The Grisly Grizzlies: Kneecap (The Grizzly Bear Shifters of Redemption Creek Book 3)

by Kim Fox

  It’s easy for him to say. I haven’t worn clothes in years.

  “They’re too small,” I say, feeling like I’m suffocating. “Did you get these from the kids’ section?”

  “They’re fine,” he says, rolling his eyes again. “That’s the right size. You’re just not used to them.” He tosses me a shirt. “Try this on.”

  The fabric compresses around me like I’m being crushed by a boa constrictor.

  “Stop wiggling around,” Maximus says as he fixes it for me. “You ever see a dog try winter boots on for the first time? That’s how you look right now.”

  “Maybe I can wear a loincloth,” I suggest. Anything is better than this. “Is there a loincloth store?”

  He’s staring at me with a blank face. “A loincloth store? I knew you were wild, but have you forgotten everything about how society functions?”

  “I’m taking that as a no.”

  He laughs. “Yeah, unfortunately, all of the loincloth stores went out of business in the year 1218.”

  A pit forms in the bottom of my stomach as he dumps a few handfuls of clothes into my arms. “We’re getting these,” he says in a voice that’s final. “And I don’t want to hear any whining about it. How is your bear doing? Are you okay for another stop?”

  Shockingly, he’s still silent. Calm as a weed smoking cow.

  I still don’t get it.

  “He’s fine,” I say, barely believing my own words.

  “Good,” he says. “We’re getting that hair cut. Hopefully, the barber has a chainsaw on hand.”

  I toss the clothes on a chair and start to unbutton my pants.

  “No,” Maximus snaps. “You’re wearing that out.”

  My shoulders drop as an exhausted breath huffs out of me.

  He grins as he looks me up and down. “It’s no loincloth, but I guess it will have to do.”

  I look down at the uncomfortable clothes on my body and cringe.

  I just hope Nora will like it.

  The barber is a shifter.

  I’ve seen him around at the fight club. Every once in a while the boys take me there to show me off. Their secret killer grizzly they keep hidden away. Vicious. Ruthless. Undefeated.

  I don’t mind. It helps to get out some of my pent-up aggression.

  But now that this tiger shifter is seeing me out in public in broad daylight, he looks as panicked as my opponents after they feel the power of my first punch.

  His eyes dart from me to Maximus and back to me as he steps back and bumps into another customer.

  “It’s okay, Reggie,” Maximus says, raising a calming hand. “We just want a haircut.”

  “He’s going to be cool?” he asks, staring up at me with wide eyes.

  I sit down in the chair and stare at my rugged reflection in the mirror. “Just cut my damn hair.”

  Maximus tells him what to do as I stare at myself. It’s been so long since I’ve looked at myself in a mirror.

  I don’t move. I just stare into my eyes as Reggie nervously cuts my hair, working around me as fast as he can. Something tells me he wants me out of here as fast as he can get me out here.

  Long brown hair tumbles down in clumps as his scissors move in a blur around my head. He uses the shaver for the back and then tackles my beard, cutting and combing while I stare straight ahead. I just focus on my eyes, not seeing anything else.

  This is all for Nora.

  I still feel like an animal, but I want her to see me as a man.

  I want her to look at me the way I look at her.

  Reggie steps in front of me as he combs my hair and puts some kind of foam in it. He steps back and nods, admiring his work.

  “Wow,” Maximus says as he comes and stands beside him. “That’s a hell of a difference.”

  “He’s actually… handsome,” Reggie says, staring at me in shock. “Try giving us a smile.”

  Maximus gives him a warning look. “Let’s not push it too far.”

  They step away and I see my new look for the first time.

  I can’t look away.

  The ragged hair is gone. Replaced with a short cropped look that’s styled to the side. My long unruly beard is finally tamed. It’s short and crisp, outlining my jaw and making it look human.

  I stand up, staring at my reflection in awe. I’m wearing a black Polo, jeans, and a new pair of shoes.

  I wave my hand from side to side to make sure this is indeed a mirror. I’m unrecognizable. Even to myself.

  The man standing in front of me looks… human.

  It hits me. Hard.

