at him. There was no denying it. He looked like one happy Alpha.
“I love Jada,” Brandon admitted. “She’s the one. Beautiful curves and a beautiful soul. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate that Amanda might be the one for you.”
“Nah. She just thinks of me as her manager. And then there’s the whole bear thing.”
“That’s what I need to tell you. Don’t worry about it. You need to just let it go. If she’s the one, she’ll understand. I mean, I get it, obviously we can’t go announcing our presence to the world. They’d lock us all up like we were a bunch of freaks. But if you think she’s the one, if you really think she’s the one, then telling her is worth the risk. Plus, we live in Wild Summit. It’s not like there aren’t rumors out there.”
“Rumors are one thing. Actually coming face to face with one of our bears? That’s something else.”
“Trust me. I’ve been to therapy for this. I’ve denied my bear for this. I’ve spent countless hours wondering how I would ever tell anyone. Now I think I know. I’m just going to do it. If she’s the one, that’s the way.”
“You mean with Jada? Today?”
“Today, Greg. Today I’m going to tell her what I am.”
There was a knock at the door. It was Amanda. Immediately, Brandon could see a change come over his friend. Greg stiffened in an exaggerated attempt to relax. His bear brother clearly had it bad for soft, curvy Amanda.
“Hey, Amanda, come in,” Greg said.
“It’s about Jada,” Amanda said.
At the very tone of Amanda’s voice, Brandon felt his heart sink like a stone. He could tell something was wrong.
“What is it?” Brandon asked.
“She’s late. And she’s not picking up her phone. It’s probably nothing, but Jada’s never late.”
“Give her a few more minutes. She’ll show,” Greg said.
“No. Late and not picking up her phone? Something’s not right,” Brandon said, rising from his seat. “I’ll check her apartment.”
“Brandon, people are late sometimes,” Greg said.
“You heard Amanda. Not Jada,” Brandon replied.
And he walked out the door.
Chapter Six
Jada awoke to find herself in a dark space. She had a headache, a really bad headache, and she felt disoriented. Maybe she just needed a glass of water. She tried to get up but immediately hit her head.
Hit her head?
Since when did she smack her head getting out of bed? Then her bed bumped up and it all came back to her. The dry cleaning. The chemical smell. The rag over her mouth. There was another big bump and she reached out. She felt carpet. Metal. And then she knew exactly where she was.
In the trunk of a car.
Croyston. He had taken her. He had taken her and locked her in the trunk of his vehicle. Jada felt a scream welling up within her. It gathered force deep inside of her, finally breaking free. Jada called one name. One name she knew in her heart of hearts could save her.
“Brandon!”
Her voice trailed off into nothing. She tried to get her breathing back to normal. If Brandon couldn’t hear her, which she knew in her rational mind that he couldn’t, then she would have to do something else. She would have to get out of this herself.
************************
Brandon knew he had heard something. Not his human form, but his bear. His bear had heard Jada scream. He was sure of it. He was no longer just checking to see whether she was okay. His bear’s instinct now told him that she wasn’t. He knew with absolute certainty that this was a rescue mission. He pulled into her apartment and ran up the stairs.
“Jada!”
Brandon banged on the door. When nobody came, he wasted no time looking for a key. Instead he burst inside, breaking the doorjamb with a simple check of his massive shoulder. But Jada wasn’t there. She had slept in her bed. She had gotten dressed. She had eaten her cereal. But there was no other sign of her. No sign but for a single dry-cleaning receipt left on the kitchen
“I love Jada,” Brandon admitted. “She’s the one. Beautiful curves and a beautiful soul. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate that Amanda might be the one for you.”
“Nah. She just thinks of me as her manager. And then there’s the whole bear thing.”
“That’s what I need to tell you. Don’t worry about it. You need to just let it go. If she’s the one, she’ll understand. I mean, I get it, obviously we can’t go announcing our presence to the world. They’d lock us all up like we were a bunch of freaks. But if you think she’s the one, if you really think she’s the one, then telling her is worth the risk. Plus, we live in Wild Summit. It’s not like there aren’t rumors out there.”
“Rumors are one thing. Actually coming face to face with one of our bears? That’s something else.”
“Trust me. I’ve been to therapy for this. I’ve denied my bear for this. I’ve spent countless hours wondering how I would ever tell anyone. Now I think I know. I’m just going to do it. If she’s the one, that’s the way.”
“You mean with Jada? Today?”
“Today, Greg. Today I’m going to tell her what I am.”
There was a knock at the door. It was Amanda. Immediately, Brandon could see a change come over his friend. Greg stiffened in an exaggerated attempt to relax. His bear brother clearly had it bad for soft, curvy Amanda.
“Hey, Amanda, come in,” Greg said.
“It’s about Jada,” Amanda said.
At the very tone of Amanda’s voice, Brandon felt his heart sink like a stone. He could tell something was wrong.
“What is it?” Brandon asked.
“She’s late. And she’s not picking up her phone. It’s probably nothing, but Jada’s never late.”
“Give her a few more minutes. She’ll show,” Greg said.
“No. Late and not picking up her phone? Something’s not right,” Brandon said, rising from his seat. “I’ll check her apartment.”
“Brandon, people are late sometimes,” Greg said.
“You heard Amanda. Not Jada,” Brandon replied.
And he walked out the door.
Chapter Six
Jada awoke to find herself in a dark space. She had a headache, a really bad headache, and she felt disoriented. Maybe she just needed a glass of water. She tried to get up but immediately hit her head.
Hit her head?
Since when did she smack her head getting out of bed? Then her bed bumped up and it all came back to her. The dry cleaning. The chemical smell. The rag over her mouth. There was another big bump and she reached out. She felt carpet. Metal. And then she knew exactly where she was.
In the trunk of a car.
Croyston. He had taken her. He had taken her and locked her in the trunk of his vehicle. Jada felt a scream welling up within her. It gathered force deep inside of her, finally breaking free. Jada called one name. One name she knew in her heart of hearts could save her.
“Brandon!”
Her voice trailed off into nothing. She tried to get her breathing back to normal. If Brandon couldn’t hear her, which she knew in her rational mind that he couldn’t, then she would have to do something else. She would have to get out of this herself.
************************
Brandon knew he had heard something. Not his human form, but his bear. His bear had heard Jada scream. He was sure of it. He was no longer just checking to see whether she was okay. His bear’s instinct now told him that she wasn’t. He knew with absolute certainty that this was a rescue mission. He pulled into her apartment and ran up the stairs.
“Jada!”
Brandon banged on the door. When nobody came, he wasted no time looking for a key. Instead he burst inside, breaking the doorjamb with a simple check of his massive shoulder. But Jada wasn’t there. She had slept in her bed. She had gotten dressed. She had eaten her cereal. But there was no other sign of her. No sign but for a single dry-cleaning receipt left on the kitchen
Similar Books
![Tracie Peterson - [Land of the Lone Star 03]](https://fs.dianahicksbooks.com/604163/thumbs/152x264/tracie-peterson-land-of-the-lone-star-03.jpg)
