“I have no idea. Maybe because she figured it out that he was leopard and she sent for help. Sometimes, a very sick person can fixate on someone. She’s entering the Han Vol Dan. She’s very close and every male leopard in the lair is well aware of it. It’s possible he believed he would claim her and then she betrayed him by choosing me. There’s no way of saying what triggers a sick mind to do terrible things, but clearly, he’s angry with her.”

“She won’t let you protect her.”

Drake looked her straight in the eye. “I’ll take care of her, Pauline. Nothing will happen to her, I give you my word. She can do whatever she wants, and I’ll be right beside her. Where I go, my men will go and they won’t make the mistake again of letting him get close. The killer pissed them off royally.”

Pauline started down the stairs and then stopped again, resting her hand on his wrist. “You won’ take her too far from me will you?”

“I don’t think Saria will ever go far from you for long, Pauline,” he said. “I want to show her the rain forest, but I know this is her home. This is the place she loves, and she is not going to be happy if she’s away from you or the swamp.”

Pauline beamed at him. “I knew you’d understand.” “I’ve lived my life all over the world,” he said. “I’ve never had a home until I found Saria. She is home to me. It won’t matter to me where I live, as long as I have her with me. I travel for work and will have to continue to do that for a while, but this will be our home base.” He sighed. “After all, that man of yours tricked me into challenging for leadership.”

“It was a win-win situation for him. If you hadn’t challenged, Remy would have, or one of Saria’s other brothers.”

“He talked it over with you first. That old wily coot.”

“Of course he did. We both wanted to ensure Saria’s best interests. If you hadn’t challenged, you weren’t in love with her and she shouldn’t be with you.”

“I can’t believe that old man skunked me.”

Pauline laughed. “That old man has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.”

Drake shook his head. Now that he’d had a brief glimpse at Amos Jeanmard, he could understand how he had achieved a leadership role. Now it was up to Drake to find out how much damage Charisse Mercier’s hybrid flower, bad decisions and poor bloodlines had done to the lair and who among them was a serial killer.

Chapter 15

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