  I’m rocked to my core. The longstanding assumptions I had for myself start to slip away. The foundation of how I viewed myself starts to crumble and splinter.

  Could I live with others? Do I have to be alone?

  My bear has given me a break today, but will his murderous attitude come raging back tomorrow with a newfound vengeance?

  Or is this my new normal? Will I be able to be around people?

  There are so many questions up in the air.

  But there’s only one thing I know for sure.

  I have to try.

  For Nora, I have to try.

  The guys look even more shocked when I appear tonight than they did last night.

  Maximus laughs when Caleb drops the ceramic bowl of mashed potatoes. The kid doesn’t even look down as it shatters at his feet.

  “Is that… Kneecap?” Abigail asks, staring in shock.

  They’re all staring at me, but my eyes are locked on Nora. She turns with a smile and then jerks her head back in shock when she sees me.

  A red flush creeps up her neck and into her cheeks as her sexy lips part. She’s looking at me in a way that makes my own cheeks heat up.

  All of this attention on me is making me a little self-conscious, but I can’t help but feel good. Looking at me in shock instead of looking at me in fear is a start I guess.

  I walk over to Caleb who’s staring at me with wide eyes. He hasn’t moved since he first saw me. The kid is still holding his arms out with blue oven-mitts covering his hands.

  “Let me help you with that,” I say, bending over and grabbing a few pieces of the broken ceramic bowl. He’s still standing—back straight, eyes wide, mouth open, oven-mitts on—when I stand back up.

  It’s like time has frozen still as I walk past Lachlan and Jessie into the kitchen to toss the ceramic shards into the garbage. Nobody moves. But their eyes follow me.

  “Is that Kneecap’s brother?” one of the twins asks. Toto? Ronnie? I can never tell which one is which.

  “I didn’t know he had a twin,” the other one says.

  “That’s Kneecap,” Maximus says, presenting me with his hand. “I took him into town to get cleaned up.”

  I shoot a quick self-conscious glance at Nora and the girl is fanning herself with her hand. I find it strange because it’s not that hot out.

  “Wow,” the first twin says. “Kneecap. You look…” I glare at him expecting an insult. “Hot. Wait. Does that make me gay?”

  “No,” the other twin says. “Blowing that homeless man in the bathroom made you gay. Kneecap does look pretty good.”

  The girls are all nodding in agreement. Nora is nodding the hardest.

  “Well,” Lachlan says, coming to his senses. “Dinner is ready.”

  We all head for the picnic tables and my mind is swirling with all of the stuff that Maximus taught me on the way back here. Eat with a fork. Don’t wipe my mouth with the tablecloth. The pitcher of water is for drinking, not for washing my hands.

  I take a seat and Nora quickly slides in beside me.

  “Nice outfit,” she says, looking up at me with a shy smile. “And I like your haircut.”

  She’s wearing a yellow summer dress and is still wearing the purple flower behind her ear that I gave her yesterday, but it’s a little bit wilted. I’ll get her a new one after we eat.

  “Thanks,” I say, smiling back at her. “You look beautiful as alw
ays.”

  She covers her mouth with her hand and lets out a goofy giggle as her cheeks turn pink.

  We start eating the delicious baby back ribs that Lachlan prepared and this time the conversation flows a lot easier. I guess my tarp slash skirt from yesterday had everyone on edge. They’re all starting to warm up to me now that I’m looking more like a person rather than a barbaric caveman from the Palaeolithic era.

  They even start including me in their conversation and asking me questions.

  “Kneecap,” one of the twins says. “Are all those stories about you true? Did you really throw a motorcycle at the alpha of the Bedlam Bears?”

  I look down at Nora and she’s staring up at me with interest.

  “He had it coming,” I say and everyone laughs, even Nora. “What else have you heard, Toto?”

  Lachlan, Caleb, and Maximus all burst out laughing.

  “Toto!” Caleb says, slapping the table as he bends over, howling in laughter. “He doesn’t even know your name!” His laughter suddenly stops and he whips his head toward me. “Wait. Do you know my name?”

  “You’re Abigail, right?” I say, scrunching my forehead in thought.

