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"Your mother just died of a heart attack," Denise reminded him softly "Heart disease can be hereditary It's rare for so as Amber to have heart problems, true, but your sister was under a lot of stress - "

"NoI ht be next?"

The thought was so awful Denise didn't even want to conteet checked out"

Paul leaned forward, glancing around before he spoke "I think I' followed, too" His voice was barely a whisper

Denise paused For ht every shadoas so to pounce on her Even over a year later, she still hadn't totallyNow her aunt and her cousin had died within a month of each other, and Paul also seeht behind hi process? To feel that when death took so after you next?

"Do you want to stay at my house for a few days?" she asked "I could use the company"

Actually Denise preferred being alone, but Paul didn't know that The careful investing Randy had done disappeared in the stock h to bury him and to put a down payment on a new home, away from most of her family Her parents meant well, but in their concern, they'd tried to take over her life At work, Denise kept herself distant fro, hard year as she dealt with Randy's death

Still, if staying with her helped Paul through the initial shock of his double loss, she'd gladly give up her solitude

Her cousin looked relieved "Yeah If that's okay"

Denise signaled for the bartender "Of course Let's head to my house before I have any more drinks You've already had too "

"I can drive," Paul argued

Denise glared at hiht"

Paul shrugged Denise was glad he didn't fight it She'd hate herself if Paul got in an accident after going out drinking with her Aside from her parents, he was the closest family she had left

She took care of the check over Paul's objections and they went out into the parking lot After that incident three o, Denise made sure to park in a well-lit area as close to the bar's entrance as possible As a further precaution, even though Paul walked with her, she kept her hand on the repellent spray dangling from her key chain She had two of those; one filled with pepper spray, the other with silver nitrate Huht

"The guest room is small, but there's a TV in it," Denise said as they reached her car "You want to - "

Her voice cut off in a screa out of nowhere behind hiht across his throat prevented hier's eyes seemed to burn as they looked from Denise to her cousin

"Another one," he hissed, placing his fist across Paul's chest

Denise screa a burst of liquid in the man's face He didn't even blink, but Paul's eyes swelled shut as some of it hit him

"So until the container was ean to turn blue

She grabbed the silver nitrate next, unloading its contents in four frantic bursts The hed

"Silver? How interesting"

Denise was out of weapons and the man hadn't loosened his hold by a fraction Panicked, she balled her fists and flung herself at hiround a moment later on top of her cousin

"What's going on out there?" someone from the bar called out