The Grisly Grizzlies_Lachlan

by Kim Fox

  His body stiffens as he watches me.

  I’m fidgeting with a frayed string on my dress as my heart starts beating faster.

  “Well,” I say, swallowing hard. “I’m in trouble.”

  He looks me up and down and then says one word. “Come.”

  Relief floods into my bones as unexpected tears suddenly well up behind my eyelids. I want to jump on him and wrap my arms around his thick neck, but instead I look down shyly and whisper a thank you.

  Obnoxious laughter hits my ears as a young guy turns the corner with his iPhone covering his face. He’s laughing as he videotapes me with his phone.

  I whip my head away to hide my blushing face and gasp as Lachlan charges past me in a blur. Before the shock can register on the guy’s face, Lachlan snatches the phone out of his hand and squeezes it in his fist, crushing it to pieces.

  The guy’s eyes grow comically large as he recoils back and looks up at Lachlan’s furious face. A low rumbling that sounds like a wild animal seems to be emanating from him as he stares the guy down. Is he growling?

  He opens his hand, and the broken pieces of the iPhone fall to the ground in a clatter.

  I remember when I was here the last time, I saw Lachlan lift up a fallen tree and drag it across the sand so we could sit on it. He was always strong, but crushing an iPhone in your hand? I didn’t think that was possible.

  The guy looks terrified as he looks at Lachlan’s big tattooed bicep, which is flexed as he squeezes his hand into a warning fist. Without a word, the guy takes off running.

  A satisfied smirk creeps across my lips. Who’s laughing now, fuck face?

  Lachlan is still breathing heavy when he turns around, but his face softens when he looks at me. “We should go.”

  I nod. “That’s probably a good idea.”

  I look one last time at the guy who’s still running through the bus station and then follow Lachlan out. He moves so fast on his long muscular legs, and I have to almost jog to keep up.

  The Ziploc bag full of cash is hidden in my dress, pressing against my stomach, and I have to hold it to keep it from slipping out.

  Lachlan crosses the street and heads toward another guy who looks to be about twenty years old. He’s standing on the sidewalk staring at us with an amused grin on his face. He’s almost as tall as Lachlan and looks just as muscular.

  Except where Lachlan’s body looks burdened with the weight of the world on his shoulders, this one looks as carefree as they come. He’s young and good-looking with a mischievous grin and playful eyes, someone your daughter would fall head over heels with and you might end up getting a crush on yourself.

  “Holy shit,” he says with a laugh. “Are you that desperate? Picking up a crazy person in the bus station?”

  Lachlan’s huge back stiffens as another low rumble escapes from his chest. “Don’t talk about her like that,” he warns in a deep voice that sends warm shivers rippling through me.

  “I was talking to her,” he says with a laugh. He looks at me with a warm smile. “Miss, are you that desperate that you’re leaving with this guy?”

  I grin as I glance down at my torn-up dress. “Yup. I’m pretty desperate. Thanks for pointing it out.”

  A spark of amusement flickers in his eyes as he smiles then turns back to Lachlan. “Do you two know each other?”

  “Give me the keys, Caleb,” Lachlan says, ignoring him. He holds out his thick hand and waits.

  Caleb pulls the keys out of his shorts but then holds them back as his eyebrow raises. “Can you explain what’s going on?”

  Lachlan narrows his eyes on him. “No.”

  With a frustrated breath, Caleb turns back to me. “Miss, you wouldn’t happen to know what the hell is going on, would you?”

  I grin at him. “You wouldn’t happen to have an extra shirt on you and a pair of jeans, would you? Size medium.”

  He looks at me curiously.

  “Okay,” I admit. “Size large.”

  Lachlan’s hand moves in a blur, and he grabs the keys out of Caleb’s hand. “You’re walking home,” he grumbles as he turns away.

  “What?” Caleb shouts as he thrusts his arms open. “I come to pick you up and this is the thanks I get?”

  Lachlan doesn’t even turn around. He’s charging down the sidewalk.

