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Rhi roamed her home, thinking about the wonderful times she had shared with Mars. Her face twisted with sadness as she questioned whether those times were over. Slowly, two tears slid down her cheeks as she shook her head.
Rhi hurried to her kitchen, where she grabbed a bowl, spoon, and a carton of ice cream. She scooped a large amount into the bowl, then sat in her living room, just enjoying the icy treat. After finishing, she pondered a second bowl, then shook her head in anger.No, I’m not going to gorge on ice cream because we had an argument.
Several hours later, she answered her doorbell. Opening the door, she saw a sad, worried Mars standing there. There was no point in turning him away. And truthfully, she didn’t want to.
“Come in. Just know that I am still not very happy with you.” Rhi shut the door hard, driving her point home.
“I need to tell you a few things. I’m really sorry for how I did this and how I responded to the threat against you.”
Rhi sighed. “Mars …” Maybe she was crazy for this, but she had seen just how far he was willing to go for her. When did anyone love her that much? No one ever had, and she couldn’t let that go. “I forgive you.”
Mars took her hand and led her to the living room. There, he sat and had Rhi sit next to him.
Rhi pulled herself back. “I want to be able to see you full-on.” Next, she crossed her legs, sitting sideways to Mars. “Go ahead.”
Mars sighed. “I’ve already shared with you how my grandfather died. That alone is one of the darkest, most painful times in my life. It also had a major effect on my dad. He stopped making donations to charities. And I never really got started.” His voice was downcast, and he looked nothing like the confident bear shifter that Rhi knew him to be.
Rhi sighed. “Mars, I am so, so sorry. I hate violence with every fiber of my being. And I know that you don’t want to lose me in the same way.”
Mars pulled her into his arms for an extended, tight embrace. “Thank you. That means more than you’ll ever know.” He sniffed and cleared his throat, tears having nearly betrayed him. They stayed in this position for several minutes.
Rhi was battling tears as well. She had seen too many people die at the hands of a violent person. She had also withstood personal losses of her own. Batting her eyes quickly, she clenched her teeth tightly together and swallowed hard.
“Rhi, what do you know about Dave Henson?”
“Well, he’s a man who was threatening his wife and child. It was to the point that they had to move and keep away from his reach. They … his wife and child … came into our shelter, absolutely scared to death. His wife told me he was violent toward her because he ‘needed to teach her a lesson.’ Well, I found a way of getting them out of here so that he, hopefully, couldn’t find them.” Rhi sighed. “But they are also aware that he could find them at any time, no matter how well I have helped them to hide.”
Mars swallowed convulsively. What he had to tell her was huge and would have major implications for Henson’s wife and child. “Rhiannon, I tracked Dave Henson down. Actually, he came to one of my hotel penthouses downtown.”
Rhi gasped, her eyes wide.
Mars looked down. “I introduced myself to him. Then, I asked him why he was killing women who resembled you. And he told me that it was because my mate took his wife and daughter away from him.”
Mars let out a loud, gusty sigh. “I told him they left him because of how he treated them. He didn’t care. One. Damn. Bit. In fact, he told me that his wife washis property.” His voice became a low growl. “Well, our conversation went on for a little while longer.
“By this time, I was pretty angry at myself. I just kept going after Henson, time after time, as we fought. You know, Rhi, as I was fighting him, I saw two things in my mind. His wife and daughter. Well, let me correct that. I also saw the faces of every woman Henson had murdered. Henson was getting tired. Out of respect for you, I’m leaving a lot of the gory details out.”
“Ugh, yes. Thank you. Even though it’s someone who’s truly a monster.Wastruly a monster. I don’t need to know that.” Rhi was pale. “Was the fight over then? Because, well, I’m disgusted by what he did, sending those threatening letters to me and either killing or trying to kill women who looked so much like me. Now tell me, do you need to sleep? Were you hurt?” Rhi began running her eyes and hands over Mars’s body, looking for any signs of injury.
Rhi wrinkled her nose. “I was also thinking that until the stench of that monster has been cleaned out of that penthouse, I doubt anyone would want to stay there.”
Mars smiled, although his eyes remained sober. “I had Lenard call in a cleaning crew for the penthouse. I still have to go after those who worked for him and helped him to find those he wanted revenge against. Like you. Hopefully, I can take care of it with members of my sleuth.”
Rhi was silent, just thinking. “So, if he’s dead, how are you going to find his men or whoever they are?”
Mars was silent, just looking at Rhi with his own unique intensity. “I’ll have my men patrolling outside your office and home. Because once Henson’s men find out that their boss has died …”
Rhi shivered. “Oh, my God.” Her voice was low with fear and disgust. “So, the threat isn’t completely over yet?” Absently, she ran her hands over her arms as though she was chilled.
Mars, seeing this, pulled her back into his embrace. “Please stay with me. I need to keep you safe.”
“I guess we can stay at your place … or maybe at my home for a change?”
“My love, that would be very dangerous. We’ll need to stay at my home or cabin, where I have the security systems. You pack enough to last you for a bit while my sleuth and I look for and rid this city of Henson’s minions.”
Now, it was Rhi’s turn to look deeply into Mars’s eyes. “I will. Butonlyon one condition.”
“What’s that?”
