Big Strong Bear (8 page)

But she wasn’t sure.

H
ades stared tensely
at the man across from him, not liking anything about him.

It had been surprisingly easy to get in to see Richard Morgan. The man was exactly what he’d expected. Smooth in that sociopath way where a man can be completely average and handsome and blend in anywhere yet hold a blank, true evil in his eyes.

Hades was glad that after this, the man would be out of Cassie’s life for good.

What Hades would do with her after that he didn’t know. He was focused on the matter at hand. But whenever he wasn’t, he could sense his anger deflating like a pricked balloon. He just couldn’t stay mad at her.

Maybe what was bothering him more was the fact that he was starting to feel guilty. For how jealous he would have been if he were in her situation. He would have reacted a lot worse; that was for sure.

He pulled a checkbook out of his pocket and clicked his pen, ready to write. “So what’s the total?”

Richard stretched in his chair awkwardly, but there was a shrewd look in his eyes. “See, I’m not sure if you know this, but at our agency, we insist the clients pay the bill themselves.”

Hades clicked his pen again and set it down, stifling the murderous rage in him with a cold calm. In a way, he had to be grateful to this man. He’d sent Cassie running back to him when she might otherwise have stayed away.

On the other hand, no one was allowed to frighten his mate.

And she would be his mate. When he got back and they worked through this latest bump, there was nothing to stop them from being together this time.

“Are you saying you’re turning me down?” he asked, leaning back in the chair, which creaked under his substantial weight, and glaring at the man across from him.

Fear flickered in Richard’s dull blue eyes, but he quickly composed himself. “Your reputation is well known, John. But no, I can’t let you take on her debt. You see, the money isn’t really what I want, and I think Cassie knows that. If she didn’t, she should never have accepted my assistance.”

Hades put a booted foot on Richard’s desk and then crossed the other over it. He put his hands behind his head, looking utterly calm. “You can send anyone you want after us. But we’re going to kill them. And if Cassie comes to any harm in the crossfire, then I’m just going to kill you. So why don’t you make it easier on yourself and just let me pay you?”

Richard swallowed. “Maybe you should know who my father is before you jump to that conclusion.”

Hades took his feet down and leaned in, grabbing the other man’s collar and yanking him forward so they were eye to eye. He dropped his civilized mask and let the other man see all the darkness inside him. The animal that had allowed him pull the trigger so many times.

The animal that had emerged from the flames.

“It doesn’t matter who your fucking father is, nitwit. When I’m through with you, your remains will fit in a fucking shoe. So you’re the one who should think before coming to conclusions. Because besides her, I have nothing. Left. To. Lose,” he snarled.

The other man’s bravado finally failed him and he pushed back from Hades, visibly shaken. He ran his hands through his hair.

“I need her more than you,” he said. “I need a bear.”

Hades snarled. “Find another one.”

“You know there are hardly any female bears around.”

“There’s about to be one less male bear if you don’t stop talking about my mate,” Hades said, tapping the desk and moving forward as if to grab the other man again.

Richard put his hands up. “Fine. I’ve lost. I get it. We won’t bother you anymore.”

Hades took up the checkbook again. “I think ten dollars should cover it?”

Richard’s jaw tensed and he scowled but nodded. “I’m assuming that isn’t up for negotiation?”

“Not unless you want the intimate details of your organization released to the public and the police,” Hades said, pulling a folded paper from his pocket and passing it over the desk. “And my guess is your father would kill you himself before that’s allowed to happen.”

Richard’s hands curled into the desk, making an unpleasant scraping sound. “Get out of my office.”

Hades wrote the check with a smirk and dropped it casually on the desktop. “Pleasure doing business with you,” he said.

“Bastard,” the other man spat. “You’ll regret this.”

Hades raised an eyebrow. “I rather think you’re the one who’ll regret this if you don’t back down right now.”

Richard sat back, looking exhausted with impotent anger. But he slowly calmed, a rat in a trap, realizing it is truly caught.

“Watch your back, asshole,” he said. “I’m not the only one who’d be happy seeing you in a ditch.”

“You and half the civilized world,” Hades said sardonically. “But you won’t get your wish, and I’ll be happy to annihilate anyone you send my way.” He made the shape of a gun with his hand. “I can always use the target practice.” He blew imaginary smoke off the tip of his “gun” and walked out the door, grinning wide because pissing off assholes just felt so damn good.

But he was about halfway to the airport when the high wore off and nervousness started to take over.

He was about to see his mate again. For the first time since their fight, and he had no idea what would be waiting for him at home. He sat quietly in the back of the taxi, trying to think of something he could do to make things easier.

