Polar Bared (9 page)

“I know why you’re hiding, Ghost.”

Gene tensed. Someone who knew his secrets? He’d kill the old guy if he had to.

“I’m not going to tell anyone, boy, so calm down. And when I said I know you’re hiding I wasn’t referring to your reputation or the trouble you’ve gotten embroiled in. See, boy, I was you forty years ago. A son of a bitch angry at the world, determined to make them pay and never let anyone get close.”

“And? Seems to have worked for you. You’re still alive and kicking.”

“Alive yes. Happy no. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Don’t let the ghosts of the past take away your future. Life is too short for bitterness and recriminations. You still have a chance for happiness.”

“There is no redemption for me.”

“Forgiveness can happen to anyone, if you learn to forgive yourself.”

Funny how his words almost echoed Boris’. Gene didn’t reply, but he did notice himself absently stroking the soft skin of Vicky’s cheek. He snatched his hand away, but not before the old wolf noticed.

“You still have a chance. Don’t fuck it up. Take your woman and go. Find somewhere safe.”

“She’s not my woman.”

The old guy snorted. “If you say so. Whatever she is to you, she doesn’t deserve to die because of it.”

“She won’t die.” A fierce claim said aloud, which made it binding. Fucking morals again.
I thought I ditched those bastards in that prison.

“If you want to make sure she stays alive then you better get moving before the other boys realize you’re here still.”

More little bastards who wanted to harm a defenseless woman? Not just his bear bristled at the thought. “How many more in the group?”

“Two, unless the third one who left yesterday is coming back.”

Gene’s malevolent smile answered that.

“Then only two, but they’re armed and tougher than this pair.”

“Shifter?” Gene said it aloud. It wasn’t as if the old guy didn’t know what Gene was. If his polar bear could tell with one sniff, then the grizzled wolf surely knew.

“Human, but military trained. They won’t panic like those idiots.”

In other words, maybe a little more of a challenge. Excellent. Gene did enjoy a good fight. “What are you going to tell authorities?” Because no way could the expedition leader hide the fact several of his group had gone missing.

A crooked smile split the wolf’s lips. “I’ll tell them the truth. Bear attack. One killed, another injured, and the poor little lady here is missing.”

A rare grin ghosted his lips. “I assume at one point she’ll surface, having miraculously survived because a brave hunter rescued her and brought her to civilization.”

“Something like that. I’m sure you’ll figure something out. Enough chatter. You best get her dressed and moving. Where’s your clothes?”

“Stashed a ways from here.”

“I’ve got some stuff you can use. It might be a bit tight, but at least you won’t freeze. You’ll have to stay hidden though until you reach them, you and the girl. I’ll stash the garments with the sled. First, though, I gotta get the folks here looking the other way whilst you escape.”

The wolf retreated from the tent, leaving Gene alone with Vicky, who, despite her trembling from the cold and a blossoming bruise on her cheek—
Grrr—
seemed relatively unharmed, but not out of danger if the old wolf could be believed.

I’ll keep you safe.

In order to accomplish that, though, he needed to get her out of here before the pricks with guns showed their ugly human faces to finish the job. But he couldn’t exactly drag her out in her onesie flannel jammies patterned with… He peered in disbelief. Frolicking polar bears.

“The woman is demented.” But in a cute way. She was also regaining consciousness.

“What happened?” she asked groggily. Her eyes fluttered open, and she caught sight of him. Most women would have screamed. She gasped, a soft feminine sound he could have gobbled up, especially since it had his name. “Gene. What are you doing here?”

“What’s it look like I’m doing?”
Being a fucking idiot.
“I’m saving you from danger. Again. You’re a damned magnet, Pima. Leave you alone for a few hours and you just can’t stay out of trouble.”

She bit her lower lip. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Sure you didn’t,” he groused. He knew she didn’t, just like she didn’t purposely try to rouse his lusty side with the innocent nibble of that delectable lip. Either way, it still had him doing and feeling things he shouldn’t.

It also had him thinking,
Hey, there’s a bed, and I’m naked, she could be naked and…

Not the time. Not the place. Not the woman he had any right to lust after.

