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button on her phone.
You have some visitors, Mr. Cotesworth.
Send em on in, Becky, replied Aubrey s tinny voice.
Becky waved a pink-clawed hand toward the hall and went back to her Blair looked as they walked
past her desk very important game of Spider Solitaire. Which she was losing. Blair smirked. She wasn t
above being petty.
Aubrey pretended to be on the phone and held up two fingers when they arrived, but she knew there
was no one on the other end of the line. There was no point in letting him think he was playing them, so she
walked over and put a finger on the hook.
Hey, he protested, but she shook her head and perched on the edge of his desk.
Nice try. She tamped down her glee. Being the bad guy was fun.
He regrouped for a moment before sitting back in his big, important-looking leather chair. I
remember you. You re Conn s little slut.
Conn stepped forward, but she smiled. I remember you, too. You re a little prick.
Aubrey obviously wasn t used to people who didn t roll over for him, so he was silenced while he
tried to think of a comeback. Blair got off the desk and sauntered back to stand next to Conn.
Nice to see you two getting along so well, drawled her man.
The door behind them wasn t shut all the way. It creaked slightly when a dog nosed it open. A big
dog. The unneutered Doberman was all muscle, with cropped ears and a thick, studded collar. It stopped as
soon as it saw the strangers and began a low growl.
Y all should meet Mojo, here. Aubrey smiled, his eyes narrowing.
Conn stayed perfectly still, but Blair met the huge animal head on. She lifted her lip and stared
straight into Mojo s eyes. After a moment, he stopped growling, then lowered his ears and finally dropped
to the floor, rolling over and showing his soft belly, whimpering lightly.
She rubbed his belly and he rolled back up, licking her hand while he piddled on the floor. Oops.
Looks like Mojo had a little accident. It s okay, baby, she said, letting the dog lean against her. She
opened the door behind her. Becky, could you take Mojo for a walk while we talk to your boss for a few
minutes?
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Carolina Pearl
The blonde clattered over on heels that looked half a size too small. She spotted the puddle on the
floor and started to scold the dog, but Blair interrupted. Don t worry about it. Your boss will clean it up
himself.
Becky called the dog over and after a final lick at Blair s fingers, he followed the secretary out the
door. Blair closed it behind her.
You done having fun now? Conn asked with an amused look.
For now.
Aubrey hadn t moved during the entire encounter, but his expression had gone as sour as the milk in
Conn s fridge.
What are you doing in my office, bastard?
Blair flinched, but Conn took it in stride. It made her wonder how often he d heard the slur growing
up.
I m here to tell you to stay off my property.
What makes you think I was on your property last night? Do you have any evidence to that effect?
She and Conn smiled at each other. One, I didn t say anything about last night, and two, in fact, we
do.
I don t believe you. In any case, I don t think you ll have the property for much longer. It should
never have passed to you in the first place and I am determined to do whatever it takes to make sure it
comes back to the family. Where it belongs.
Conn felt the words slide off him. Years ago, even a month ago, the taunt would have stung. Being
pushed to the outside, looking in on the Cotesworth clan like a poor kid staring at a window display of
riches.
This time, it didn t even faze him. The house was his. He was a Cotesworth by blood, if not by name
or filial bond.
What were you looking for anyway?
Aubrey leaned back in his chair again, elbows wide as he propped his hands behind his head. You
don t know? You want to hang on to that old wreck and you don t even know what it holds. He laughed
like it was funny.
Conn pulled out a chair and sat down. He was willing to learn, willing to play along if that s what it
took to get the information he needed. Why don t you tell me?
I don t know how much you know about the Cotesworths, but I m going to assume you re dumber
than dirt.
Assume what you like.
Aubrey didn t like that. Didn t like someone else humoring him. He sat up straight again.
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Sela Carsen
There s a treasure in the house. One that s only for the Cotesworths. Something the old swamp witch
Temperance left behind.
You mean you really believe the old story about the pirate s widow hiding his treasure?
It s true, I swear. Aubrey looked like a five year old defending the existence of monsters in his
closet.
You know as well as I do that if there was any treasure there, it s all gone. If it really existed, the
Cotesworths would never have abandoned it. I bet it was found when they built the new house on top of her
old cottage.
You don t know the whole story, Conn. How could you? I think we always thought we d get back to
it eventually. We figured someday, some inheritor would find the location of the treasure and dig it out.
You mean y all were just too lazy to do anything about it.
I wasn t.
You were until you found out you didn t own it anymore.
Well, I suppose it s still in the family. After a fashion.
Conn burst out laughing. You re serious? You ve called me a bastard and a mongrel since I was
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