"I'm going to do what our father should've done. What he left me in charge to do, because he lacked the guts to do it himself. I'm going to clean house, Kyle. I have the advice of a good attorney that I'm well within my rights to do so. We both know the will's not going to be thrown out. The family can bitch and moan all they want, it's not going to change facts." She gave him a sideways glance. "Parker and Charlie have to be stopped before they destroy the company our father and grandfather built. You've played a part in all of it, Kyle. I don't know how much, but I'll find out soon enough."

He shook his head, with an indignant huff, still staring out the window. "You'll find out when you read the minutes from our board meetings. I'll even give you access to my emails. My concerns always fell on deaf ears."

Kat wanted that to be true, but time would tell.

"I've been in touch with Stella. She's given me access to Father's office. They've sent me a flash drive with agendas, his calendar, the company's calendar, that sort of thing. I'll be taking over his wing and staff in the next few days."

His rocking stopped. "I don't think that's wise. It hasn't been long enough."

"There's never going to be a good time, Kyle. I'd rather rip the Band-Aid off quickly. And I'm sure as hell not going to sit back and appear uninterested, like certain people want me to." The corners of his eyes creased slightly. "I'm going to shake things up, and there's going to be a lot of fallout. More than you can imagine." He almost turned to her but stopped himself, kept his eyes glued on the industrial building turned high-end lofts across the street.

"Why are you interested now, not before? Is it because of what you heard at the dinner when Tucker made such a splash?"

She almost smiled at the memory, but then a heavy weight settled around her. "Oh God, Kyle. I wish that's all it was."

She released a weary sigh, then turned to leave. She tried one last time to regain his attention, but he still wouldn't make eye contact. His rejection stung, but she knew she deserved it. She'd hurt him deeply, probably irrevocably. She'd hurt him in an effort to draw out the man caged inside. The man clawing at the surface to be free. She reached out, tentative, squeezed his arm reassuringly, and then she strode, dejected, across the stylized concrete floor.

As she swung the heavy door open to make her exit, his voice echoed across the room. He stood stuck in the same spot, his back to her, hands deep in his pockets. "Parker's called a board meeting to shore up support in his favor, and against you. It's not going to appear on anything Stella's given you. It's off the books. It's in three days. I'll make sure you have everything you need to prepare for it." His tone was hollow, cold.

Then he disappeared from her view. Slipped away without a glance, a nod, or a goodbye.

She knew then, even if she had managed to save him, she'd still lost him.

She uploaded the files from the flash drive to a secure online storage site. Her eyes were strained, her body riddled with caffeine. She'd read everything. Memorized the profiles of each of the seven board members and the agenda for the upcoming meeting at a cloak-and-dagger location in Midtown, not in a posh conference room at headquarters. Kat snorted and shook her head. Parker was such a snake, even Charlie wouldn't be at the secret power conference. Of course, her eldest brother probably preferred it that way. Charlie had always liked staying above the fray, out of the dirt, while Parker enjoyed stirring shit and watching others lick the spoon.

Kyle had also included digital files with settlement information and notes on all sites with environmental disputes and any related pending litigation. He'd had the thumb drives delivered by messenger.

That had hurt.

Her stomach rolled with a wave of familiar disappointment that had become common since they'd last spoken, since she'd bet the house she could force the man inside him out of hiding. She'd felt sick ever since leaving his loft on such sour terms. Somehow, she had managed to both win and lose that risky bet. A kiss at the top of her head and a squeeze at her shoulder dragged her from her melancholy musings.

"Time for the call?" Tucker sat next to her at the table.

"Yeah, it is." She picked up her cell, selected her recent calls, and tapped an image.

She sure hoped Tucker would behave himself. He hadn't been thrilled to hear about Dan Walsh's involvement, or rather her involvement with Dan in years past. Tucker was not some unthinking caveman, she knew that, and she knew if the situation were reversed, she'd be none too happy about a beautiful woman he'd been on and off with for years helping him, in any way.

"Right on time, Kat."

"Hey, Dan. Listen, before we get started, I'm going to put you on speaker. I want Tucker involved in this too."

There was a long pause, followed by a sigh. "Sure that's wise?"

"Yes, I am. I'm placing you on speaker now. Tell us what you've got so far." Tucker gave her leg a gentle squeeze of encouragement.

"Okay, well, first off there's been some pushback on the cold case for Rose Kelley. Questions you'd expect, but an unusual level of resistance in checking out the leads you provided. A fairly hard push to know exactly who is providing the information. They're not happy about the tips being anonymous. I've kept your name out of it for the time being as requested by you, but at some point, you're going to need to come forward, Kat. Produce your evidence if there are too many roadblocks to get around in the proper channels."