Dumping Vicky on the bed, he stood. Spotting her knapsack, he grabbed it and began to stuff anything that looked useful into it. The old wolf had said he’d provide a diversion. When it hit, he needed them ready to move.

“I swear I didn’t do anything. I was sleeping when those guys came in and attacked me. Speaking of which—” She sat up and peeked around myopically. “Where are they?” As she asked, she blindly groped for a set of glasses that sat on a latched box and perched them on her nose.

Damn. No woman with her cute factor should be allowed to wear dark-rimmed glasses with hair tumbled around their shoulders and lips ready for a kiss. It was much too distracting.

“They’re gone.” He found a pair of wool socks and wedged them on his feet. But he doubted any of her garments would fit his broad shoulders or thick thighs.

“Did my bear get them?”

Her bear?
Funny how he liked the sound of that. “He did.”

“Good.”

Good? Had his timid Pima said good? “Excuse me? Since when is a bear attack considered a good thing?”

“Did you know those jerks were planning to kill me and wanted to make it look like a bear attack? I’m glad Karma paid them back.”

His sweet Pima vehement about vengeance? Shiver.
Why must she say the most arousing things?
“Yeah, Karma got them, but now their friends might retaliate.”

“What do you mean?” Before he could reply, she finally seemed to notice a few important facts. The first being… “Gene, why are you naked?”

Luckily, he had a ready-made answer. “I had to ditch my clothes.”

“But why? It’s cold.”

“I know, but they were covered in blood, you know from the bear attack. I thought it best to rid myself of them in case it brought your hungry polar back.” Little did she know it wasn’t blood that would draw him to her but her innate sweetness.
Argh.

She blinked at his reply, but didn’t swallow it. A shame. “Back up a second. I guess the first questions I should have asked are why are you here in the first place and how were you close enough to get covered in blood? You didn’t wrestle with the bear, did you?”

“Only an idiot wrestles with a polar.”

“Speaking of which, what happened to my bear? You didn’t hurt him, did you?”

Honestly, Gene probably hurt himself everyday letting his anger run his life. But he didn’t have time for mind-shrinking bullshit and her questions. “Would you stop with the interrogation and get dressed? We have to go.”

“Go, go where?” she queried but at the same time acted, suiting herself in her winter gear.

“Away.”

“But why?”

“Dammit, Pima. Would you stop it with the questions? Your ass is in danger, and I’m going to save it, against my better fucking judgment. So unless you’d prefer to end up going home in a body bag, just do what I say. Quietly.”

Her lips clamped shut, and a hurt expression flashed across her face. He wanted to punch himself. Here she showed signs of spirit and he squashed it.

She can get feisty later, once we’ve gotten away from here and I know she’s safe.

The questions stopped, and she quickly dressed, turning her back to him to strip off her jammies, leaving her clad in form-fitting long johns—which he found way sexier than normal—over which she layered proper clothing for the elements. What a shame she had to hide those curves.

Get your head in the game and stop lamenting the fact she’s covering up her delectable body.
Given things could explode at any moment, he needed to put his time to good use. In other words, he needed to find some kind of clothing. However, he doubted anything in her tent would fit. It took but a simple yank to tear a hole in her sleeping bag, which he then tossed over his head poncho style. He would have preferred going bear, but he wasn’t quite ready to reveal that side of himself to Vicky. Especially since the shock would probably result in her face planting.

A gun shot went off, a loud boom that generated a few screams and yells. “The bear’s on the east side of the camp.” No he wasn’t, but Gene recognized a diversion when he heard one.

“That’s our cue. Follow right behind me.”

He ignored the front flap in favor of the man-made opening at the rear. Out the tattered back of the tent he crept, alert for anyone who might not have fallen for the plot to avert attention. Along the outer edge of the camp he snuck, Vicky a panting shadow at his back, fear making her breathe harshly, but at least she remained upright.

While the yells continued from the other end of the encampment, and the occasional gunshot echoed, their side remained relatively quiet.

Too quiet.

Too easy.

Gene didn’t like it.

