Page 2 of Caught Bear Handed (Sawtooth Security #3)

Chapter Two

Beau

I’m a self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie. It’s one of the reasons I decided to work at Sawtooth Security after leaving the military. It scratched my danger itch, let me work with and for shifters, and gave me a chance to help people when they needed it most.

But I hated to admit that sometimes this job could be a fucking snooze.

No high-profile cases had come in since Bellamy had cracked the case of the ghost bears and reunited with Clover, the mate who’d originally rejected him.

Now they made googly eyes at each other any time she came into the office while I did background checks.

So I worked out a deal with Barrett, our agency owner.

I’d cut my hours until a big case came in, and spend that downtime volunteering for the Granger Falls Fire Department.

We were getting close to fire season, and they appreciated someone with experience.

I was thankful for the flexible schedule and a place where I could bring my rescued pit bull, Gigi, to work with me.

Tonight, it was quiet here, too. One of those early summer evenings when the weather was absolutely perfect.

Still a hint of snow on the mountain peaks, and the first streaks of sunset spread across the sky.

We’d moved the operation outside and planned to spend our waiting time on a pickup game of basketball.

“What are we playing for?” I asked as I moved the ball from one palm to another. As a bear shifter, I was at a disadvantage against these guys, who were mostly wolves. They were faster than me, but I read the court differently.

“Loser team cooks the Fourth of July feast on behalf of the department,” Baron Channing suggested. “And you better like cooking, because the whole town comes.”

I raised a brow. “Even the chili?”

He shook his head. “That’s for the contest. But burgers, dogs, chicken, all the sides—you better be ready to represent, bear.”

The ball hit the pavement with purpose. “I’m always representing. But I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do on the grill.”

It probably wasn’t fair that I caught him off guard and moved past him for an easy layup. After that, the game was on.

These wolves took their basketball seriously. Baron’s brother Dallas blocked my next shot, sending the ball bouncing into the dirt. I chased after it, stopping when it rolled into a familiar pair of boots.

“Hey, Barrett.” I nodded to my day job boss as he handed me the ball. “What’s up?”

“Mind if I tear you away from your game?” he asked.

“I’m gonna be doing a lot of cooking if I leave now.”

“Hope you’re good at it.” He chuckled. “At least you won’t be bored.”

I tossed the ball to Dallas. “We’ll pick this up later.”

Barrett headed to the parking lot, where he’d parked his truck next to mine.

“We’ve got a case. Pretty high profile,” he said. “Bellamy and I talked it over, and we’d like to have you play an important role, if you’re interested.”

“Fuck, yeah.” I shook my head. “Sorry, I mean, I’m interested.”

He raised a brow. “Love the enthusiasm. Don’t you want to hear what the job is before you agree to it?”

“Of course. Guess I got a little excited. Looking forward to getting a chance to show you what I’ve got.”

“Perfect.” He opened the door to the cab and pulled out his laptop. “We have a client who needs round-the-clock protection. Wolf shifter. She escaped an abduction attempt, and it’s not the first time this guy has come for her.”

“So it’s like an ex-boyfriend situation?” I asked, suppressing my growl. I had a hard time with men who didn’t know how to respect a lady’s wishes. An old friend had trouble with an ex who didn’t understand the meaning of the word no until I made sure he’d never forget it.

“More of a celebrity stalker situation.” He turned the laptop screen toward me, and my mouth dropped.

“Is that Kayla Mitchell?”

“Yeah. Are you a fan of The Wolf’s Moon ?”

“Big fan. So glad they brought it back.” I couldn’t take my eyes off her headshot.

The blonde wavy hair. Her huge eyes, framed by dark lashes, weren’t even the most striking part of her face.

She had high cheekbones and full lips that she always painted red.

Just timelessly gorgeous. She wasn’t one of the top billed stars on the show, but she was a regular character, and I’d argue the one who glued the story together.

How many nights had I gone to bed dreaming about this woman, her soft, curvy body, and her gentle demeanor, after binge watching the show? I had to keep my excitement in check or Barrett would think I was a celebrity stalker.

“Yeah, Tegan and I have been catching up. Kayla’s an amazing actress. It will be an honor to keep her safe while we find this guy.”

I raised a brow. “Do we think he’s near Sawtooth Forest?”

“He’s not, but she will be. We’re hoping this is the last place anyone thinks to look for her. But if they do, they’re gonna run straight into you.”

