When I called Amy and told her about the letter the next morning, she hurried to meet me at Victor‘s apartment.The emotions that showed on her face as she read the letter were raw. The letter made her biological mother more real. I saw love and admiration on Amy’s face, but I also saw loss and grief.It wasn’t fair that my friend would never get to know Deirdre. But we could get justice for her death and remember her as being a loving and wonderful person.“I can’t believe she wrote this,” Amy gave me a watery smile. “Her handwriting was so elegant.”“It’s a lot like yours.” I poured more tea into our cups. “You won awards at school for perfect penmanship.”“Hers is better,” Amy insisted before popping a chunk of peanut butter cookie into her mouth. “Do you think I could keep the letter?”“I’ll ask Amelia.” I sat down next to Amy on a stool in Victor’s kitchen. “She didn’t say she wanted it back. Are you up for a road trip today?”Amy selected another cookie. “Yeah. I want to meet an
We sat on the diner’s cement stairs while the police looked for Amy’s car. I called Jayden, and he was on his way to talk to the police and take us home.I texted Victor to let him know what happened. After I assured him I was alright, he said he would see me tonight. I couldn’t wait to get this day behind me. I felt terrible about Amy’s car.Amy sat next to me with her face resting on her fists. The loss of her car had hit her hard. She loved the Mercedes and was proud of her first car.“I’m never going to see my car again, am I?” she moaned. “My stuff was in it too, like that letter from Deirdre. Now it’s gone.”“If you don’t want to investigate Deirdre’s disappearance anymore, I can do it with Jayden and let you know what I find.”“I’ll help as much as I can,” Amy insisted. “I need to know what happened to Deirdre. But I can’t believe somebody stole my car.”I thought it was an odd coincidence, too. I remembered the feeling of being watched when we were leaving Carrie and Doug’s ho
“Amy, quick, try the emergency brake,” I suggested, trying to stay calm.Amy pulled on the emergency brake, and the car slowed. She pulled harder, and it stopped after we rolled onto the grass alongside the road.After she put the car in park, we hurried to unbuckle our seatbelts and get out of the car.Then we stood a few feet away, staring at the Mercedes, unable to believe what happened.“It’s a brand new car!” Amy declared. “How do the brakes fail on a new car?”“I don’t know,” I said. “Let’s walk to the mansion for help.” I knew nothing about car mechanics. But I knew someone who works for Alex who knew everything about cars.“Do you think somebody did something to my car after they took it from the diner parking lot?” Amy asked as we walked up the driveway.I shrugged. “It’s possible. Let’s find Joe. I’ll ask him to retrieve your car and check it out.”Besides being Alex’s chauffeur, Joe is an excellent mechanic and keeps all our vehicles in top shape.We found Joe in the multi
Jayden and I rushed to Gray’s restaurant in his car. As he parked behind the restaurant, we heard Amy sob through the open kitchen door.“Stay back and let me go in first,” Jayden ordered. I knew it was for the best, so I obeyed.But soon after going inside, Jayden motioned for me to follow. I stepped through the doorway and couldn’t believe what I saw.Mr. Gray’s kitchen had been trashed. The floor was covered with broken plates and glasses mixed with silverware, canned goods, and smashed vegetables.The microwave had been knocked to the floor, the door hanging crookedly, and the prep table was lying on its side.Where was Amy?I spotted her crouched near the dishwasher and went to her. “Amy, what happened?”“There were two of them, Daisy,” she sobbed. “Two red wolves were here, and they tried to hurt me. But Dad stepped in and tried to fight them off.”She sobbed hysterically again. “Dad is hurt. Help him.”I didn’t see any blood or wounds on Amy, so I stood and looked for Mr. Gray.
The scent of the red wolves was undeniably coming from Victor’s apartment. But were they still in there? We held our breath and listened.My eyes widened at the distinct sound of footsteps approaching the front door.Instinctively, I backed up a few steps and flattened against the wall. I motioned for Victor to do the same.He shook his head. Someone had broken into his private space. He was angry and wouldn’t hide from them.I listen to the footsteps, getting closer to where Victor stood. He did too. He flung the door open, hitting an intruder with the hard oak door.“Ouch, son of a …” Jayden said. “Victor, it’s you. You hit me on the head with the door.”“Sorry, I thought you were an intruder,” Victor explained. “My door was open, and I could smell the same wolves that were at Gray’s restaurant.”“I know. That’s why I’m in your apartment,” Jayden said. “I arrived a few minutes ago. I smelled the strange wolves, and the door was open. So I was checking it out.”“Are they still here?