  “Sorry,” I say to Caleb with a cringe as I turn to follow him.

  I hear him bitching as I race to catch up to Lachlan. “Oh, this is just fucking great!” Caleb says. “One day I’ll run my own goddamned crew, and no one will pull this shit on me again.”

  It’s another two blocks before Lachlan stops at an old blue pickup truck that’s parked in front of the diner, and it’s another twenty seconds before I catch up.

  “Are we just going to leave him here?” I ask, glancing back at Caleb who’s still bitching to himself.

  Lachlan gets in the truck and I quickly follow, climbing into the passenger’s seat.

  “Yup,” he says curtly as he shoves the key into the ignition. The truck starts, and the radio turns on. A baseball game is playing.

  “…already two strikeouts today, but what the Red Sox really need here is a base hit by the struggling…”

  “Shouldn’t we give him a lift back?” I ask nervously as he throws the truck into drive and pulls away from the curb.

  “He’ll be fine.” His voice is just above a whisper.

  I swallow hard as I sit back in the seat and pull the safety belt over my body, but the clip to snap it in is broken. Actually, it’s crushed.

  Okaaayyy. I let it go and stare ahead through the dirty windshield, wondering what the hell I got myself into.

  “I remember this truck,” I say nervously as I look around it. It’s old school with one long couch as the front seat. The leather is torn but soft and still comfy. I notice the speedometer doesn’t work, but the engine seems to be running fine.

  I sneak a quick peek at Lachlan as he turns a corner. His body is tight, and he’s grinding his teeth. He looks upset, almost angry, and I start to get nervous. The only sound in the truck is the baseball announcers coming through the old tinny speakers.

  “…what they really need is a relief pitcher who can throw a fastball that has a chance of…”

  “I love the Red Sox,” I say, starting to ramble. I always ramble incoherently when I’m nervous. The more nervous I get, the more verbal diarrhea comes out. “I always thought they were cool because they don’t take themselves too seriously, you know? I mean look at all of the other team names: The Tigers, the Braves, the Pirates, the Lions. They all try to sound so tough, right? Wait, is the Lions baseball or football? Anyways, they all try to sound so intimidating and scary, but not the Red Sox. They’re like, we’re going to name our team after an undergarment and our favorite color.”

  Please stop talking. Please.

  But I can’t. My mouth has a mind of its own.

  And that mind is not very smart.

  “It would be so cool if all the teams did that, don’t you think? The Blue Mittens, The Purple Scarves, The Pink Panties. Well, maybe that one wouldn’t be so good, but you get what I mean. That’s why the Red Sox are my favorite team. Hands down. To be honest, I’ve never actually seen one of their baseball games, but you can have a favorite sports team without ever having watched the sport, don’t you think? What’s your favorite baseball team?”

  I swallow hard as I turn to him, begging my lips to stay closed.

  “Are you married?” he asks, ignoring my question. I don’t blame him. I would have ignored my rambling too.

  His knuckles tighten as he squeezes the thin steering wheel. He quickly glances at my dress and then shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

  “No,” I say, shaking my head. “I escaped just in the nick of time.”

  His body instantly relaxes. It’s like someone just opened a release valve, and all of the stress, worry, and anguish poured out of his body.

  The mood is much lighter as the tension flies out t
he open windows. He even smiles. Almost.

  “So, you’re not married?” he asks again, just to make sure.

  “No,” I say, fidgeting with the hem of my dress. “I am definitely not married.”

  We sit in silence for a while as he contemplates what I just said. I look out the open window, watching the adorable town as we drive through it. We pass a trendy coffee shop with a packed patio, and then I catch a glimpse of the river that snakes through the town. There’s a couple in one of those extra-long kayaks for two, paddling down the lazy river.

  There are trees, flowers, and happy people everywhere, all in the breathtaking mountain scenery that would be a postcard company’s wet dream.

  “The town has changed a lot,” I say as I put my hand out the window, letting the warm mountain air caress my palm.

  “Everything’s changed,” he says in his deep sexy voice. “The town finally got cleaned up.”

