LITMIR.BIZ

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who might that be?”

      Thomas looked over the countryside. “The state. And with the condition of the government these days, they’ll just piss away the money.”

      “There’s really that much? Her company must still be doing well.”

      “The money has only snowballed. What about you? You’re too young to have finished schooling.”

      Yeah, us trailer park babies couldn’t be expected to carry on business at a corporate level.

      But if this was real, I was in trouble. I’d never signed anything more serious than my college registration.

      Thomas’s stare was quiet scrutiny.

      “I know what you’re thinking. If this is real, how am I going to fill her business shoes with only a bachelor’s degree in psychology?”

      “Psychology. Hmm, maybe you could help me with Cole and his temper tantrums.” Thomas looked to his shoes and cleared his throat. “And I hope you won’t try to fill Ava’s shoes. You can find your place here. In the end, there wasn’t much to it. She hired people to take care of the big stuff. She rarely had to do anything other than sign documents. If you have questions on any of them, I’ll have Cole look them over before you sign. If he’d take the damned bar, he could be the most infuriating lawyer in these parts. He can make quite an argument.”

      So far, I wasn’t exactly impressed.

      Thomas continued to a little gate beside the barn. It led to a quaint little cottage nestled in the trees. Behind it, headstones like rotten teeth protruded from the ground, and eight or ten mausoleums stood off in the distance.

      “That’s the family graveyard. Only Rollinses are buried there.”

      “Not to bring up dreadful things, but I’m curious. Did you find the casket?”

      Thomas almost choked on air. He straightened his starchy bowtie. “Oh, um, that. Yes, we recovered the casket. It was in the sitting room in a corner. I guess some of the kids thought it was an amusement park ride. As mean as Ava was, I’m surprised she didn’t sit up and throttle them. That’d have been a sight to see. Speaking of the casket. Ava assigned me a time block to sit with her at the wake. What Ava wants, she gets. Even in death. And I still have a few calls to make, so if you wouldn’t find it too rude of me, I need to head back in to the land line.”

      “Would it be okay if I took a walk? I need a few minutes to process everything.”

      “Don’t venture too far, and stay on the flagstone walk. There’s always tomorrow morning for the farther boundaries of the property. Dinner is served at seven, which you can take in your room. I expect you to eat and keep up your strength. The next few days will be taxing.”

      Thankful for a few minutes alone, I waved good-bye, but before he got too far away, I stopped him. “Thomas?”

      He turned back to me with raised snow-white brows. “Yes, my dear?”

      “If staying in that room will cause problems with your nephew, I could easily stay in another till we get this—my place here figured out.”

      “I had really hoped you hadn’t heard. I apologize for Cole’s insensitivity when dealing with new people. Ava’s reclusiveness has rubbed off on him. I could tell you loved the room as soon as you entered it, and I wouldn’t dare take you out of it over a tantrum.” With a little bow, Thomas turned. In front of him, the large house filled the skyline, and he looked like a waddling yard gnome walking toward it.

      The graveyard was too spooky at night, so I circled around it. The boundary of the property was lined with stone walls. Ava’s choice of outdoor décor had either been insane or eccentric. The corner of the grounds was marked with jeweled stone pillars. A thief could have made off with the jewels, and no one would have ever known.

      The sun had hidden behind the trees over an hour earlier. The sky was dimmer, but in the inky darkness, a path to the left beckoned me. Gravel crunched under my feet. The air became heavier, more humid. Two more jeweled pillars marked the end of the path.

      A few more yards farther, an old wrought iron gate clung to the wall boundary by a rusty hinge. When I pushed it forward, a metal on metal scream cut through the night.

      Against better judgment, I stepped through the gate, leaving the flagstone walk. After stumbling on overgrown grass, I stopped short when something flickered below me.

      I hadn’t seen the ravine until I’d almost plummeted over the grassy embankment. A rippling silver saucer glowed from the bottom. Around thirty feet down, a pond mirrored the moon.

      Beyond the pool of water, the night was still.

      Where were the normal cricket mating calls or frog’s deep, guttural hums?

      Twigs broke behind me.

      My palms moistened, and my blood frosted over. I stood erect. A tribal drum beat in my chest.

      A low growl rumbled the night.

      My jaw trembled as I turned.

      Chapter 3

      Two oval-shaped, emerald eyes emerged from the overgrown thickets beyond the gate. Three feet away, a waist-high cat crept closer. Its head was twice the size of mine. Its lip curled up. One razor-sharp tooth could have sliced straight through me. Its black, shiny coat shimmered in the moonlight. It stopped, all four muscular legs locked, twitching.

      I took one step back, but the cat’s triangular head lowered as it put its weight on its back haunches. A low, guttural growl rolled over in its chest. Moonlight glinted off its eyes as it narrowed them to slits. The monstrous cat sauntered to the left, then halted.

      Holding lifelessly still, I trembled. My breath burned in my lungs.

      In a long, black fluid movement, the cat turned toward me. It took one step and halted, lowering its head to assess me. Tilting its head as it took me in, it growled again.

      I tried to inch back but stopped when something dark and shadowy slinked across the ground between us.

      The cat lunged.

      I tried to dart to the left but stumbled back.

      The cat’s long body stretched and soared over me.

      I tumbled backward down the embankment. I stopped rolling and slid on my stomach, but the momentum I’d built dragged me downward. Rocks and exposed fingers of roots scratched my stomach and tore my nails as I grasped for something, anything to hold.

      Rocks and dirt broke free from the embankment and landed on my shoulders. Every tree root I grabbed for snapped, causing me to slide more.

      I scrambled and dug at anything that would slow my ascension, when an arm scooped from nowhere and brought me to a stop. My nails dug into flesh as I scrambled for a sturdy hold.

      Hot, irregular breath washed over my face as my slight frame slammed into the long body of a human, a male.

      He leaned in with me toward the embankment, grasping me firmly to his chest. His strong arms eased me down to a firmer footing. When the moonlight gave me partial view of his face, the air was sucked from my body. The smooth planes of his face weren’t possible.

      High cheekbones, a clenched jaw line, and a pair of perfectly set apart eyes were haloed by wavy brown hair that brushed his cheeks. He held me so close our noses could have touched. His forearms were perfectly capable of tossing me fifty yards with no effort.

      “You’re okay. I’ve got you now. The screaming is really unnecessary,” he said in an accent I couldn’t place, though I’d heard it before. A serious, aggravated expression creased the stranger’s forehead.

      Breathe. I had to breathe or I’d pass out.

      He loosened his grip on me and turned me to face the embankment.

      Out of his embrace, air was colder and

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