ning. She had curled up on a pile of moth-

undle of clothes onto the floor. It w

sneered. "He doesn't want you walking aroun

damp, ruined evening gown and pulled on the

on. She pushed past the maid

You

the main wing of the house. She knew wh

he heavy mahogany doo

look at page forty. The penalty clauses are insane. If we miss a

doors open. They ban

cigar clamped between his teeth. Javen was

said, her voice steady and cold. "The

at her with genuine amusement. "What fund? We liqui

old document she had found years ago, hidden in her mother's bible. "

d the s

he room in two strides and sna

av

turned and threw the phone dire

lunged toward the fire,

f her hair and yanked her

and melted. The screen blackened, then cra

away. "No evidence. That fund belongs to the Doyle fami

thly, tapping ash into a crystal tray, "we have f

e. The law. They owned the judges, the law

ep breath. Sh

't care. Just let me take Griffin. I wan

? With what money? You have nothing. Without us paying the bill, he

. Victoria walked in, hold

renunciation of all claims to the Donaldson estate and any future inheri

as slavery. It was signing away he

nth?" s

ning against the desk, crossing his ar

pen from the desk. Her hand trembled

nd blinding, expl

idn't

the pen into the back of Javen's hand,

n ho

k, clutching his hand, the pen still sticking

chard roared,

or and pulled with all her weight. It tipped. Books cascad

rned a

ng Javen's shouts behind her. "Se

d slammed the door, twisting the l

h

e door from the outsid

nta! I'm going to kill

floor. The window looked out over the

c was thick, woven for a bygone era of quality. She tore them from the rod,

together, her knuckles raw. She tied one end around the heavy,

cked. A fist punch

night air was cold. Below her, the d

on in the world who had enou

e number she had memorized from

nse

e knotted curt