Bear, page 22
Locking down all feelings, he harnessed his strength and powered through as he’d always been taught. Although his screaming muscles could be silenced through sheer will, the shouting in his ears among all the chaos wasn’t as easily tuned out.
“On your left!”
Bear’s forearm shot up, blocking the hit.
“That’s what I’m talking about, man. Take him out,” someone who sounded an awful lot like Brody said from behind him.
Bear sunk his fist into his opponent’s abdomen and landed a mean uppercut, courtesy of the many boxing lessons his father had given him over the years. This time, when his opponent bit the ground, there was no referee to stop him. He continued to pound on the motherfucker until strong arms bounded around him and pulled him off.
“I think he’s dead,” Brody said, panting, as he let go of Bear.
He whirled, looking for Chad. He was on the ground, holding his ribs. Gauge stood behind him, his gun in one hand, phone in the other. Hunter busied himself with stomping out the fire.
“Where’s Scott?” Brody asked, looking around frantically. He must’ve run upon them first.
“Here, dad,” Scott called out, walking on one side of Roxie as Roc guarded the other, making their way over the group surrounding The Shadow.
Brody rushed up to him as Bear walked over to Chad and squatted.
“Kicked me in the side,” the boy said through his teeth. “Didn’t know what else to do to help y’all find where we were hiding. Had that lighter you gave me in my pocket. I panicked.” He winced, hunching over.
“I got you,” Bear murmured, wrapping Chad’s arm around his neck and lifting him up. “And you did damn good, son. Damn good.”
Roxie rushed over, and Chad teared up. “God, mom, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened. I-I wasn’t going to shoot anybody—”
“Hush, now. Let me check you out.” She ran her good hand all over Chad’s upper body and yanked up his shirt when he grimaced.
He put on a brave face. “I’m fine.”
“No, you are not. This looks like a footprint on your chest.” She gasped. “That no good piece of horseshit.” She turned as if to unleash hell on Thad, but Bear grabbed her around the waist, careful of her crudely bandaged shoulder.
“He can’t get any deader, little momma. Let’s get you both to the hospital. You’re still bleeding.”
“Roc said the bullet went through. Just need a Band-Aid.”
Infuriating woman.
Bear barked some orders over to his team to have authorities ready with ambulances where they’d be exiting. Brody followed with a shell-shocked Scott while the others stayed to meet the feds.
As they started their journey out of the woods, Chad said, “You got a mean right hook. Popped him good. Bet your daddy’s proud of you.”
The hint of sadness in Chad’s voice shredded Bear’s heart. He reached up and rubbed Chad’s hair. “All real dads are proud of their boys.”
Chad’s lip twitched before a shy smile formed. It didn’t last as he sucked in a pain-filled breath, but it’d been there. “You think…you think you could show me how to fight like that one day?”
Emotion clogged Bear’s throat, stalling a verbal reply, so he nodded instead.
He’d give Chad everything, regardless of what happened with Roxie, but if he had his way, that woman would be joined at his hip for the rest of his life.
He just had to convince her it was exactly where she belonged.
Chapter Thirty
Okay, so it hadn’t been just a little booboo. Roxie had never known the kind of physical pain that came with a bullet tearing through one’s shoulder. Childbirth was close, but that’d been eighteen years ago…and her vagina. When she’d tried to make the joke that her who-ha was tough because it got pounded regularly, no one in the emergency room had laughed. Shelby would’ve appreciated her crude humor.
Doctors had informed Roxie it was the adrenaline keeping her from feeling the full effect of the damage. She’d needed surgery to repair some blood vessels and other medical stuff she didn’t fully grasp—no doubt aided by the painkillers—but they’d acted like everything affected was repairable.
That’d been two days ago, and now she was itching to get out of this dang hospital.
