Guardian Bears: Lucas

by Leslie Chase

  "Lucas," Karl answered cheerfully. "How's the new job?"

  "Don't know yet," he admitted. "Client isn't telling me much."

  There was a pause before Karl spoke again.

  "So do you know anything about the threat yet?"

  "Nope." Lucas heard the growl in his voice and tried to keep his temper under control. Karl's apparent amusement didn't help.

  "Wait, you went out there to meet a client and find out if it was a job for us… and the next day you don't know anything more about it than when you left the office?" Karl didn't laugh. The effort of him not laughing came through loud and clear over the phone.

  "Look, it got complicated, all right?" Lucas growled back, not sure why he was so annoyed. He took a deep breath, looking down the back alley behind the diner. "There's something wrong, I know that, but she doesn't want to talk about it. So I'm sticking with her till I can work out what she's so frightened of."

  "That's not like you, buddy. You don't usually have much patience for people who won't speak their minds."

  That was undeniably true, and one of the reasons he'd rarely been the first to speak to a new client of the Guardian Bears. Now that he thought about it, if it had been any other client he'd have been happy enough to walk away when Emily had said that it was a mistake to hire them. There was something different about this time, though.

  "It's the website," he tried, not really believing it even as he said it. "We know she's our kind of client, or she wouldn't have found the number to call us."

  "She's also the first client to reach us through the site, Lucas," Karl pointed out. "First test of the system, if there are bugs this is the time we'll spot them. Maybe it's not working right, and there's nothing there."

  Lucas couldn't argue with that. But he also didn't want to let go of this client, he was sure of that. His bear was wide awake and angry, snarling at the very notion. And he was in no mood to try and restrain that anger.

  "Look, Karl, this may be very funny to you, but Emily's in danger. She might not be ready to tell me what the danger is or why she's on the run from it, but she's ditched her house and her job to get away so far. And then she reached out to us for help, and we're not going to let her down. I'm not going to let her down, anyway, and if you guys are, then screw you. I'll take some days off and do this myself."

  Karl was silent. The seconds stretched out, and Lucas struggled to get his breathing under control. Finally, the other bear shifter replied.

  "Is there something special about Miss Shaw, Lucas?" There was a strong hint of amusement in his tone, but he wasn't actually laughing. Thank heavens for small mercies.

  "I don't know what you mean," Lucas snarled back. He could imagine Karl leaning back smugly in his reinforced office chair, that big grin of his stretched across his face. Maybe it was a good thing that they weren't having this conversation face-to-face, or Lucas might have hit him.

  "Yes you do. Lucas, you've never liked working with new clients, you've never wanted to spend more time with them than you had to. Especially not the new ones, and the uncooperative ones. Now you're saying that despite Miss Shaw not even telling you what kind of trouble she's in, you're going to look after her anyway? Even if you're not paid for it?"

  The sturdy phone creaked ominously in Lucas's hand. He could feel the metal and plastic shift in his grip and made an effort to relax before he crushed it. "She. Needs. Our. Help."

  "Okay, okay," Karl said, and this time he did laugh. "If you say so, then fine. Go and take care of her, man, we'll back you up if you need it. Just remember that this isn't like you, okay? There's something special about this one, or you wouldn't be acting like this around her. Do you think she's your mate?"

  "No! Of course not," Lucas snapped instinctively, then paused as the words sank in. Could she be? He'd never really expected to find his fated mate – but now that Karl said it out loud, there was something which sounded right about the word.

  Karl's laugh made him want to throw his phone against the wall, but he confined himself to a low warning growl.

  "Well, whatever's got you focused on her, just keep an eye on it okay?" Karl said, keeping his voice more neutral. The laughter was still there, though held in check. "Don't let her distract you from the job of looking after her."

  "I won't, don't worry." Lucas made an effort to rein in his temper. "Speaking of which, I ought to get back to her."

  Cutting off the call with a final snarl, Lucas shoved the phone back into his pocket and stalked back towards the diner's door. At least he could be confident that the outside was secure and no one was watching Emily.

  6

  Emily sighed with relief when Lucas left the diner. It had been unnerving, having him watching her constantly. He did a reasonable job of disguising his attention, but she could feel his eyes on her. It did make her feel safer, in a way, but it wasn't comfortable.

  The air in the diner seemed a little less stuffy once he was outside and she could get on with her job unobserved.

  It didn't last long. Shortly after Lucas left, she felt herself being watched again. Frowning, she glanced around, wondering if he'd somehow managed to slip in again without her noticing. But it wasn't Lucas watching her, it was Harry, her boss. He beckoned her over, and with a sigh she went to him. The fat man smiled in what he must imagine was a charming way, leaning against the wall beside her.

  I wish Lucas was here, she thought before she could catch herself. He might have made her uncomfortable, but she'd feel safer with him watching. Harry just made her feel uncomfortable.

  "So who's that big guy who came in with you?" Harry asked. "You know, the guy who was pretending to read his phone. Was he the reason you were late?"

  Emily bit down an angry retort and tried to smile sweetly. He might be a creep, but he ran the diner, and she really, really, couldn't afford to piss him off.

  "I wasn't late," she said, deflecting the question as nicely as she could manage. "I got here with a minute to spare."

  Harry shrugged, and glanced at his watch. "Not by my count, sweetie. You came in nearly five minutes late, but don't worry. I'll let it slide, since I like you so much."

