“What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Calling Joe. Chief Bennett,” she said, the phone pressed against her ear.

  Grayden grumbled but he didn’t argue. He sat still, waiting and listening with his shifter hearing as her boss came on the line and she filled him in on what had just happened.

  “What the hell?” Grayden heard Chief Bennett demand when she’d finished. “These assholes have lost their damned minds.”

  Grayden couldn’t disagree there. He fired up the truck and got moving toward home, his shifter hearing tuned in to the conversation as he drove.

  “Joe, it was my address they carved into the hood of my car,” she said quietly, her words sending a jolt through Grayden. He hadn’t realized that. Hadn’t stopped to think. He’d only wanted to save her.

  “You got somewhere else to stay?” Chief Bennett asked.

  Rachel’s gaze flickered to Grayden. “Yes,” she said. “Grayden Larchmont was here when it happened. He’s going to take me to their camp.”

  Chief Bennett was quiet for a moment and Grayden chuckled to himself at that. Old man probably hadn’t seen that coming. “I think that might be best right now,” he said finally. “No one would ever suspect.”

  “In the meantime, I think we should question Deacon Donnelly again,” she said. “He could have more information.”

  “He was released on bail three days ago. Sorry.”

  Rachel started to argue but then her face paled and she nodded. “I’ll be in touch, Joe.”

  “Make sure you are. Listen, take all the time you need. Clements is back from vacation. I’ll put him on the case so don’t come in to work. Lay low, okay?”

  “Okay,” she said quietly. “And thanks.”

  “You take care of yourself, you hear me?” he demanded.

  Rachel nodded and said, “Yes, sir,” and then hung up.

  Grayden glanced over, studying her. “Chief Bennett—Joe—wasn’t happy.”

  “He’s worried about me,” she said. “He’s always looked out for me a little more than the others. I think I remind him of his daughter. She lives in Texas so he doesn’t see her often.”

  “What about you? Where is your family? Your siblings?” he asked.

  “Only child. My parents are back East where I grew up. We were never that close. They work a lot. After my rape, we grew apart even more. When I joined the Witness Program to help Patrice, I had to sign a waiver that I couldn’t contact them for security reasons.”

  “So you don’t speak to them? Ever?” Grayden frowned at that, mad at himself for not picking up on her lack of family before. No wonder she felt so alone and scared all the time.

  She shrugged and he noted the glassy-eyed stare she still wore. Shock. It was making her chatty. Stress tightened in his gut and he pressed down harder on the gas, intent on getting her home and maybe even getting a shot of whiskey in her.

  “I have an idea who is behind this,” she said and he looked over at her in surprise. She’d gone pale again, he noted.

  “Who?” he asked.

  “I’ve gotten a few calls and a note from someone since the night of the fight. They’re mad I busted you all. I think they want revenge.”

  Grayden hit the steering wheel and cursed.

  “Why didn’t you say something?” he asked.

  “I couldn’t talk to you about that,” she protested. “You were a⁠—”

  “If you say suspect, I swear to God,” he said, staring unseeing through the windshield.

  “No.” She frowned. “No, not for this, but …” She sighed. “Look, I didn’t think anything of it. When Clements busted the ring a few months back, he never got any backlash. Honestly, I thought they were just screwing with me because I’m a woman. I didn’t think it would amount to anything. Besides, the investigation is ongoing so I couldn’t talk about anything.”

  Grayden started the engine, wanting nothing more than to get to a place where he could beat on someone. Preferably the man in the black hoodie.

  Then he looked over at Rachel and the fight leaked away. No, he didn’t want to fight. He wanted to reach for her, to pull her close to him, to love her. For the first time in his life, he wanted to react to danger without the use of his fists. First, he had to get them home.

