Emma hopped in the driver's seat, pulling out of the parking lot. Jace climbed over the seats, moving towards the storage in the back. In the rear-view mirror, Emma got an amazing view of his toned backside and felt a stirring between her legs. Why am I falling for this shifter? We're too different. I'm a police officer. His kind aren't liked by us. We're not liked by them. We're from two different worlds.
He ruffled around in some boxes, pulling out an extra pair of jeans and shirt. Emma raised an eyebrow at him, and he responded with, “What? We go through a lot of clothes. It pays to keep some extra pairs in the vehicles. Now, where are those shoes?”
They parked outside of the police station. It was dark and looked deserted. Emma's station certainly wasn't the largest in the city, but she couldn't remember the last time there hadn't been anyone on duty. Odd, she thought.
“So what's the plan?” Emma asked. She was all for finishing this, clearing her name, and putting everyone responsible for this behind bars, but she wasn't sure how to go about it.
“How many more officers are in on this?”
“Honestly, I don't know. Almost everyone in the precinct was complicit in the murder, or at least covering it up. But if we can take down Chief Radmacher, we can take down everyone at once with his testimony. We just need to get him. He never leaves, but I don't think he's in there.”
“He is,” Jace said, assuredly. “It's a trap. They knew you would come here after the hospital.”
“Yeah, you're probably right.”
“I'm going to shift into bear form and lead the way. I'll be able to pick up the Chief's scent and track him. You stay behind me. If anyone gets in my way, I'm attacking. I don't want to kill anyone, but I will if I have to. We have some zip-ties and other gear in the back. Emma, there's one last thing.”
She said nothing, realizing that now, it was Jace's turn to talk.
“If this goes bad for me, I want you to get out of there. I also want you to know that earlier today, I was just as guilty as you. I didn't trust police officers. Hell, I hardly trusted anyone that wasn't a shifter. I hope I get the chance to know you better. I know people will say we're probably not right for each other, but I'd like to give that a chance.”
Jace got out of the SUV without waiting for her reply. He moved to the back and opened the doors, rummaging through the gear in the back. Emma sat in silence for a few moments. Jace had just echoed everything she had been feeling. Were they right for each other? Probably not. But she'd felt something with him she'd never felt with anyone else before. Despite being seemingly opposites, she felt they were more alike than either of them really knew.
She got out of the vehicle and moved towards the back, grabbing Jace's large arm and stopping him. “We don't have to hide anymore, Jace. Especially not from each other.”
Without waiting for him to say anything, she grabbed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and placing her lips against his. She kissed urgently, feeling his lips move against hers, unsure if they would even survive the night. Still, it didn't seem to matter. Together, they lost themselves for long minutes, hands exploring each other, lips leaving wet trails wherever they touched. Emma felt Jace's lips wrap around an ear, his huge hands grabbing her butt, lifting her into the back of the SUV.
He broke the kiss, his nostrils flaring. “I smell him.”
“Who?” Emma asked, confused.
“That man, Anderson. His blood scent just washed over me.”
“He got away? How?”
Jace shrugged. “It's time.”
Emma watched as Jace peeled off his tight shirt, his muscles rippling. Where there had been bullet wounds earlier, now there were only small, puckered areas.
“Look away?” he teased, unbuttoning his jeans.
“Not a chance.”
Emma watched him undress, then he came close to her again, grabbing her head in his large hands and kissing her deeply, faster, more sensually than he had seconds ago. When he broke their kiss, his golden eyes blazed bright in the darkness. He took a few steps back, shifting in front of her. She watched as his limbs lengthened, his already large chest expanded, fur growing out all across his body. In seconds, there was a fully grown bear in front of her.
He moved off, nose sniffing the air, straight for the precinct's front doors. Emma followed, grabbing the gear she had found and crouching down behind him. She had her pistol drawn and a handful of zip-ties in the other hand. Together, they moved across the dark parking lot.
He pressed his large paws against the front doors, pushing with his full weight. “Hold on,” Emma whispered, moving past him and using a key to unlock the door. She held the door open for Jace, following him into the building and quietly closing the door behind her.
Despite his large size, Jace moved almost silently down the hallway. The first police officer they encountered was a fat man whose name Emma couldn't remember, asleep in front of the security console. Emma slunk into the room behind him, taking his gun and pressing it against him. She fumbled around in his desk, finding a roll of duct tape and covering his mouth before zip-tying him on the ground. Grabbing his gun and extra cuffs, Emma moved out of the security room.
“One down,” she whispered. Jace moved down the hallway, guarding Emma with his large body. Together, they moved up a stairwell to the top floor. They reached the top of the police station without seeing another living soul.
