Page 77 of A Bloom in Winter

The change in the other male was instantaneous. Those black eyes narrowed, and those lips went straight-line. “I’m sorry—what?”

“He tried to strangle her.”

There was a pause. And then Apex lowered himself on his haunches and tilted his head so he could look the ex in the face. “Did you do that? You put your hands on her?”

Remis met the male right in the eye. “None . . . of your . . . fucking business—”

“You called her a cunt?”

By this time, Mahrci had reached the top of the staircase, and Mayhem wanted to step into her, pull her against his body, and feel the warmth and solidity of her. But he stayed where he was—because he wasn’t too sure that Apex wasn’t about to jump on Remis.

And if anybody was going to go beat-down properly on the guy, it was going to be—

“You’re a dead male.”

As the vow hit the airways, Mayhem thought it was Apex talking. But then he realized he was the one being addressed.

The ex’s nasty, unhinged eyes were staring up at him with a hatred that was surprising. Most aristocrats didn’t have that much passion in them. Then again, this was the new order of theglymera, where money counted more than breeding.

Apparently, the male still had some starch in his bloodline.

“I have people,” Remis said grimly. “And you’re fucking dead—”

“You know what,” Apex announced as he straightened and clapped Mayhem on the shoulder. “You just keep going with your workout. Cardiovascular health issoimportant, and really, when was the last time you went to the gym?”

“God, it’s been weeks.” Mayhem bent down and palmed the ex’s face, lifting Remis up to his feet by the guy’s features. “And I had a New Year’s resolution. So I’ve been letting myself down.”

As he started walking for the front door, Apex followed along casually. Like there wasn’t all kinds of tap dancing going on next to them.

“Oh, yeah?” the guy commented.

“Yeah, totally—” He steered the ex around a table with a bunch of boating pictures on it. “Watch yourself there, Remis, I wouldn’t want you to get hurt. That would be such a shame. Anyway, what was I saying—oh. Right. Yeah, so I was going to start going twice a week, but I couldn’t keep that up—hey, would you get the door for me?”

“Pleasure.” Apex jumped ahead, cranked the latch, and pulled things open with a flourish. “And I do mean that.”

The cold rushed in, and so did the glare of the bright white landscape: Thanks to the exterior security lights, it was easy to see the shoveled walkway, easy to pilot the stamping, hollering douchebag to that BMW.

When they were about ten feet away from the car, Mayhem gave the ex a good push and the male skated forth, landing on the hood of the sedan like a deer that had been hit.

The recovery was pretty quick, all things considered, the male getting back on his feet—even if those Gucci loafers gave him some traction issues.

Hard to look like a badass when you were skating while holding still.

What a pity.

“You shouldn’t have gotten involved,” Remis said.

Mayhem inclined his head. “Thanks for your opinion. I’ll file it where it belongs—”

“She’s only fucking you to get back at me.”

Time slowed to a stop. And Mayhem glanced down at the snow. “Now, see, why’d you have to go there—”

Apex stepped in between them. “Okay, I let you have some fun. Now he has to go—”

“Does that bother you?” Mayhem talked over his friend’s shoulder. “That she’s fucking me? ’Cuz if it does, good. I’m glad. I hope it keeps you up all day long—”

“I’m coming for you. Watch your back—”

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