I was sobbing as I clung to the steering wheel when someone tapped on the truck window. I wiped my eyes and sat up straight before opening the door.“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Victor took me in his arms. “Were you attacked again?”I shook my head and searched the center console for a tissue.“If I tell you why I’m crying, you’ll think I’m a jerk,” I said and loudly blew my nose.“I’d never think you’re a jerk,” Victor caressed a lock of my hair between his thumb and forefinger. “Talk to me, my love.”“Amy and Justin are getting married next Saturday,” I revealed. “And I’m insanely jealous that it’s not me marrying you.”I began to cry again.“Let’s go for a walk.” Victor took my hands and pulled me from the truck.As we walked around the side of the mansion, he put an arm around my shoulders.“Our wedding day will come,” Victor assured me. “We will know it’s the right time.”“I wish that day were here,” I grumbled.“There are things we must do first,” Victor said. “You should get you
Victor found me leaning over the railing while I cried.“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” he asked.I shook my head. “Nothing …it’s stupid.”“It’s not stupid if it upsets you like this,” he insisted. “Talk to me, my love.”“Amy wants me to be her maid of honor, and she sent me a photo of the wedding dress she wants,” I said. “It’s the same dress I chose for our wedding that we had to cancel.”Victor nodded and held me close. “That’s not stupid. Why don’t you tell Amy that’s the dress you chose? I’ll bet she’ll pick another dress because she loves you.”“I don’t want to spoil her wedding,” I insisted.“Sweetheart, you can’t be her maid of honor if everything about her wedding makes you cry.”“I know,” I agreed. “Being jealous of Amy makes me feel terrible. But I can’t seem to stop.”“Talk to her about it,” Victor advised. “Amy will understand.”I hiccuped. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow morning. We meet for coffee after our first class of the day.”“Now, come to bed,” Victor said.“Or we could g
Allen and I filed into the courtroom and sat down while we waited for the DA and the judge.The DA reached his seat at the opposing counsel’s table a moment before the bailiff announced the judge’s arrival.DA Houser sat across the aisle, glaring at me with enough malice that made me glad I was now sitting next to Allen instead of behind him alone.We stood for the judge and then sat again and waited for him to speak.He didn't make us wait for long. “I have researched the character and reputation of the Public Defender’s witness and had Dr. Mancini’s report and the test results verified. They are authentic.”“Therefore, I am dismissing this case with prejudice,” the judge continued. “And I have ordered an investigation into the DA’s office to make sure this type of incident never happens again.”“I object!” DA Houser roared. “My reputation and record are spotless.”“Not quite, Mr. Houser,” the judge said. “This is not the first time a serious miscarriage of justice occurred through y
Heat flooded my body as my face turned bright red. What a situation to explain to Victor!And what about Justin? He looked angry enough to call off the wedding.The DJ stopped the music as Victor and Justin made their way across the room and stopped between Amy and me and the strippers.“I don't know why they’re here,” I insisted. “They just walked in.”“This is a bachelorette party,” Victor’s voice was cold. “But I didn’t expect this from you, Daisy.”“Or you, Amy,” Justin kept his eyes on the floor, seemingly too upset to look at the two men wearing g-strings and work boots.“I …I didn’t do anything wrong, Justin,” Amy declared. “You must believe me.”“Daisy threw this party for Amy,” Victor told Justin. “Don’t blame Amy.”“But I didn’t hire male strippers,” I insisted. “I wouldn’t know where to find them.”“We were hired through our website,” one stripper said. “Our fee was paid by credit card, and there are no refunds.”He and the dark-haired man began putting their Velcro closure
“Daisy, no, don’t call for an ambulance,” Amy pleaded. “It will scare my dad. I’ll be fine. I just need some ginger ale and a couple of plain crackers out of my purse.”“I’ll get some ginger ale from the bar,” I said and dashed out of the bathroom.I went to Justin. “Amy’s a little sick in her stomach. She wants the crackers from her purse.”“Yeah, that happens when she …um, eats too much.” He fished around under the table and handed me a small pack of soup crackers.“Thanks,” I said and headed to the bar for the ginger ale. The bartender gave me a small bottle of the soda, and I hurried back to my friend.Amy was washing her face at the sink. She took the ginger ale and eagerly took several small sips.“Bless you,” she said and took the pack of crackers. She put one in her mouth and chewed slowly.“Are you sure you’re okay? I asked. “I’ve never known you to get sick from overeating.”I put a hand on her forehead to check for a fever. There was none, but I didn’t like how pale she loo
Ice smells like lemons!That must mean John Cameron and his ilk are responsible for the flow of Ice into the country. And they were storing it under the Association!It made sense. John and the faction had a lot of money financing his schemes. Selling a drug like Ice would generate that kind of cash.It was a brazen move to store their shipments beneath the Association, but who would look in the ancient tomb? Nobody knew where the tomb was except them. I was there, but I couldn’t find it again.Before finding the bomb, I saw men moving the boxes out of the passageways. Where did they move them to? They must have moved their operation nearby because Ice was flowing through Denhurst.I had to find out and stop them from ruining any more lives. I’d start by finding the girl who introduced the Alphas to Sally.I thanked Kyle for talking to me and promised I’d be in touch before going to the city college’s Chemistry Department to find Carla Cox.According to Kyle, Carla introduced his girl
I had to be careful not to be seen. Rodney Wells knows who I am. I would be in danger if he spotted me. Even if I got away from him, the faction would realize I was on to them.But I had to know for sure what he was doing here, and I had to have proof that he was the one supplying Ice to Rocky to be sold to the students at the city college.Silently, I took my phone from my pocket and snapped several photos of the men as they smoked their cigarettes and talked on the loading dock.When they finally tossed their butts into the grass, I heard them discussing unloading the van. Rocky unlocked the loading dock door into the building, and Rodney opened the back of the van.Rodney pulled a hand truck from the back of the van, and Rocky began loading several boxes onto it.“You’ve got to move this batch as fast as possible,” Rodney said. “The boss is expecting another large shipment in a few days. You’ll get twice this amount to sell, and it’s even more addictive than usual.”The words made
As I prepared to fight for my life, my body trembled while I struggled to control my breathing. Anna was flat against the wall beside the door, ready to surprise anyone who walked in the door.We had a fair chance of survival, of winning the fight. We knew they were coming, but our presence would surprise them.Anna and I needed to strike them hard and quickly without giving them time to think or react.It seemed to take forever as the men walked our way, discussing ways of selling more Ice.My heart was pounding in my ears when they reached the door to the room Anna and I were hiding in. But we silently held our positions, hoping they would keep moving down the hallway.When the door didn’t open, and we heard them moving past us, we stayed as we were, ready to fight until their footsteps faded away.Relief made my heart slow, and my trembling quickly eased, but I knew we still had to get out of that building.Anna read my mind. “We shouldn’t use the hallway. They’re out there somewhe
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