Emma slowly opened the door to the massive room that held all of the offices. All lights were off except for Chief Radmacher's room. She could see the Chief sitting behind his desk, fingers crossed over his stomach. Anderson was standing in front of him, facing away from them, his leg bandaged.
Together, Jace and Emma moved towards the open office. “Let me go first. I can talk them down.”
Jace hesitated for a second and Emma moved in front of him. When she entered, Jace backing her up, Radmacher and Anderson hardly seemed surprised. They look smug, Emma thought. Though not for long.
“Well, Miller, I figured you would have got here sooner,” Radmacher started. “I'd heard you were working with these...shifters...but I have to admit, it's still a disgusting surprise.”
“These shifters are better men than you'll ever be,” Emma bit back. “I'm here to take you in. You're not going to get away with murder. You will not get away with pinning it on me.”
“On the contrary, Miller. You've already murdered Officers Forman and Martin. You've attempted to kill Sergeant Franklin, who will be dead very soon,” Radmacher said, pausing to a slight chuckle from Anderson. “Now, we have you on video breaking into the station with a shifter, attacking poor Officer Allen, and coming in here with the intent to kill. Another police unit showed up at the hospital and arrested your other shifter pals and released Anderson. I'm lucky that I have loyal Officer Anderson here to back up my claims.”
“You won't get away with this,” Emma said, Jace grunting his agreement.
“Don't be so naive,” Anderson spoke up. “You haven't figured out how this works yet? We'll tell everyone that you attacked us in here, after you failed to kill me at the hospital. The murders will be pinned on you. Nothing will be traced back to us. We may have failed to kill you and Franklin the first time, but it won't happen again.”
“Finish it, Anderson,” Radmacher ordered.
Everything happened at once. Jace barrelled past Emma, almost knocking her over. She kept her footing, pulling her gun as Anderson raised his. Emma was faster, firing two bullets at Anderson and hitting him in the chest. He yelled, dropping his gun and crumpling to the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw Radmacher raising a massive shotgun from behind his desk. He was standing up, swinging it onto Jace, who was moving towards him at a quick pace.
Jace plowed into the desk, pushing it at Radmacher, who swung his gun and fired wildly. The ceiling above Emma exploded, showering her in dust and plaster. She dropped to her knees, aiming her pistol at Radmacher, but there was no need. Jace swiped at the corrupt Chief of
Police, knocking the shotgun out of his hands. Jace's gargantuan bear form was looming over Radmacher, pinning him to the ground.
“Shifter piece of shit! None of this matters. You're fucked! The two of you are the worst kind of criminals, and I'm a god damned hero! I'll get a statue and a holiday,” he screamed, spitting and gnashing his teeth.
“That's where you're wrong, Chief,” Emma said, pulling a tape recorder out of her back pocket. She watched with delight as Radmacher went pale and stopped trying to get away. He knew the gig was up. Emma walked over to Anderson, who lay still. She placed two fingers on his neck, checking for a pulse. Nothing.
She realized there was no time to worry about that now. She searched around the wreckage of Radmacher's desk, finding his telephone and dialing an outside precinct's number. She wanted no one loyal to Radmacher on the scene. She explained the situation to the dispatcher and then zip-tied Radmacher on the floor.
Jace shifted back into his human form. Emma ran her hands over his body, miraculous that they had both made it out unharmed. Before she knew it, she was kissing him deeply, forcing her tongue into his mouth, every worry from the last few days drifting far away.
Radmacher's voice brought her back to reality. “It'll never last. You're too good for your own good, Miller. You think a woman like you can be with a man like him? They're criminals. All of them!”
Emma walked over to him and kicked him in the face, knocking him out. “I'm not that good.”
Everything that came after was a blur. To Emma's surprise, things had gone smoothly when the cops showed up. With the tape recorder she'd grabbed from the back of the SUV, the evidence was a slam dunk against Radmacher, Anderson, and everyone else involved in the cover up. Emma, Jace, and the other shifters had all been cleared of any crimes. Franklin's statements, backed up by Doctor Flynn, had sealed it in stone. Radmacher and the others were guilty. Of course, the Chief had tried to cut a deal, exposing every corrupt cop in the precinct that was in on the murders and cover up. Emma, Franklin, and two others were the only clean cops in the building. Nearly three quarters of the police officers were found guilty.
The next morning, Emma found herself alone back at the HQ. Upon leaving the police station, they'd arrived back at the building only to have Jace be called out with a group of the other shifters. She wasn't sure what was up, and Jace was back to his usual quiet ways, but she could tell it wasn't good. Something dangerous was happening.
Is this what I've gotten myself into? She wondered. It's not enough that my job is full of danger and possible death every second. Now, the man I'm falling for may be in even more danger than I am. How can we build a relationship together?