  His breathing was labored as he drove them along the highway that would take them to the backside of the mountain where he lived. Holy shit, she’d just given him the biggest scare of his life. He dared Hunt to say anything. Or any of them to try and argue. Rachel could complain until she was blue in the face, it wouldn’t move him. He didn’t plan on letting that happen again and if holing her up on his mountain was what kept her safe, so be it.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  RACHEL

  Rachel’s phone rang, startling her into almost dropping it on the floor of Grayden’s truck as they drove up the mountain road. Between that kiss with Grayden, admitting her past trauma, and the attack she’d just escaped—she was a mess. Grayden’s watchful gaze no doubt caught the way she shook as she pressed the button on her phone to answer, but she ignored him, forcing a calm tone of voice as she said, “Hawkins.”

  “Please tell me the rumors aren’t true.”

  Rachel frowned at the familiar nasally voice. “Clements?” she said. “I thought you were on vacation until tomorrow.”

  “I’m back early. Imagine my surprise to hear you stole my case while I was gone.” He sounded pissed but Clements was always pissed about something. And while she normally bit her tongue, after the day she’d had, she didn’t have it in her to be politically polite to him just now.

  “You closed the case when you claimed to have busted it in March, remember?” she said. “So it’s not really yours anymore. Besides you were gone. Chief asked me. What was I supposed to do?”

  “Fucking call me, that’s what,” he bit out and Rachel flinched at his tone. Clements was a grump with a stick up his ass on the best days but this was a new level.

  “Look, I don’t know what crawled up your ass,” she said, finally done with the way he spoke to her, “But if you don’t like how the case worked out, you can take it up with Chief. That’s who I take my orders from. And my shit, if there’s shit to take. Not from you. Not from anyone else.”

  Clements laughed darkly. “Sure, and how’s that working out for you so far?” he spat.

  Rachel felt a ripple of unease—a warning bell rang in her mind. “What is that supposed to mean?” she demanded but the line went dead.

  She could feel Grayden’s furious stare on her. No doubt his shifter hearing had picked up everything Clements had just said. She tossed the phone aside and leaned her head back on the bench seat. Her head hurt. Her throat ached where her attacker had held her too tight, cutting off her air earlier. And every time she moved her wrist, pain shot up her arm. She needed wine. A bathtub. Maybe some reality TV.

  “That guy always talk to you like that?” Grayden asked quietly.

  “That guy probably talks to his mother like that,” she said wearily.

  Grayden didn’t laugh.

  Rachel stared out the window at the trees blurring by on their way up the mountain. She tried to focus on the view but it got lost in the jumbled fragments of her mind. She bit her lip, trying hard not to cry in front of Grayden but the shock was wearing off and panic was setting in.

  “My dad used to beat my mom up,” Grayden said, breaking the silence.

  “What?” she asked, startled out of her own internal panic.

  “He used to hit her when he drank and then, as I got older, he just hit her. She never fought back. No, wait, that’s not true,” he said, frowning and staring out over the road like he was somewhere else. “Once, on my seventh birthday, she stood up to him. He was ruining my day, she screamed at him. When he took off his belt and came toward me, she hit him. He almost killed her that day. But he never touched me.”

  Grayden spat out a pained laugh. Rachel’s heart ached as she stared over at him and every ounce of disapproval she’d still carried for him about all those fights disappeared.

  “It sounds awful,” she said quietly. “How did she get away?”

  “On my twelfth birthday—he liked to celebrate my birthdays with his fists—he took it too far. I came home from school to find her already dead on the kitchen floor.”

  “God, Grayden, I’m so sorry.”

  His voice turned to a rasp. “I shifted and killed him. When it was done, I passed out from shock probably. I woke up in a boys’ home. The first day of my second life.”

  She swallowed back the urge to sob for him but silent tears couldn’t be stopped. They tracked their way down her cheeks, shedding the pain she felt for him as a boy going through that. For her attack today. For all the judgment she’d had about him before and how unfair it all was. Grayden’s hand found hers in the darkening cabin and she clung to it, scooting across the leather seat to sit closer to him. She had no words for him. If she tried to talk now, she would lose it. So she used the warmth and pressure of her body leaning against his to convey her message.

