sey

the sanctuary

this sprawling estate t

urpentine and varnish wasn't

lock with a d

ork. I didn't

rrounded by the shadows of half

busy since

t restoring

rating e

now about Aria, I swore an oath to

ed wife" to plant tiny, high-fidel

nett's

master

eadphones o

cutting through the s

e clinking

high-pitched chime

eave her, isn't

ered through, heavy

Don likes her. She keeps

. The sound grated on my nerves. "And

d. "She stays until I say she goes

es off and set them

s were

sn't

calcul

door rattled violen

ave way, and the

t stro

ked fu

u at the house

ss the room and

inc

still tender b

" I said

did

he jerked

ia's perfume clung to h

look bad, Kelsey.

rking,"

lking," he

e with a shove and be

e to an arrange

rrang

penthouse full-time. Th

him, blink

istress to live

. "You can stay in the east wing. You keep the name.

me, expecti

ering me a crown

r, Kelsey. Help he

aug

nst my throat-dry, rus

it the child you clai

curse..."

," I

rp, cutting thro

ying, B

d into h

who carry your blood, r

es

pregnant. If she's your cousin, she shares your

ett

, a muscle feathe

voice dropping to a lethal whisper, "or the curse

dn't

etched, heavy a

he s

't matter

e, using his hei

ouldn't. That makes her valu

finger int

you are a brok

ess settle dee

e it

tr

bout logic, or l

d about what

g, shattering

d at the

softened

by," he

d his ba

o, don't cry. I'll b

hun

one last time,

rty on Saturday. Wear someth

ll velvet box o

offering,

he

f the door and

ned t

a bra

n g

ne

same design in a de

erthought wra

to the

e bracelet i

an empty coffee cup

the calendar

urd

n's bi

family woul

be focused on

perfect tim

my restora

wickedly under t

to be a decor

ng to be

sure it was a memory t

ted pa

clot

hard

but I was leavi

ock, B

k t