Most of the local gang had been by to visit her. Xan had been by several times with the baby, but she and Brody had their hands full with Scott. The boy was too young to have many memories of his life before, but being taken and the reason why had really rattled him. He’d also been hurt that Chad would shoot him, but her son had reassured him he’d had no intention of shooting anybody. If he’d had to, he was going to shoot beside Scott and make it look like he’d missed.
Turned out Chad hadn’t shot Roxie.
Axle had dealt the blistering blow, and lord, but that man was remorseful. He’d caught up with Roxie and Bear right when they’d reached the ambulance, apologizing profusely for the miss. Of course, if Roxie hadn’t dived for Scott, she wouldn’t have gotten hit, Axle would’ve killed Thad, and Chad might not have gotten startled, firing his gun by accident. Roxie was actually relieved her son didn’t have to live with the guilt of injuring her, but that didn’t make Axle feel any better. He and his fiancée had visited longer than anybody else.
Xan walked into the room, rubbing her hands together. “You’re all set. The nurse is getting a wheelchair. Let’s get you out of that awful gown.”
“Hallelujah.” Roxie jumped off the bed. The nurse had removed her IV earlier today, so she’d only been waiting on her discharge papers. Not caring one bit about showing her lily-white ass, she popped the snaps loose and shucked the cotton sack she’d been draped in for the last two days. She needed a shower and a bath…in that order.
Within minutes, she was dressed and being escorted to Xan’s car. All the flowers and balloons were already shoved into the backseat. Everyone who’d stopped by had brought her something. Even Teddy.
He’d checked in on her a few times each day she was there but hadn’t stayed long on any of his visits. She wasn’t sure what to make of that. He wasn’t exactly avoiding her. When he’d been at the hospital, he’d been demanding of the staff, attentive to her needs, and even affectionate toward her. He’d caress her arm, hold her hand, and even kiss her forehead before he’d leave. Any talk about their relationship or the fight they’d had that day had been avoided, but now that she was on her way home from the hospital, they wouldn’t be putting off that discussion any longer.
“Brody already picked up your medication and left it on your kitchen counter. He almost left a dirty diaper in your trash, too, but luckily, I was on the phone with him when he changed Xander and warned him not to do that.”
Roxie laughed. “I appreciate that. With Chad’s bruised ribs, I’ll be on trash duty for a while.”
“I’m sure Bear would be happy to help with chores.” Xan smiled.
Roxie cut her gaze to her friend, not willing to take the bait.
“I mean, he’s already sharing carpooling duty with Brody,” she hedged.
“I was born at night, but not last night. I know what you’re doin’, and I ain’t talking about Teddy.”
“Oh, all right.” She harrumphed.
They drove in silence for a couple of minutes but Roxie knew better than to think that was the last of it. She knew this woman better than she knew herself.
“I just think—”
“Nuh-uh. I know what you think, but it’s time for me to deal with what’s going on with Teddy on my own.”
“And Flint?” she asked gently. “Are you dealing with him?”
Roxie blew out a heavy breath. “I will probably never wrap my head around how he betrayed me and my trust. Chad could’ve been killed. As for Thad? I’m not so much hurt as I’m still in shock, I think. Everything was a lie. All of it, but honestly, Thad lost the ability to hurt me a long time ago. Besides, it’s hard to regret something when I got Chad out of the deal, ya know?”
“I get it, and who’d have thought the man who’d avoided his son for years would’ve left his entire estate to him?”
That was something else Roxie hadn’t been able to wrap her head around. Chad was Thad’s sole heir, and the man was worth millions. The moment Thad’s death had been scooped by Caitlin on Channel Four News, his attorney had overnighted the preliminary paperwork. His estate would have to go through probate court, which would take months, but it was just a formality. Chad was set to inherit so much money he’d never have to work again. When she’d told her son this before visiting hours were over last night, he’d said he didn’t want a dime from that man. Roxie understood his reasoning, but she’d told him to think of all the good he could do with that money. He didn’t have to touch it until he was ready…except of course if he didn’t make the Bears and still had his heart set on that university.
