Home.

“Kerrison.”

Shit. Kerry almost didn’t stop. Almost didn’t turn. But she knew, in her heart, that sometime, someday she’d have to face her father, and maybe—who knew?—maybe she could head off whatever it is he wanted right now. She stopped and turned, but didn’t answer. Her father was dressed almost casually for him—pressed slacks and a sweater over his shirt and tie, and this close, she was struck by how much older he looked to her.

“Step inside there.” He pointed to a small room, used for consulta-tion. “I’d like a word with you.”

Kerry felt her heartbeat double, but she walked inside the chamber, going deliberately behind the desk to put some distance between them.

She sat down in the almost comfortable chair there and waited, in guarded silence.

Her father entered and closed the door, then leaned on the desk with both hands and gazed at her.

Kerry forced her own eyes to remain steady, refusing to allow his posture to intimidate her. “If you’re thinking about telling me not to see Angie, don’t bother.” She kept her voice low and controlled, like Dar had taught her. “That’s not your choice.”

“No, I can see you’re far too under her control.”

“Who? Dar?” Kerry could have laughed, thinking of her bullying her stubborn lover into getting examined. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Roger Stuart shook his head. “It’s you who’s being blind, Kerrison.

Can’t you see the path she’s led you down?”

Kerry studied him for a moment. “Why does it always have to be someone else’s fault?”

“What?”

“Why can’t you just accept that this is my choice? Dar didn’t do anything to me.” Kerry straightened. “If that’s all you wanted to say, I’ve got more important things to do.”

“How could it be your choice?” her father protested. “You were fine, up until the minute you met that horrible person and then you changed.”


412 Melissa Good

“I was never fine.”

“What are you talking about?”

Kerry exhaled, too tired, still, to be frightened of him. “I was never fine. I was headed towards a life I had no interest in.” She looked up.

“Every time I tried to change that, I got punished.”

Roger stared at her in bewilderment. “What the hell is that all about?

Change what? You had everything any child could have wished for, you ungrateful piece of—”

“Like I said.” Kerry stood up. “I’ve got better things to do than this.”

She paused. “You never did listen to me before. I don’t know why I bothered now.”

“Just you hold on a minute—” Her father lifted a hand towards her.

“Don’t you even think about it.” Kerry’s temper flared unexpectedly.

“I’m not the little dishrag you tossed around in Michigan. You touch me and I’ll hurt you.”

Roger drew back. “Is that how you speak to your father?”

“You’re not my father,” Kerry spat back. “You made that crystal clear.”

Slowly, Roger nodded. “All right,” he murmured. “So I did.”

They stared at each other. “You know, I risked my life and the lives of some of the people I love most in the world to make sure you got out of that building,” Kerry said. “So if you think I owe you anything for having brought me up, I don’t.”

“You owe me an explanation,” her father replied. “Why? Why did you abandon and betray your family?”

“Why?” Kerry sat down on the edge of the desk. “Because I was angry.” She exhaled. “Because you hit me and held me against my will and you would have had me drugged senseless all because I told you the truth.” He opened his mouth, but Kerry held a hand up. “Because it was very satisfying to expose such a hypocrite after I’d spent my whole life trying to live up to your ideals.”

Her father wasn’t stupid. Kerry could see the thoughts going on right behind those gray eyes. “And here I thought I was working to give you a decent life.”

“Your idea.”

“Of course, my idea,” Roger snapped back. “I raised you, put you through school, gave you every advantage, so you can sit there and call me a hypocrite?” He shook his head. “Last year, I made the mistake of believing if you could just be talked to…explained how taking the path you were on was so wrong, you’d just wake up, and realize the truth. I was wrong. There is something very evil in you.”

“You’re the one who won’t realize the truth.” Kerry felt nauseous.

“You’re so sure you’re right, you won’t even consider how I feel, will you? How I felt when you banished my friends and told me what I could think, or look like. What my limits were.”

“It’s my right to bring you up properly.”

“Or being told my chief value to the family was as breeding stock, Eye of the Storm 413

because I’m better looking than Angie.”

“That’s ridiculous. Your mother merely complimented how nice the two of you were together.”

