Revenge?

She knew Jago wasn’t interested in any of the first three things, but revenge? Was it possible that her father was right?

After all, she knew that Jago didn’t love her.

Was that why he’d asked her to marry him? Because he knew that it would be the ultimate revenge on her father?

Filled with doubts, she suddenly wanted to be on her own.

She lifted her head and looked at her father. He’d done it again. Put doubts in her mind. Tried to ruin everything.

‘Go away.’ She couldn’t keep the choke out of her voice. ‘Just leave me alone. This is my life. My life.’ She never raised her voice but she was shouting now, the frustration of years of dealing with her father’s bully-boy tactics coming to a head. ‘I don’t ever want to see you again.’

Infuriated by her unusual attitude, her father stepped towards her.

‘You’ll marry Rodriguez over my dead body,’ he roared, and then staggered as a powerful arm clamped itself like a vice around his throat and pulled him away from her.

Jago’s tone was ice cold. ‘If you ever lay a finger on Katy, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.’

Charles Westerling gave a grunt of anger and tried to free himself, but Jago powered him against the wall and held him easily, the muscles of his shoulders bunched as he used his strength to subdue the older man.

‘When you agree to behave like a decent human being I’ll let you go.’ He spoke to Katy over his shoulder. ‘Querida, did he hurt you?’

Katy shook her head. ‘No. Let him go, Jago. Please.’

She just wanted him out of the flat so that she could think.

Was Jago really just marrying her to get revenge?

As usual, her father had managed to destroy her fragile happiness with a few well-chosen words.

Jago frowned slightly and turned back to her father, his expression menacing. ‘It is time we got a few things straight.’ His voice was raw and angry and his Spanish accent was more pronounced than usual. ‘I am marrying Katy with or without your approval. Your wishes are of absolutely no interest to us whatsoever. As you quite clearly cannot behave yourself you won’t be invited to the wedding, and in future if you wish to see Katy you can only do so when I’m present.’

Her father gaped at him, stunned that anyone would dare to speak to him like that. ‘You can’t dictate when I see my daughter!’

‘I just did.’ Jago’s eyes were as hard as flint. ‘Understand that the first duty of a Spanish male is to protect the woman he loves. I repeat—you won’t be seeing her unless I am present. Do you understand?’

Loves?

Katy heard the word and clung to it, desperate for any scrap of reassurance that came her way.

‘That’s outrageous.’ Charles struggled against that vicelike grip but Jago refused to release him.

‘No.’ Jago’s voice was ice cold. ‘It’s just the way it’s going to be. Your chauffeur is outside. Better not keep him waiting.’