"Girl, you're home now," he reminded her, his voice and his expression remaining stern. "This ain't DC and it ain't Moscow or wherever else you've been. This is where people know you best, and I won't have gossip about you. Your brothers can stay in that house with you, those young men can come here and stay, or they can stay at Caleb's-"

"No, Daddy," she said firmly. She so did not like the way this conversation was going.

"Then you can-"

"No, Daddy," she repeated in the same tone, determined to remain firm now.

His deep blue eyes narrowed on her warningly. "Summer, this arrangement is unacceptable." For all its softness, his tone was a stern, unyielding demand. "You should know better than this."

Yes, she should.

Come to think of it, she did.

"Very well." She nodded abruptly, narrowing her eyes back at her father. "When this is over and I have the option of leaving, I'll give the house to Caleb and find a place closer to Atlanta," she informed him. "But, until this is finished and I know ya'll are safe, then things will remain as they are."

She'd actually expected this the day after their arrival. It wouldn't have hurt near as bad then.

"Summer, girl, think of what you're doin'," he demanded though his voice was gentle. "I'm not sayin' they're not good men. Davis Allen assures me they are, even that Raeg. But I know now the things my old friend refused to mention-"

She tried to stop him. "Daddy-"

"Men that allow other men, especially their brothers, the liberties of touchin' their women can't love themselves or their woman."

Liberties? Oh. My. God. He was going to try to discuss her sex life?

She was going to lose her ever-lovin' mind. She could not handle this.

Summer jumped to her feet.

Outrage and sheer disbelief vied with the ultimate embarrassment. This was not a discussion she could have with him, not even in a million and one years.

"I am so not discussin' this with you," she burst out, horrified.

Her daddy hadn't even mentioned the birds and the bees back when she'd started dating. Daddy did not mention such things in front of his daughters.

"Girl, you sit back down there," he demanded, his expression fierce as he pointed to the chair. "Right now."

No way in hell. She absolutely could not sit back down there and listen to this. She'd burn alive with mortification.

"Daddy, I love you and I respect you tremendously..." She wrung her hands, certain she was going to burn in hell now that her daddy had to attempt such a conversation with her.

"Then act like it," he barked, glowering back at her. "And listen to me. Certain liberties, proper young ladies don't allow-"

"Daddy, I won't hear this." She was going to cover her ears with her hands if she had to. She couldn't bear it. "This is goin' too far."

"Summer, you tell me right now," he ordered firmly. "Are you givin' yourself-"

Oh God, no! She could not listen to this.

"La la la la la..." She covered her ears. "Stop this, Daddy."

"Tell me that's not what's goin' on in that house then," he snapped.

"Oh my Lord..." she muttered, looking around desperately for a means of escape. She could feel shame curling through her, and she was certain she was going to hyperventilate.

"Summer, girl, I'm no fool," he sighed. "I know you've had lovers."

"Oh my God, Daddy ... stop..." Scandalized, she couldn't bear to hear anymore.

This simply was not done.

Her daddy did not talk about such things to her.

"Now, Summer..."

"No, Daddy. Does Momma discuss Caleb's friendships with him? Oh my God, you know she never would." Momma would die of embarrassment first.

"Friendships?" he glared at her. "Is that what you're callin' it now?"

She stomped her feet, the heel of her shoe cracking against the boards of the porch, to get his attention.

"Daddy, I am appalled at this." She stared back at him in disbelief, her hands settling on her hot cheeks. This was too embarrassing.

"And you should be," he agreed fiercely. "Those two scoundrels bringin' their wild ways to your home and to your bed like that."

"Daddy ... please, I'm beggin you," she cried out desperately. "Please stop sayin' these things."

Something akin to satisfaction and pure devilry sparked in his gaze as he stared back at her. Something that simply had her heart sinking.

"Summer...?" Raeg spoke behind her, and she knew then exactly why her daddy was so satisfied.

"Oh Lord," she whispered, panic tightening her chest. "Where's Momma? This is simply too much."

Her daddy turned and looked to his side where Raeg and Falcon stood, his expression disgusted. "Boys, it's rude to eavesdrop on a man's conversation with his own daughter," he informed them in his best drill sergeant voice. "Where's your manners?"

She turned to Raeg and Falcon, staring at them, begging them silently even as she shook her head desperately. They could not let this conversation happen. They couldn't.

Raeg crossed his arms over his chest, the black shirt, sleeves rolled back to his elbows, and eagle-colored eyes giving him a piratical air.

"Damn, Falcon, you were right about the rules in the South being different from those at home," he sneered. "At least there we take up our disagreements with any 'friends' our sister has with the men themselves rather than with her."

Momma ... Summer wailed silently.

"The two of you are a disgrace," her daddy snapped, glaring at them with disapproval. "Especially you." He pointed at Raeg imperiously. "You're damned disrespectful to boot. Summer's not one of your city girls to be used like you think you can use her."

Use her? She was going to be sick.

And it was so obvious her momma wasn't going to help her out here.

"Summer, perhaps you should go inside and help your mother," Falcon suggested gently, his expression as hard as his eyes. "We would speak to your father about this privately."

