Page 35 of Tiger Bitten

“I don’t have to take you to him,” she said softly. “It’s totally up to you.”

“Do you think running from him would work?” Ren whispered.

With her heart in her eyes, Misty shook her head. “They always find their Rabbits. Even if it takes their entire lives.”

“How did you get Stellan to stop hunting you?”

“Mars and Dame nearly killed him, and I saved him. I forced the tiger’s fealty.”

“Fuck,” Ren murmured, feeling a hundred pounds of weight on her shoulders.

“I think that’s Stellan’s plan.”

“What?”

“To kill Mars. And have you try to save him. It’s the only reason I can think of why Stellan got into his phone and brought you here.”

“Do you trust Stellan?”

“Hell no. But I do trust Dame, and I know he wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Neither would I. I don’t know what it is about these Ledger brothers that makes them latch onto Rabbits like this, but Dame is strong, and I now carry.” She lifted her T-shirt to expose a handgun in a holster. “And pepper spray works pretty well on these boys too.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I pepper sprayed Stellan a few hours ago when he was being an asshole.”

Ren giggled. There really was nothing funny about this situation, but she did feel better that Misty had pepper-sprayed the jerk who had catfished her into say she loved Mars.

“He was pissed,” Misty said honestly. “Dame had to spray his face with the hose, but he has a setting that can crank up the water pressure, and you can guess what he did.”

“Pressure washed his face?”

“Pressure washed his face,” Misty agreed.

Well, at least a little justice was served.

“What do you say?” Misty asked. “Are you going to stay, or do you want to leave and go back home?”

Ren inhaled deeply and stared at the parking garage pillar in front of them. Someone had spray painted I love Ophelia on it. That graffiti artist had actually meant their words enough to paint them onto a concrete pillar for the world to see, unlike the catfish-declaration she’d received from a freaking stranger via text instead of from Mars.

She’d said it back. I love you too. Ren had texted it back so easily and she knew it was how she really felt. It had all happened too fast, but there was nothing to be done about that now.

Rabbit or not, she missed Mars, and she didn’t want to go home with more questions than when she had arrived. She wanted to understand.

She blew out a breath and nodded, then looked over at Misty.

“I’ll stay.”

Chapter Twelve

Whatever she’d expected Misty and Dame’s home to look like, it hadn’t been this.

The long driveway was lined with perfectly manicured trees and landscaping, and the house was smaller, but with high-end everything. Beside it was a huge separate garage, but instead of parking there, Misty drove down a fork in the road to the left. Another short, beautiful trip down a winding road, and there was a huge red shop in a clearing. The parking area had fresh gravel and even here, the shop or barn was tastefully landscaped. The ground was dappled with sunrays beaming through the towering tree branches above, and off to the side, she could see a huge RV.

“This is the nicest place I’ve ever seen,” Ren murmured as Misty pulled to a stop beside a familiar truck. Stellan must’ve driven Mars’s truck up here. That man sure had some audacity.

She was nervous now. She could smell him. Mars was just inside that barn. She could tell.

Inside, there was the low murmur of voices. Movement caught her attention, and near the RV, a man stepped out of the trees. He looked so much like Mars, it was shocking. But it wasn’t him. His eyes were glowing a bright gold. Mars had blue eyes.