  “That’s good,” I say with a smile. It was so tragic to have such a violent ugly town in such a beautiful place.

  “I guess,” he says with a shrug of his round shoulders.

  He’s quieter than I remembered, and I’m insanely curious to know why.

  I lean back in the seat and try to subtly look at him through the corner of my eye. He’s got on old jeans and a tight black shirt. It could use a wash, but it still looks sexy on him. There’s a fresh coat of stubble on his strong jaw, and for some reason I can’t stop wondering what it would feel like on my hand.

  He smells like Whiskey and cigars, but I don’t mind it. I bet the smell is on his clothes and his skin smells different. When I catch myself leaning toward him to test out my theory, I sit back straight in the seat and force my eyes to stare forward.

  “Where are we going?” I ask. Probably should have asked that before I got into the truck, but my brain doesn’t seem to work that well whenever I’m around him.

  “My ranch,” he says. “You can stay there for as long as you like.”

  “Are you sure?” I ask nervously. “I don’t want to be a bother. I can get a hotel room.”

  He shakes his head. “You’re staying with me. You came to me for help, and I’m going to help you.”

  “Do you have a girlfriend or a… a wife? Because I don’t want to—”

  “No. It’s just me.”

  I can feel my heart beating faster as I watch him. The thought of sleeping in a close proximity to Lachlan is making my body tingle. He was my first, and I haven’t forgotten the incredible way that he made my body feel. It hasn’t felt like that since.

  Although, so far things aren’t going as smoothly as they went the last time. We had hit it off immediately, nearly falling in love at first sight. It couldn’t have gone smoother.

  This time is going as smooth as a slide made out of sandpaper. I can barely get a word out of him, and he looks like I’ve ruined his whole day.

  I definitely ruined Caleb’s. The poor guy is going to be walking home.

  “Thank you,” I say. “For helping me.”

  He just nods as the radio rambles on.

  “…so, we close out the fourth inning, and the Red Sox are trailing the Astros by three points…”

  Eventually we get out of town and start driving down a windy mountain road. The tall cedar trees are whizzing by the window, and every few minutes we turn around a bend and a spectacular view of a sparkling lake or a gorgeous ranch with horses running wild comes into view and makes my breath catch in my throat.

  I forgot how beautiful Montana was.

  If New York is the heart of the country and Washington is the brain, then Montana has got to be the soul.

  It’s a place where the wilderness is still king, and the hardworking, down-to-earth people still respect and cherish it.

  Chicago has always been a cold place to me, but this place… well, this place feels warm and cozy like being wrapped in your favorite blanket as you sit down with a good book and a hot coffee.

  I don’t know anybody here besides Lachlan, I have no place to call my own, and I definitely have nothing besides the money hidden in my tattered dress, but I can’t help feeling like I’m back home.

  This is the place I want to be.

  A familiar dull ache settles into my chest when an unwanted voice comes creeping into my thoughts.

  It doesn’t matter what you want. You’ll never be free.

  I shake my head and turn back to the quiet mountain of a man beside me to distract myself from the negative thoughts that constantly invade my mind.

  “You never answered my question,” I say.

  He just stares out the windshield. “Which one?”

  “What’s your favorite baseball team?”

  “I don’t like baseball,” he says after a moment. “The knob on the radio is broken. It’s the only channel we get.”

  “Good,” I say with a breath of relief. “I hate baseball.”

  “Then why were you rambling on about it for ten minutes?” He turns to me with an amused grin on his face, and the sight of it makes me smile with relief.

  Maybe we can get back to the place where we were. Maybe that fun joyful boy that I fell in love with is still in there somewhere.

  “That’s what I do when I’m nervous,” I say with a grin. “Ramble incoherently.”

  His face softens as he turns to me. “Are you nervous?”

  “A little bit,” I say, looking down at my destroyed dress. “A lot.”

  “Don’t be nervous,” he says softly. “I’m protecting you now, so there’s nothing to be nervous about.”

