Vanda shrugged. She did have a huge bouncer.
"This is the third time since the opening of your club that you have been summoned here because of inappropriate and violent behavior," Roman continued. "In short, Ms. Barkowski, you have a problem with anger."
"Yeah!" Max yelled. "She's a crazy bitch!"
"Enough," Roman warned the ex-dancer. "I am dismissing the charges under the condition that Ms. Barkowski take a class in anger management."
Vanda grimaced. Not again.
"This is bullshit," Max declared. "That bitch owes me! I demand to be compensated for the trauma she caused me."
"I'll give you some compensation." Vanda shook a fist at him. "Let's meet in the parking lot—"
"Vanda, enough!" Roman glowered at her.
She glared back.
"You are exhibiting a serious lack of control," he stated quietly. "Obviously, one class of anger management wasn't enough for you."
"Yeah, she flunked anger management!" Max snickered. "You just wait, bitch. I'll give you something to be angry about."
"You are now officially under a restraining order," Roman told the ex-dancer. "You will stay away from Ms. Barkowski, or you will be fined five thousand dollars."
"What?" Max looked aghast. "What did I do?"
"Laszlo, call security to have Mr. Mega Member removed," Roman ordered.
"Yes, sir." Laszlo punched a button on his desk.
"All right, all right, I'm leaving." Max strode from the room.
"The third suit is dismissed," Roman announced, "and Ms. Barkowski has agreed to attend a second round of anger management classes."
Vanda gritted her teeth as amused whispering sounded around the room. "I don't recall agreeing to anything."
"You will attend." Roman regarded her sternly. "Father Andrew has graciously offered to counsel you again."
She groaned inwardly. The mortal priest was a kindly old man, but he didn't have a clue about all she'd been through in her long life. And she really didn't want to tell him. Or anyone.
Father Andrew smiled at her. "I look forward to getting to know you better, my child."
Vanda crossed her arms. "Whatever."
"I will need a volunteer to be her sponsor," Father Andrew continued.
The murmuring in the room came to an abrupt halt. Absolute silence.
Great. With her superior senses, Vanda could hear the crickets chirping outside Romatech. She felt heat rising up her neck. No one wanted anything to do with her. "I don't need a sponsor."
"I'm convinced that you do," Father Andrew insisted.
More silence.
Vanda turned to Gregori. "Come on," she hissed.
"I sponsored you last time," Gregori whispered. "Obviously, I wasn't very good at it."
"Laszlo?" Vanda asked.
The short secretary jumped in his seat, and another button popped off his lab coat.
Anger sizzled in Vanda as she faced Roman. "You won't find anyone here to sponsor me. They're a bunch of cowards." She adjusted the whip around her waist. "And they're right! They should fear me. If any of them dares to reprimand me, I'll rip their heads off."
A collective gasp echoed across the room.
Roman regarded her sadly. "I don't believe you're entering into this exercise with the correct attitude."
She lifted her chin. "I've got plenty of attitude."
Roman sighed. "Is there no one here—"
"I'll do it," Shanna offered.
Vanda flinched. Roman's wife? She couldn't confess her horrid sins to sweet little do-gooder Shanna Draganesti.
Roman turned to talk quietly with his wife. Vanda's superior hearing picked up most of it. Shanna had a two-year-old son and a nine-week-old daughter to take care of. Watching Vanda would be too much of an added burden.
Vanda's anger spiked. She didn't need a damned babysitter. And she sure didn't want Shanna's pity. "Forget it! You won't find anyone here to sponsor me. None of the men here have the balls to take me on."
"I'll do it," a deep voice rumbled in the back of the room.
Vanda gasped. She recognized that voice instantly, but still, she had to turn to make sure it was really him. Oh, damn, he looked better than ever. He'd always been tall, but his shoulders looked broader than she remembered. His thick brown hair gleamed with red and gold highlights. And his eyes…his eyes had always taken her breath away. A pale icy blue that somehow managed to glitter with heat.