“So are we finding the bad guy or are we guarding Kayla?” Sounded like the job was more complicated than Barrett had presented it.

“Both,” he clarified. “Bellamy and I will have our hands full looking for this guy. And you’ll make sure no one lays a paw on her until this guy is behind bars.”

A wave of disappointment went through me. Barrett had sold this as a big fucking deal, but he and Bellamy would be doing all the work of taking this guy down.

This is a big fucking deal , my bear reminded me. You’ll be keeping your favorite actress safe.

He was right.

Stop trying to prove yourself , he added. They wouldn’t give you this job if they didn’t trust you.

Still right, and I needed to start acting like it. Remember who the fuck I was.

“When do we start?” I asked.

“Right now.” Barrett handed me a piece of paper. “Go home and pack a bag for you and Gigi, and then meet us at this address.”

It was the first time I’d shown up at a job with a dog bed tucked under my arm, but I had a feeling this assignment might keep me on my toes. With my duffel bag slung over my shoulder and Gigi prancing excitedly by my side, I knocked on the door.

“You excited about a new house?” I asked her softly.

Woof .

I was too. I had to keep reminding myself this was just like any other assignment.

Barrett came to the door and waved us in. Bellamy and Clover were already inside.

With Kayla.

My heart skipped a beat when her eyes met mine. Her dark blonde hair had been pulled up into a messy bun, and she was wearing sweats, but still wore her signature red lipstick.

“Oh, hello, Gigi!” Clover cooed as she rubbed Gigi’s neck and ears. Gigi did a full body wriggle in appreciation. “Who’s the best girl?”

“You have a dog?” Kayla asked, sliding closer to the edge of the couch, away from Clover and my dog.

“She looks tough, but she’s just a big love bug,” Clover said in an exaggerated voice that people used to talk to babies and animals. “Isn’t that right?”

“She can be tough when she needs to be.” I wouldn’t let anyone sell my girl short. I smiled at Gigi, who continued to soak in all the love, then looked at Kayla. “You don’t like dogs?”

Her eyes widened and her lips parted, like I caught her off guard. Great. This assignment was getting off to an awkward start.

“I’m a wolf,” she finally said. “Our pack never kept dogs as pets.”

“If it makes you feel better, I think of her as part of the family.” I really hoped she didn’t plan to make me choose between this job and my dog because she wouldn’t like my answer.

Would you really walk away from her? my bear asked, and it was my turn to widen my eyes.

What was he insinuating?

Gigi pushed past Clover and went to give Kayla a sniff. There was a moment of tension between them, but Kayla held her hand out. Gigi inspected it, and then her tail started to wag with approval.

“She likes you,” I said.

“She’s cute,” Kayla said and then rose and approached me, holding out her hand. “I’m Kayla. I hear we’re going to be working together.”

“Beau. Hopefully not that long.” My belly clenched and my cock twitched. With her hand in mine, time stood fucking still, and now I knew exactly what my bear was trying to tell me.

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask her if she felt it too. My bear was in favor of this action.

But instead, she let go of my hand and took a step back.

And then I realized how terrible it sounded.

“I hope we catch this guy quickly and you can get back to your regular life,” I clarified.

But I already knew that wasn’t what I wanted.

This woman was my mate.

No, impossible. My emotions were heightened because I’d watched her on TV for years and now she was standing in front of me. It didn’t hurt that she was even more beautiful in person.

Stop making excuses, my bear growled. What do you say when others make excuses?

I thought they were weak. And that was something I couldn’t afford to be.

Bellamy appeared from a hallway. “Just put your stuff in your bedroom. You should have everything you need here. The internet is secure—everything is filtered through the company’s network and coded so neither of you should be traced here.

We’ll be rerouting any deliveries you need, so you’ll want to order things like food in advance or let us know if you want to order takeout.

We’ll be varying our drop-off locations and routes to here.

If you come in contact with anyone who doesn’t work for Sawtooth Security, call us immediately. ”

Kayla raised a brow. “Can we leave the house at all?”

“We’d rather you didn’t,” Barrett said apologetically.

“Stick to the deck, and make sure Beau is with you. This guy who tried to capture you is part of a much larger operation. We haven’t identified all his associates yet.

We will. It’s our aim for this case to be closed before you get cabin fever. ”

“I hope you catch them fast.” She scraped her teeth over her red lip. My bear liked that move a little too much.