don’ know what happened to Robert. He was such a sweet boy when he was younger. Drake is goin’ to send him to Borneo to some friends of his. It’s that, or he has to follow up with his challenge for leadership and he won’t survive. Drake is givin’ him a chance, but if Robert refuses to take it, our world can be quite violent, but it has to be.” Saria studied Bijou’s face.
“I know you all grew up with Robert, but the things he did, the people who were hurt and he could have stopped it, don’ you think he should at least spend time in jail?”
“A leopard can’t be locked up for long, Bijou,” Saria explained.
“Still, it feels like everyone else gets punished, but he’s goin’ to be vacationing in Borneo. How is that teaching him a lesson?”
“Drake is from Borneo,” Saria said. “The men there rescue victims of kidnappers. It’s dangerous and hard work. We live in civilization here. They live in the rain forest. They won’t tolerate mistakes. Punishments there are brutal and fast. Robert isn’t going on any picnic. He’ll either grow up and become a decent man, or won’t survive.”
Bijou shook her head. “I don’ know how you accepted all this so easily, Saria. It’s a real struggle for me. Sometimes I think it’s all a dream, or maybe I’ve gone a little insane.”
“But you are a shifter, Bijou and you belong in our world. Do you understand? Because you can’t run from who you are.”
“Your brothers think I’m goin’ to get bored or scared and leave here, don’t they?” Bijou asked.
“I don’t know what they think. I know better,” Saria said. “We’re your family. You never had one, and you always wanted one. I think you’ll be more loyal and more protective than anyone else.” She laughed softly. “With the exception of Remy. No one can be more protective than my big brother.”
Bijou glanced at her watch. “Speaking of, if I don’ leave soon, I’ll be late for our dinner. He had something important he wanted to talk to me about.”
“I should have known you were goin’ somewhere with him. You look . . . radiant.”
Bijou flashed a smile at Saria. “I do rather like that man.”
“I would never have guessed. I suppose Remy’s locked up just about everyone he can that he thinks might be a threat to you, so it must be safe enough.”
“That’s what he said. I’m meetin’ him at the station house. We’ll probably be home early though. He needs to get to bed.” Bijou found herself blushing when Saria burst out laughing.
Saria sobered. “You know, Bijou, Remy’s always going to be a cop.”
“I know. But he’ll be my cop.”
Saria touched her teeth to her bottom lip. “A lot of women start out thinking it’s cool to be with a cop, but the reality of that world gets to them after a while. Do you think you can handle it long term? Remy is very good at what he does and, although if you really were upset I think he’d stop, he wouldn’t be happy.”
“I’m proud of who he is, Saria, and what he does. I’m going to make a success of the club and make certain he can be just as proud of me.” Her eyes met Saria’s. “Your brother really is safe with me.”
Saria’s answering smile was serene. “I know that, I just wanted to make certain you knew it as well. Have fun tonight, although,” she added mischievously, “whenever my big brother wanted to talk to me about somethin’, I was usually in trouble.”
Laughing, Bijou hurried to the car with a wave of her hand. Saria and her brothers definitely enjoyed teasing one another and they already had begun to include her in the warmth of their circle. She had come home looking for her white knight and she’d found him. Remy was everything she remembered and more.
She would never forget his face, the way he yanked her out of the hotel room and shook the living daylights out of her. He’d cared. He’d been alarmed. That had been the moment she realized much more would have gone on in that room than her simply overdosing. She saw it in his eyes. In the expression on his face. He’d been horrified and he’d been angry. She would never forget his eyes as long as she lived.
Everything about Remy was beautiful to her, even his famous temper. He would always be a cop, but he would be