DAR SLUMPED IN the padded chair, alone in the small efficiency kitchen tucked away down the hall. Beside her, a fresh pot of coffee bur-bled, filling the room with its rich fragrance, and a cup sat waiting, already loaded with cream and sugar.

She should feel great, she knew. After all, she’d taken a losing situation and turned it around in her favor, winning down and dirty in a convincing way that even Ankow had no defense against.

Maybe she would feel good about it, after her head stopped aching, and she was out of this damn marble shithouse. A wry smile made its way onto her face. Damn, José. I owe you the biggest Argentinean barbecued steak south of the Mason Dixon when I get home, you little Cuban super salesman.

She tilted her head back against the wall and focused her eyes on the doorway, then blinked when it was filled unexpectedly with a tall, burly figure. “Hey.”

Her father padded inside and turned a chair around, sat on it backwards, resting his arms on the back. “Hey, Dardar. You all right?”

“Yeah.” Dar rubbed her eyes. “Just unwinding a little.”

Andrew regarded the tall form sprawled across from him. “Headache?”

Dar nodded.

“Used to get me them, too. Base doctor always told me t’cut down on stress.”

Dar smiled. “Yeah.” She rested her head against her fist. “I was getting them every day there for a while.” She was reluctant to talk about the board meeting. “One more session and we’re outta here, I think.”

“Mmm.” Her father grunted. “You done hollerin’ then?”

Dar felt a moment of surprise and she hesitated, taking in a careful breath. “You heard me?”

“Sure.” Andy didn’t look distressed. “Had the pictures shaking in that damn office, matter of fact.”

The coffee finished and Dar reached over to pour some in her cup, then used the distraction of stirring it to give herself some time to answer.

“Yeah, well,” she muttered, “I wasn’t really sure I wanted you to see that Eye of the Storm 307

side of me.” She sipped the hot beverage, as her father waited patiently for her to continue. “It’s not very pleasant most of the time.”

“Paladar, it’s a damn proud thing for a father to listen to his kid stand up for herself, and everyone else like that,” Andrew told her seriously. “’Specially when folks were saying some of the stuff them bastards were saying.”

Dar smiled grimly. “That son of a bitch.” She shook her head. “I think what made me maddest was the fact that he was going after Kerry.”

Her nostrils flared. “I don’t know, Dad—maybe that idea of starting my own business was the right one after all. I don’t know how much more of this crap I want to put up with.”

“Wall, everything that lives takes a dump, Dardar. You’re always gonna hafta deal with some of it.”

Yeah. Dar stood up and handed him the coffee cup. “Here. Let me go get this over with, then we can get out of here. I hear a stuffed sweet potato calling my name.” She put a hand on her father’s shoulder and walked past him. “Hope Kerry’s having a better day than I am.”

Andrew turned around and propped a foot up on the chair next to him, sipping the coffee thoughtfully. “I think you’re doing all right,” he murmured to the empty room. “That was some of the best verbal ball kicking I heard since boot camp.”

Footsteps coming down the hall made him look up, but he remained where he was as a tall, good looking man entered. The newcomer gave him a surprised look, then brushed by and grabbed a paper cup from the stack near the water cooler.

He attempted to fill it, but the spigot wasn’t cooperating and after a few tries, he cursed and kicked the machine viciously, making the water slosh in its glass bottle.

“Y’know,” Andrew drawled softly. “Y’d have better luck with that there thing if’n you’d turn it on.”

A pair of narrow, angry eyes looked around at him. “Shut the fuck up.”

“Jest trying to help.” The ex-SEAL took a swallow of coffee and waggled his foot.

“Are you cleaning staff? Don’t you have something you need to be doing?”

“Ahm on a coffee break.” Andy held up his cup. “That there power switch is behind that white doo dad, by the by.” He studied the man carefully, a quiet, almost playful smile shaping his lips, which didn’t reach the cold blue eyes above them.

Ankow switched the device on, and it hummed obediently.

“Thanks.” He tossed over his shoulder, visibly still annoyed at the scruffy, older man sprawled comfortably on the chairs.

“Mah pleasure.”

“Jerk,” Ankow muttered softly under his breath, as he grabbed his cup, put it under the spigot, and turned it on sharply. The top popped off and a fountain of ice cold water hit him in the face and he yelled, releas-308 Melissa Good ing it and slamming a fist against the device in fury.

It toppled over, sending the glass water tank crashing to the ground and a spray of glass and liquid out, dousing him thoroughly. “Son of a bitch!”