All he wanted was for things to be good between them again.

He’d start by apologizing for making it all about him when she was the one who’d been hurting. It didn’t really matter who was at fault anymore or who thought what about whom. He just wanted to put it behind them and move on.

Maybe now they finally could.

H
ades got home late
that day, and as he pulled up in his Viper outside of Zeus’s house, he felt unwelcome butterflies in his stomach.

No, snipers didn’t get butterflies in their stomachs. Even when facing angry mates who were justifiably pissed.

There were a million better ways he could have reacted when she’d told him what she thought she’d seen. He should have been gentle, but he’d been so offended and so worried that something so wrong could have ruined everything that it clouded his judgment.

But with a day away from her, he didn’t care who was at fault anymore. He just wanted her to welcome him in.

And then they could talk. Really talk about what the years had been like and what the future could be like.

He hoped the chocolates and flowers in the backseat could help somewhat.

He turned off the engine and got out, coming around back to pull out his gifts for Cassie.

He heard the front door open and close and turned around, expecting to see Zeus coming out to meet him. Instead, he saw Cassie.

He froze, flowers in one hand, chocolates in the other, and watched her gaze move over him. Her eyes darted to everything he was holding, and he saw a twinkle there that made him hope this wouldn’t be as difficult as he’d been thinking.

Before he could consider what to do, she strode toward him, closing the distance quickly. When she reached him, she flung her arms around him, pressing her curves to him, driving him crazy as her lips found his and she reached up on her toes to be closer.

He dropped her presents in surprise, but she didn’t seem to mind. He grinned against her lips as he slid his hands underneath her thighs and lifted her against the car, kissing her hard and leaning her against it as she gasped and fumbled with the collar of his shirt.

After a harsh, intense kiss where they were both left panting, he pulled back and set her down so they could talk. Then he realized her stuff was on the ground and pulled it up, brushing it off so he could present it to her.

Her eyes widened, but she smiled as she took it. Then she grew shy. “I was worried you’d be mad.”

“I thought you’d be mad.”

“Come in. I made a surprise for you,” she said. “As an apology. I never should have thought that of you.”

He put a palm up to his head and his other arm around her, walking her in as she held the presents he’d brought. He gave a quick look around the clearing to make sure they were alone.

“Where are Zeus and Carly?” he asked.

“They went to dinner with Ares,” she said. “They wanted to give us some time alone.”

“Is that safe?” he asked.

“They have someone in town keeping an eye on the gang. They’re apparently staying in a hotel in town, trying to recuperate, so they’re pretty easy to locate. Zeus’s idea is to have the three of you go give them a little talking to in order to convince them to move along.”

Hades nodded. “Not a bad idea. So we have tonight to ourselves.”

“Yes, finally,” she said. “And nothing between us.”

His heart leapt at the thought of it. A dream of so many years, one he’d thought was lost, had been getting closer every day. Now it was so close he could taste it.

He took her hand and spun her against him just before they went inside. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.

“I told you to think about forever,” he said. “Did you think about it?”

She grinned mischievously. “Maybe. Why don’t you come in and see?”

He swallowed and followed her in, smelling something delicious as they went. “Holy shit, did you cook?”

“Language,” she teased lightly, holding open the door as a number of amazing smells greeted his nose.

Sometimes he forgot she made her living cooking for people. They’d usually gone out when he was on leave, to save time. But seeing a huge dinner set out for them and the effort she’d gone to so they could have the house to themselves, he was instantly hard.

Instantly excited.

In ten minutes, he’d gone from exhausted and worried to content and happy.

That was the power of a mate.

It almost seemed too good to be true, and a tiny prickle of unease told him it was.

But at least they had tonight, and he intended to take full advantage of it.

He pulled out her chair for her and helped her sit, then checked that the front door was locked and sat in his chair.

“This is amazing,” he said as she opened a crockpot and served him roast, steaming and cooked perfectly. “Does this mean you’re going to be cooking from now on?”

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “Only on special occasions. It’s my job, after all.” She winked at him, sending heat sizzling through him. “Besides, I like when you cook.”

“I like to feed you,” he said, digging in.

It was quiet for a moment, except for his groans about how good the food was. Then, while she ate, he updated her on what happened with Richard.

Like him, she seemed happy about how it had gone but still a little suspicious of whether it was really over.

It didn’t matter, though. Now that they were on the same page, there was nothing Richard could do to him that he couldn’t take.

“Thanks again for dealing with that,” she said.

“I feel like you keep thanking me incessantly,” he said. “What you need to understand is I would do anything for you, no thanks needed.”