"That's not a problem, Dan. I'm just not ready yet. Right now I'm more interested in shaking the trees to see what falls out. See how well they hold up. And I'd like to get some other things in order before the shit really hits the fan on this." She and Tucker exchanged knowing looks.

"I get that, Kat, I really do. But something feels off. It feels like there are entrenched powers at play here that aren't going to budge until they've been backed into a corner, run out of options."

"So what're you saying? You've already hit a dead end?"

"No, no, no. You know me better than that." Tucker stiffened next to her. "I always find a way, Kat. That's why Channel 2 is going to run a quick piece on Rose Kelley's cold case. I think it might help loosen some lips. The GM there and I go way back; we both like deep-sea fishing. Anyway, they're going to slot space in the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. I've given them enough information to run it as a story about a hard-working, single mother," his pause felt painful, "brutally murdered while her kidnapped infant appeared to have been sleeping nearby." His tone had lowered in apology, and sympathy. "The crime covered up by old money and power protecting its own." He paused. "That sound right?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat as Tucker pulled her against him for support. "Yeah, that sounds right."

"Is there something you're not telling me? Do you know who did this, Kat?"

She glanced to Tucker. "Dan, the information I have is solid, but I have no idea how it will hold up in court when it comes to chain of custody. I'm going to seek the advice of an attorney on how best to turn it over. I need to make certain it doesn't become a useless pile of papers."

"I can help you with that too."

"I know, but I'm going to talk to an attorney first before I do anything. Right now, I just need to make some people nervous, keep them in their place so I have time to do what needs to be done. And so I can do it right, give my mother justice. I don't want anybody getting away with this because I pulled the trigger too fast or didn't think it through."

"Kat, I-"

"I know you want to help, but-"

"Are you in danger? Is that what this is about?"

"She could be." Tucker spoke up. "That's somethin' I want to talk to you about."

"Okay."

"I have to go out of town for a few days, take care of some business back home." Dan grunted his disapproval, loud and clear. Tucker ignored it. "I don't want her out of your sight. I want someone outside her building at home, at work, wherever she is, at all times." Kat scoffed and Tucker raised his finger to her lips. "I don't care what it costs. Just bill me, I'm good for it-no matter what your papers here print."

"I'll take care of it. When do you need it to start?"

"By tomorrow evening, at the latest. That a problem?"

"Not at all. Consider it done."

"I will. Kat'll send you all my contact information. I expect a call if anything out of the ordinary comes up. I don't care what time it is. Understood?"

"Of course."

Tucker sat back in his seat, his posture signaling he had nothing else to say. She shook her head at him, perturbed.

"Well, okay, then. Since you two boys have worked everything out, I guess there's nothing left for the little lady to do." Her chin tilted down at Tucker. He grinned, clearly pleased with himself.

"All right, Kat. I'll be in touch about the security detail so you know what to expect and aren't spooked by anyone. Most of the time you probably won't even notice they're there."

"Great," she said mockingly. She ended the call and turned to Tucker, trying to figure out this exasperating man.

"You really just hired my old boyfriend to follow me around?" He stared at her, unfazed. "I bet if I checked your Internet history, I'd find Dan Walsh's name right at the top." He returned a lazy smile. "So, let me get this straight, Williams. You knowingly hired a handsome, independently wealthy man to follow me around. A man I dated on and off for a lot of years. A man who is only going to delegate out my 'security' when he absolutely cannot be the one to do it himself. Not to brag or anything, but he'll probably clear his calendar so he can do just that." They locked eyes. "And you're okay with it? Not bothered in the least?"

He seemed amused.

"Do you still want him?" The casualness of his question irritated the hell out of her.

"You know I don't! You forced me to tell you everything about him."

Now he looked like he had short-term memory loss.

He shrugged. "I don't remember usin' any force to get that information out of you."

She wagged her finger at him. "Oh no you don't, mister. You know damned well I can't keep a secret after a good spanking." She turned her head away and muttered under her breath. "Christ, it's more effective than waterboarding."

He bit his lips together and chuckled.

"Well, I trust you, Kat. And I believe what you've told me: that it's over, been over for some time now. You've both moved on, right?"

She nodded, chewed at her lip. Well, she had ...

