Lucky Break

they’re located,” Beth said. “Hurry.”

“That’s why you sent Brody to vandalize this place and knock holes in the walls?” The pieces of the puzzle finally made sense, Lauren thought.

“Exactly.”

Lauren rose, diary in hand. “I’ve read it from cover to cover. Most of it’s not legible, and what is won’t reveal anything.”

“That’s for me to judge. I’m Mary. I’m one of the chosen,” her sister explained to Lauren as if she were talking to a child. “Now hand it over.”

Brody waved the gun in a silent threat.

Knowing she had no choice, Lauren extended her hand, intending to give the book to her sister…

JASON HAD GIVEN HER enough time. He’d even dialed her cell, hoping the ring-if she had it on loud and not silent or vibrate-would help her find the lost phone. She hadn’t answered.

He yawned just as Trouble appeared, leaping onto the warm hood of the car and staring at Jason intently. Damn cat unnerved him sometimes.

The cat. Jason clearly remembered he and Lauren had left the cat inside the house when they’d left the first time. He’d watched Lauren go in for her keys and Trouble had not run out the front door.

Yet here he was now.

Watching.

Staring.

Yawning.

His gut churned uncomfortably, and he didn’t know why. So he was going inside.

LAUREN KNEW Jason would show up soon. All she had to do was bide her time. And hope that Brody didn’t turn the gun on Jason when he arrived.

She shuddered at the thought and kept her focus shifting between Brody, who stood near the bedroom door, and Beth, who was immersed in reading the diary.

“Well?” Brody voiced the question on Lauren’s mind. “Anything in there that’ll lead us to the diamonds? We have to get the hell out of here fast.”

Beth shook her head in frustration. “So much of it is ruined, but on the same page it mentions the curse it mentions an offering-in the heart of the house.”

Lauren knew better than to remind her sister she’d already told her as much.

Beth glanced up, a dazed look in her eyes. “Think, think,” she said, pounding her hand against her head.

“I say we take whatever money she’s got on her and get away while the getting’s good.” Brody leveled his gun at Lauren’s heart.

Panic washed over Lauren. She looked beyond Brody toward the door and caught sight of Jason standing there. His eyes locked with hers, conveying all his strength in that one look before he backed out of view once more.

“Well? She’s no good to us anyway,” Brody muttered.

Suddenly, Beth shrieked at Brody. “You won’t threaten my sister again!” She dropped the diary and grabbed the poker beside the fireplace, stunning both Lauren and Brody.

Before either could react, Beth brought the metal down on Brody’s head, the poker connecting with his skull. A sickening crack reverberated through the room and Brody fell to the floor.

Nauseated and stunned, Lauren stared at her sister. A stranger she didn’t know and probably never had.

“I warned him to leave you alone,” Beth said in a monotone voice.

Lauren swallowed hard. If this was how Beth looked after her, Lauren wanted none of it. She spotted the gun lying next to Brody and started for the weapon.

“No!”

Beth barked out her command and Lauren froze.

Slowly, Lauren straightened, her hands spread out in front of her. “Relax,” she said to her sister. “See? I’m not moving.”

“But I am.” Taking advantage of the chaos, Jason chose that moment to silently make his entrance. He couldn’t get near the gun, but he bolted across the room and grabbed the diary, the one thing Beth desperately wanted.

With a shriek, Beth raised the poker over her head, her gaze narrowed on Jason, who visibly braced himself.

For the blow?

Or to take Beth down?

Lauren knew he could probably handle Beth. He outweighed and outmuscled her, but Lauren didn’t want either one of them hurt.

“Beth, don’t!”

At the sound of Lauren’s voice, Beth paused. “Why not?” she asked, as if it were a reasonable question. “He’s standing in the way of everything. And besides, he’s a Corwin.”

“Because I love him!” Lauren yelled without thinking, her sole focus on stopping her sister.

Her words had the opposite effect. Beth screamed as if she’d been attacked and ran for Jason, poker in hand.

Acting on instinct, Lauren dove for her sister’s legs, knocking her down. The poker fell to the floor at the same time Jason took the diary and tossed it into the barely burning embers in the fireplace.

“No!” Beth scrambled to her knees, grabbed the poker and managed to drag the book out, but it was too late.

The journal had caught fire and Beth had jerked her arm back too hard. The book went flying at the old draperies.

Lauren watched in horror as the entire valance and hanging drapes went up in flames.

“The diary!” Beth wailed, and started crawling toward the fire.

“Don’t move!” Jason said, approaching Beth, gun in hand.

Lauren had been so consumed by the scene in front of her, she hadn’t seen him go for the weapon. Neither had Beth, apparently, and even now, her focus was on the diary, which had already burned.

“Let’s get out of here,” Jason said, warily watching the flames and Beth. “Lauren, go!”

She hesitated, not wanting to leave them, then ran for the doorway. At the same time sirens sounded. She paused and glanced back.

“I called the police,” Jason said. “Get going!” He wrapped his hand around Beth’s arm and began to drag her out of the room, kicking and screaming about losing the diary and the diamonds.

She was so hysterical, he needed all his strength to remove her from the burning room.

The one thing he didn’t need was the gun.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

DEJA VU, Jason thought as the fire department worked to put out the quickly spreading fire inside the house. Outside, the police had taken over. Lauren and Jason were led to the ambulance to be checked by paramedics, for which Jason was grateful. He didn’t want Lauren to have to watch her sister’s ravings any longer than necessary.

They cleared him first and asked him to leave while they checked Lauren. He started to argue, but she waved him away. “I’ll be fine.”

From the pained look in her eyes, he doubted fine would happen anytime soon, but he gave her the space she needed because he could use some, too.

When he’d seen Lauren with a gun held to her chest, he thought he’d pass out right there. Fury had ripped through him along with frustrating impotence because there was nothing he could do. Any impulsive move could have cost her life. Since he’d already called the police, he’d waited for his opportunity.