Snow blinked up at him, and her eyelids drooped slowly. She was still clutching his arm, her fingers curled defensively into claws. The rage and pain faded from her face and her features relaxed.
“...no accident,” she murmured as her head lolled to the side.Hans carried her up very carefully, and followed the meandering stream out of the forest. He had left his car hidden at the side of the road just at the edge of the forest when he began his hike.
Hans's long-legged, urgent strides brought him to his car in no time. He laid Snow gently on the backseat and started the engine.
He punched in a number and spoke rapidly into his phone as he drove. “Dr. Hunter? It's me, Hans, Hans Grimm. Can you come up to the house? It's an emergency. Can you come alone? No, not even your nurse. Yes, I understand. I know. Yes, yes. Thank you.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Snow opened her eyes and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling. She frowned and reached her hand up to feel her head. There was a bandage around her head, and she could feel that her neck was in a brace. She turned her hands over in front of her and saw that both her arms were heavily bandaged.
Why was she lying in bed with her whole body in bandages?
Was she injured?
How in the world had she gotten so badly injured?
Snow blinked hard and the throbbing pain in her head became more intense and unbearable. She felt sick, and she had to take a couple of deep breaths to calm herself.
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to remember. What had happened to her?
At first, all she saw was the blackness at the back of her eyelids. Gradually, she saw angry, red flames licking at the corner of her vision. The flames grew bigger and brighter, until she could feel the scorching heat against her skin. She saw smoke, choking black smoke, surrounding her, enveloping her, making it impossible for her to breathe. She couldn't see anything in front of her, but she knew, she just knew she had to get out of this burning mess.
Snow snapped her eyes open, panting hard. She could hear the roar of the fire in her ears, and she screamed when she heard a sharp explosion. She almost screamed again, but she forced her fist into her mouth and shook her head. That wasn't an explosion. It was just the sound of a door slamming back against the wall. Someone had flung the door open and rushed in.
“Hey, hey, it's okay,” a deep, male voice said, holding her shoulders.
She looked up with wide, unseeing eyes and saw a blurry face. Blinking rapidly, she finally focused on a handsome, stern face with chiseled features and intense green eyes.
“Who are you?” she croaked.
“My name is Hans Grimm. You're in my house now. You're safe,” he answered gently.
“I'm not safe,” she hissed automatically.
“Why aren't you safe?” Hans asked. “Who is trying to hurt you?”
“I...I don't know,” she whispered at last, clutching the sides of her head. “I c-can't remember.” She stared up at him fearfully. “I can't remember. I can't remember anything!”
“Take your time. Everything will come back to you. It's okay...”
“No! It's not okay! I...really can't remember what happened...” She swallowed convulsively and tried to get out of bed. “I have to go...”
Hans stopped her and held her firmly by the shoulders. “Where do you want to go? Tell me. I'll take you there myself.”
“I...” She sucked in a painful breath. “I don't know.”
“Is your name Snow?” Hans asked slowly.
She nodded.
“Is Snow your first name or your last name?”
She blinked at him. She honestly didn't know. Her lips quivered and she could feel herself beginning to hyperventilate. Why did she not know the answer to such a simple question?
“Never mind. It doesn't matter,” Hans said quickly, rubbing her back. “Your name is Snow, and it's a lovely name. Just relax and you'll be fine. What is the last thing you remember, Snow?”
Her frown deepened as she tried to recall. “Fire,” she said in a tremulous voice. “I remember fire, and smoke. I was trapped and I couldn't even scream. And...I remember you,” she said suddenly. “I remember your face. You were giving me water...”
“You were in an accident,” Hans explained slowly. “Your car plunged down the side of the mountain and exploded. I pulled you from the burning wreck and even in your injured state, you made it very clear that you did not want to go to a hospital. You said...that you didn't want anyone to know that you're alive.”
“I...see,” she whispered. But she saw nothing at all. She could remember nothing of the accident. She gasped and seized on something Hans had just said. “Did I...drive myself over a cliff?” she whispered. “Was I trying to kill myself?”
A muscle worked in his clenched jaw. “I don't think so.”
Snow took a shuddering breath and closed her eyes. She felt so very tired. “What am I going to do?” she mumbled. “I can't remember anything...”
Hans took her hand and squeezed reassuringly. “Don't worry about anything, Snow. I got my family doctor, Dr. Charles Hunter, to come up to the house and see to your injuries. He said you're very lucky to escape with such minor burns and sprains. You could have snapped your spine or split your head. Dr. Hunter said you should make a full recovery soon. You just need plenty of rest. He gave you an injection and some painkillers.”
Snow gulped and said tentatively, “This doctor, Dr. Hunter...”
“Dr. Hunter has been taking care of our family for years. He is very discreet and trustworthy, and he's a very good doctor. The best.”
“T-thank you, Hans...”
“Just sleep.” She felt Hans pull the covers up over her shoulders. “You're safe.”
She managed to twitch a small smile before drifting off.
CHAPTER FIVE
Hans pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed for a long time. He stared at the young woman in his bed. Even with cuts and bruises covering almost every inch of her face and body and her head swathed in thick bandages, Hans saw that she was very beautiful.