Nothing was showing on the security cameras. ‘Error!’ flashed across the screens when he tried to access recorded footage.Victor ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Somebody overrode the system. We can’t trust it until I get somebody here to check it out.”“That sounds like the tech-savvy car thieves who took Amy’s Mercedes.” I walked over and put my arms around him. “Was somebody in the garage?”“I’d bet on it,” he replied. “We shouldn’t drive our cars until they are checked out.”“I apologize for bringing this problem into your life,” I said. “And I’m sorry for what happened at Gray’s restaurant last night. I’m afraid the only way to fix it is to help get the intruders locked up.”Victor put his arms around me and kissed my temples. “I should have helped you from the beginning of your investigation. I never thought you would get close enough to the murderer to set them off like this.”I nuzzled his throat. “That sounds like a compliment.”He laughed. “It was, but now you m
“Why did you run into my car on purpose, Clarissa?” I roared.The front of Clarissa’s car was crumpled. She reeked of booze and was frantically trying to get out of the vehicle. When she couldn’t, she swore and tried to start her car to run off.The car came to life, but Moose yanked her car door open and pulled her out of the vehicle before she could flee the scene. He and Bert gave her to the police officers who just arrived at the scene.“She’s drunk and deliberately rammed us,” Benson told the police.Moose showed the police his ID. “And this is Daisy Wilson, Alex Wilson’s daughter.”“Why did this woman ram your car?” One of the policemen asked.Clarissa's speech was slurred. “The nosy witch was probably following me. She’s been bringing up an old scandal and starting problems for me. She got what she deserved. Now, let me go!”“The only place you're going is for a blood test,” the officer told Clarissa. “How much have you had to drink this morning?”“Nothing!” Clarissa lied and t
We arrived at the hospital at the end of visiting hours, but Victor told Amy and Justin to stay while he and Jayden spoke with hospital staff in the hall outside of Mr. Gray’s room. Mr. Gray and Justin eyed Moose and Bert with curiosity while Amy giggled.My security team was in professional guard mode. They stood, ready to defend us, on either side of the door, and everyone felt safer.They allowed Victor and Jayden to enter the room when they were finished in the hallway, but they stopped the two men with him until Victor told them it was okay for them to come into the room.“This is Dr. Knef and Marco Toro, the hospital’s head of security,” Victor told us. “Mr. Toro told us the red wolves were confronted by another doctor when they entered this floor. He was badly mauled.”“Will he live?” Mr. Gray asked. His voice was stronger than I expected, even though he looked exhausted.“Yes,” Dr. Knef said. “He was lucky. The attack was interrupted when a nurse saw what was happening and cal
I woke to the enticing scent of dark roast coffee. I stretched and realized I had slept more than I thought I would that previous night. The smell of coffee grew stronger, and I felt steam on my nose.Opening my eyes, I saw Amy standing over me, waving a mug under my nose. “Wakey wakey,” she crooned. “It’s your wedding day. Victor expects to see you at the chapel in two hours.”I reached for the mug and took a sip. The coffee was laced with dark chocolate almond milk and a touch of steamed heavy cream.“Mmm, thanks, Amy. It’s just the way I like it,” I said. “This is such a treat.” I stretched again and took another sip.“Enjoy it, but don’t dawdle in bed,” Amy put her makeup bag on the nightstand. “You need to get in the shower and wash your hair. Anna will be here to help us soon.”After waiting for this day to come for so long, I was both ecstatic and a little nervous that something would go wrong.“Is it really going to happen?” I asked my best friend. “Am I really going to be his
Kayla kept her word. The estate that we named Juniper Acres because of the dozens of Juniper trees on the grounds became ours a few days after my talk with her.I liked the small trees. They had a pleasant, fresh, and woodsy scent, and the blue/ green berries were pretty and had many uses.Besides making arrangements for our wedding, Victor and I spent the last three weeks getting our mansion ready for us to move in. It was a labor of love, knowing it was all ours.We painted some of the rooms in different colors that we preferred. I especially liked the shade of yellow that we painted our breakfast room.Like Alex’s mansion, our breakfast room had many windows facing east for plenty of natural sunlight. We would enjoy our mornings together, enjoying our first cup of coffee in the room.The living room now had comfy, overstuffed furniture in light blue and walnut. The carpets and drapes were neutral colors that set off the polished wooden floors.It was an inviting room. I looked forw
Victor called the realtor while I stood beside him with my fingers crossed. There had to be a way to fix the snag, whatever it was. The estate was perfect for us. We couldn’t lose it.I heard the realtor’s voice when she answered his call. “Victor, I’m sorry for giving you bad news.”“What’s the problem?” Victor asked. His voice was calm, but I saw the tension on his face.“The current owners of the Juniper Lane estate are two granddaughters of previous deceased owners. One of the young women refuses to sell to Miss Wilson.”Puzzled, Victor and I looked at each other.“Why?” Victor asked.“She claims Miss Wilson did something to cause her problems in the past,” the realtor responded. “I can’t change her mind. She refuses to sign the papers to finalize the sale.“Does she know the size of the offer we made?” Victor asked as I searched my memory for the identity of the granddaughter.But I couldn’t think of who I had angered that much. I shrugged at Victor and did a palms up.“Who is sh