The least his millionaire biological father could do was pay for his education.
They were on their home street, driving the last of the way to their houses. “And as for Bear, I’ll keep my mouth shut, but I restocked my wine and chocolate ice cream while you were in the hospital in case you need a gab session.” Xan said that last bit quickly before Roxie could cut her off again.
“Thank you.” She smirked.
When their houses came into view, Roxie stared. Something was off, and it took her a few seconds to process what she was seeing.
Or not seeing.
“It’s gone.” Her gaze flew to Xan. “Did you know about this?”
“No. He must’ve moved the camper after the boys went to school.”
Roxie’s heart dropped. The last thing she’d said to him before Thad had taken her was she’d wanted him off her property.
He’d apparently listened.
Xan helped her bring her things into the house, but Roxie had already checked out of any casual conversation, her mind too busy reeling. She thought she might’ve agreed to call Xan later, but who knew? As if on autopilot, she got into the shower and washed. After she was fully clean, she put on her robe rather than making a bubble bath because the desire to soak the last two days away had vanished.
Why had he moved the camper after all this time? She had no idea how to feel about that. Logically, she understood the danger was over. Thad had been killed. Flint wouldn’t be getting out of jail for a long time. No one was coming after her and her kid. But Teddy hadn’t only been here to protect her. Right?
She walked into the bedroom, fully intending to keep her fluffy robe on and march into the living room to binge-watch something until Chad got home, but she shrieked to a stop when she realized she wasn’t alone.
“You scared the livin’ daylights outta me,” she said, clutching her chest. Though it wasn’t just shock that had her pulse racing. It was the man himself sitting on the edge of her bed.
“Sorry, little momma. I was talking myself out of joining you.” He looked up at her with his big green eyes and licked his lips as he stared at her like she was a juicy ribeye. “Because knowing you were in there naked and wet is fucking hard to resist.”
His words thrilled her, but he wasn’t getting off that easily. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Why did you move your camper?”
He slowly rose. “You told me to.”
“I tell you to do a lot of things, but you never listen.”
“Oh, I listen.” He smiled.
“That doesn’t explain why you moved it.”
“Only you would get mad at me for doing something you told me to do.”
She opened her mouth, closed it, then narrowed her eyes. “You listen here, Theodore Knight. I don’t like my words being twisted around.”
“Believe me, babe. I know.” He stalked closer…because that was the only way to describe how he was corralling her into the corner.
“What are you doing?”
At first, he let his hands do the answering. Maintaining eye contact, he tugged the belt on her robe loose. “Welcoming you home,” he finally said.
She opened her mouth, but the only thing that came out was a moan as Teddy’s lips found the crook of her neck. “Th—that’s cheating.”
His chuckle vibrated against her skin, and her needy pussy clenched. Damn, even his laugh turned her on.
Okay, it was mainly that tongue tracing a path south, but everything about this man got her engine revving.
In the back of her mind—like way, way back…back where her New Year’s resolution pep talks went to die—she knew they should be having an adult conversation about their future. But as he latched onto a nipple, she silently reminded herself they could always do it later, just like her yearly vow to eat more kale.
She grabbed his head, and the feel of his stubbles had her squeezing him even closer. God, she wanted to feel that prickle between her legs. As if reading her thoughts, he continued on his trek down her body, dropping to his knees and framing her hips with his hands.
Her robe fell to the floor. Keeping her injured arm protected against her chest, she slammed the palm of her other hand against the wall when his tongue slipped between her folds. “Oh, God.”
She was doing a horrible job of keeping her balance as he licked her clit. She was too far away from the wall to lean back against it without dislodging his sinful mouth. When his hands slipped around to the backs of her thighs and pried her legs open a little more, she squeaked as she started to topple over. In a fluid movement, he gripped and lifted her, the breath of his grunt blowing through her trimmed curls, before he dropped her to the bed. Before she could even mutter a bit of frustration over having his mouth off her body, he swooped back in.
