Page 30 of Saving Meri

"Not yet," Bear muttered, taking the next turn hard, weaving through the side streets. It wouldn’t take Fitz long to be on comms, disabling traffic cameras and preventing them from being tagged. Until then, it was just him and Meri, relying on instinct and skill.

Meri wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, smearing blood she didn’t seem to notice. Her knuckles were white from how tightly she was gripping the gun.

Bear reached across the center console, his hand locking around her thigh. "You with me, little one?"

Her lips parted slightly, her body still vibrating from the fight, but she nodded. "I’m with you."

A deep, primal satisfaction settled in his gut. She wasn’t breaking. She was rising. He pressed down on the gas, pushing the SUV harder, feeling the satisfying growl of the engine beneath him. The chase wasn’t over yet.

Meri exhaled sharply, forcing herself to focus. "I should be panicking right now," she said with a touch of awe in her voice as she glanced down at the gun still in her grip. "But I’m not."

Bear took another sharp turn before answering. “You were never meant to be someone’s victim, baby,” Bear said. "You’re remembering who the hell you are."

Her throat bobbed, something flickering in her eyes—recognition, maybe even understanding.

Bear kept his grip firm on her leg, grounding her, keeping her connected to him. "You did good," he murmured. "You held your ground, and you gave me the cover I needed."

Her chin lifted slightly as she gave him a cheeky grin. "I hate to damage your ego, but I wasn’t really covering for you. I would not let them take me again."

He grinned back. “Brat.”

He delighted in the fact that she felt like she could tease him, but even more because she hadn’t just depended on him to save her. No. She’d been willing to do what it took to save herself.

Bear reached the last stretch of road leading to his loft, a converted brewery overlooking the lake. The security was tight, both the underground parking and elevator requiring a key fob to access the building. The elevator had two doors—one front, one back. The one at the front opened onto the first two floors. The first floor appeared to be a working brewery. There had been some talk among Cerberus staff of actually trying to brew their own beer. The second floor was comprised of a large conference room and behind thick, reinforced steel walls, a massive armory and a secure storage area.

The other opened into the foyer of his unit—an enormous penthouse loft with a private rooftop deck. An access code was required to enter the loft from the foyer. No one got in or out without him knowing. Bear knew it was one of the few places in the city where Meri could breathe without looking over her shoulder.

He pulled into the underground garage, scanning the shadows before killing the engine. He turned to Meri, his expression unreadable.

"Are we clear?" she asked.

Bear gave her a slow nod. "For now."

But he knew this wasn’t over. DeLuca had made his move, and Bear had no doubt the bastard was already regrouping. But DeLuca wasn’t the only predator in this game.

Bear unbuckled and reached for Meri, his large hands gripping her hips as he lifted her across the center console and onto his lap. She stiffened slightly at the sudden shift in control, but she didn’t resist.

Her wide eyes searched his. "Bear…"

"You listen to me," he said, voice dark and full of the authority she was learning to surrender to. "I don’t give a damn what’s coming next. No one takes you from me. Not DeLuca. Not his men. Not the ghosts in your head telling you you’re still running. No one."

Her breath hitched, her fingers curling against his chest. "I wasn’t running," she whispered.

Bear stroked a hand up her back, tilting her chin higher. "I know, little one. You fought." His lips brushed the shell of her ear as he murmured, "And you won."

She let out a shuddering breath, her body sinking slightly into him.

Bear gave her another moment before shifting her off his lap and opening the door. "Come on, time to get you inside."

She climbed out, her legs unsteady for half a second before she straightened. Bear kept his hand on her lower back as they made their way to the private elevator. The doors slid open with a quiet chime, and he pressed the key fob against the panel.

The ride up was silent. Meri stood close, her body still humming with adrenaline, her fingers twitching slightly at her sides. Bear watched her reflection in the polished steel doors, the way she clenched her jaw, the way she held herself together through sheer force of will.

The elevator doors slid open, revealing his loft—a sprawling, open-concept space with floor-to-ceiling windowsthat overlooked the lake. The city lights reflected off the water, casting soft shadows across the hardwood floors.

Bear watched her walk toward his room, his gut tightening as she disappeared inside.

DeLuca had made his move. Now it was Bear’s turn.

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