Page 71 of A Bloom in Winter

No, she had expected this. Or should have.

“Unfortunately, no,” she whispered.

“Are you okay?” He put the SUV in park and turned off the engine. “Mahrci?”

“That’s my ex-fiancé.” She glanced across at him. “I didn’t know he was coming, I swear. He hates me now.”

Hemmy glanced into the rear view mirror at the BMW. “Can I ask you a question. Before we go in.”

“Yes, of course. But there isn’t much to ask. I broke it off, and shamed him and my father—”

“No, that’s not what I want to know.” Those pale eyes that had glowed with such a sexual charge narrowed into slits. “Did he hurt you. In any way. Ever?”

“No.” She shook her head emphatically. “It was never like that—nothing violent. Actually, there wasn’t much between us at all, which was one of the problems we had. At least on my side.”

There were others, too. Plenty of them.

“Good,” he said in a pleasant voice. “That’ll mean we don’t have to call a crime scene cleanup team.”

As he opened his door, she did her best to decode his words. “I’m sorry? I don’t under—”

Hemmy got out and then planted his palms on the driver’s seat and leaned back into the interior. “I’d have to fucking kill him if he hurt you.”

Mahrci’s breath caught. And if it had been anybody else, she would have chalked the words up to hyperbole.

With the way the male in front of her was looking?

They were a vow.

She covered one of his hands with her own. “Thank you. It’s been . . . a very long time since anyone, well . . . I’m grateful. Even though there’s no reason to go after him.”

Hemmy squeezed her palm. “I gotchu, female. Anytime, anywhere. I’ll be there for you.”

He straightened and closed the door. Then he seemed to freeze.

Twisting around, she watched him call to the groundskeeper, who had pulled the truck into the space where the plow had been left.

The other male got out and looked over at him. Neither moved.

It was clear they knew each other, and Hemmy started walking forward first. But then the groundskeeper joined him.

As they met and embraced, tears sprung to her eyes. She didn’t know whether they were for him . . . or for her.

But there was nothing like finding an ally . . . when you least expected it.

CHAPTER TWENTY–FIVE

Where is Mahricelle.”

As the douchebag with the BMW and the shark suit threw the demand out there, Apex kind of wanted to break the guy’s nose. Just on principle. There was something about tense, entitled assholes that put his hackles up, and God knew he’d already had enough of dealing with Remis back in Caldwell.

Cue the headlights.

Two sets—so unless they were getting more visitors of the unwanted variety, that wolven was returning as well.

“Something tells me she’s back now,” Apex said as he started for the front door.

His arm was taken in a hard grip, and Remis’s eyes were direct to the point of being threatening. “You get her the fuck out of here.”

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