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She rolled her eyes at hi for a case It's probably very quiet around here"

"Rafe Cordeau, the man ned the estate just up the road froht the property after him has taken over his business, but I suspect he has Half the police department was on Cordeau's payroll Believefor work It's all around me"

Sonia stiffened She hadn't seen evidence that Joshua Tregre was in the mob "I just came fro the dae done to the house and property He told me he works for Donovan Security It's international, and he heads one of the teams"

"Donovan?"

She nodded "Jerry said Tregre rescued kidnap victire is a cri to do with hiain

Bastien frowned "He's good friends with Elijah Lospostos and Alonzo Massi Elijah's family is well-known o He's hter She inherited Antonio's crier It's known Massi took over the crime side of the business He has a massive territory, and already there's been a war started with other factions Massi and Lospostos make a powerful combination"

"And hbor knows these people?" That was scary Very, very scary She wasn't about to get anywhere near the randfather had had a very successful winery The family was very wealthy and had been written up in tabloids for years When Arnotto had been murdered, it had come out that he'd been the head of a criossip columns for months She'd felt a little sorry for Siena Arnotto Who wouldn't for someone under that scrutiny? But then the woenerations in the crime business

"Yes, he does," Bastien said "But to be fair, so do I It doesn't re a criminal, but it does make him someone to keep my eye on When you're there"

"I' suspicious, she was gone She wasn't reporting it, she was just plain gone

"I don't want you spying In fact, just the opposite Do your work Concentrate on that Don't go anywhere you're not supposed to If you do see so suspicious, just walk away"

She liked that he was so protective, but this new developone so she could think about it and decide what to do

Bastien stalked to the door and held it open, waiting for Molly Molly hugged her "Thanks soIt's the most fun I've had in a year The food was delicious and the company and conversation even better"

"Thanks for giving me so many pointers for my yard I love the ideas you came up with If we land this job, I should be able to plant most of the bushes and ornamental trees as well as the flowers in the next rohile I work on my house The roof should coain"

"I'll co dinner next week at ive you food poisoning"

Bastien took Molly's elbow "I think the two of you could set a record for the longest good-byes"

"Well, I'm fairly certain I should be a candidate for a couple of halls of fa for that as well," Sonia said cheerfully It felt good to know she had a friend She really liked Molly "Don't forget to do that walk-through," she added

Molly widened her eyes in a shocked, what-are-you-doing stare Bastien nodded "I won't forget She'll be safe I' you home, Molly, so don't speed"

"I never speed That's Sonia"

Sonia shrugged "Seriously? No one is ever on these roads I don't speed in town"

"It's still breaking the law, Sonia," he said

She rolled her eyes at him "It's a stupid lahen no one is on the road but me"

"It's designed to keep you safe"

She didn't like safe She liked dangerous She wanted safe, it was er, she thought it was exactly what she wanted Then she re, and safe wasn't nearly as ih her hair She was s that had happened to her, ould she even consider a relationship with Joshua? After the infor Running again Instead, she stood on her porch and waved to Molly and Bastien Once their taillights had faded away, she still stood there, listening to the sounds of the swamp

Those crooning insects s chimed in for the chorus and continued to belt out a frenzied call and anshile the swaht sounds in the swamp Loved them Sometimes she lay in her bed with theopen, and other ti asleep to the music

She wrapped her ar to stop her body fro about Joshua, she would have a chance to figure out the intelligent thing to do and then actually follow through Unfortunately, Joshua had set up a terrible addiction in her The htly, pressure building, her desire beco a need

Sex was temporary It would burn out, and then she'd be left with a bossy dictator who probably would run around on her And that was if he stayed--which he wouldn't Men like him didn't stay She was in for serious heartbreak if she was stupid enough to try to have an actual relationship with him

She sighed and went back into the house As she walked, she pulled out her phone and stared down at it She didn't text hio another night without hiht in the swamp because she hadn't been able to stay away, but she could blame Gatita's heat She didn't have that excuse now If she texted him to come, it would be on her She would know she was too weak to resist him, and if he was a criminal, if he in any as ood as dead

She took a long, cool shower and pulled on a pair of red stretch boy shorts They were a favorite because they were so comfortable The lace stretched over her hips andwith haun She especially liked to sleep in the to her full breasts, but surprisingly gaveit a favorite to sleep in as well She knew better than to go barefoot, so she slipped on thin ballet slippers and went out to the back verandah to add soft easy music to that of the swamp

It so, thick hair to dry if she washed it at night She played her favorite songs and let the breeze play through the wet strands The chair she liked best was an egg-shaped swing suspended froently while her fingers idly turned her cell phone end over end It was going to be a very long night

You're sad

She was Very sad Not like when her mother died and she'd been so lost It had been the two of the Her beautiful mother, who had cleaned houses for a very wealthy Russian family after her husband had died "Murdered, Gatita," shein an accident that she needed to hear the word

"Papi was murdered"

I know I am so sorry We are safe here

"They made me believe they were our friends Mami worked for them, and she knew All that tiine hoful that ht, when I found out my own

husband was going to murder ht loved us, forced her to sleep with hi to Sasha He said it was stupid to fall in love with me In the end, he would have to kill reed with him" Sasha, her husband Theshe'd had left in the world

Gatita soothed her, purring gently, so that the insides of her body vibrated, al music of the swamp

"Nikita always acted like ere important to him Always I would never have believed this about hireed with hiht for me"

She hadn't realized tears were falling, but one slid off her chin and dripped onto the upper curve of her breast She wiped at theoomolov, head of family, had ordered her father Roberto's execution He'd been tortured first because they'd believed he had stolen money from them Maybe he had He had a lot of pride and didn't like his wife or daughter working Roberto had brought theomolov family, so he'd had work immediately

"It wasn't right, Gatita," she whispered "Even if he stole fro for? Why would they have Mami work for them, use her like that and then pay for all her cancer treatments? She had round-the-clock care until she died" She knew the answer Sasha He'd made certain her hout it all

"I thought he loved me," she repeated sadly "Nikita said ere not the type of women to marry, only to fuck Not to love Not to have children with We weren't women to take into society I hate how that made me feel"

Sasha had agreed with him Her world had been shattered She'd been seventeen when her hteenth year when she'd died Sasha had taken care of the nurses, the hospital, paying the bills, organizing the service and burial afterward She had looked to hi

He said he loved you and he didn't lie I would have heard it