“I’m beginning to understand that.” She put a hand up to her cheek and looked stressed. “I’m so stupid for thinking what I did. But I guess I’ve always felt insecure. You’re one of the best in the world, always moving up, destined for great things. Meanwhile, I just seemed to move in circles. The bakery was good, yes, but I couldn’t make it take off. At least not yet.”

“I bet they could use a good baker here in Bearstone Village,” he said quietly. “What do you think about living here?”

She nodded. “If it’s okay with you, I think it sounds great. Anywhere does.” She frowned. “Except home. I’m done there. Too many memories.”

“Hey, with what we saved on paying Richard, we can probably get something nice.”

She looked worried. “I don’t know. Do you think that was a mistake?”

He reached forward, tipping her chin up so she had to meet his eyes. “Cassie, no amount would have been enough for him to let go. But what I paid him sent a clear message. I don’t negotiate with criminals to take advantage of vulnerable women.”

She frowned. “But it was my fault.”

“Then send him the check if you want. But by threatening you and harming your business, he’s done nothing that deserved to be paid.”

“I’ll send the check,” she said.

“No, I will,” he said. “If it must be sent.”

“I did borrow the money,” she said, twisting her hands in her napkin.

“Fine, you can send the check. If you’ll stop talking about him or any other man and just look at only me from now on.”

Her blue eyes met his, stormy. “I’ve always only looked at you. Even when I thought… what I thought.”

His heart beat double time. “Even then? Really?”

“Would you have been able to give up on me?”

“Hell no,” he said, digging his fork into his potatoes angrily. “I’d have killed the fool.”

“Exactly,” she said. “Maybe I came to you because I really did want a second chance.”

“I’m fine with that,” he said. He got up and came around the table to take her by the hand. He pulled her up and took her in his arms, just holding her, enjoying the meal and her kindness and the lack of complications between them.

The world outside might be a mess conspiring to ruin them. But at least here within the circle of his arms, things were fine.

Finally.

W
hen dinner was cleaned up
, they sat in the living room, watching a movie together and snuggling on the large couch and ottoman.

They had time to talk about everything they’d missed in the months they’d been fighting.

Hades told her more about his accident, about how it had felt, how he’d thought he was going to die but thought of her and crawled out. How he’d worried about healing. How the wife of the team member he’d saved had thanked him.

She told him in turn about how she’d been dealing with her new business, how hard it had been to lose her dad, even though they’d had a difficult relationship, and how much she didn’t look forward to selling the house and his things.

It felt odd, like someone had rewound a tape or something. It felt good, familiar, as Cassie rested against his chest.

“I’m just glad you’re fine,” she said. “I never would have cared about the scars.” She caressed them for the first time, now that there were no barriers between them. They were surprisingly soft and smooth, just lines in his cheek and forehead and jaw.

He sucked in a breath but stayed still, letting her explore. She unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it down over his shoulders. Before, she’d been too overcome by lust to go slowly, to savor the feel of his body, the new look of it. Now she studied every inch of his bare chest as she pulled the shirt down over his arms.

On his right side, he had the same scars but deeper. But they only heightened his already considerable appeal. She ran her fingers over them, and he shuddered slightly. She cupped his pec and he flexed it, giving her a grin. She grinned back and straddled his waist so it was easy to touch him. She ran her hand along his neck, over his shoulder, down his arm, touching everywhere that had changed as he studied her with cool gray eyes.

They were neither stormy nor fiery at the moment. Just calm magnets, drawing her in.

“You remember the last time before you left?”

“On the football field?” he asked.

She nodded.

“It was raining,” he said.

“I know.” She laughed. “We had to run for it. It was awesome.”

“Yes, though every time in between was awesome too.” He ran a hand over her hair, teasing the curls. “I’m sorry I made you wait so long. I was so busy. I assumed you were too. I was doing what I felt was right, but I shouldn’t have made you wait so long. I shouldn’t have made you feel insecure.”

“You’re a man who loves saving people. I always understood that. And I only wanted you when you were ready to be done.”

“Well, I’m not really done. After all, I get to keep saving you, don’t I?”

His phone buzzed on the coffee table, and he picked it up and looked at it.

Then he texted something back and set it aside. She loved watching his long, capable fingers work.

“Who was that?” she asked, pulling his shirt back up but leaving it unbuttoned in the front so she could still see the full row of his rippling abs.

“Zeus. He and Carly are staying with Ares in town, so we have the place to ourselves.”

She ran a hand over his chest, a delicious thrill of anticipation going through her. “So does that mean…?” It was sudden, but with nothing between them, there was no reason they couldn’t claim one another.

