He looked tired, weary, covered in blood, his chest black and blue, but his gaze held hers, steady and firm. Tansy smiled at him, leaned her body a little into his. "I hear you. I'll be more careful."
"Tansy," Sharon said. "Please introduce us to these men.They certainly saved our lives. Thank you." She smiled at each of the men and they squirmed a little under the attention. "Thank you all so much. I don't even know your names. And Tansy, this man is obviously very special to you. Don't you think you should introduce us?"
Sharon looked at Kadan as if he was a hero, but one glance at Don Meadows told Kadan that the man didn't have the same opinion of him. He sent Tansy's father a hard look. No, they weren't going to get along at all, but Daddy didn't realize Kadan didn't give a damn whether he was liked or not. Only whether the man meant harm to Tansy.
"I'm sorry, Mom, I was just so happy that everyone managed to get out alive," Tansy said. "This is Kadan Montague, my…"
She looked so confused that Kadan took her hand and brought it to his mouth. "Fiancée, Mrs. Meadows. I'm the man who is going to marry your daughter."
Tansy's eyebrow shot up, her gaze still held captive by Kadan's. You sort of forgot to ask me.
I'm asking you now.
Her heart jumped. He was covered in blood, looked weary as hell, had a torn shirt and a smashed vest, bruises on his chest, but he stood in front of her, head unbowed, eyes flickering with blue ice, holding his breath. She felt that. The air caught in his lungs. Need beat at her. Desire pounded at her. His. His emotions that he barely recognized, frozen he thought, volcanic she knew-those emotions were for her.
Well, okay then. How the hell could she ever resist him? Not with his hands running up and down her arms and that stark look of need in his eyes whether he knew it or not.
"What the hell is going on here, Tansy?" Don Meadows demanded, breaking the spell.
Tansy glanced at her father. "I'm introducing you to the man I'm in love with, Dad."
Don scowled and took an aggressive step forward. The moment he moved, Kadan shifted, his body angled to protect Tansy. As a unit, his team went into position, Nico circling behind Meadows, Tucker and Ian flanking Kadan. Gator sauntered over toward the door, giving himself a clear line of fire to both Sharon and Don. Ryland slipped behind Tansy.
Don froze instantly. "We don't know the first thing about this man. We've never even heard of him before. I hardly think you can be in love with him, Tansy. Tell him it's all a mistake and you'd like him to leave."
"What you mean is I'm not good enough for her." Kadan goaded him, using his quietest voice, knowing the contrast between his low, mesmerizing tone and Don's harsh manner would be grating on Tansy.
"Hell no," Don burst out with clearly furious. His face went dark with anger, and he took another step toward his daughter, unable to stop himself, in spite of the threat of Kadan's team. "This is bullshit, Tansy. Who are these men? What do they want? I don't believe you'd take up with this… this mercenary for a moment."
Tansy gasped in outrage. "I suppose mercenaries are good enough to employ to put their bodies between yours and a bullet, but not good enough to marry your daughter."
"Keep quiet, Tansy. You're in enough trouble."
"Don," Sharon interrupted. "What in the world is wrong with you? This man saved our lives. It's obvious Tansy has known him."
"Nothing is obvious," Don snapped, his tone dismissive. "You don't have a clue what's going on here, either of you."
Don Meadows was clearly a man who ruled his world and was used to obedience from those around him. They certainly addressed him in tones of respect, and Kadan was certain no one had ever put a boot on Don's neck. The tread patterns were still there, faint, but discernible.
Kadan settled gentle fingers around Tansy's arm and drew her completely behind him, shielding her from her father's wrath. "Settle down, Mr. Meadows. I'll admit that I'm nowhere near good enough for Tansy, but fortunately, it doesn't seem to matter to her. Right now, before we get into anything personal, we have to clear up a little business."
Meadows's lip curled with contempt. "Of course. Now the truth comes out. How much?"
Kadan remained silent, simply raising an eyebrow. When Tansy would have moved, Ian and Ryland moved up on either side of her, caging her in without seeming to.
"To make you go away. How much is it going to cost me?"
Kadan smiled and there was no humor in the baring of his teeth. He looked what he was: dangerous, predatory-and mean. "You don't have enough money to make me go away, Mr. Meadows. I suggest you sit down and answer a few questions for me."
"Dad! Why are acting this way? These men risked their lives to get you free. Fredrickson and Watson would have killed Mom and maybe you as well. You owe them your lives and you're embarrassing me."
"You don't know the type of men you're dealing with, Tansy, but I do." Don made every effort to soften his voice. "Honey, these men are employed by Whitney. They have to be." He snapped his fingers at her, beckoning her to come to him.
None of the men moved, making it virtually impossible for Tansy to go to him even if she'd been so inclined. Instead she glared at her father. "You're wrong, Dad," Tansy said. "Fredrickson was employed by Whitney, not Kadan and his men."
"Actually, Mr. Meadows," Kadan said, his voice pitched very low. "I'd like to ask you about your relationship with Dr. Whitney."
There was a small silence. Don's face reddened more, as if his blood pressure was climbing. "That's none of your business."
Kadan kept silent, simply waiting. The tension in the room grew thick.
Sharon pressed a hand to her mouth and shook her head. "We despise Peter Whitney."
"Sharon." Don's voice was a lash.
His wife flinched, but she stared at him defiantly. "I said it aloud. I don't care if he knows. I despise the man and want him out of our lives. I want him out of our daughter's life."
Kadan reached behind him and tangled his fingers with Tansy's. Your mother is telling the truth. He had to give Tansy that much. She was appalled at her father's behavior. Appalled and embarrassed that he would dismiss so casually the men who had saved his life. She was also terribly afraid that he was very mixed up in Whitney's business. Kadan wanted her to know that even if her father was guilty, her mother wasn't.
"Did you know Fredrickson worked for Whitney?"
Don pressed his lips together in disapproval, refusing to speak.
Sharon shook her head. "We were so shocked. Whitney is a madman, and he's been attaching himself to our family for years. We hired Fredrickson because Whitney began to scare us-well, scare me. I was afraid of him, and I didn't understand what he wanted from Tansy. He arranged our adoption, and at first I was so grateful, but even when she was little, Tansy didn't like him, and I wanted her to see another doctor for her… disorder." She glanced at her daughter in apology, but Tansy was looking at her father with open shock on her face.
"Why didn't you get another doctor for her?" Kadan asked quietly.
"That's none of your business!" Don roared. "Sharon. I forbid this. Our private life has nothing to do with these people. You're exhausted and scared. There's no need to continue this discussion right this moment." He looked at Kadan, openly challenging him. "Is there? Your men look like they could use a shower and a good night's sleep. You've got blood all over you. I suggest we take this up in the morning."
He wants the chance to talk to Mom alone and tell her not to say anything to you-or to me. He hired Fredrickson when Mom was so scared for us. He had to have known all along Fredrickson worked for Whitney.
There was quiet acceptance in Tansy's voice and that hurt more than tears. She didn't need to hear anymore.