She swung the water bottle with every ounce of strength she had, the blow leaving Dan''s head ringing. Before he could even react, she smashed him with it again and again.


    "Don''t move! Anyone takes a step and-"


    "Put your goddamn toys away!" Dan barked, cutting off one of his men as he tried to intervene with a weapon.


    Yvonne was out of her mind with rage. She was pregnant-pregnant with this bastard''s child—and today, she was going to make him pay.


    But all she had in her hands was a stic water bottle; it barely made a dent. Still, the sheer persistence of her assault left Dan bewildered, each strike leaving him more and more stunned.


    As she went in for another swing, Dan finally managed to grab her wrist. “Enough! What the hell''s gotten into you?"


    Jesus Christ. This woman''s temper was nuclear. All it took was one phone call, and suddenly she was beating the crap out of him. God only knew what had been said on the other end. He''d caught that wild look in her eyes before she hung up. Now this? Wasn''t there any sense of fairness left in the world?


    Dan''s own temper was starting to re.


    His, "What the hell''s gotten into you?" only cut thest frayed strand of Yvonne''s self-control. With the water bottle gone, she went at him barehanded, scratching and hitting him furiously.


    "You bastard-you goddamn animal! All you do is think with your dick, huh? I swear, I''m going to ruin you today!"


    The men standing by felt the hair rise on the backs of their necks. Step in to help? But this woman clearly meant something to their boss-it was obvious. The chaos had its own twisted intimacy, like lovers fighting so violently they almost seemed inseparable. But good God, her temper. No ordinary man could withstand it.


    Yvonne truly seemed possessed-sheunched vicious kicks toward Dan''s groin, as if she meant to finish him off for good.


    Dan''s face darkened. “You insane woman—have you lost your mind?”


    "Damn right I have!" she yelled back, unhinged. "What did I ever do in a past life that now I''m pregnant with your bastard child!"


    The more she screamed, the angrier she got, tears and fury blending as she wed and pounded at him.


    And when Dan understood-realized she was attacking him because she was pregnant-he nearly snapped himself.


    “Bullshit! That''s not my kid! You''re ming the wrong guy!" he shouted.


    He might as well have set off dynamite. To Yvonne, his denial was a p in the face. Already zing with rage, sheunched herself at him with fresh ferocity.


    Dan felt utterly wronged. "The kid''s not even mine!"


    "You dare deny it?!" Yvonne shrieked. "I''m going to kill you!"


    Goddammit. Was there no way to reason with her? He felt trapped in an absurd nightmare.


    Yvonne was too far gone to listen,


    especially after hearing him deny the child. Dan''s men hesitated at the sidelines. Step in? Don''t? Their boss was being battered to a pulp, but he wouldn''t let them interfere Watching him now, he looked less like a formidable boss and more like a human punching bag, just taking hit after hit.


    "You asshole! You son of a bitch! You goddamn lunatic!" Yvonne cursed, words tumbling out between blows.


    Dan''s head was pounding. Now he


    knew she was pregnant, he couldn''t fight back. What if something happened to the kid because of him? He''d never forgive himself. This was the most powerless he''d ever felt.


    By the time Xander arrived, he was greeted by the sight of Yvonne


    tearing into Dan, her nails rakial


    savage lines across his face deaving a mess of red marks and scratches.