Her eyes widened, her heart suddenly racing.

Falcon might have spoken gently, but his expression was savage, his gaze icy. He was furious. Completely furious. That was never a good thing.

"I will not-" she began to object.

"Now." Raeg directed the full force of a gaze so demanding and fierce she stared back at him in shock.

"Go on, little girl," her daddy drawled. "Go on back in the house with the women. I'll just discuss this myself with these two."

Little girl? Her daddy called her little girl?

No, he had not!

"Daddy, I won't have this," she informed him, pressing the fingers of one hand to her temple. She could feel that migraine coming for sure now. "Stop it this instant."

His smile was slow, anticipatory.

"Now how do you think you can enforce that, little girl?" he drawled, that vein of satisfaction deepening in his tone.

She thought fast. It wasn't the best plan. But maybe ...

"I can do exactly what I should have done when I first got here," she informed him furiously. "I'll stay a night in town and tell everyone I meet my daddy disowned me and I'm moving back to DC. Dragovich's men will definitely follow me then."

She put her hands on her hips to keep from wringing them in pure approaching hysteria. Her daddy was up to something, she knew he was. She just wasn't certain what or why. But what he was doing was simply not good for her peace of mind.

"The hell you will," he snapped, frowning down at her.

"Daddy, you just don't want to bet on that." Her voice rose, her panic along with it.

"Little girl..."

"I have a name, Daddy!" she yelled. "You should know it. Momma let you choose it, and that name was not 'little girl.' I've not been a little girl for many years now."

"Well now, a grown woman would understand the shenanigans these two are up to." He waved toward Raeg and Falcon.

"That's enough out of both of you." Raeg was suddenly beside her, yelling at the two of them.

"He started it." She stabbed her finger in her daddy's direction furiously.

Oh, she was so mad at both of them now, the reason to her father's behavior suddenly clear. "My personal business is just that. Mine. And he's just set to provoke me because you're so ugly with him." She turned on Raeg, pushing his arm away as he reached for her. "Get the hell over it right now or you're gonna be sleepin' in Caleb's barn instead of my home. You will not continue to cause all this trouble, Raeg."

Raeg stared down at her incredulously. "You're joking?"

"Raeg." Falcon stepped onto the porch then. "We do not need Summer in this discussion. Let her go inside first-"

Raeg's bark of laughter wasn't a comfortable sound.

"She's joking, isn't she?" he snapped, his gaze filled with incredulity and anger. "Damn, Falcon, what good would letting her escape accomplish? All you want to do is kiss his ass anyway. You're just as bad as she is to ask how high, when he says jump. I'll be damned if I'll do it too."

"That's my daddy," Summer protested, staring back at him in shock. "You cannot be so rude to him in his own home."

"I can't be rude to him?" Furious, mocking amusement filled his face. "Summer, he all but called you a whore to your face-"

Before the last word left his mouth, her daddy moved. His arm flashed past her face, the solid, powerful whack sounding before she could even follow the move and swing around to Raeg ...

... who went down.

Backward.

Sprawled out on his back, eyes closed.

Lights out.

"Oh my God," she whispered, staring down at Raeg, then at Falcon's incredulous expression. "Oh my God ... Daddy?" She turned to her father in disbelief. "What have you done?"

He snorted at the question as she gripped his arm desperately.

"Taught him a manner or two I hope," he informed her, satisfaction filling his expression as well as his voice. "He'll live." He grinned down at her. "Your momma surely has breakfast on the table by now, sweetheart," he declared jovially. "Ya'll come in. He'll rest just fine there for a minute." He gave Falcon a firm look. "Come on, son, don't baby him now, you'll undo all my fine work here if you do. Get in the house with Summer." He urged her toward the door. "Go on now. Get."

And in she went, she assured herself, simply because she was in shock. But that didn't explain why Falcon gave his brother a long, thoughtful look before following her.

This was not going to be good.

Still in shock, she looked up at Falcon, met his laughing gaze, and knew it was going to be bad. Really, really bad.

"He'll leave," she whispered.

Falcon bent his head to hers. "I'll call Lucien Connor if he leaves. That will bring him back quickly, I promise."

She could only shake her head and let him lead her to the table where her family as well as Caleb's foreman and several ranch hands waited patiently, amusement filling all their faces. Bowe and Brody were choking on their laughter.

This was so horrible. It was simply horrible.

Her momma waited in her seat opposite her daddy's, her expression serene, as Summer stared back at her desperately.

This just wasn't good at all ...

He'd be damned if he was going to let that old bastard run him off. And he damned sure wasn't going to be shamed from Summer's side.

Thankfully though, he didn't come to in time for breakfast. Hell, he still hadn't figured out what half of what he was eating, actually was. Or how to eat it.

Sitting on the porch steps, Raeg worked his jaw gingerly. The bastard damned sure packed a punch. Then again, the former Delta Force commander had been known for his punches.

Still battling the gremlins playing bury-the-axe in his brain, Raeg tensed further at the sound of the front door opening.