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Prologue

The aed Cassandra Bowlin’s gaze as she turned into the long drive leading up to her stepfather’s stately, southernto detract from how much she hated that house The two-story, pillared, pre-civil war structure would’ve been a picturesque welco in front of the wide steps leading up to the front veranda, she cursed the reason that brought her out here tonight Only for her mother’s sake would she step foot in the place or even think about talking to the man who had kept Victoria Bowlin-Deveau under his strict thumb for the last ten years

Rubbing the brewing headache for between her eyes, Cassandra bemoaned her mother’s weak, needy personality that had enabled the e of Victoria’s vulnerable state after Cassandra’s father died froe of forty Grief-stricken, unable to cope with her loss, her mother had been easy picki

ngs for the ruthless , or so as Cassandra had been aware of what lust was That Victoria was easily manipulated was just too much of a lure for Jacques Deveau to resist

Regardless of her mother’s wishes for peace between her and Jacques, Cassandra couldn’t let his latest dictate go unchallenged As always, if Victoria wouldn’t, or couldn’t stand up for herself, Cassandra would do it for her Stepping out of her car, she strode up to the front door before she could change hershady about the ave her the creeps would be putting it ard for those around hiht for her mother

Waiting to take advantage of Victoria’s once-a-week night out with her card group to coincide with a day all the servants had off had been difficult, but necessary, she reflected as she rapped on the front door She wondered if it would be too ood hteen-year-old Cassandra when herher father’s death and Victoria’s e to Jacques six e wouldn’t last and added to her worry about the stranglehold Jacques seemed to have over Victoria Then little Billy had been born with Down Syndrome and she had fallen in love with the precocious boy When she called the other day to talk to hiood on his long-time threat and sent Billy to a special ho and everyone he knew and loved Even worse, Jacques refused to let herto Victoria, she cut the apron strings Since Billy had just celebrated his ninth birthday, his cruel, unrealistic stipulation propelled Cassandra to do what she’d sworn she wouldn’t do again, step foot inside the bastard’s house

Fivethe knob, she found it unlocked and let herself in The eerie silence acco the se, but all she had to do was picture Billy’s scared, confused face to keep fro She called out, but only received the echo of her voice in reply Making her way to the back, she stepped out the den sliders onto the rear veranda and scanned the well- pool

“I know you’re here,” shethis confrontation over with The faint sound of voices caught her attention, and after pausing afro the Choctaw creek Darkness enshrouded the woods with only the faint peeks of the grey early evening light corew louder the deeper into the woods she went, one high-pitched, agitated and scared tone pressing her to sloith precaution

The gurgle flow of the creek rushing downstrea with Jacques’ cold voice A chill swept up her spine fro to separate a few branches, she sucked in a deep, shocked breath at the sight before her A jolt of nauseous fear rose to clog her throat when she spotted the four un pointed to his head while Jacques stood by, ar form with a dispassionate look

“You’ve been warned before You kno I deal with traitors”

Oh, God She struggled to re out there to try to stop what she knew they were going to do Fortunately, pure terror kept her rooted in place, unfortunately, it also prevented her froalvanize her into action

“Take care of him”

As he turned fro for his life, Cassandra spun and ran, the rapport of a gunshot reverberating through the air, spurring her to go faster

“What was that?”