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“Happens sometimes with people who have money, huh?” I said as we walked toward the main entrance. “So, what are they so secretive about?” I whispered conspiratorially. “Guards. Iron gate. Stone wall. Are they hiding something?” I raised my eyebrows a couple times. “I’m always up for some fun.”

The guy chuckled. He leaned against one of the stone pillars and smiled down at me. “I don’t really know. There are rumors though. Whispers they might dabble in something you might call questionable. I know there’s a room in the house we’re absolutely not allowed to go in.”

A muscle tugged in my stomach. That’s where the book was. I knew it. Of course they would try to keep their books about bad magic away from prying eyes. People like this guy would turn in or blackmail people like the Reid’s. “Ooh,” I said. “Scary. I’ve heard about people who dabble in that. My Granny always told me to stay in the light, but I often wondered…”

“It’s hard not to,” he said, staring up at the house. “I think that’s how they got so rich. I mean, who can make this much money? And they don’t even work.”

“Really?” I asked. “That’s crazy.”

He reached out and touched my hand. I pulled away and pretended to be cold, wrapping my arms around myself.

“Chilly?”

“Not used to the north yet,” I said. “You know it’s like eighty degrees already in Louisiana. I’d probably be wearing less than this.”

His stare caught on my cleavage and I almost gagged.

“Is there a place where we can talk out of the wind?”

He looked toward the front of the house, his eyes unsure.

“Are you the only guard on tonight?” I asked. “I mean, I certainly won’t tell anyone since you’ll be doing me a favor.”

“I am at least for another half hour. The other guy went on break.”

A wash of cold hit me in the face. Holy hell. I needed to hurry. “Come on,” I said, pulling him by the hand and yanking him up the steps to the front door. “Just for a bit. I won’t get you in trouble, I promise.”

I swallowed those last words with a bitter pill.

He pushed the door open, and I followed in afterward. While he shut the door, I searched my magic, looking deep inside to try to find something that pulled on the negative end of the spectrum. There was something. A little something, but it was so faint, I wasn’t sure what it was. I was running out of time though. I tiptoed into the house, trying to be funny. “So, where’s this super-secret room we’re not allowed to go in? I want to make sure we’re as far away from it as possible.”

He smirked. “It’s in the basement. There’s no way we’re making it down there.” I crept a little further away. The foyer opened into a great room. Everything was old school charm with antique furnishings. Hands gripped my hips. “Where are you headed? I thought you wanted to talk.”

I froze but tried to make myself relax before turning into his arms.

“Your accent is really sexy,” he breathed.

Okay. I just didn’t have the guts to do this. “Sleep,” I mumbled. Mr. Handsy fell forward immediately. I held him up, so he wouldn’t bounce off the floor. I knew where I needed to be, so I just had to get there and back in the thirty minutes I had until the other guard showed up. I’d find the book, wake the guy up, tell him thanks, and then leave without the other guard even seeing me.

As soon as I lowered him to the floor safely, I walked further into the house. I needed a basement door. In my life, I’d always known basement doors to be in the kitchens. I walked that way, pulling open doors as I went. Some led to rooms, some to closets. There. On the far side of the kitchen was a white door with a black handle. I pulled it open. Jackpot.

I took the stairs that led down. The tug in my gut fluttered. I was headed in the right direction.

Their basement was not a dingy, dark place. It was basically a tech extravaganza with the huge TV’s and sound systems. I followed my instincts. It took me to the door to another room. I tried the handle. Locked. I performed the unlock spell, but it didn’t budge. Shit. It was magically locked, not just locked with a deadbolt or something.

I searched my magic, tugging at anything that could help me out with this, but I couldn’t find anything. The faint trace of negative magic called to me on the other side of the door. I looked around for something to smash it with when I heard a car door slam.

I hissed in a breath. Fuck. I was screwed.

I ran back up the steps, closed the basement door behind me, and got to the guard, who still slept on the floor, at about the same time the front door opened. I shook him. “Awake,” I whispered. He blinked up at me. “You passed out and there’s someone else here now. How can I get out?”

He shot to his feet, but it was too late. Footsteps rounded the corner. “Owen, you…” the voice trailed off as a young kid caught sight of me. Shit. We were caught. “Who are you?”

“Hi,” I waved. “I’m Deborah,” I said, saying the first name that popped into my head.

Owen ran a shaking hand through his hair. “Shit, Dean. I’m sorry.” Owen looked at me, his eyes remorseful.

“Me too,” I said. “I apologize. I’m new to the area and heard about your family and wanted to come by. Owen told me you weren’t here, but then I got cold and he offered to let me step inside to get warm. I’m from Louisiana,” I explained, or at least I hoped it explained everything.