She’d thought something stupid of him, but he’d forgiven her, and he’d never been with another woman.

And she’d never loved another man. She ran her hands through his hair on both sides, making him lean back his head with closed eyes. She traced the lines of his face, his stark brows, his high cheekbones, the straight, solid jaw, lightly covered with stubble from his trip.

He was really here with her. Home. For the first time, it seemed real. She ran her hand down his chest to the button on his pants, but he stopped her, eyes opening to look deeply into hers.

It always felt like he was seeing her soul when he did that.

“I’ve been thinking not tonight,” he said. “I want it to be special. I want to be able to think of nothing but you. Us. But here, not in our own space, with men out there hunting us… I just couldn’t give it the attention it deserves. I don’t want anything else on my mind when I claim you.”

She nodded slowly, disappointed. What he said made sense, but she wanted him. She was already wet, aching deep inside. She made to roll off him, but he pulled her back, cradling her in his arms and nuzzling her neck before taking her lips in a kiss.

When he released her, she let out a sigh. “I guess I can wait.”

“Can you believe it? A day ago, we were fighting, and now…”

“I know,” she said. “But things always moved fast for us. It was only a matter of time.”

“Yes,” he said. “There’s a resort near here, just a little ways up the mountains, really popular. And an amazing lodge, from what I hear. I think it’s the perfect place. After this is over, I’d love to take you there.”

“That sounds great.”

He held her a little tighter, leaning back and closing his eyes for a second before opening them. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up in the morning and this will just be a dream. I’ll be back in my house, along with my scars, with you not talking to me.”

She swallowed back pain at the image. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I would have been worse. We both know that. I’m glad you were jealous over me. It’s just… I know this is stupid, but Hera isn’t a girl to me. She’s just another soldier. It didn’t occur to me how it could look. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“It doesn’t matter. All that matters is where we go from here,” she said.

He put a hand on her middle. “Cubs?”

“Who knows?” she said. “I’d like that.”

He nodded and rested his head on hers. “Me too.”

“So what happens tomorrow?” she asked.

“Oh, that’s the other thing Zeus mentioned in the text. We’re meeting at nine to have that ‘talk’ with the motorcycle gang. I don’t think they’re connected to Richard, but I want to make sure. And then run them out of town so none of us have to worry about them anymore.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like the idea of you being in danger again.”

“Not much,” he said. “Men like that can’t threaten me. Especially not with my team.”

“I know,” she said. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it. After this, I just want peace.”

“Me too,” he agreed.

It was silent for a moment, interrupted by the call of an owl outside in the dark. “I want you to promise me you’ll stay here, though, with the doors locked,” he said. “And call me instantly if anything feels off. There’s no indication anyone would come here, but at the same time…”

“I know,” she said.

“Zeus has a safe room, in the basement. If you hear the alarm go off, you get down there and lock the door behind you. No one should be able to open that door on you. Not before we could get back here.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll stay safe. You worry about you.”

“Nah,” he said. “Worrying about you is what I do best.”

She playfully swatted at him and then rested against his chest. Then he stood with her in his arms and walked toward the bedroom.

“I just want to hold you tonight. We can talk and snuggle until we fall asleep, and then when we wake up, I’ll be right next to you, will kiss you good-bye, and then head out to take care of the last thing in our way.”

She sighed. A little part of her still felt apprehensive, like it couldn’t be over this easily.

But she wanted to believe him. Things hadn’t been easy at all up until this point. They deserved a little ease now.

Too bad that wasn’t how life ever worked.

But as they got ready for bed and lay down together, with the beautiful trees around them and the town just below them, Cassie felt peace and contentment. She was here with her love and nothing else mattered.

Not until the morning, anyway.

T
he next morning
, Hades woke bright and early, kissed his mate on the forehead, held her for a moment when she wrapped her arms around him, and then headed out, telling her he would see her soon.

Cassie watched him go with a long sigh, knowing she’d be tense and worried until he was back in her arms, but everything should go just fine. She heard the alarm arm itself and Hades lock the door behind him and knew at least for now, she was safe.

She looked at the clock and wondered how she would make it until he got back. With a yawn, she curled into the covers, still warm from his presence, and snuggled in, enjoying his scent. She decided if she could sleep, she probably should, because it would make the time while he was gone pass faster. They were so close to their happy ending.

So close.

She woke to the sound of her phone ringing on the bedside table and sat bolt upright to grab it and answer.

“Hades?” she gasped hopefully.

