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With a sick feeling, Julienne put the cell phone where she'd found it on the dresser. It was out of power — probably because the electricity in the house wasn't turned on yet, and there was nowhere for Chase to recharge the battery.

So there was no way she could summon help. Not unless she drove into town. And that would probably be too late to help Chase.

No, the two of them were on their own.

As she stood in the middle of the room trying to decide what to do, she heard two more shots outside.

Chase? One of her brothers?

She pressed the flat of her hand to her lips. She didn't know what to do, but she knew she couldn't stay up here.

Feeling sick and shaky, she started down the stairs. It wasn't until she reached the bottom riser that she saw the figure standing just inside the hall.

It was Hugo, his dark eyes fixed on her and a gun in his hand.

As she stared at him, her heart started to pound so wildly in her chest that she could barely breahe.

Going very still, she tried to calm herself, tried to think. Then as she raised her chin, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Making sure Rousseau property doesn't end up in the wrong hands — Melancon hands."

"It's not Rousseau property. Grandfather left it to Chase."

"Chase Melancon is scum. He's stolen what's rightfully ours."

"He hasn't stolen anything. It was a gift, because Grandfather knew he'd take care of Belle Vista, chèreish it, and you and Wyatt would just sell it to support your dissolute lifestyle."

Hugo made a snorting sound. "Well, aren't you high-and-mighty. Gotten over that incident at the office, have you?"

Her temper flared. "How dare you talk to me like that."

He laughed. "I see Melancon's made you feel a lot better about yourself. It was never any use warning you about him — was it? You were hot for him when you were just a kid. Now you've come back to be his whore. A clever way to get a piece of the pie."

"How can you be so coarse?"

He laughed in her face, and she saw all the bitterness he'd built up over the years. She'd always been her grandfather's favorite. And she'd always known her brothers hated her for it. She'd also known that they were grasping and manipulative. It was only recently that she'd realized how truly rotten they were. But how far would they go? Would Hugo shoot his own sister?

Before she could answer that question, a bloodcurdling scream from outside split the air.

Then men were shouting. It sounded like more than two voices, but she couldn't be sure what was happening or who was out there. Maybe her brothers had brought reinforcements.

Hugo whirled toward the door, and Julienne took that opportunity to escape. Clearing the stairs, she dashed down the hall — keeping to the right side, where the wood was intact. As soon as she passed the hole where Chase had removed the damaged boards, she angled to the left, hugging the wall as she went.

"Come back here!" Hugo shouted, taking off after her.

Praying that the light was too dim for Hugo to see exactly where he was going, she sprinted for the kitchen.

"Stop or I'll shoot," he warned, and she braced for the impact of a bullet in her back.…

To be continued...



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