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A VERY'S GATE IS OPEN, AND I PULL THE MUSTANG up to the front door. It's easier to be here during the day. I pocket the car keys and start toward the door. It opens and Tamara steps out to meet me. She's dressed in jeans and a tight red jersey knit top. She's had a haircut since I saw her last. A fresh, feathery style that makes her look more feminine.

Too bad David is never going to get a chance to appreciate the effort.Advertisement

"Cool car," she says. "What happened to the Jag?"

"Oh, you didn't hear? Somebody vandalized it. Looked like it was attacked by a pack of wild dogs. Imagine, in the middle of the day on a crowded street. Shocked the hell out of David and me."

Her lips form an O of surprise, but her eyes reflect only cold amusement.

"If the stunt was meant to get my attention," I say, "it worked. Here I am."

Tamara's look is cool, appraising. "David doesn't know what you are, does he?"

"No more than he knows what you are. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm here to help Sandra. Then I expect you and the rest of the pack to be on your way. No dinner date. No good-bye kiss. David is not going to become your mate or fuck buddy or whatever the hell you call males pressed into stud service. It's not going to happen, Tamara."

I didn't plan that speech. The words erupted when I saw the new, improved Tamara and guessed her game plan. As soon as they did, though, I had the stomach-clenching feeling that I'd said too much. Nothing like tipping your hand. Not too smart.

Tamara doesn't react the way I expect. No heated rebuttal. No threats. No hands-on-hips declaration that I can't stop her from doing whatever she wants. Her eyes and mouth tighten a bit at the corners. Then the shadow passes and she smiles. "You been practicing that speech?"

"Where's Sandra?"

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She stands aside and points up the stairs. "Waiting for you. She isn't feeling well. Avery is preventing her from making the change. Do you know what that means?"

I gesture for her to go ahead of me-now that I know the consequences of a bite, I'm not about to turn my back on her. Then, I answer her question. "Yes. He's hidden her talisman. She'll die without it."

She nods. All I see in her eyes now is concern. "I've turned this place inside out. I'm hoping since you lived here for a while, you'd know if he had a hiding place. Something I've overlooked."

I do know, and Avery did have a hiding place. Before I share, I want to set one thing straight. "I didn't live here. Not really. Avery treated me in the hospital after I was attacked. He said he would help me through the transition. He never mentioned a wife. I can't seem to make anyone understand that I have no interest in his estate. If Sandra wants it, she can have it. I haven't touched anything, nor had I been in the house before Saturday. Not once since he tried to kill me. Do you understand?"

Tamara listens with her head tilted, her hand on the doorknob to the front door. "There's only one thing wrong with your story," she says. "The part about not having any interest in the estate. Not exactly true, is it?"

"What are you talking about? I said I haven't been in the house. If something is missing, I didn't take it. Williams said there was a caretaker. Maybe-"

Tamara holds up a hand and laughs. "I don't think a caretaker arranged this."

"Arranged what?"

She turns her back on me and opens the door. "Arranged to have Avery's vineyard in France transferred to your parents," she says. "Avery is very angry about that." pqdm.com