Chapter 1 - THE CODE
Corrine Sterling grabbed Alora by the arm and yanked her away from the open wall safe.
“GIVE US THE SAFE CODE!”
Alora stumbled.
She was seven months pregnant.
Before she could steady herself, Corrine slapped her.
Alora fell onto the rug and curled around her belly.
“Stop!”
Sloan rushed forward.
“Tell us the code!”
Alora pushed her hand away.
“GET AWAY FROM ME!”
Sloan’s face twisted.
She turned toward the safe, spotted a metal crowbar beside a half-open storage crate, and grabbed it.
Alora froze.
Sloan raised it.
“THEN I’LL MAKE YOU TALK!”
The bedroom door flew open.
Thane charged in.
He caught Sloan’s wrist before the crowbar came down.
Ripped it from her hands.
Threw it across the marble floor.
“DON’T TOUCH HER!”
Sloan staggered back.
Thane dropped beside Alora, helped her up, and moved her behind him.
She clung to his blue suit.
Crying.
Thane turned toward his sister.
Slapped her once.
Sloan stared in shock.
Corrine went white.
Then Thane pointed at both women.
“DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO SHE IS TO DARE TOUCH HER?!”
Sloan laughed nervously.
“Your wife?”
Thane’s expression hardened.
“No.”
Alora looked at him.
He continued.
“She’s the person Dad put in charge of every item in that safe before he died.”
Silence.
Corrine’s face changed.
Sloan whispered:
“What?”
Thane looked toward the open safe.
Jewelry boxes.
Documents.
Photographs.
Sealed envelopes.
Then back at them.
“Dad knew somebody in this family was selling originals and putting copies back.”
Alora’s hand tightened around Thane’s jacket.
Corrine said:
“That is insane.”
Thane answered:
“Then why are you trying to beat the code out of a pregnant woman?”
Corrine looked at the safe.
And Alora suddenly realized something worse.
The safe was already open.
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Only the inner evidence compartment still required a code.
And Corrine knew exactly which compartment she wanted.