He halted in the shadow of the last tent, able to see the silent snowmobiles parked at random. He might have wondered which one the old wolf meant for him to take if he hadn’t spotted the pile of clothing on the seat of one of them.

Fuck me. If I get out of this alive, I’m going to owe the old guy a favor. How about by not killing him because he knows who I am?
That seemed fair. The villain handbook never advocated allies. Allies would eventually betray you. But, once upon a time, Gene recalled when that wasn’t true. When he used to run with a set of men who would have laid their lives down for him. Until he let his messed-up emotions fuck with their lives.

Forget the past. Here and now, there was only him, and one severely frightened human.

He crouched down in the shadow of the last tent, and Vicky followed suit. He whispered, “I’m going to go out there first. Alone. I want to see if anyone is watching the sleds. I’ll start the engine, and if the coast is clear, I’ll wave you over. You come running and hop into the sledge.”

“Not behind you?”

“Can you promise not to faint if someone chases after us and starts to shoot?”

“Sled it is,” she replied with a wry grin and cute wrinkle of her nose.

Again, another pesky smile ghosted his lips. If he wasn’t careful, he’d actually end up enjoying himself.
Can’t have that happening.
It would totally ruin his reputation.

While leaving Vicky alone wasn’t ideal, he needed to ensure there wasn’t a trap waiting for him. The old wolf might seem like the honest sort, but if the other humans hunting were even slightly skilled, they’d recognize the diversionary tactic.

Which meant he might be walking into danger.

Awesome. And him wearing a fucking sleeping bag as a poncho, bare legs poking out the bottom. How emasculating.

His bear ducked its head in his mind and put paws over its eyes. Add embarrassing too. He contented himself with the knowledge he could kill anyone who dared mock him and before they could recount what they saw.

But what about Vicky? She’d know.

He’d deal with her loose lips later.
By plastering mine against them and making her swear secrecy. We’ll seal it with a kiss. Or two.

Or not.
Get your head into the fucking game.
Thoughts of seduction did not mesh with getting out alive.

His feet almost numb with cold, he dashed out to the snowmobile and ducked beside it. Ears and eyes alert, he scanned the area as he tugged on the gear, mismatched odds and ends that were tight across his shoulders, but would do. The boots, however, those wouldn’t go on his gigantic feet. However the old guy had left him two pairs of thermal socks, and given the sled had hand and feet warmers, it should keep him from losing any important body parts.

The last thing he found was the true treasure. A magnum gun. Fully loaded.
Make that two favors I owe him.
Any gun guy could see the weapon was a well-loved classic, and yet the old coot had left it for him.

Tucking it in his waistband, Gene straddled the snowmobile and turned the key. Primed and ready to go, the engine rumbled to life. No one came running. No one screamed a warning. No one took a shot.

He still didn’t like it.

Half turning in his seat, he signaled for Vicky to join him. Graceful did not describe her. She ran like a girl. A girl who hated running. A girl with two left feet who went plunging to the ground as they tangled.

Her clumsiness saved her life.

Ever since she’d woken, Vicky had moved on autopilot, still bemused by the series of events assailing her.

The attack on her person and subsequent rescue by her bear, while mind boggling enough, weren’t the only reasons for her lack-witted state.

Gene was back. Gene came to save her. Gene was once again naked.
Drool.

Gene. Gene. Gene.

Considering how little time she’d known him, the man kept appearing just when she most needed him.
Like a guardian angel.
Kind of like her polar bear.

Funny how many traits the two shared, from their uncanny knack to appear when her life was in peril to the fact they were both big and mean looking and, in a weird coincidence, shared a similar facial scar. They were also, beneath their growly toughness, softies where she was concerned. She considered the fact the two deadly predators hadn’t killed her a sign. A sign of what, she couldn’t say. She just knew that she could trust them.

So when Gene told her to get dressed and follow, she did. When he told her to stick to the shadows and wait for his signal, she waited. When he told her to run, she ran. If only her body would cooperate.

To her undying embarrassment, she once again proved her ineptitude by tripping over her own feet and landing face first on the packed snow. The good news, her glasses survived the impact and remained on her face. The bad news, her dignity was squashed.