Page 157 of Dancing for the Minotaur

“Not yet—I’m looking around,” Terra said. “We haven’t set a formal date yet, but we were about to when all this awful stuff with Orlov happened.” She shivered. “I’m just so glad my babies are safe,” she added. “Taurex saved their lives, you know?”

“I know.” Detective Ramirez nodded. “He probably saved all your lives. I have no doubt if Orlov had used your kids to lure you to him, none of you would have made it out alive.”

Terra felt sick.

“If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about that anymore,” she said faintly. “It was very traumatic—both for me and the kids. I’m thinking of putting them in therapy to help them process it.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” The detective nodded and sat up straight. “Well, Terra, I’m glad you could down today. I think we’ve cleared up a lot.”

“So…you’re not going to prosecute Taurex?” Terra asked hopefully.

“We can’t—not if everything you told me is true.” The Detective raised an eyebrow at her. “I assume you’re willing to swear to your testimony under oath if necessary?”

Terra didn’t hesitate.

“I swear,” she said firmly.

For the first time since the conversation began, something changed in the detective’s expression. Terra saw something like fierce vindication in her sharp brown eyes. Suddenly, she understood. Reaching across the table, she put her hand lightly on the other woman’s arm.

“Hey,” she said softly. “Did you know one of them? One of Orlov’s victims, I mean?”

Detective Ramirez looked down at her hands for a moment.

“My little sister, Mariella,” she said in a low voice. “She was dancing to earn her way through college. Our parents didn’t know—they would have disowned her. I told her I’d help pay for her school, but she was always so independent—wanted to do everything on her own…”

When she looked up, Terra saw that her eyes were suspiciously bright.

“Orlov lured her with money—told her he wanted a private dance, and he would pay triple.” She shook her head. “We never found her body.”

“Oh God…I’m so sorry.” Terra squeezed her arm sympathetically. She’d known that Viktor Orlov was a bad and dangerous man, but she hadn’t had any idea how dangerous he really was. When she thought of how narrowly she and her kids had escaped, it made her feel cold inside.

“It’s all right.” Detective Ramirez sniffed and lifted her chin. “He got what he deserved, thanks to your fiancé.”

Terra almost asked, “What fiancé?” but managed to remember her lie and keep her mouth shut just in time.

“Taurex is very protective,” she said instead. “I wish there had been someone like him to protect your sister.”

“I wish it too. But at least no more girls are going to go missing because of him,” Detective Ramirez said. She nodded briskly, rose from the table, and headed for the door. “I’ll be right back.”

She left it partly open behind her and Terra heard her voice carrying down the hallway.

“Okay, boys, we have to let him go. Turns out he was protecting his mate’s children. Rage-Killing Act applies.”

Terra covered her mouth. Her mate. The word made her heart pound for an entirely different reason than the first time she’d heard it. The first time Taurex had told her she was his fated mate, she’d been nervous and scared. Now the word “mate” made her stomach flutter with something much closer to excitement and hope.

A few minutes passed as she waited in the empty room. Then footsteps approached. Detective Ramirez appeared first. And behind her—Taurex.

Terra’s breath caught in her throat. The big Monstrum looked tired but unharmed, his enormous horns nearly brushing the top of the doorway. His hands were cuffed in front of him with a set of human-sized restraints that barely fit and looked almost ridiculous around wrists his size. His golden eyes found Terra immediately and confusion filled them.

“Terra?” he asked, frowning.

She was already on her feet.

“Sweetheart!”

The endearment flew out of her mouth before she could think about it.

Taurex barely had time to react before Terra ran across the room and threw both arms around him.