Page 60 of Caught Bear Handed

He emerged from the darkness, filthy with soot and shining with sweat.The wound on his forehead had reopened and the side of his face, beard, and T-shirt were painted with blood.Was it wrong that I thought he’d never looked more beautiful?

“You’re outnumbered, bear,” Mark said without missing a beat.Moments ago, he’d been writing Beau’s eulogy.“Kayla belongs to us now.”

“Like hell she does.”Beau lurched forward, taking on the closest guy to him, which happened to be Mike.Their arms were locked in an embrace as they circled, growling at each other in their human forms.They went round and round, daring each other to make a move.

Mike swung for him, but Beau somehow was still faster.I didn’t see exactly what happened, but I was relieved when Mike’s body fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

But the celebration didn’t last long.There was an arm around my midsection, a knife to my throat, and Mark’s hot, sickening breath against my cheek.“I’ve got skilled marksman in the trees.Their guns are loaded with silver.You lay another paw on any of these guys and I can assure you, they won’t miss their target.”

Beau’s head fell back as another earth-shattering roar thundered out of him.His skin split as his body expanded.Fur emerged, and he became a massive brown bear.This was the first time I’d seen him in his bear form.He was huge, and those claws were nothing short of deadly.

The grip tightened around my waist.The other guys—the ones who looked so good in suits when they took me out for those expensive, champagne-soaked dinners—weren’t taking any chances in the wild.They made a run for it.

Beau stalked forward, a rumble low in his throat, his eyes fixed on Mark Peters.

I braced myself for gunfire that didn’t come.If I was willing to risk a bet on anything right now, it was that he’d lied about his hidden gunmen.Beau had called his bluff, and now the only thing standing between him and Mark Peters was me.

And of course, Gigi, ride or die with her dad, lunged for Mark.

“Hey!Ow!Let go of me!”Mark backed from me, and I could only imagine that Gigi had attacked his leg.

Beau wrapped his arms around a tree.

Shit, had he been hit by one of those bullets?Did he need to leverage it for balance?

No.Instead, he ripped it out of the ground, roots raining dust as he stepped toward Mark with a roar that shook my bones.

It was the most terrifying and awesome thing I’d ever seen.My heart swelled with pride.This bear would do whatever it took to protect us.

Mark came into view, his hands up.

“You can have her,” he said, like he actually had a choice in the matter.“This bitch isn’t worth the trouble.”

Beau responded by swinging the tree like a baseball bat.It connected with Mark’s gut, sending him flying in the direction of the river.The firelight on the other side of the river made his dark silhouette disappearing into the abyss even more surreal.

The river swallowed his scream.

The wolves barked, charging Beau, but they stopped short as he held up the bat, ready for another swing.With a few quick whines, they ran off into the darkness.

Then it was just me and my bear.And Gigi, of course.

Beau stepped toward me.His fur was covered in ash and streaked with blood.He fell to his knees, holding his massive paws out to me.

Gigi pawed my leg, like she was trying to help her dad free me.

“I’m cuffed,” I said.“They used silver.”

The earth shook, and Beau shifted back to human.I blinked, hardly believing my eyes.

He took my face in his hands and kissed me with such intensity that the entire world faded away.

“I am so glad to see you.”He punctuated the statement with another kiss.“Are you okay?You’re bloody.”

“It’s probably your blood from the cabin.I’m fine, and I’m so happy to see you.When you didn’t show up when I thought you would…” I couldn’t finish the sentence.

“There was a jam on the line.Almost knocked me right into the water.”He chuckled, most likely still in shock from the ordeal.Someday I’d tell him that was exactly Mark’s plan.“I’ll get you out of this.Do you remember what happened to the supply bag?”

That was my bodyguard bear.The job wasn’t done until it was complete.“I probably dropped it on the deck.Those assholes were waiting for us.”