"Listen, this guy cared about you, maybe even still does. Because of that, I trust him with your protection a helluva a lot more than someone who just collects a paycheck from him." His eyes gleamed with a fire she knew burned for her alone. "I may not like the idea you have a past with him, but I want to know you're being looked after while I'm gone. I know you don't think it's necessary, but I do. So, you're just gonna have to deal with it."

Then he laughed and pulled her closer. "Plus, I know you will run him ragged, chew him up one side and down the other. He doesn't stand a chance, because he's not man enough for you." His grin turned devilish. "He's already proven that."

"Oh, and you think you are, Williams?"

Without warning, he yanked her onto his lap, threaded his fingers through her hair, and pulled her lips close to his, one hand slipped between her legs, teasing her. Her breath hitched.

"You wouldn't be pushin' for a spanking, would you?"

Her heart raced and her body thrummed with wanton anticipation. Hell, she'd beg him for it, if she had to. She brushed her lips against his and rocked against the pressure of his hand as he squeezed and stroked her.

"If you think you're man enough, cowboy, prove it," she said, breathless and shaky. He chuckled against her lips. It tickled, even between her legs.

"Oh, darlin', you know there's nothin' I like better than a challenge. And this is one challenge I'm always up for."

With ease, he shrugged her over his shoulder and headed for the bedroom, planting a swift warm-up smack to her covered ass. She moaned, couldn't help herself. He owned her, and damn him, he knew it.

She waited, hidden, in the plush lobby with its glittering chandeliers, marbled columns, lush potted plants, and sculpted indoor trees. One by one, the players arrived and headed upstairs to the overpriced luxury corporate apartment with its kitchen, personal chef, and room attendants. Apparently, nothing was too good for Parker James, especially on the company tab. And most especially with an attempted coup placed at the top of his agenda. No, a conference room at JAMESCO headquarters would never have sufficed.

She flexed the thin plastic rectangle in her hand. Kyle had texted earlier, told her a key card would be waiting for her at the front desk. She aimed it for the slot and drew in a deep breath. It was about to get real. She entered and closed the door silently. She wanted the element of surprise. A dramatic entrance would work best. Put them all off balance at once.

Male banter and deep-throated laughter drifted into the foyer, as did ice cubes clinking in crystal. She listened carefully at the edge, wanting to step in at the opportune time.

Kat smoothed her blood-red dress while she waited. She'd chosen the symbolic, eye-popping color for many reasons: strength and determination, war and power, blood and danger. She wanted to shine, to be the center of attention amongst the black suits posturing and grandstanding nearby.

Because when she handed their balls to them, she wanted them to remember who had done it, and to never forget it.

As the good humor amped up, she rounded the corner. "What did I miss, gentlemen?" Her voice bubbled with enthusiasm; her smile appeared genuine. But her eyes warned of the dangerous contradiction lurking beneath the surface.

Abrupt silence. Throats cleared. Eyes volleyed around the smug, bewildered group. Parker stepped out from the center of the stuttering crowd. The hostility on his face, the threat in his eyes, exceeded her expectations. If eyes were the windows to the soul, then the depravity displayed in his should've made her turn and run. But that had never been her style, and besides, he didn't have a soul anyway.

"I hope you haven't been waiting too long, Parker. My invitation to this little soiree arrived a bit late." She winked, watched him seethe. "Parker certainly knows how to entertain the board, doesn't he?" Her hard stare swept around the room of dumbstruck black suits. "Personally, with JAMESCO's heavy debt load, this doesn't seem prudent to me. So, the bill will be sent to you, Parker. The company will not be paying for your little overthrow party."

She marched over and swung open the door of the stainless steel refrigerator. "My, my." She shook her head and tutted dramatically. "You've really outdone yourself. Cristal and beluga caviar. Planning quite the celebration, I'd say." She yanked a bottle out. "Let's celebrate now, shall we?" The room filled with mutters of uncertainty and palpable discomfort.

"What do you suppose this costs, Parker? Three hundred? Four hundred?" He'd inched closer, but remained mute. "I saw four of these in there. I'm not sure we'll have time to get to all of them, but since the fun is on you, I plan on having some. Fun, that is, and Cristal, of course."

She paused long enough to feign concern. "I certainly hope Monica doesn't mind when you get the bill. I mean, this refrigerator is really nothing more than a gigantic minibar, and we all know what a rip-off those are!"

Everyone but Parker seemed to find their shoes unusually interesting.