“I’m sorry,” I said and knelt down to pick up the pieces of broken glass.“That’s alright, Miss Wilson,” Benson said. “Thomas will take care of the mess.” He motioned to a footman. “Let me get you another glass of tea.”“Are you okay, Daisy?” Cassidy asked. “We shouldn’t have shocked you with the news in front of guests.”I shook my head and tried to smile. “No, I’m fine. I was just surprised. Congratulations. I’m happy for both of you.” But was I? I had been an only child since Alex found me.Even though I knew Alex would continue to love me, my only experience with having a sibling wasn’t a positive one. Andrea enjoyed making my life miserable.So, I wasn’t sure how I felt about having a half-sister or brother. However, I was sure Alex and Cassidy wouldn’t treat me like the Smiths, and I’m optimistic the baby wouldn’t be like Andrea.But what would change in my life?“Are you sure, sweetheart?” Alex asked. He looked concerned, and even though I had been shocked, I didn’t want to spo
Victor’s POVDaisy was terrified. I could tell she was afraid her stutter would return. If she was scared enough, it could happen. She needed my love and support.I stepped forward to kiss her cheek and whispered in her ear, “No matter what, I love you. But you can do this. I’m right here with you. Pick one person in the crowd and talk to them.”Daisy gave me a weak smile, and I saw her take a deep, trembling breath. She looked out at the crowd of strange faces, and I knew the instant she saw someone she recognized.It was Amy, standing with Justin, William, and Penny among the sea of reporters. They must have heard about the press conference and come to support us. They were true friends.I sensed Daisy was relaxing, and she began to speak.“When I was seventeen, I worked in a restaurant owned by my best friend’s father. While waiting on customers and bussing tables, I dreamed of going to college and getting my law degree.“I wanted to use that degree to help the werewolf classes who
Victor and I freshened up while trying to think about what we wanted to say. Then we went back downstairs and watched the reporters and news anchors arrive outside the mansion.“There are so many,” I said. “I’ve never seen this many reporters at once before.”“They are coming from other cities to be here,” Shane said. “Your and Victor’s vision for the future is big news. There are rumors that Victor is going to quit the leadership, and you’re moving away from Denhurst.”Findlay snorted. “I heard that rumor, along with several crazier ones. I think the people need to be reassured of your good intentions for everyone.”“I can understand that,” Victor said. “How about you, Daisy?”All I could do was nod. I understood, but I was growing nervous about going out there in front of such a large crowd of reporters and photographers. There were so many. It was like a sea of people forming over the vast front lawn.My hands began to tremble when the estate staff began moving the temporary stage
I cried all the way back to the mansion. Amy remained silent, patting my arm occasionally and handing me tissues when I needed them.She pulled into the driveway and to the front entrance before she spoke.“It looks like Alex has company,” she said. “Who’s limos are they?”I punched the seat. “That one is Lana’s, and the one pulling in next to us is Lily James’s. The nerve of that pushy woman. She followed us!”“But look, Daisy,” Amy pointed toward the front doors. “Victor is here.”I wiped my eyes and saw Victor coming toward me. He opened the car door and took me into his arms.“Don’t cry, sweetheart,” he crooned. “Gisele called and told me what happened. So I had Findlay call everyone here for a quick meeting to set them all straight.”I stopped crying and nodded even though I wasn’t sure it would help.“This nonsense will stop now,” Victor took my hand and helped me from the car.We waited for Amy to put the baby in the stroller before going inside.I looked around the foyer, unab
Victor’s mouth opened, but no words came out at first. Then he shook off his surprise.“Are you serious?” he asked.“Yes, I’ve been thinking about it for weeks,” I replied.Why did Victor look so shocked? During the few times we had spoken about kids, he said he wanted a family.Tears stung my eyes, and I turned away from him. “Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up.”Victor gently turned me around. “I know you’ve been upset since Amy had the baby, but I didn’t know it was because you want one too.”“When I first held Brendre, I felt such a rush of love that it was all I could think about for days,” I explained. “I never thought much of babies before. I think it's because my adoptive parents rejected me when they had their own baby.”“That makes sense.” Victor took my hand and started walking down the beach again. “Anyone would feel that way.”“Holding Amy’s baby made me realize I very much want to be a mother,” I said. “And I don’t want to wait a long time to start our family.”“What a
Daisy’s POVI couldn't believe Victor was leaving. Couldn’t he stay with me at the beach house for just one day?An emptiness in the pit of my stomach started when he turned to leave. It grew after he went out the door. Through our bond, I felt his painful, churning emotions and wondered if he was finished with me.I couldn’t lose him! I’d return to Denhurst this minute and marry him in any ceremony his mother wanted. The only thing that really mattered about my wedding was Victor must be the groom.I had to stop him from leaving. I needed to know what was on his mind and in his heart.Running out the door after him, I saw him climb into his car and start the engine.“No!” I cried as I jumped in front of the Lamborghini. “Don’t leave me, Victor. I love you!”The Lamborghini’s engine stopped, and Victor leaped out of the driver’s seat. He hurried to my side.“Why won’t you stay with me?” I asked.“I thought you wanted to be here alone,” Victor replied. His body was trembling with emoti