Jace had given her a quick kiss, not as passionate as last night's, and left with the others. Emma moved from Jace's room to the common room to the bar and back again to his room. She found the drinks did nothing to calm her nerves. What was going on? Would Jace survive? If he does, would their relationship survive?
Later that evening as she sat at the bar once again, the door flung open and the shifters came filing in. Most didn't say a word to anyone, though she could tell something was going on. A fight? A pretty woman walked close to one of the shifters she didn't recognize, though he looked like an older Derrick. There was another shifter with the group she didn't know, but she was happy to see that Judge, Derrick, Russell, and most of all, Jace, were alive.
Jace opened his arms wide, grabbing her in a massive hug, running his fingers through her hair and whispering reassurances that he was okay and not to worry. Everything was going to be fine, he said. Before she could press her lips against his, he pressed his against hers, passion flowing between them.
One of the shifters she didn't know said, “Let's go, Jace. Let's get this over with.”
Jace broke the kiss, saying, “Don't worry. I'm okay. We're okay. Once this meeting is over, I'll meet you back in my room and explain everything.”
The shifters, more than she'd ever seen before, filed into the meeting room. Unsure of what to do, Emma sat next to the other woman at the bar. She learned her name was Beth, who the shifters had just rescued. Emma tried her best to explain how the shifters and their Clan worked, though she knew only a bit more than Beth did. After a few drinks, Emma wished her a good night and retreated to Jace's room, waiting for him as patiently as she could. She hopped in the shower, finding one of Jace's huge shirts and pulling it over her body before crawling into his bed.
He came in only a few minutes after she'd finished her shower. He sat on his bed, not saying anything. She hoped he wasn't reverting back to his silent ways. After everything they'd been through, after everything they'd learned from each other, she didn't know if she could handle him shutting himself off from her.
“We had to go out and rescue that woman, Beth. She was being hunted by some gangster scumbag she was prosecuting in court. It took seven of us to protect her. We lost a man. I was hit a couple of times.”
Emma ran her hands over Jace's body, noticing the blood soaking through his clothes, red covering nearly every part of his body. “Oh, my God.”
“It's fine. Russell got me patched up. I didn't get it as bad as Clive, either. But we disobeyed Marcus, the leader of our group, and in turn disobeyed the Clan Leader, Joe. There was talk of exile, but nothing is going to come of it, this time. I need to rinse off. Will you be here when I get out?”
“Do you want me to be?”
“More than anything.”
Emma sat under the covers, waiting for Jace to come out of the shower. She didn't have to wait long. After a few minutes, she heard the water shut off. The door opened, steam rolling out, and Jace entered the room, a towel wrapped around his body. He flexed his sore muscles and Emma felt her heart beating faster at just seeing him move.
“You know, I don't hate shifters,” Emma offered. “I don't know if I ever did. Just… with everything that I'd heard, or learned in the precinct… it messed me up.”
“I know. And I have nothing against cops, even if some of the members do. We can make this work, Emma. It doesn't matter that we're different. If I matter to you, we can do this. Be together. Be happy.”
“Can we?”
“If you want to.”
In answer, Emma peeled the covers back, Jace's shirt hugging her curves and not leaving much to his imagination. His nostrils flared, his eyes burning an even brighter gold than before. He came to her, his dark hair still wet, lifting her out of bed. Jace held her in his thick arms, pushing her against the wall, her legs wrapping around his hips.
She felt his towel fall away, heard it drop to the floor, but she barely noticed. His lips were on hers, kissing, his tongue pushing deep past her own, exploring her mouth. He broke the kiss, his wet lips on her cheek, moving towards her neck. Goosebumps broke out across her body. He lips wrapped tightly around an ear, his tongue flicking across it. Her goosebumps exploded even more, her body shuddering in pleasure. She moaned into his ear, sucking, running her fingers through his hair.
Jace's hands moved over her body. One large hand trailed just below her navel before fluttering up over her stomach, pushing underneath the shirt, and then grabbing one of her breasts. His large hand easily cupped it, his fingers tracing delicate circles over her areola, before a finger and thumb pinched lightly. Emma squirmed at the pleasure and slight pain. Between her legs, she felt herself getting wet. She longed for him to push himself deep inside of her and fill her.
Instead, he slowly lowered her down until she was on her feet. Jace dropped to his knees, running a lone finger over her wetness. She moaned and bucked forward in pleasure, feeling his finger dance away.
“Please...” she begged, but he wasn't ready. He pressed his lips against one thigh, mercifully close but so far away. His tongue danced over her slit before finding the other thigh, trailing down all of the way until his lips kissed her knee. He grabbed an ass cheek with each hand, pulling her close, his mouth never stopping.
Dancing Bearback (BBW Shifter Cowboy Western Romance) (Bear Ranchers Book 3) Page 40
