Page 28 of A Bloom in Winter

At least he liked Mahrci. Or felt sorry for her, was more apt. Although he’d never much thought about—or bought much into—the whole “poor little rich girl” routine, he did not envy her life in the slightest. Like all daughters in the aristocracy, she was a status symbol to be bartered with. Not a person who’d ever be allowed to live her own life.

And the male who had been chosen for her? Apex had never cared for Remis, son of Penbroke. So he didn’t blame Mahrci for going AWOL from the upcoming ceremony.

“Again,” he said, “my advice is for you to get on the phone with him. That’s your deal, though. You got to decide for yourself.”

As the female continue to stare up at him helplessly, he wasnotabout to get involved with her love life drama.

“You’ve got to understand.” Her voice cracked. “I cannot get mated to Remis, and neither you nor my father—”

He put his hand up. “Let me set your mind at ease, in case you’re wondering. I’m not here for you.”

“Good. That’s . . . good.” Except then she frowned. “Why are you here, then?”

When Mahrci had seen her father’s head of security out in the woods, her first thought, even above the fact that he and his friend had come to rescue her from coyotes—and a white-and-gray wolf the size of a linebacker—was that he’d been sent to bring her back to Caldwell. She’d been convinced, after she was put in the rear of that black SUV, that she was going to be returned to her father like a package that had been mislaid in the mail system.

And even now she wasn’t sure whether she believed Apex. She was, however, still on this couch.

God knew he could have easily carried her out.

Yet she couldn’t trust him—and not because he always looked so scary, with his hard dark eyes and his ice-cold demeanor.

No, she’d learned in the most heartbreaking way not to trust anybody.

“So what are you doing here?” she repeated.

Apex shrugged, his heavy shoulders shifting under his leather jacket. “Just my job.” Before she could press him, he nodded at the front door. “Listen . . . about the groundskeeper.”

She frowned. “Yes?”

“What’s his deal? How long has he been working here?”

Confused by the change of subject, she rubbed over her eyebrow. “Did he do something wrong?”

“No, I’m just curious. His truck was parked out on the lane. It’s the reason why we stopped, actually.”

“Oh.” She flushed. “You know, I haven’t thanked you yet for saving my life—”

“It’s fine.” Apex waved away the comment. “I just wasn’t told there was anybody else up here. What do you know about him?”

“Not a lot. I mean, he’s been fine with me. When I arrived a couple of nights ago, he told me he was hired in September to watch everything over the off season. I think he said he planned to leave in the spring when the regular summer help comes.”

“So until May.”

“I guess?”

“What name did he give you?”

“Callum. But I don’t know his bloodline at all, if that’s what you’re wondering. Why do you ask? Are you worried about something with him?”

“Like I said, I just need to know who’s on the estate. It’s not a big deal.”

Bullshit, she thought. There was nothing casual about the male, not from how he was standing like he was ready to pounce, to that simmering calculation on his face. Her father had always hired well because he had enough money to pay for the best in any position—and as the head of security for all the properties, Apex, with his aggression and intelligence, was exactly what was required.

He was always watching—and seeing too much.

But two could play at that game.

Mahrci sat up with a groan. “You know him, don’t you.”

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