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"Sherra?" The little voice and the soft knock at her door had Sherra stiffening in reaction as she recognized Cassie’s voice

The door opened slowly and the little girl peeked in Her face was so in thick curls down her back as she stepped into the bedroo you today, Cassie?" Sherra asked curiously

"I don’t know, Sherra" The little girl was confused "I woke up and no one was there Someone is always there when I wake up"

Sherra stared at the little girl with a frown Cassie still wore her gown and robe and clutched her teddy

bear like a lifeline

"I’m scared, Sherra," she whispered "My fairy said to coirl h in need of corabbed her communications link from the dresser and pulled it on over her head as she switched it to the main channel She knew Taber, Callan, Kane and Daith the Lawrences, but they wouldn’t have left the little girl without a guard

"Who has house duty?" she snapped into the link

No one answered

"Cassie, did you see anyone when you ca to the French doors and peeking past the curtains to the yard outside

"No" Cassie was holding her teddy bear closer now "I didn’t see anyone, Sherra"

"Do you kno to hide, Cassie?" Sherra asked her, feeling the fa up her spine

Cassie’s eyes widened in sudden fear Her lower lip trembled "I want my momma," she suddenly whispered, a breath of sound that showed the little girl kneell the dangers that could beoutside their roo outside Where the hell were the guards?

"Okay" Sherra turned back to the little girl "Do you kno to be quiet? No matter what?"

Cassie nodded fiercely

"I want you to stay right behind me, Cassie And don’t say a word Don’t o to Merinus’ roo to the door, Sherra pulled the gun free of her holster and peeked out carefully All the doors were closed, the guard norlanced behind her at the kid She was pale, tre with damned near every shift of Sherra’s body

"Okay, nice and quiet," Sherra whispered as she eased the door open She stepped out into the hallway, checked it quickly then pulled Cassie fro of the upstairs bedroo at the turn in the hall, she flattened Cassie against the wall then checked it as well No one Fuck Where the hell were they?

Moving carefully down the carpeted hall, her senses razor-sharp, she moved for Merinus’ room She was no more than three doors fron Waiting

on them

She stopped There were two doors between her and Merinus’ rooh to allow anyone hiding in the room to see her pass by Sherrathe knob she eased it open and pressed Cassie inside before following her Closing it just as silently, she indicated silence to the little girl as she moved to theon the other side of the rooht sight of two guardsthe curtains wide she slowly lifted the , praying she wasn’t giving her position away to the ene their attention when she saw theo down First one, then the other Her eyes widened No sound was made, but within a second they had fallen, dead or unconscious, she wasn’t certain

Fuck Fuck Looking around frantically she dragged Cassie to the closet on the other side of the room

"You stay here" She pushed the tearful child into the small room "I mean it, Cassie No one will know but me where you are hidden You don’t move Do you hearas the little girl shook and shuddered, though she nodded her head quickly

"Stay," she ordered her again before backing away and closing the door slowly Whoever aiting in the rooed to take out the communications link and/or the co For what?

Shedown the hall but seeing nothing that would immediately raise her suspicions She stepped froainst the wall, weapon held ready, watching intently

A second later Merinus’ doorknob turned Ai her weapon, Sherra watched coldly as it opened and the other wo her eyes at the gun Sherra had leveled at her Just as quickly, the door closed, then locked

Smart Sherra smiled with cold determination At least the other woman was safe That was all thatfrom the other room now Whoever was in there had seen Merinus’ escape back into her room as well

A second later three loud reports sounded fronal to any Breed within hearing distance The bastard uards in the house, and those on the grounds, but there was no way he could have gotten them all She heard a curse, soft, filled with ht to severely wound rather than kill There was only tays out of that roo what stepped from the room

Roni came first, closely followed by the chauffeur/nurse who had come in with the Lawrences several

days before There was a sun to Roni’s temple and kept her carefully in front of hih"

He faced Sherra with malicious contempt