She had wavy jet black hair that reached to her shoulders. Her lashes were long and dark against her fair, flawless complexion, and she had full, blood red lips. Her deep, brown eyes hid many secrets and buried emotions, and Hans was determined to uncover every one of those dark, painful secrets.
He didn't doubt that she really couldn't remember the accident and vital details about herself. She wasn't even sure of her own name. All she knew was that her name, or perhaps her nickname, was Snow. Sometimes, after a very traumatic event, the mind would shut down and refuse to remember the incident. It was a defense mechanism, the mind's way of protecting itself.
Hans scrubbed his hand down his face as he watched her sleep. He tried to recall her first words to him. She had been alert and lucid when she told him that it was no accident and he shouldn't trust anyone.
“Don't let them find me, please...don't let anyone know I'm alive...”
Her desperate plea echoed in his mind. What did her words mean? Who was after her? And if she didn't want anyone to know that she was alive, that could only mean that someone wanted her dead.
Someone had tried to kill her by forcing her car off the cliff. Maybe her brakes had been tampered with. Maybe someone slammed into her car and drove her off the narrow mountain road.
The remains of her car would be found, but there would be no body. But that didn't prove that Snow was alive. Her body could have been dragged away and eaten by the wild animals and scavengers in the forest.
Hans leaned forward and grabbed the towel from the basin at the bedside table. He rinsed the towel and dabbed at the beads of sweat forming on Snow's forehead. The woman was feverish and she kept muttering deliriously in her sleep. Her limbs jerked and flailed, as though she were trying to fight some invisible enemies off.
“Hush,” he whispered. “I'm here. I'll protect you, I swear. I won't let anyone hurt you, Snow.�
��
His voice seemed to soothe her, and the deep frown gradually left her face. She whimpered softly and turned her face towards his voice. Hans eased her damp hair away from her face and gently thumbed away the crease between her brows. She let out a long sigh and her features relaxed. She looked so much younger, more innocent and carefree in her sleep.
Hans leaned in and pressed his lips softly to her forehead. Besides Dr. Hunter, no one knew that Snow was here in his house. Not even his brothers. His elder brother, Jack, was living in the small town of Redcape Grove and had just traveled up to visit him last weekend. Derek, his busybody baby brother, was living much closer and might drop by for a meal or to chill out and watch a game on TV with him after work.
Hans and his brothers ran the Grimm Group together, and they were close. They could usually sense what was going on in one another's lives. He didn't want to hide anything from Jack and Derek, but for now, Snow would have to remain his secret.
He was going to start his own investigation into the accident. He would find out more about this mysterious, beautiful, resilient woman while protecting her identity and person.
He would guard her with his life. There was no doubt about it. This woman's safety meant more to him than his own life.
Hans traced the tips of his fingers down her face, talking to her in a low, quiet voice. He told her about himself, his family, his work and his hobbies. He recounted what he had been doing before he found her, hoping that it would help jog her memory. He was sure she could hear him. Subconsciously, she would register his words and her mind would put all the information together, piece by piece. It might take some time for her to remember everything but he would be with her every step of the way.
He described the scenic route he took from his car to the base of the forested mountain. He told her about the different plants and trees he saw, and the animals he glimpsed during his hike.
“The animals didn't come too near, because...well, they could scent the bear lurking just beneath my skin.” Hans shrugged. “I can be one scary bear, so no one had better cross my path.” He thought he saw her smile.
Hans took her tiny, pale hand in his. “Who are you, Snow?” he whispered. “And who is after you?”
CHAPTER SIX
“You're healing very well,” Dr. Hunter said with a nod. “You're a very strong woman, Miss Snow.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Snow said softly.
The good doctor had been coming every day to check on her progress. He had beamed at her when she told him that she didn't need any more painkillers. “And I'm sleeping much better now,” she reported dutifully.
He cleaned and dressed her wounds himself without the help of a nurse. Dr. Hunter always came alone, and Hans sometimes served as the doctor's able assistant.
It was almost a week now since her accident. Bit and pieces of that near-fatal accident kept flashing through her mind when she was in that half conscious state between sleeping and waking. But when she opened her eyes, the foggy, fractured memories would slip away and all she was left with was a feeling of utter frustration and helplessness. How could she help herself if she couldn't even remember her past?
To be honest, she didn't even know who she was. Beyond that fragment of her name, she couldn't remember much about herself or her life. But she just had this strong, unshakable feeling that her life was in danger. Hans had told her the truth about the accident. He had even told her what she said to him just before she lost consciousness.
“You said that it wasn't an accident, and no one must know that you're alive,” he told her. “It's clear that someone is after you, and I'm going to find out who the fuck wants you dead.”
Hans was just a stranger who had saved her life, but she trusted him completely. She just knew that he wouldn't hurt her and he wouldn't lie to her.
Maybe it was instinct.
Maybe it was just a desperate hope. She had no one else to turn to. If she couldn't trust Hans, then she was truly all alone.
She couldn't even trust her own unreliable, fragile mind.
