Page 5 of A Bloom in Winter

His vengeance made him believe inDhunhd.But all Apex had been able to do was deal with the aftermath.

In a lame attempt to make a difference, he’d washed Callum’s battered body gently. Had put food to the wolven’s mouth and fed him. Made sure there was water. He’d sat next to this bed, his head propped on his knees, his eyes going sandpaper from lack of sleep . . . as if he could just will the recovery by devotion alone. The only time he’d moved aside was when Nadya had come to tend the wounds at Callum’s wrists and ankles, and make sure that certain . . . internal injuries . . . were healing.

And Apex had only left the private quarters to bring food back for them and then to go to that flower shop, every night right before it closed, to buy another flower. He hadn’t been able to tell the male how he’d felt before, and each of the blooms had been the words that he wished he’d spoken when he’d had the chance. He’d also hoped that the delicate fragrances might lead Callum back from wherever he was in that head of his.

Wasn’t smell supposed to be one of those senses that could reach through to a person, even when they weren’t completely conscious?

Except it hadn’t made any difference. The only thing he’d accomplished was giving the wolven a reliable schedule so that when Callum had decided it was time to go, he’d known when the coast would be clear to leave.

Even though there hadn’t seemed to be any change in his condition, a recovery had been happening, all those meals thathad been fed, all those drinks that had been soda-strawed into those lax lips, being used for exactly what they’d been for: Callum had been getting stronger. He’d just kept that to himself—and tonight, he’d waited for Apex to go down and gather First Meal provisions.

The eggs and bacon, toast and coffee, were stone-cold over there on the table, next to the map.

When Apex had come back, he hadn’t believed what he was looking at when he saw the empty bed. And then the assassin in him had done a quick sweep of the room and cataloged which guns had been taken. Which knives. As well as the combat pants, the fleece, the jacket. The boots and knapsack.

“So you haven’t found him, either—”

Spinning around, Apex ripped a forty caliber autoloader out from under his arm and pointed it at the male vampire who had come to stand behind him.

Whoever it was put his hands up. “Easy there. It’s me. You know who I am.”

Blink. Blink—

All at once, the handsome, patrician features came into focus. Kane, the former aristocrat, was looking like he’d inadvertently bumped into a wasp’s nest—and had left his Raid can back in the car. He was also dressed like the soldier he now was, and maybe that was the confusion.

Nah. Apex was just losing his mind. That was the problem.

The gun lowered on its own. And as he reholstered it, he nodded at the empty bed. “Callum’s really gone.”

Kane’s arms returned to his sides. “So you didn’t find him in the building? On the grounds?”

“No reason to look. We’re not going to find him.”

Kane glanced around the private quarters, like he was expecting the wolven to jump out from behind a folding chair or maybe the table with the cold food on it.

“He couldn’t have gone far.”

“Bullshit.” Apex shrugged and got to his feet. “He’s in better shape than he let on. I should have known. I watched those bruises heal over the last week with my own damned eyes.”

The flowers around the bed seemed stupid now. No more Bloomin’ Buds Flower Shop for him. No doubt that woman, and her paranoid, sunburned friend, were going to be glad to see the last of him.

“He’ll be back,” Kane said.

Apex focused on that indentation on the mattress. “No, he won’t.”

“But he didn’t say goodbye. So he’ll be back.”

Apex took one last look around. Then he did a subconscious check of his weapons: two guns under the arms, both forty calibers. A knife on his belt. A chain in the chest pocket of his leather jacket, and a set of brass knuckles on the other side.

“So you’re leaving, too, then?” Kane murmured.

“I only stayed because of him.” He shrugged again. “Sorry, I’m no great savior, ready to roll up the sleeves and help around here. But you already know this, don’t you.”

Kane’s eyes narrowed. “What I know is everything you showed me when you stayed bymyside.”

Great. The last thing he needed was a reminder that this was his second trip through the park with a male who didn’t love him back. Oh, wait. Kane had been burned, instead of sexually assaulted by multiple people.

Guess Fate, that fucking asshole, had decided to change things up, after all.

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