style="font-size:15px;"> “He’s had his hands all over you!” Bishop accused. “He’s sleeping with you for your money, and you’re desperate enough—”
“Bishop.” The softly spoken reminder cut through Bishop’s raised voice. Dare wanted a reason to take the bastard apart.
But he’d prefer that it not be in front of Molly.
Panting, her father retrenched, taking his seat in a formal display that left Kathi twitching beside him.
Lower, he mumbled, “He’s after my money, Molly. Can’t you see that?”
Molly shook her head. “You’re painting him with your own attributes, Dad. Dare isn’t like that. And in fact, he’s wealthy in his own right. He doesn’t need your money, and he won’t take mine.” Sounding sour, she added, “I’ve tried to pay him, and he won’t let me.”
Kathi licked her lips and joined the fray. “Molly, honey, you haven’t shown the best judgment in the past. Adrian is a perfect example.”
Molly turned on Kathi with disbelief. “But you and Dad wanted me to marry Adrian! Have you forgotten that?”
“He was the only prospect, and you were already involved with him. And at least he had some breeding.” She glanced at Dare and cleared her throat. “Perhaps if you had taken our advice just that one time, we wouldn’t be here now, dealing with this new … situation of yours.”
“She’s right,” Bishop said. “You refused Adrian’s attention and then went and got yourself kidnapped and God knows what else.”
“I can’t believe this.” Molly shot to her feet before Dare could get hold of her. She charged toward her father, finger pointed. “He was a user! Adrian only supported my career once he saw I was making good money. You’re right—he probably wanted your money, too. The poor fool didn’t realize that you’d disowned Natalie and me ages ago.”
“You aren’t disowned,” Kathi quietly said with a disapproving frown. “You know your father only wanted to ensure that you reached your own potential rather than relying on his accomplishments for your happiness. He wanted you to be independent. He is a wonderful father.”
Good God, Dare thought. Did the twit really believe that nonsense?
Molly snorted. And then to her dad, she said, “For the record, I didn’t get myself kidnapped. Someone else arranged that for me.”
“Whoever took you must have had a reason.” Kathi moved to put a supporting hand on Bishop’s shoulder. “And now you want poor Bishop to bail you out of this predicament.”
“Ha!” Molly’s scorn cracked like a whip in the quiet library. “Fat chance, Kathi, because I would never take anything from him.”
Bishop held up a hand to quiet any rebuttal from Kathi. “Then what are you doing here?” He joined the women on their feet. “If he’s not after some sort of payoff, what do the two of you want?”
Dare looked from one person to the next, and he sighed. “So, we’re to do this standing, huh?” He shook his head and rose from the couch.
Withdrawing two photos, Dare went to the desk and laid them down, then slid them around for Bishop to see. “You’re friends with Ed Warwick and Mark Sagan.”
Confused, Bishop shook his head. “Friends? No. We’re associates. We’ve done business together on occasion. What of it? They’re reputable men.”
“Sagan is a white separatist.”
“Nonsense.” Genuinely perturbed, Bishop huffed—and stared at those photos. “You can’t prove that.”
“Wanna bet?” Dare pointed to the other photo. “Warwick was busted on sliding illegal immigrants through the system to get them ready to vote for a senator that you backed, likely in exchange for favors.”
Through his teeth, Bishop said, “Warwick was cleared of that.”
“Not even close. He was never prosecuted, no, but not because he was innocent. Your good buddy Sagan took care of the evidence. A dead body has a way of spooking anyone else who might want to testify against his client.”
“That man died in a hit-and-run!”
Ah, so Bishop knew of all that. Of course he did. Dare shook his head in loathing. “Sagan has plenty of muscle to go around. He staged that hit-and-run, and you know it.” Dare shoved the photos closer to Bishop. “The people hoping to emigrate here were cheated of a chance at a better life because of Warwick’s bullshit. They were all sent home with their papers revoked. Warwick and Sagan have hurt more people than you and I can count.”
Mulling that over, Bishop shook his head. “It’s not like that. They’ve shared inside tips on property. A restaurant, a hotel … That’s all.”
“Properties that you bought under market value?”
He shrugged. “They were good deals for me, and they’ve proven lucrative. I stay in touch with many different people for just such business advantages.” Sounding more subdued, he again insisted, “All of them are only associates.”
Dare wasn’t buying it, not for a second. “Lie to yourself if you want, but you can’t fob that story off on me.” He pointed a finger at the photos where Bishop and Kathi were socializing with the men, well outside of business. “A man who lies with dogs always ends up with fleas.”
Chin up, Bishop skewered Dare with a hate-filled look. “So I’m guilty by association?”
“Damn right. What’s really telling, though,” Dare continued, “is that your friendship with those fucks gives you opportunity.”
Appearing ill, Kathi sank back into her seat.
Showing uncharacteristic discomposure, Bishop demanded, “Opportunity for what?”
Dare drew Molly closer to him. “To have your daughter kidnapped and smuggled into Tijuana.”
With visible effort, Bishop drew himself together. “Why the hell would I want to do that? She’s my daughter.”
Face paling, Kathi looked between the two men. “It’s incomprehensible that Bishop would do such a thing.” She glared at Molly. “I can’t credit this. You little fool. You would dare to accuse your father?”
Dare said, “I’m accusing him.”
“Then you go too far.” Angry color tinged her cheeks and made her eyes glassy. “Bishop is a highly respected businessman, an icon in society! He is above reproach.”
“Yeah, right.” Dare didn’t bother hiding his contempt. “He’s a social climber who enjoys leisure time with the bottom-feeders as long as they have something of interest to give to him.”
Kathi stiffened. “You make him sound like a … an opportunist!”
“Dead-on.” And then, tiring of the game, Dare said, “Face up to the real life, will you? Your husband spends his