Andy chuckled.

The drenched man turned. “It’s not fucking funny, so shut your mouth, old man.”

“Wall, sonny, I ain’t the one standing there all wet then, am I?” Andy sipped his coffee, completely at his ease. “You oughta watch that temper now. It’ll get you in trouble one of these fine days.”

Ankow brushed the front of his jacket off, walked over to the seated man and stood over him with an aggressive posture. “You think so?” he asked softly.

“Yeap.”

“I think it’s you who’s asking for trouble, old man.” Ankow’s eyes glinted dangerously. “Your break’s over. Get lost.”

Andrew put his cup down on the table and folded his arms. “Testy little feller, ain’t ya?” He chuckled. “What’s the matter? Some girl tweak yer shorts?”

“Oh. I am just in the mood for someone like you.” Ankow snarled, lunging forward and reaching for the very welcome outlet for his temper.

Andy hooked the younger man behind the knee with his propped foot and yanked him forward and off balance. Then he coiled his other leg up and lashed out, catching Ankow in the gut with a vicious kick that sent him sprawling back onto the ground. “See thar? You just got to watch that temper, boy,” he drawled, resuming his comfortable posture.

Ankow rolled with the motion and got to his feet, then grabbed a chair and lifted it over his head.

“Ya’ll don’t want to do that,” Andrew warned.

The chair descended, hitting wood and steel as the older man slipped out of the way, ducking gracefully around his antagonist and waiting for him to go past. Then he whirled and executed a perfectly timed roundhouse kick that nailed Ankow in the side of the head and threw him against the wall.

He stumbled back and turned to see Andrew waiting for him, balanced over slightly bent knees. “I think I need to call security.”

“Ah think you need to change yer diapers.” Andy came at him, grabbed him before he could move and took him down with a powerful twist of his body. He landed on top of the younger man, pinning him down and landing a knee firmly on his genitals.

Ankow’s mouth opened, but no sound came out and his eyes bugged as his adversary leaned forward and rested his weight on his chest so that they were eye to eye.

“Now,” Andrew said softly, “you are going to listen to me, Mr.

David Ankow, former Army Ranger, who is a sorry pissant example of a soldier.”

Ankow stared at him. “Who the fuck are you?” he managed to Eye of the Storm 309

squeak out.

Andy reached out and put a hold on his neck, making his face redden as the blood pooled. “Ah’m Dar’s daddy.” The eyes widened, and he smiled. “And ah do not take kindly to you messing with her.” He leaned closer. “So you are gonna cease and desist bothering my little girl, or I will surely turn you into Julianne human being. Do you understand me, boy?”

“I’ll sue you for this.”

“Only if’n you want me tellin’ the police about that little patch you stuck on my kid down south,” Andrew drawled. “Which I will tell you is more than enough for me to want to toss you out that there window.”

Ankow was silent.

Andrew released him, stood, stepped out of any possible range with a smooth, even motion, and waited. He would either run or fight, the ex-SEAL knew, and he was stupid enough to do the latter. “Ah think it’s time for you to leave, boy.”

Ankow got up in a crouch, then slowly straightened, obviously in pain. He edged out of the room without further comment and slunk down the hallway. Andy heard the door to the bathroom open and close, and only then did he relax and brush his shirt off, mentally reviewing the incident.

Well. Coulda been worse. He picked up the scattered chairs and set them right, then ambled over and studied the mess of the water cooler, turning when a low throat clearing sounded behind him.

Alastair was in the doorway. “What happened here?”

Andy tugged at an earlobe. “Feller came in, didn’t like the water, I suppose,” he remarked. “Picky folks you got around here.”

Alastair walked gingerly into the room and surveyed the damage, then eyed Andy dubiously. “I don’t suppose it was a tall guy, in a light gray suit was it?”

“Ah do believe it was,” Andy allowed.

“Uh huh.” The CEO sighed and gave the taller man a wry look. Very innocent blue eyes looked back at him in a very familiar way. “Commander Roberts, why is it that I get the feeling the apple on my payroll didn’t fall very far from the tree?”

“Beats me,” Andy rasped. “Y’all about done in there?”

“Yes,” Alastair murmured. “I just want to have a little private meeting with Dar before we all leave.” He turned and put a hand on the open doorjamb. “I’ll call the cleaning crew up to take care of this.” With a shake of his head, he left, and Andy wandered over to re-secure his cup of coffee.