Page 34 of Bear
The problem was I could be a blip on Bear’s radar right now. Just a passing female to bide his time until his mate came along. Sure, he found me pretty, but he might just be doing me a favor because he was the only man I’d found attractive.
If I slept in that bed with him—willingly—I was gonna fall harder.
Bear rested his hand against my back urging me in.
“Come on, I don’t bite… hard.” He chuckled and pushed me further into the room.
Well shit.
Bear pulled back the covers and lifted me by the waist so I didn’t have to crawl inside. He frowned once I rolled over, and he tucked me in. “Are you sure you don’t want another meal replacement shake? I think you need to eat more.”
I made a gagging noise. “No, I’m full. I’ll throw up dinner if you make me drink another.” Bear sighed and put another blanket on top of me. “Then I’ll wake you up in the middle of the night to drink another.”
Was he crazy?
“I get feral if someone wakes me during my beauty sleep,” I warned and brought out my fake claws. “Rawr.”
Bear grabbed my hand and looked at my nails. “Those tiny things? They will do nothing. Now these…” He took his hand and elongated his claws. They grew as long as my fingers. They were thick and black, just like a bear, and just as sharp. “These are claws.”
I reached out to touch them; they were strong and sturdy and not at all weak and fake looking like I thought they would be. “Can I see more? Can I see your grizzly? Is it big?”
Bear retracted his claws, rounded the bed, and curled up beside me, making me the little spoon. I sighed happily as he curled around me, the gigantic mountain of a man engulfing me into a little ball of warmth. “I’m still healing, but soon. I think he would like to meet you.”
“You speak like he is another person.” I yawned.
“He is. He has his own thoughts and talks to me. It’s damn annoying sometimes.”
“Does he like me okay? Does he find me annoying?”
Bear’s loud motor-like purring started, and my body oozed against him more.
“He isn’t talking yet, but I know he likes you. How could he not?”
I smiled, closing my eyes. The warmth of his body, the noise he made with his chest was lulling me to sleep faster. I had so many more questions, and the fear of speaking was nothing but a distant memory now. I felt comfortable talking—to Bear anyway, and I was ready to continue to find out more about him.
Bear’s fingers stroked my arm, his nose buried deep into my neck. Unfortunately, my plan to keep my heart away from him was failing. I was falling for the first time in my life. He had a mate out there, and the undeniable attractiveness we both had for each other was going to break me in the end.
I didn’t want to give it up, not yet. Once I get stronger physically, maybe I could guard my heart better.
Fat chance.
“You think so little of me. You really thought I would never find out?” Master Cunningham taunted and circled my parents. They were tied to metal chairs, with thick ropes pressing into their tender skin. Neither one of them had their shirts on. Mama only in her bra and pin-straight skirt.
Another punch flew across Papa’s face, blood spraying into Mama’s eyes as she screamed at Master Shane for mercy. “Please, please, do not hurt him!”
“Then tell me,” Master Cunningham asked, “who told you to work for me? Who told you to gather intel? I want the source. I want to know exactly who you report to and how you do it. I’ve watched you, but you both”—he wagged his finger at the both of them—“are very clever, clever indeed. I don’t even know the true residence of your home, so you obviously have done this before.”
This time, another masked male flipped out his knife and shoved it up Papa’s ring fingernail. The silent scream was worse than hearing his throat opening up and letting out a howl. He was in so much pain, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was watching from the shadows, unable to watch history repeat itself over and over. It was just as bad as the first time I watched this torturous scene.
“I’m going to ask you again, who?” Master Cunningham shook with fury while unbuttoning his collar and letting the tie slide down his pristine white shirt. He wouldn’t dare let the blood get on his clothes—he promised his new bride he wouldn’t get his hands bloody.
“We couldn’t tell you if we wanted to.” Mama narrowed her eyes at him. “We were asked to check on your mansion. You were smuggling drugs and dealing with someone dangerous that could lead to trafficking humans. We were simply asked to watch, and they would contact us when the time was right.”
“And you blindly followed?” Master Cunningham rolled up his sleeves with a smirk.
Papa spat out the blood out from his mouth. “Comes with the line of work.”
Master Cunningham snapped his fingers and pointed to the table. Papa was untied and wrestled until he was laid faced up and tied once again. Master Cunningham shook his head and leaned over Mama’s body, a cruel smile falling upon his lips.