Snow thanked the doctor again before he picked up his big, black bag and left the room. She heard him speak quietly to Hans at the door, and she saw Hans shake the good doctor's hand.
Snow sat up straighter in bed as Hans came into the room. She was wearing a comfortable pair of track pants and one of Hans's large t-shirts. He had gone out to buy some new clothes for her, but she told him to buy just some track pants and shorts for her. She could wear his old t-shirts, so she didn't need tops, just bottoms. He came back with bags of shorts, pants and skirts. And lots of expensive lingerie. “I guessed your size,” he'd stammered.
He got her size just right. Snow smiled when she recalled the cute blush on his face. Hans was always so confident and assured, but he'd blushed like a schoolboy when he bought some nice bras and panties for her. He wasn't a big, scary bear. He had told her upfront that he was a bear shifter. Hans was just a big teddy bear, but she suspected that not many people saw this side of him.
She pressed her hands together and fidgeted as Hans walked towards her. He exuded an air of authority and purpose, but with her, he seemed tender and vulnerable. He was a very attractive man, tall, blond and broad, with piercing, intelligent green eyes.
She knew that he was the COO of the Grimm Group, a large holding and investment company that owned restaurants, resorts and theme parks across the country. The man was rich and successful, and she was sure his schedule was packed with all sorts of business and social engagements. Yet he had taken a whole week off work to stay home with her. While she slept, he had been on his phone and laptop, but he would jump up to attend to her once she opened her eyes.
Snow would often pretend to be asleep so that she wouldn't interrupt his work.
She'd heard him speak very frequently and impatiently to someone called Derek on the phone. “Who's Derek?” she asked one evening.
“Derek is the biggest busybody on earth,” Hans had grumbled. “He's my younger brother.”
“Why won't you let him come over? I heard you telling him...”
“Snow, I promised you that I wouldn't reveal your whereabouts to anyone. So...”
“But he's your brother. I...I would like to meet him.”
Hans had made a non-committal reply and urged her to finish her dinner. Hans prepared all her meals himself. It was simple but nutritious fare. She hadn't seen anyone but Dr. Hunter and Hans in the house. When she asked, Hans simply replied that he had given the cook and the servants some time off.
Hans came to sit with her at the edge of the bed, but before he could speak, Snow cleared her throat and said, “Thank you for taking such good care of me, Hans. But really, you don't have to stay home with me. I can go down to the kitchen to prepare my own meals, and I know my way around the house. I know you're a very busy man...”
“Nah.” Hans shrugged. “I called in sick.”
“Huh?”
“I told the office that I'd caught a very bad, contagious bout of flu and had to stay home for the whole week. I made it clear that no one should come up to the house to visit me.” He winked and added, “I don't want anyone else to catch this terrible bug.”
Snow narrowed her eyes at him. Hans grinned at her just as his phone chirped noisily and insistently. Hans grimaced when he glanced at his phone.
“It's Derek,” he groaned.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Hans!” Snow could hear Derek's strident voice booming out of the phone. “I'm at your front door now. Open the goddamn door! I know you're not sick.”
“I told you, Derek, I'm very sick and very contagious...” Hans pinched his nose with two fingers and tried to fake a hacking cough.
“Bullshit! I'm going to kick your door in if you don't open up. I'm going to count to ten. One, two...”
Snow threw back the covers and staggered out of bed. “Let him in,” she said. “I'll open the door for him. It's okay, Hans. I wan
t to meet your brother.”
She yanked open the bedroom door and scrambled down the stairs. But Hans reached the front door first, and put his hand on the knob. He stared at her and she nodded. “Open the door for your brother,” she urged.
Once Hans opened the door, Derek barreled headlong into the house and skidded to a halt right in front of her.
Derek Grimm was tall and blond, just like Hans and he had the same brilliant green eyes. Derek stared at her for a second, shock and horror registering on his face.
“What the hell, Hans?” Derek blurted out at last. “What did you do? The lady is in bandages and a fucking neck brace! What the fuck did you do to her?”
Derek immediately positioned himself protectively in front of Snow and held up his hand like a traffic warden to stop Hans from coming near her. “I can't believe you'd do this, Hans,” he snarled.
“Don't worry, miss,” Derek said to her over his shoulder. “He may be my brother, but I'll tell the police exactly what I saw. I won't lie for him. I'm ashamed of you, Hans. I never thought you'd ever hit a woman...”
“I never hit her!” Hans threw up his hands in exasperation. “You're jumping to conclusions. Do you really think so badly of me? You think I attacked this lady, put her in a coma and hid her in my house? Geez!”
“It sure looks like it,” Derek answered, but he glanced uncertainly at Snow. “I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen her injuries...”
“I didn't cause those injuries, you dumb ass!”
Derek breathed a sigh of relief and stepped aside.
“What was I supposed to think?” Derek groused. “You haven't been coming to the office. You've been curt and evasive over the phone. And you won't let me come over. Ha, you think I'll believe your story that you're sick in bed with a really bad, contagious bout of flu and you don't want to spread your germs to anyone? You're the worst liar ever, Hans. I knew you were hiding some dark, dastardly secret.”
Snow and the Bear: Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (Grimm Bears Book 2) Page 2
