"How much to get out of my son's life?"

Mark Hammond's question was contemptuous. Rachel was furious.

As a night-club singer, Rachel had become indifferent to men's admiration. But young Nicky Hammond was special. His boyish admiration and need for affection touched her protective instincts. She'd been friendly without encouraging him.

Obviously, Mark Hammond, his father, had other—and derogatory—ideas about her. Her mind in a turmoil of rage, Rachel snapped back, "Not a penny less than a hundred thousand!" It was the start of a stormy relationship.