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Page 192

| Stanford walked through the flock of sheep that his men had just brought from Melbournesheep that most would shoot on first sight. These particular sheep had been purchased cheap for his special treat for Ashton. |

| ''These'll do just fine," he said, smiling devilishly from man to man. "Take them. Mingle them in with our neighbors' sheep." He laughed throatily. One way or another he was going to break Lawrence Proffitt's will, forcing him to go to the hidden chest of riches. |

| Bianca cowered as he walked into the cabin. He grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her to him. "How's my little half-breed?" he said huskily, looking past the bruises that he had inflicted on her face the previous night. "Are you tamed enough? Can I expect cooperation from you tonight?" |

| Bianca looked up at him, shaking her head wildly. "Yes, yes!" she sobbed. She eyed the coffee pot, now fearing that he wasn't going to drink it before taking her. |

| Suddenly he released her and went to stand before the fire. "Pour me a cup of coffee, Bianca," he ordered. "It's been a long day." |

| Bianca's heart raced, but she couldn't appear too anxious to give him the coffee. He must be given no reason to suspect that she was to blame for the seizures caused by the seed of the idiot fruit! |

| Trying to control the trembling of her hand, Bianca poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Stanford. She watched him guardedly as he began sipping it, his mind seeming to be on something else as he stared into the flames of the fire. When his |

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