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For a minute, er in sight, but her presence lingered like a rotting carcass, casting a stench over the farate, he felt as hollowed out as if she’d gutted hi, he looked up toward the far in The teh he was already cold to the bone

Got chores to do He couldn’t seem to move

With a whine, Conn pawed at Sa he should reassure the dog Couldn’t Moving slowly, he started the long walk up the drive

As the wintery sunlight cah the windshield of Sam’s truck, he drove toward the Shadowlands Linda sat quietly in the passenger seat

Hours after Nancy’s visit, he still felt…off Cold, inside and out Like parts of hi a husk behind

After a few attempts to talk that had fallen flat, Linda had re him "Are you okay, Sam?"

Why the hell did she ask hiether "Is it because of last night? Because our scene went frout twisted He was a Do in a scene, it was his fault For a second, he thought about explaining, but the blackness roiling through his head eroded the words into dust "I’m fine"

Her huff wasn’t a happy one "I wish you’d tellCan’t you talk to linted "Nothing to say"

Her fingers pleated the bottoetyou" She gave him an unhappy look "Contrary to popular belief, a Dom isn’t a bulletproof superman I want to help when you feel bad, Sam"

"No need"

She pulled back as if he’d slapped her

He should apologize Take her hand But ropes had been wrapped around his soul His hands tightened on the steering wheel, and he turned into the drive to the Shadowlands Beneath the tall palht in the gray light

As Linda walked beside Sanore the ache in her chest

Although he was hurting, apparently she wasn’t soht, she’d been so happy to see him Her heart had actually lifted, bounced, danced And he’d comforted her so sweetly after that horrible scene

Today he was terrifyingly distant The lines bracketing his , and she wanted to help A shiver ran through her as her stupid insecurities flared up He didn’t need her Didn’t need anything froate open for her, and they crossed the yard to the back lanai The decorations fro was still stunningly beautiful People were scattered in chairs and couches in the screen-covered outdoor roonized the two Mistresses, Olivia and Anne, who ceremony All of the Shadowlands Masters--Dan, Nolan, Cullen, Marcus, and Raoul--were present Z sat at a long iron-and-oak table beside Vance and Galen The two FBI agents headed the task force concentrating on the Harvest Association

In jeans and a pink scoop-neck T-shirt, Jessica was serving soft drinks to the guests Her "collar" sparkled in the sunlight almost as much as she did She saw the her worries back, Linda abandoned Sa froood honeylance over her shoulder at Master Z, her voice dropped "When we got to the chalet, I gave hiht? But the bastard used the the number of items Jessica had purchased, Linda bit the inside of her cheek to keep fro

"Yeah" Jessica narrowed her eyes "You kno soet off until they say? It’s much, much worse when they won’t let you stop Seriously"

Like what Sam had done to her after the bachelorette party? "I know exactly what you mean, and all I can say is that I’s you did"

Jessica busted out laughing so hard that everyone looked at them "Dahter

Sht teeks away froood for her"

"Doesn’t look like it," Nolan said "You’ve got your work cut out for you"

"Indeed," Z said

"Work? He calls lared at Nolan Then her eyes sliced to Linda, and she whispered, "That Do Beth"

Linda choked on a laugh

Z raised his voice "I asked Galen and Vance to give us a rundown on what’s happening Then perhaps Linda can talk with us"