The answering voice was low and serious and definitely didn’t belong to Hades. “No, it’s Zeus. Have you seen him?”

Her stomach felt like a pond someone had just dropped a boulder into. “No. Why? He went to see you. Hours ago.”

Zeus bit off a harsh curse, then apologized. “Sorry. He never made it.”

“Why didn’t you call sooner?”

“We figured he was spending time with you. To be honest, we were really happy he’d found a mate and we didn’t want to interrupt. He should have told us he was leaving.”

“He told you yesterday he’d be there, didn’t he?” she asked, hating how fast her heart was racing, thinking about everything that could have happened to him. A car accident. A heart attack. Or worse.

“Yeah, but things happen. We decided to just deal with it ourselves since we thought maybe he’d decided to stay back. Anyway, the gang is done, not a problem anymore. Don’t worry. We’re coming over. Stay put. We’ll be there in a minute.”

“But—” She tried to argue but was interrupted by the click of his phone hanging up.

She slowly lowered her phone, letting it drop on the bed. Every part of her wanted to run from the cabin, shift into her bear, and run for her mate. It felt as urgent as breathing. But she restrained herself because she’d promised she’d stay here and be safe.

Still, if he really was in danger, all bets were off.

But how could he not be in danger? Nothing else would keep him from helping his friends, and otherwise, he would have come back to her. The thought made her sick as she paced in the bedroom and then decided to get changed.

She pulled on jeans and hiking boots and a sturdy flannel shirt she’d reserved for outside days with her father. She wanted to be prepared for anything. She walked into the bathroom and pulled her hair back into a bun, using bobby pins to make sure each unruly blond curl was in place.

When she heard Zeus pull up outside with Ares, she walked to the front door and deactivated the alarm.

At the same time, her phone buzzed and she picked it up to look at it. The message had her freezing in place while the two large men looking for Hades strode in the door.

I
have your lover
. He’ll wish he hadn’t messed with the Morgan family by the time this is over. If his friends come alone, we’ll give them a fight, but only after putting a bullet in your lover boy’s head.

The debt needs to be paid, and we both know the only way to pay it. You come to the old Red Devils compound, or we take his life as interest.

XO

Richard

S
he chucked the phone
. Ares, Hades’s blond, tall, and easygoing friend picked it up, expression tightening as he read it and then showed it to Zeus.

“Damn,” Zeus said. “We can’t bring her. He’d kill us.”

“I’m not sure we have a choice. Morgan… I’ve heard the name before.”

“A loan shark,” she said, wiping tears of anger from her eyes. “Richard Morgan, who I was stupid enough to accept help from when paying medical bills.”

“Yeah, but didn’t Hades take care of that?” Ares asked.

She shook her head. “Hades blackmailed him and threatened him. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea. I knew Richard wouldn’t back off. But Hades was convinced.”

“My guess is Richard just pretended to be cowed until he could run to Daddy,” Ares sneered. “Dammit!” Then he looked at Cassie apologetically. “Sorry.”

“No, dammit is right,” she said, reaching for her phone and jamming it in her pocket. “This sucks big time.” But she could feel something hardening inside her. She was done letting Richard Morgan determine her life. She’d just gotten Hades back. She was never letting him go again.

“We can’t let you come with us,” Ares said, eyeing her warily. “We should take you back to my safe house.”

“No,” she said, lacing up her boots, ready for combat. “They’ve got my mate. No one in the world would tell me to stay away if I were a male.”

Zeus and Ares looked at each other. “It’s not that you’re female; it’s that Hades will literally kill us for putting you in danger.”

“And I’ll kill you if you don’t give me a chance to save him. I’m not some fighter, some soldier like you, but I can be crazy as anyone when someone has my mate.”

Ares went quiet, and Zeus studied her silently, those unnerving blue eyes pinned on her.

“She is a bear,” he said quietly.

“I know,” Ares said. “But can we risk it?”

“It’s not your choice,” she said, walking up to them to jab both hard in the chest. She was done being passive. She was done running away.

If she lost Hades, she had nothing else to lose.

“They’ll kill him if I don’t come with you. You know they won’t care if he dies. I’m your only shot,” she said.

Ares looked reluctant but convinced, and Zeus just folded his arms and nodded.

“We have to let her come. She’s right. But we won’t let anything happen,” Zeus said. “Besides, it’d be wrong to tell her she couldn’t. Not with what’s at stake. Not when she’s a bear like us.”

Right. A bear. She could regenerate, and she could fight, if not male bears, then definitely humans. She could help, and more than anything, she could make them think she was there to negotiate.

Rather than tear off their heads and take back her sexy mate.