  If only he knew that I can’t be protected. The cruel men in my life can do whatever they want to me, and there’s no stopping them.

  “You’ll be safe while you’re here,” he says in a tone that’s final.

  I’m about to respond when he turns off the main road onto a narrow gravel road that’s barely visible through the thick wild bush. There’s a wooden sign at the entrance with The Grisly Grizzlies spray painted on it next to a larger sign that says Keep Out.

  It looks scary as hell, and for a second, I wonder if I’ve made a mistake. Is Lachlan the one I’m really going to need protection from?

  Chapter 4

  Lachlan

  “Please let this go well,” I mumble to myself as I get out of the truck.

  I should have been nicer on the drive over. I should have talked more and helped ease some of her nerves and took away some of her fears, but this is all so overwhelming. My tongue was tied, and I was too nervous to speak. This is the girl I’ve been thinking about since I was seventeen years old, and she suddenly comes back into my life out of the blue. I just wasn’t prepared for it, and instead of charming her and trying to get her back, I just clammed up and stopped talking.

  Real charming, Lachlan. Way to go.

  She shouldn’t even be here. I have a raging grizzly bear inside of me who can hurt anyone—even the people closest to me.

  I told her I’d protect her, but I know I’m more dangerous than whoever she’s running from. Who’s going to protect her from me?

  “This is so beautiful,” Jessie says as she looks around the ranch. “You live here?”

  The Grizzly Ranch is a beautiful place, I’ll give it that. The dragons gave it to us after we helped with the clear out. They were even generous enough to build five log cabins on the property, even though there were only three of us Grisly Grizzlies left at the end.

  Maximus, Kneecap, and I each got our own cabin. Caleb came later, taking one, and then the twins, Tito and Ronin shared the last one.

  We built the stables and bought the horses—over a dozen now. But the real beauty is not the log cabins with the wisps of smoke snaking out of the chimneys, it’s the rugged wilderness of Big Sky Country.

  Everywhere you look, you see mountains. Some are up close, some are far back, but they’re all magnificent and perfect for a shifter to let his bear roam around in.

  We have thick forest to the left, roaming horses
to the right, a river in the back, and a lake with a sandy beach about a twenty-minute ride away. It’s truly paradise on earth, and when the beauty of it suddenly hits me, I often wonder why I deserve to be in a place like this.

  It’s like the universe has made a mistake. A paperwork mix-up. A glitch in the system. They sent me to paradise when I should be in hell.

  Jessie is staring at the wide-open pasture that’s overrun with bright wildflowers. She smiles when she sees a fat gopher in the middle of it chomping on bright purple pedals.

  “I can’t believe you live here,” she says as she looks around, trying to take in all of the scenery.

  The scenery is beautiful, but my eyes are stuck on her. The wind is blowing, taking her silver-blonde locks up for a ride, and she’s looking around with such a gratified smile on her face that I can’t help but feel a bit more relaxed.

  “That’s my cabin,” I say, pointing to the one on the left. The five cabins are scattered around the property and mine is beside the river. Most mornings after I feed the horses, I grab my fishing rod, cast from the back balcony, and sit with a coffee as I try to catch lunch.

  “That’s the barn,” I say, pointing to the old dilapidated barn that was there before we were. “It’s mostly filled with junk. Horse stables are over there.”

  “You have horses?” she asks with her face lighting up.

  “Fifteen of them,” I say with a nod. “Want to go ride one?”

  “I really do,” she says, biting her bottom lip excitedly. “But what I really want, is a shower. I stink.”

  I’ve been enjoying her scent since she arrived, but I know how self-conscious girls can get.

  “This way,” I say, waving her over. “Let’s just hope we don’t run into any—”

  “What the hell is this?” Tito says, laughing as he walks over with his twin trailing close behind him. “Did you win a bride at your poker game?”

  “I didn’t realize you guys play with such high stakes,” Ronin adds, laughing.

  My inner bear huffs and starts pacing within. I can feel his anger turning to rage as they come over, laughing at my girl.