A tender smile graced Bennett’s face. “You usually listen, and the rest I…well, to tell you the truth, I kind of enjoy it. You speak your mind, and so does Cathleen. And I appreciate it because it shows you care. That’s all that really matters.”

“Good to know.”

***

Gus stopped the car near a dirt road leading into what appeared to be a forest. “Is this where I’m supposed to be?”

“Yes,” Bennett said, looking out the window.

“You want I should—”

“No. You need to leave.”

Gus swiveled in his seat. “Are you sure? It’s still early and—”

“It’s not safe for you here, Gus,” Bennett said, opening the door. “I’ll call a taxi when I’m done.”

“But—”

“Damn it, Gus, we just talked about this, and I know you care, but this isn’t up for discussion. Go home,” Bennett said, staring him down. “You met the best of my kind when you met Max, but the man who lives here is the worst of my kind. Go home. That’s an order.”

Gus waited until Bennett was out of sight before pulling out his cell phone. They had just talked about it, but the difference was Bennett had never actually ordered him to do anything. Her requests had always simply been that, but for her to demand, for her to command troubled Gus. Was this man someone Bennett feared? Gus scrubbed his hand over his face, and unlocking the screen on his phone, he scrolled to the newest number. He stared at it as his mind filled with the memories of the last several years, and then closing the phone, he tossed it aside. “Sorry, Max,” Gus said, starting the car. “If there’s one lady who can take care of herself, it’s Bennett. And I hate to break it to you, pal, but she’s wrong about you. You ain’t the best of your kind. She is.”

Chapter Eleven

It had been nearly one hundred years since Bennett had last walked up this road, and she hoped it would be another hundred before she’d have to do it again.

She followed the winding, rutted trail through the forest, listening to animals rooting around in the underbrush off in the distance. Designed for absolute privacy, the house was nearly two miles off the main highway…and for good reason.

Castles bring to mind knights in shining armor, damsels in distress, and soaring stone walls surrounded by a moat. They appear in history books and fables, rising from the earth in Europe or Asia, but they aren’t usually found in the United States. This was one of the few exceptions, and its existence was almost as sordid as its current owner’s.