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She walked over to her desk and leafed through the stack offor her It was the first of the month There were bills to pay, rent checks to process Life went on She opened her banking software and set to work

By the tirown dark, with only the sht the office She glanced up uneasily, painfully aware that soht Without her She pushed away frory kick She would not cry She would not

She glanced at her watch It was nearly eight o’clock already Where the hell was Duncan? She cleared her desk, closing folders, shutting down her co was over There were no other current clients, and she didn’t fancy any new ones right now, especially not the ones who cah she’d been expecting it She stared at the closed door and reached out reluctantly to click the sazing directly at the camera "Fuck" She leaned back in her chair and realized for the first tiht, not Duncan Her disappointht and sharp, and so stupid A knock sounded on her door and she heard the vahton I know you’re there"

"How do you know, you bastard?" she whispered

"Because I can hear you," he replied, clearly amused

"Great" She pushed the release

Duncan walked into her office alone Definitely alone

"Why are you here?" she asked

"I told you on the phone," he said patiently "I brought your final payant, white envelope on her desk Her na hand, but typed on the front "You did perform quite admirably, but I believe you’ll find the coreat"

The vampire tilted his head curiously "You disappeared the other night before I could thank you I hadyou in, butyou served him well That’s important to me"

Cynthia stared at the blond vampire with his so human brown eyes So sincere, so sober Duncan And so utterly devoted to Raphael "Can I ask you a question?"

Duncan regarded her steadily, then tipped his head in acquiescence "Certainly"

"I don’t mean to offend, buthow did you die? I mean what happened that ht it was the only tihtforward, Ms Leighton I ad, struck doith so ht her eye "That would be the War of Northern Aggression, the Civil War I believe you call it"

Cyn nodded

"It was 1863, the Battle of Stones River Thousands died on both sides, eons could do for us then, and what few skills they had were given to the officers, or to the ain" He stared at the wall, his eyes far away "I was not one of those Like so many, I was a far and even less skill Such a waste" He shook his head at the memory "In any event, I was sorely wounded, sliced across the belly,into the dirt A terrible way to die, slow and painful, with the scavenger birds jostling all around, waiting until you were too weak to push them away I can still hear the screams of the other men, even after all these years" He was silent for a ave ive freely"

Tears were rolling down Cynthia’s cheeks and Duncan stared at her "Cynthia?"

She wiped her cheeks angrily "I think that’s the first time you’ve ever called me by my name, Duncan Be careful; you wouldn’t want anyone to think you like me" She forced a s okay?"

"As you saw, it was difficult for her, but under the circu her to one of his other estates for awhile, away fro Malibu This is his favorite city" He looked at her directly "For many reasons" When Cyn didn’t respond, he continued "Alexandra has told us how you killed Albin and freed her Raphael was furious at first; Albin was supposed to be his" Duncan seeood words for you and asks alhed nervously "That would be aard, don’t you think? I mean she and Raphael"

Duncan stared at her "I believe you have hton Alexandra is Raphael’s sister They were separated for centuries; he thought her dead along with their parents He still feels guilty, I think, that he lost her for all that time, and Alexandra is not aboveWell Let us say Alexandra can be rather de"

"His sister" Cyn felt like soht to keep the pain fro and knew fro So she turned away, busying herself with taking the envelope--which was filled with cash--and shoving it into her backpack She switched off the light before facing hiain No doubt he could see her just as well in the dark, but itthis, Duncan It was kind"