I wanted to see. Two huge creatures tearing at each other in a small basement? I thought the bakery was going to come down on us.”
Kai shook his head. “You’re something else, Ember Brady.”
She shrugged. “I almost peed my pants when Ciro burst into a bear, and then a lion came pouncing down the stairs like an avenging kitty. I knew it was you, Kai.”
“Don’t call me an avenging kitty,” he mumbled, but the pride and love in Ember’s face softened him.
“I have to because that was so scary. I basically just witnessed two wild animals trying to kill each other over me. One of those beasts being my boyfriend. I need to see you as something less terrifying for the next minute. Especially while he is lying there, naked and bleeding.” She huddled into his arms, kissing his neck.
“I should’ve shown you my lion before. You wouldn’t have been as scared.”
“It’s okay. I just really thought we would all die if the ceiling collapsed.”
“I would never let anything happen to you,” he vowed.
“I know.” Her eyes lined with tears. “You came for me,” she whispered. “I can’t believe you found me. You’re quite an amazing man, Kai Mason. Thanks for being mine.”
“I’m sorry it took so long.”
“It’s okay. I should never have left your parents’ place. Can we leave now?” her eyes were purposefully not looking in Ciro’s direction.
“Yeah. Just let me deal with this.”
Kai took Ember into his arms. Not because she couldn’t climb the stairs by herself, but because he needed to touch her. He needed to show to his lion, and to himself, that she was okay. She was safe.
Their mate was going to be just fine.
He settled her at one of the small tables in the bakery before he searched for his forgotten clothes and grabbed his phone. Kai called the Detective he had spoken with earlier that day. Kai had just enough time to redress before the Officer got down to the bakery. Ten cruisers drove up to the shop, sirens and lights blazing. A few cops went down to the basement, where they would find a very naked and very unconscious Ciro. The Detective took their statement, but Kai was adamant that they wouldn’t keep them long. If they had more questions or needed more information, they could wait until he had Ember back home, safe and away from Ciro.
The Detective had clearly wanted to argue, but Kai was in no mood. That was made abundantly clear when he growled at this Officer.
“We’re leaving.”
“Sorry,” Ember told the Officer. “He’s a bit testy. You would think he was the one tied up in a basement.” She waved her fingers at the cop and led Kai away. “Before you start on the lecture, I just want to say that I’m sorry. I had no idea Ciro was responsible. He called about a fire, and I panicked. I completely forgot about everything else. This bakery was my whole world for years, you see? I was devastated. I’m sorry you had to come to save me again.”
“I have a handful of new gray hairs because of you, Ember.” He took her in his arms, held her close, and kissed the top of her head. “You don’t have to apologize. Just don’t rush off next time you get a call while being stalked.”
“Next time?” she asked, poking his rib.
“Please, god, don’t let there be a next time. I can’t lose you, Ember. I love you too damn much.”
“I love you too, Kai. Take me home, please. Your home.”
“Our home,” he corrected. “And you’re not leaving the house until Ciro is in jail.”
Ember rolled her eyes. “Fine by me. I got plans anyway. It involves chocolate icing and you. As a way to apologize for putting myself in danger again and I want to see my mate in lion form when he isn’t attacking another shifter.”
This time, when he drove, Kai only committed two-hundred-fifty-two traffic violations.
Chapter Twenty
Two Weeks Later
Is it possible to sweat to death?
Ember tried to ignore the voice in her head, running a constant commentary. No, so far as she knew, it wasn’t possible to die from sweating too much. Though, if it ever were to happen? It would definitely happen at this precise moment, because sweet heavens above, they were taking their sweet ass time as if they weren’t holding all of her dreams in the palms of their hands.
Think about something else Ember.
The first thought that came rushing to mind was when Kai had brought