  She knew he’d told her his story to distract her from her own panic and while it had worked, it had also changed something between them. She needed him to know that.

  *.*.*

  Thirty minutes later, Grayden made a right off the mountain road and onto a tiny dirt trail. Rachel eyed the wooden sign hanging haphazardly above them that read: Bad News Bears. She felt a tiny ping of panic as it hit her that she was really here. She’d warned her best friend Patrice from coming up here just weeks ago, citing the grizzly shifter crew as dangerous and unpredictable, especially on their own land. And now, here she was, coming to stay with them while she hid out from actual bad guys.

  She eyed the three other pickups parked outside various cabins—all of which were identical in their peeling paint and disrepair—and her nerves grew. Grayden pulled up between them all at the second cabin on the left and parked. He cut the engine and turned to her, laying his hand on hers where it rested on her lap.

  She shivered and dragged her eyes to his.

  “Look,” he said, pointing across the grass toward a dilapidated picnic table and large grill where Hunt and the rest of the crew all loitered with beers and burgers in their hands. “We’re just a bunch of guys cooking dinner. There’s nothing to be afraid of,” he said and she relaxed, grateful he knew just what to say.

  She gave him a tight smile. “Thank you,” she said.

  “Come on. Let’s get you fixed up,” he said, gesturing to her wrist.

  He came around and opened her door, staying close beside her. She expected him to lead her over to the cook-out going on but instead, he veered off and led her inside the small cabin. As she walked in, she heard yells and whistles from the guys as they finally seemed to notice the newcomers’ arrival. But Grayden ignored them all and ushered her through the door into the darkened living space.

  When he hit a light switch behind her, she was surprised to find the cabin clean and updated inside. A cozy rug and loveseat sofa made up the living area that bordered a kitchen with stainless steel appliances and newer cabinetry and counters. There was even an espresso machine on the counter. Rachel stared around her, too shocked to say a word.

  She spun a full circle, noting the curtains in the window over the sink, and the open doorway at the end of the hall that revealed a large bed with a thick, furry blanket thrown over it. Homey, she thought. When she circled back, she found Grayden watching her with an amused smile.

  “Is my rep that bad?” he asked.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she said but he laughed.

  “Are you that shocked that I like to keep a clean house?”

  She didn’t have time to answer before a loud bang on the door shook the walls and window and made her jump.

  “Fuck,” Grayden groaned and stalked to the door, opening it only a few inches and blocking the entry with his broad shoulders. “What?” he demanded.

  “Boss wants to see you.” She recognized Ryker’s voice and caught a glimpse of him trying to peer around Grayden without much luck.

  “Fine.” Grayden turned back to her and shoved Ryker aside so he could step out. “I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere. And don’t let anyone in.” She nodded, suddenly weak with the nerves that had just returned full force.

  Grayden slammed the door shut behind him and she could hear him arguing with Ryker, threatening him if he so much as cracked the front door again. She sank onto the loveseat, dazed. Was Grayden allowed to bring her here? She’d heard the bears didn’t allow visitors. Maybe they’d send her home.

  Her heart thudded in her chest as she thought of that. Grayden was right. After what had happened earlier, she wasn’t safe at home. She could go to the station but then she’d have to deal with Clements and she couldn’t exactly stay the night there. Patrice’s maybe, but she didn’t want to put her friend in that kind of danger. She swallowed hard as she realized she really had nowhere else to go.

  Hopefully Hunt would make an exception if he knew that. She bit back an ironic laugh. How had her life come to this? That the safest place for her now was with the most dangerous man she’d ever met?

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  GRAYDEN

  Grayden stalked toward the grill where Hunt stood flipping burgers, Ryker close on his heels with an endless supply of questions. He ignored them all and marched up to his alpha, his temper already on a short leash. He hoped to God Hunt wouldn’t say something to set him off right now. He wasn’t sure how much control he had left and he didn’t want to do something he’d regret. Not with Rachel waiting in his place.