Kerry could feel tears rising, but she ignored them. “Or what it was like to be told not to do too good at school so I wouldn’t make Michael look bad.”

“We were trying to help him excel.” Roger looked annoyed. “Surely you wanted to help your brother.”

“How it felt when you had my dog poisoned.”

Her father stared at her.

“Kerrison.”

“How it felt when your bodyguard raped me and you made me apologize to him.”

“We’re back to that story, are we?”

“Maybe I should have just had my gynecologist call you.”

He went silent for a long, tense moment, just watching her.

“I didn’t think of it then. I should have,” Kerry whispered. “But I was too ashamed to tell her my father didn’t believe I was raped.”

For a moment, she thought she might have reached him, might have shaken that bullheaded wall of belief. Then his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

“Is that what this is all about then? This is your reaction to…that?

You went off and found this woman?”

A wave of disgust rolled over Kerry. “You’re so clueless.” She got up. “No.” She was curiously relieved though, having said what she had to say. “My falling in love with Dar had nothing to do with Kyle or Brian, or you, for that matter. It was just between the two of us.”

“You understand you’re going to Hell, if you don’t put a stop to this, don’t you?”

“I spent twenty-six years in Hell,” Kerry answered. “Dar was my ladder out of that and it’s been wonderful living in the sunlight.” She walked around the desk and put her hand on the door latch. “I spent all that time trying everything I could to make you proud of me and it was never enough. Now the only one I have to worry about making proud is myself.” She turned the latch and opened the door, keeping eye contact with him. “And I am.”

The door closed behind her and she leaned against the wall for a long, sick moment. Then she pushed off and walked unsteadily towards the first doorway she saw, ducked inside a small waiting room and sat down quickly, trying to control her rebelling stomach.

A nurse found her there. “Oh, there you are, Ms. Stuart. We thought we’d lost you.”

Kerry took a deep breath and straightened up. “No…I um,” she put a hand over her stomach, “was feeling a little queasy, that’s all. Thought I’d better sit down for a minute.” She stood up. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay. I’ll walk you down to the CAT scan room. Unless you’d rather have a wheelchair? You look sort of pale.” The nurse put 414 Melissa Good hand on her arm, her tone concerned.

“I’m okay.” Kerry managed a smile. “Lead on.”

“Great.” The nurse kept hold of her and eased out of the waiting room. “Listen. Your friend is giving us a little trouble. Maybe you could talk to her and calm her down?”

Like a light switch flipping, Kerry gladly turned her thoughts from one problem to another. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Well, they want to scan her back. The doctor’s a little concerned about something he saw on the x-ray, but she’s refusing,” the nurse explained. “Of course, we can’t force her.”

“Mmm. They strap you down for that, don’t they?”

“Yes, to keep you from moving, for the pictures, but…”

Kerry sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.” In the state she knew Dar was in, she had her doubts. “Maybe we can compromise?”

Something her father lived with in public life, but would never suc-cumb to in his private one.

“HI, ANGIE.”

The woman in the bed looked up and her eyes widened. “Ker!”

Kerry slipped around the door frame and entered, tugging her dour and grumpy companion with her. “Boy, it’s great to see you.” She released Dar’s hand, went over to her sister, hugged as much of her one armed as she could reach.

“Same here. Hello, Dar.” Angie glanced shyly at her. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Dar rested both hands on the bed rail. “Thanks. It’s good to see you made out all right as well.” She gave her partner’s sister a smile, just glad to be finished with a brief sojourn into one of her worst nightmares. Five minutes, she’d finally granted the technicians, and no straps. Five long minutes only made marginally bearable by Kerry’s grip on her hand and an iron self control that still hadn’t been enough to keep the twitching from starting, as they hastily pulled her out of the machine and got out of her way as she bolted off the table.

She hoped they got what they needed, because there wasn’t any second chances at that. She’d calmed herself by talking to Kerry as the blonde woman took her turn on the platform, lying quietly as they took pictures of her head and shoulder.

And she felt kind of stupid, really. After all, it’s not like the machine hurt, not nearly as much as her back did, at any rate.