  Everyone laughs except Caleb.

  I turn back to Toto or whatever his name is. “Sorry,” I say. “You must be Ronnie.”

  Lachlan snorts out a laugh. “Ronnie! I love it!”

  “I’m Tito,” Toto says with an indignant look. “And that’s Ronin.”

  “Oh,” I say, jerking my head back. I could have sworn it was Toto and Ronnie.

  “What’s your real name?” Tito asks. “I can’t imagine that even your mother would be cruel enough to name you Kneecap.”

  I look down at Nora and she’s looking up at me with eager eyes. “What is your real name?” she asks.

  If it was anyone else, I wouldn’t tell them. But I can’t deny her anything, even something as simple as my name.

  “It’s Gary Halbert,” I say.

  The table erupts with laughter, and I can’t help but join in. The me from last week would have flipped the table and gave every guy here a sore jaw for laughing at me, but it doesn’t seem to be a big deal anymore. Not with Nora by my side.

  “Gary Halbert,” Tito says, clutching his ribs as he laughs. “You sound like an accountant.”

  “How much do you charge for income taxes?” Ronin asks.

  I’m laughing as Nora pours me some more wine. I’ve sat on that hill hundreds of times and watched these guys laugh and tease each other, wishing I could join in.

  Now that they’re teasing me, I finally feel like I belong for once. Like I’m a real part of the crew.

  But it’s over too soon.

  Six black cars come flying into the ranch, interrupting our dinner as they kick up a sinister cloud of dust.

  Nora gasps beside me as she throws a horrified look at her sister Jessie.

  The cars stop and one man gets out. A short Italian man with grey hair, big ears, and an ugly suit.

  He looks right at Jessie and then at Nora.

  My bear starts growling for the first time today. This time, I don’t mind. I’m practically growling myself at the way the man is looking at my girl.

  “Jessica,” he says in a tight irritated voice. “Nora. Come with me. We’re going home.”

  7

  Nora

  The boys spring out of the picnic table so fast that my head gets dizzy.

  I dart my eyes around from one muscular man to the next and my pulse starts to race. Arms flexed, jaws clenched—they look ready to fight.

  My breath quickens as I turn back to the army of black cars that have just invaded our peaceful little ranch. Chicago’s most dangerous mob boss and my father, Emanuele Marchesi, is standing at the head of them, staring at me with a deadly glare as the goons start pouring out of the cars.

  There are so many of them. I feel sick to my stomach as they line up in front of my father. Some of them have six packs, some of them have big guts, but I know that they all have guns and knives hidden in their clothes.

  I try to count, but I’m too nervous and lose track around eighteen. Our new friends don’t stand a chance.

  “Jessica!” my father shouts out again. “Nora! I won’t ask you again.”

  I catch Jessie’s eye and she doesn’t look nearly as terrified as I feel. She looks pissed.

  She slams her palms down onto the table and jumps out of her seat. I’m staring in horror and awe as she charges past the guys, heading straight at my father, looking like an angry bull.

  Lachlan rushes after her, and then so does everyone else.

  Kneecap turns to me before leaving. “Go hide in my cabin,” he says in a deep voice that sends shivers racing through me. “They’re not taking you anywhere.”

  There’s a fierceness in his face and in his brighter-than-ever grey eyes, and for the first time since I arrived, I can see why everyone fears him. I wouldn’t want him on my bad side.

  I glance over my shoulder at his cabin and then shake out the cowardly thoughts that are telling me to flee.

  Jessie is my sister. I didn’t stand up for her when father was forcing her to get married, and I’m not going to make that mistake again. If she is going to finally confront father, then I want to be by her side.

  I rush over as fast as I can, catching up to her just in time. We’re flanked by a muscular wall of our new friends. Tito and Ronin are on my left. Maximus, Caleb, and Lachlan on my right. And of course, Kneecap is there too. He steps in front of me, looking ready to die before he lets anyone touch me.

  “You don’t control me anymore!” Jessie hisses, throwing her finger into my father’s smug face. “We’re done. Understand that? Done. I’m not your daughter and you’re not my father. So leave, and never come back.”