  His place. Fuck. He’d brought her here and now, there would be no hiding from the guys that his bear wanted to claim her. They never brought women here. It wasn’t a rule, per se, but he’d never wanted to. Until her. And now that she was here, he didn’t want her to leave.

  “What?” Grayden demanded.

  Hunt took one look at Grayden and shoved his spatula at Warner. “Take over. Grayden and I need to talk.”

  Warner took the spatula, grumbling his protest. Hunt led Grayden toward the tree line. They’d have to walk pretty far to escape the others’ sensitive hearing but Grayden was worked up enough that he didn’t give a shit who heard anymore.

  “You want to tell me why you brought the cop who arrested you out here to our camp without asking me first?” Hunt asked.

  “Rachel was attacked outside the shelter tonight,” Grayden said and Hunt’s demeanor changed immediately. Grayden felt the air crackle with a sudden tension that had nothing to do with him anymore.

  “What the hell happened?” Hunt demanded.

  Grayden told him about the two attackers and Hunt seethed. Good. Someone else was just as pissed as him. That felt good. “Her wrist is sprained I think, but otherwise she’s okay. I couldn’t let her go home. Her boss, the chief, knows she’s here,” Grayden said. “He’s cool with it. And he says Deacon Donnelly’s out on bail.”

  “You think Deacon’s the one messing with her?”

  “I don’t know. He’s the type. Either way, I’m not letting her near anyone like that until this is sorted out.”

  Hunt shook his head, pacing away. “This is all about that damn fight club.” He turned to look at Grayden. “We need to find out that name Rachel wanted. The name of the organizer who runs these things. And we need to shut it down for good. For real this time.”

  Grayden nodded. “Deacon probably knows something. He runs with that sort of crowd.”

  “We can put the word out we’re looking for him,” Hunt said, rubbing his five o’clock shadow.

  “Good. In the meantime, Rachel stays with me.”

  Hunt’s gaze sharpened and he dragged his eyes up and down Grayden slowly. “Your bear… you want her.”

  It wasn’t a question but it was time to come clean. Grayden nodded. “Not exactly,” he said, his voice ragged. He met Hunt’s puzzled expression and said, “My bear already claimed her.”

  Hunt’s eyes widened and he stepped toward Grayden, the air practically sparking. “You slept with her?” he hissed, instantly furious.

  Grayden’s bear rose up in a reflex of defense but he forced it back. This was his alpha. There was no challenging the alpha. “No,” he said quickly and saw Hunt’s shoulders relax a fraction. “But I don’t think it matters,” he admitted. “My bear wants her, Hunt. It chose her already. I’ve known it for a while but I tried fighting it. Hell, I tried fighting everything and everyone.”

  Hunt nodded. “I know. I saw what you were doing,” he said quietly.

  “After today…I can’t even think straight beyond the need to protect her.”

  Hunt straightened and laid a hand on Grayden’s shoulder. “I can’t promise the fights will go away after you claim her, but you’ll fight for a different reason. Go claim your mate,” he added, nodding his chin toward Grayden’s cabin.

  Grayden’s eyes widened. Something flared in his chest. Hope. “Really?” he asked. “Just like that.”

  “Really,” Hunt echoed. “You’re ready, Gray. You have been for a while.”

  “But the fights. My past⁠—”

  “Your past is the past, Gray. She’s your future. Go tell her that.” Hunt snorted then. “You know the guys are going to give you so much shit for picking a cop.”

  Grayden grinned, a relief like he hadn’t known washing over him. “Yeah,” he said sheepishly. And then he headed for his cabin, his future mate.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  RACHEL

  Rachel looked up as the lock turned and Grayden’s cabin door swung open, banging against the wall. Grayden strode in and shut the door again with a loud click. She heard muffled voices and then whooping laughter from somewhere outside. Grayden scowled but otherwise ignored it. He zeroed in on her and then the beer she held. His brow rose.