The Keepers: Declan (Book 2)

CHAPTER ONE

Chapter One

Bennett Estate

Rapid Falls, Canada

It seemed like a slam-dunk job.

Although Kate Carrigan suspected it might not be.

She dismissed the voice nagging at her to retreat, slipped on her gloves, and focused on her entry into the estate. She’d come so far and there was no turning back.

Breaking into the mansion didn’t bother her. Thanks to the enchanted key in her pocket, locks were no hindrance. That was the easy part and had nothing to do with the flow of unease streaming through her body.

No, that was all down to the owners of the estate.

The Keepers. Three handsome, powerful brothers who were fiercely protective of their home and the witch they were duty bound to defend.

And Kate was about to break into their house.

She’d been watching, waiting, biding time until the Bennett brothers and their witch left their mansion together.

Blissfully unaware they were about to be relieved of three antique daggers.

They’d opted against the Aston Martin and Land Cruiser parked in the garage and had left on foot, disappearing into the forest.

 Kate scaled the high wall of the mansion with an ease that almost made her smile but she figured that would be premature. After all, she was about to conduct her first burglary in a house occupied by four people with supernatural abilities.

 Without a sound, she dropped to the ground on the other side of the wall, folded her body into a crouched position, and fused herself with the dark shadows of the night.

 A dog barked, its shadow approaching from a distance, and Kate dug into her pocket, extracting a cookie smothered in her special peanut butter recipe.

 Hoping the dog ate the cookie instead of her.

 “Here, sweetie,” she whispered, holding out the treat as the Golden Retriever neared her. The animal looked friendly, despite its guarded stance and wary growl.

 But the lure of the treat was quick to disarm her and she trotted over with a wag of the tail.

 Some watch dog.

 The cookie disappeared in two bites but the peanut butter was more of a challenge.

 Satisfied she wouldn’t be barking any time soon, Kate turned back to the house.

 She eyed her marked door, tiny against the backdrop of the double storey home. Its central living area branched into separate wings; one for each brother, no doubt. Despite its age, the house was immaculate and peaceful in a way that Kate had seldom associated with home.

 With a watchful eye on the security cameras, she sprinted across the snow-covered lawn with the fluid grace of a burglar and breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the door. She produced the enchanted key, ignoring the flush that came with the memory of the night she’d stolen it from the middle brother, Declan. A night she’d spent three months trying to forget.

 The key fit perfectly into the keyhole, snapping the lock open with ease, and Kate was thankful for the painless entry. Not bad for an amateur.

 Adrenaline rushed through her like a long-lost friend, a welcome reminder of the buzz she received from activities that veered off the lawful path.