“Taste like strawberries.”
“It’s my body wash.”
“All you, baby.” He nibbled his way to her opening before stabbing into her with his tongue.
Her knees came up to his ears as she writhed beneath him, but he quickly pinned them back to the bed, spreading her wide open. He continued to fuck her with that glorious muscle as she climbed higher and higher, but she ached for him to suck her clit and make her scream for mercy.
“Please, please, please.” She didn’t have the last plea completely out before he wrapped his lips around her needy bundle of nerves and gave her exactly what she wanted. She thrust her hips up as an animalistic sound ripped from her core.
While she was still soaring, he surged up and slammed his mouth down on hers. She felt him tugging at the snap of his jeans right before his cock nudged her opening. He grabbed her knee to open her wider and thrust deep inside her. She gasped at him filling her so completely, but he refused to let her lips stay free. He fused his lips over hers again and fucked her mouth with his tongue just as he did her pussy with his dick. And, oh holy shit, it felt incredible.
She clutched at his back, needing to hold on to him to ground herself in reality, and gripped a fistful of his shirt. The fact that he was still dressed and she was completely naked excited her in a way she hadn’t thought possible. Jeez, first the spanking, and now this? Maybe she needed to talk to Shelby about kink.
Teddy shifted his angle and hit a spot just inside that had her seeing stars. She moaned into his mouth, and he did it again and again.
He wrenched his mouth away. “Fuck, I can feel you.”
“Don’t stop.”
He growled, keeping the same punishing rhythm. “I love it when you order me around.”
She’d have laughed at that bald-faced lie if she wasn’t about to come again. “Yeah? Fuck me harder, then.”
He reared up and pounded in her, fucking her so hard her breasts jiggled and the headboard slammed against the wall. She grabbed his shirt and met him thrust for thrust, chasing her orgasm and hopefully making him lose his mind in the process.
“Teddy, Teddy, I’m gonna come…”
“Fuck, yeah, give it to me. Come all over my cock.”
Her walls convulsed around him as she found nirvana again. “Fuuuck.”
He jabbed shallowly two more times and stilled as his head fell back on a deafening roar. When the high had finally released her from its blissful clutches, she felt his panting breath against her good shoulder.
He nuzzled her neck, giving her lazy kisses, before pulling back and sitting on his knees between her legs. Gripping the hem of his shirt, he pulled it off and cleaned her with it.
Still sensitive, she clenched and then moaned at the contact. “Not bad as far as welcomes come,” she breathed.
He lay beside her and pulled her against his chest. “Didn’t hurt your shoulder, did I?” He kissed her temple, and dang it if that sweet gesture didn’t make her eyes prick.
She shook her head.
“Good.”
She rubbed circles on his chest, outlining the impressing ink he had. “We should probably talk.”
“Want me to go first?” He ran his fingers through her hair.
“No, I need to.” She rose and looked down at him. “I wasn’t fair to you before. It’s not your fault what happened with Chad. Hell, it’s not even your fault you don’t remember our first time. For the record, I rocked your world.” Humor danced in his eyes, but he didn’t interrupt her. She glanced to the side and whispered, “And you don’t give me scraps. That was low, and I’m sorry.”
He reached up and caressed her cheek, nudging her to look at him again. “I made a shit ton of mistakes when it came to my feelings for you. If I’d been more believing in happily ever after, maybe I wouldn’t have been so easily swayed by outside forces. That was my shortcoming, not yours. Never you, little momma. You are perfect in every maddening way. It’s not an excuse, either. Just a little insight.”
Her heart raced at his sincerity. Remembering their conversation about Chad after the homecoming game, she said, “Well, well, well, Teddy…if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you love me just a little bit,” changing the part about Chad to her.
He smiled as if lost in the same memory before a mischievous glint twinkled in his eye. He fingered the curls at the apex of her thighs and said, “I love this pussy a lot.”
