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“It doesn’t belong to thes to the to theed Thatwhat is in the last will and testaets read Until that tis Jocelyn and Bobby were the only family that lived in this house with Ray, and even they can’t take things out of it except for personal ite clear?”

Rico glared at hi under a little as if he was literally biting down to keep froret later It looked like there was a lot of ego inside the tall ht by his boss His voice was low and careful and the words tight as he said, “Yes, Duke, you’re being clear”

I didn’t know Vargas, but even I could hear the subtext of Go fuck yourself I guess it doesn’t count as insubordination unless they say it out loud

“Rico knows that it’s just ain here is mine”

“Maybe, Muriel, but until that paperwork happens, assume the position”

“What?”

“He ainst the wall and lean,” I said

“What?” she asked again, and sounded suitably outraged So I helped her lean against the wall, though kicking her feet farther apart in the stilettos alht her to her knees Once she realized ere actually going to search them both, she tried to lure Duke over to do her, but he stayed with the husband and left me to the femme fatale Newman stayed close by in case I needed backup, or maybe he just wondered if Muriel would offer to let hih with her She kept telling ret this so to turn until I pinned her against the ith an elbow in a pressure point on her back and threatened again to put on the cuffs She cried for help about the pressure point, and Newot my cuffs off my belt I could have held her without the help, but I’d have had to take her to the floor, and it would have been a lot rougher ride for Ms Marchand-Babington The cuffssound as I found the right size for her wrists She had slender wrists for such a tall person She was actually screaht her off the ith a hand on either of her arms She tried to stomp my foot with the stiletto I avoided it Newht like, well, an untrained girl Besides, the cuffs were rated for supernatural suspects; she wasn’t getting away

11

TODD BABINGTON HAD olf spray in his pants pocket Despite what it was called, it was rated for any shapeshifter, which lier cousin It was new on theto use human-defense spray on shapeshifters It had just pissed theed to fill the void Edward had experierous indoors unless you put on a gas mask first This from the man who burned a house down around us once because he used a flaroup of vampires

Duke said, “Why do you have this, Todd?”

He gave a quick eye flick toward

his wife and then said, “I didn’t want to come back here without some protection”

“You’re a fool, Todd You didn’t need anything to protect you,” Muriel said

“Ray was killed by a wereanimal”