Kat unwrapped the foil and held her finger on the cork while she uncaged it. She could tell this bottle wanted to blow. Everyone but Parker seemed to have paid attention to the fact she'd kept the bottle upright the entire time, even as she held it now, ready to uncork, the pressure mounting against her palm. They'd all backed away a bit, eyes wide in understanding, all except for Parker. This time his fury had gotten the best of him, left him imbalanced, off his game. Not to mention their usual stare down had greatly worked to his disadvantage, as she'd bet it would.

She aimed the bottle and removed her hand. The cork shot past his head, an unfortunate miss, but the expensive spray hit its mark. Parker yelped and wiped frenziedly at his Armani suit and shook off the slick of champagne on his Berluti shoes. He flapped and jerked like a crazed clown in a circus act. Laughable, really. And Kat would have laughed out loud if she didn't hate him so fucking much.

She grabbed a crystal flute and poured some of the luxury sparkly. Brought the tiny bubbles to her lips and scanned the morgue-like room. Everything she'd hoped for: shock and awe. And she'd only begun to have her fun.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He moved closer to her, menace radiating from his pores. "Get out!" The barked order made her ears ring, made her think if Satan existed, he'd sound like Parker at that moment. Parker's face had colored a shade of red she'd never seen on a human. Her eyes flicked to the top of his head, checked for horns, and then she tipped back more bubbly.

"I'm the majority stockholder now. Board meetings will only take place with me in attendance." Her focus shifted to the cowed group behind them. "And I will be appointing a new board, immediately." Blusters and indignation erupted all around. They'd finally found their voices.

"You have no right!"

"I have every right, Parker. And I intend on exercising every last one of them." Her eyes narrowed on him. "And you will not drag JAMESCO through any protracted legal sideshow when I remove you too."

The discord among the group grew louder. She stepped away from Parker.

"You've all had your last ride on the gravy train." She made deliberate, pointed eye contact with each of them. "No more trips to Mirabel for you, Brian-with your mistress." She crossed her arms over her chest while she decided who to crucify next. They looked nervous, beads of perspiration, shifty eyes, and twitchy fingers loosening collars, soon to be nooses. She could smell their fear. And she liked it. She liked it a lot.

"The cost of higher education has certainly gotten out of control. Wouldn't you say, Gordon?" He seemed to shrink when she zeroed in on him. "I'm afraid you're going to have to find another way to fund Lucy's Ivy League tuition. JAMESCO is not in the business of student loans."

Oh, she could go on and on. The conflicts of interest and collusion were staggering in scope and audacity. She had to love Dan Walsh, give credit where credit was due. The man could dig up shit like a pig sniffing out truffles. Combine his skills with her ability to access the company records, and they were a white-collar-crime-fighting duo blockbusters were made of. She owed him big for this.

She glanced back at Parker. "I'm certain when our largest creditors required the appointment of this board, in lieu of calling our loans and creating a financial tailspin, this is not what they envisioned. Nor did our father. He clearly exercised poor judgment in giving you his proxy." She returned her judgment to the sour, mumbling group. "I'm happy to keep going down the list of fraudulent offenses, gentleman. Would you like me to continue?"

Once again, their shoes seemed incredibly interesting.

"I will be tallying up all of the kickbacks, payoffs, gifts, perks, and whatever else you called them as you laughed all the way to the bank, at the expense of my family's business. All with the complicity and full knowledge of my contemptible brother."

If they were alone right now, he'd rip her from limb to limb. Savagery was rife on his face, boiling and bubbling under his expensive wool suit. She could feel it, smell it.

Kat shifted her attention back to the newly discredited, former board of directors. "Get your checkbooks out, boys. I want my money back. All of it-with interest. And if you think for one second you're going to jerk me around on this, think again." She stepped closer, and they moved back, like a herd of sheep. "Every last one of you has failed in your fiduciary responsibilities to JAMESCO. I have all the proof I need to sue every one of your asses right out of your silk tighty-whities." Her hands hooked at her hips. "So, fellas, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. I'm game for either."

"You won't get away this!" Parker bellowed behind her.

She spun around. "How prophetic-for you!"

She approached him with cool, patient deliberation, like a circling shark deciding when to burst through the surface, prey trapped in its bloody jaws. Then her axis shifted. And she felt everything. Saw everything. Past and present occupied the same cramped space, vibrant and loud. Crime scene photos, newspaper clippings, journal entries, psych reports. Family dinners, manipulations, lies, secrets. Death-bed confessions. Electricity zipped and pinged across her scalp and body, as all her senses became hyperaware, pinpointed on this one person, this one point in time.

The longtime adversaries faced off, mere inches separating them, pulling them closer to taking the other over the edge. Their malice combined into a force neither of them were likely to rein in.