaring her shoulders, Johanna strode toward the curb where an older black man stood sentry beside a Rolls-Royce Phantom. He nodded to her and opened the back door, and she lowered herself into the car.
Zandra Kennedy sat at the other end of the plush seat. She was gazing out the window, her eyes shaded by designer sunglasses.
Johanna stared at her striking profile. Zandra was even more beautiful than she’d appeared in photographs.
Johanna hated her on sight.
She waited for the girl to turn and acknowledge her. When that didn’t happen, she frowned and said crisply, “Thank you for agreeing to see me.”
“I have a luncheon at noon,” Zandra said with cool hauteur, “so I don’t have much time to waste.”
Johanna bristled at the affront. “I’m sorry that you consider taking a drive with your stepmother such a waste of your time.”
Zandra slowly removed the sunglasses and lowered them to the lap of her white linen pantsuit. Dark, long-lashed eyes met Johanna’s.
“What do you want? Or do I even have to ask?”
“Hello to you, too, Zandra,” Johanna parroted mockingly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you after all this time.”
Zandra just looked at her.
Beneath the veneer of sultry femininity, Johanna sensed an iron will that would not be easily broken.
Mentally reassessing her approach, she settled deeper into the seat and smoothly crossed her legs. “Your father was disappointed that you were unable to attend our wedding.”
“Oh, I was able,” Zandra countered sardonically. “I was unwilling.”
Johanna gave her a look of reproach. “Your father is the only family you have left.”
“Oh, I have some distant cousins who come around every now and then when they need money.” Zandra smirked. “They’re more family to me than your husband.”
Johanna frowned. “I’m sorry you feel that way, especially since you’re Landis’s only child. I have two boys, but I always wanted a daughter. I wouldn’t have minded getting to know you.”
Zandra sighed with exaggerated patience. “I have no quarrel with you, Johanna.”
“Maybe not, but your quarrel with your father impacts me.” Johanna paused. “I wanted to attend yesterday’s fundraiser gala, but your father refused because he knew you’d be there. And it’s not the first time.”
“Pity. But that’s not my problem.” Zandra glanced at her gold wristwatch. “Can we get on with this?”
Johanna clenched her jaw. “Very well. As you may know, your father has decided to run for mayor. In the process of vetting his background, his campaign advisors discovered that—”
“I know where this is going,” Zandra coldly interrupted, “so let me just cut to the chase. I’m not relocating my escort agency. Period. If I were dealing with anyone else, I would be shocked and appalled by the unmitigated audacity of such a request. But since I’m dealing with Landis Kennedy, nothing he says or does could ever shock me. Apart from that, it’s utterly absurd to think that running me out of town will solve his dilemma. If his political opponents want to use me as a pawn, it won’t matter where my business is located.”
Johanna secretly agreed. But Landis was convinced that Zandra would be a liability to his campaign, and Johanna couldn’t have that.
“From what I understand,” she said coolly, “people in your line of work move around all the time.”
“I don’t,” Zandra said with implacable calm. “I have no reason to run and hide from the authorities.”
“Don’t you?” Johanna challenged.
“No. I don’t.”
Johanna pursed her lips with distaste. “I don’t even understand why you’re involved in that type of business. You’re an intelligent, highly educated woman. Your father told me that you have an economics degree from Oxford and a master’s from Northwestern. You’re influential and well regarded in artistic circles. You could be running your own art gallery instead of a...a...”