  Her chest is heaving as she glares at him with twenty years of pent-up anger and hate pouring out. In that moment, I hate him too.

  He may have knocked up my mother, but he’s not my father. Not anymore.

  “Leave her alone,” I shout as I step out from behind Kneecap’s enormous body. I charge right up to him, wanting to knock his head off of that shiny fucking suit. “She’s finally happy, no thanks to you. You’re not going to ruin this for her! I won’t allow it!”

  His blank face slowly turns to a look of amusement as he looks us each over.

  “My two lovely daughters,” he says in a condescending voice. “Both as faithful as their whore mothers.”

  “Get the fuck out of here!” Jessie screams in his face.

  This time Lachlan steps forward. “You heard the lady. You’re not welcome here. Ever. So I suggest you beat it.”

  The army of goons behind him start to fidget and look around. They can tell it’s about to go down. Neither side is backing down.

  If this escalates any further, everyone on my side is going to get gunned down. Including my sister who I desperately want to protect. I couldn’t help Jessie growing up, but I can help her now.

  “I’ll go with you,” I say in a soft voice as I step forward. Dad turns to me with a raised eyebrow. “Let Jessie stay. I’ll go back to Chicago with you. I’ll marry anyone you want. Just leave Jessie alone.”

  “No!” Jessie shouts, looking horrified. “Nora, don’t.”

  “It’s okay,” I whisper to her with a wink. “This place suits you. I’ll go.”

  “You’re not going anywhere.” The deep growly voice rolls past my ears like thunder. It’s Kneecap. He steps forward and pulls me back. “He’s not taking you anywhere,” he says as he stares down at my father with a vicious glare.

  I’ve never seen my father intimidated in his life, but he quivers under Kneecap’s intense stare. He dips down an inch as his knees wobble.

  His biggest goon, a thug of a man named Archie, steps forward, getting into Kneecap’s face. Actually, it’s more like he gets into Kneecap’s nipples. As big as he is, he’s still more than a few feet shorter than Kneecap.

  “If Mr. Marchesi w
ants the ladies to go,” he says, staring up at Kneecap with a challenging look. “Then they’re both going to go.”

  The tension is thick in the air as everyone stares at the two giants.

  Kneecap lunges down so fast he’s a blur. In a heartbeat, he snatches Archie’s ankles and yanks him off his feet. With a savage grunt, he whips the startled man over his head and slams him onto the hood of the car. His back crushes the metal hood, buckling it like tin foil and shattering the windshield.

  There’s an audible gasp through the crowd as Archie lays unmoving, staring up at the sky with glazed over eyes.

  He looks dead.

  His body looks like it must be melded to the car’s engine.

  A gun gets pulled and then chaos erupts.

  The boys charge through the goons like bowling balls crashing through pins. The guns are useless against the boys’ quick fists and charging bodies. They move so fast. It’s too hard to make sense of what’s going on. I get glimpses. Quick images.

  Maximus dropping a guy with a knee to the stomach. Tito smashing the head of a goon into another goon’s head. A guy screaming as Lachlan breaks his arm. Jessie kicking a thug in the balls.

  My father’s goons have the superior numbers, but it doesn’t matter. They’re losing. Quickly.

  Even my father seems to sense it. His eyes are darting around nervously. He’s sweating. My father never sweats.

  It’s over so fast.

  Anyone wearing alligator skin shoes and a cheap suit is groaning on the ground. One guy is holding his head crying. Another is throwing up.

  I finally understand why Jessie wasn’t afraid. These guys must be UFC fighters or something. Either that or they’re freaking superheroes.

  My father never stood a chance.

  Tito and Ronin are walking around, grabbing all the weapons from the beaten up goons. They toss each gun, brass knuckle, and knife into a growing pile, joking as they go.

  “What’s this for?” Tito asks with a chuckle as he pulls a small dagger out of a sheath that’s strapped to a guy’s leg. “Buttering your toast? Next time you come to fight us you better bring a Samurai sword.”

  He tosses it onto the pile of weapons and turns back to the cowering man. “Actually, there won’t be a next time, right?”