  Maybe his smile was meant to be friendly, Emily thought. But it came across as more of a leer, and the way he leaned on the wall beside her almost trapped her. She shivered and looked away. "Sorry about that," she mumbled, hating that she had to keep quiet. "I guess I'd better get back out there and get busy. I've got to make up for those five minutes."

  For a moment he just looked at her, keeping her pinned. Then he laughed and stepped back, mock-bowing and pointing towards the door. "Sure thing, babe. Good attitude. But we do have to talk about your lateness – see me after your shift, okay?"

  "Sure, Harry. Whatever you say," Emily told him, just glad to be out of his reach for a while.

  The shift was, fortunately, not a busy one. That did mean hardly any tips, which wasn't good, but at least this once she'd trade the tips for a quiet time. After last night's disturbances, she wouldn't have been confident that she could keep up with a busy day.

  It did make Lucas stand out a bit, she had to admit. Once he returned from his check of the outside, he was in his booth, sitting where he could watch the doors and keep an eye on things. His phone was in his hands, but often enough when she glanced over, she'd catch him watching. Not watching her, exactly, but his eyes would be nearby – on the door, maybe, or on the customer she was serving.

  It was a wonder that he hadn't scared everyone off. Looming there, frowning menacingly over his phone and drinking coffee throughout the day. Emily couldn't help but find it a little reassuring, though, knowing that he was there.

  The shift passed slowly, but finally it ended. Emily wanted nothing more than to get out of there and go home, but she still had to see Harry before she left. Emily knocked on his office door and entered to see Harry working behind his desk in the small room.

  "Shut the door behind you, Emily," he said looking up from the books and s
miling. No, leering, Emily thought as she heard the door click closed.

  "What can I do for you?" she asked him, wondering if she should take a seat. The only spare chair was the small and shabby metal-framed one wedged in the corner. She perched on the edge of it, uncomfortable and wanting to leave.

  "I think you know, Emily," Harry said. He put down his pen and stood, looking her in the eyes. He might be smiling, but his eyes were angry. His pale face was flushed, and she was suddenly very aware of the door between her and everyone else in the building.

  Maybe I should have asked Lucas to come in with me. But that would only have annoyed Harry more, she knew, and she really didn't want to do that.

  "You've been dodging my question since you started working here," he said, stepping around his desk. "And now you drag that, that oaf in here? That's not acceptable, not at all."

  She stood up to face him, trying to keep some control over the situation. "It's not like that, Harry. Not that it's any of your business who I'm with."

  Quicker than she'd thought he could move, he was at the door. Too close by half, and looming threateningly as he leaned over her. There wasn't any way that she would be able to open the door with his weight leaning on it.

  She shuddered, feeling trapped. He had made a lot of creepy comments while she'd been here, but never before had he done anything like this. Deep down she realized that she wasn't surprised by it, though. Her stomach churned as she tried to back away from him, and found that she was already backed as tightly into the corner as possible.

  "Don't be like that Emily," he said, in what he probably thought was a reassuring tone. It was anything but. "I know you're attracted to me – that's why I hired you, after all; it was a favor because I knew we'd get on so well. And we do!"

  He leaned closer, licking his lips wetly, and she suppressed a shudder.

  "Harry, no! I don't like you, not like that," or at all, she managed not to say. No need to antagonize him more than she had to. "Just, just let me go and we can forget about this."

  That seemed to be the wrong thing to say, despite her restraint. Harry's face clouded over with anger, and his voice rose a little. "Oh, like that is it? You came on to me to get this job, but now you have it you're going to back out? I don't think so!"

  Emily blinked, shock mixing with her fear and anger. As though I'd ever come on to a slug like him! He'd usually had some work related excuse to talk about while he'd leered at her, but this time he had given up on all subtlety.

  "Let me out," she said, trying to keep her voice steady and firm. "Let me go or I'll scream!"

  "No you won't," he told her, and took a step forward. He was practically pressed against her, his sweaty bulk trapping her in the corner. "You need this job, need it bad, or you wouldn't have come looking for off the books work. And I can get rid of you like that!"

  He snapped his fingers to make his point, the sharp noise making Emily jump. His breath was warm on her face and she turned away, disgusted. Some of what he said was true, she did need the money – and more than anything, she needed to be paid under the table, untraceably. But she hadn't signed up for this kind of treatment. And she had certainly never even implied that she might be interested in him!

  "Just let me go, okay?" She tried again, raising her hand to his chest and pushing him back. He didn't seem to notice her effort to move him at all. "You don't have to do this."

  "Come on, it'll be fun!" He reached up and took her wrist in his damp grip, making her shudder. "I'll make sure you get the best shifts, lots of tips, and we'll have plenty of time to ourselves to have fun. We both win, right? You'll enjoy it, even. Think about it, it's a good offer."

  Bile rose in her throat at the very thought, and she shoved harder. This time, he stepped back, but he didn't let go of her wrist or get out of her way. His eyes narrowed.

  "No, no way," she told him, shaking her head. "I'll never do something like that!"

  "You're going to choose him over me?" Harry sounded like he couldn't believe she'd be so stupid. Emily would have found it comical in other circumstances – Harry, the flabby balding man unable to fathom why a woman would be more interested in Lucas with his magnificent muscles and intense eyes and strong face. But it wasn't a funny story when she was trapped in Harry's office, and when Harry could fire her at will. "You're seriously more interested in that thug than in me and the opportunities I'm offering you?"

  "Yes," she hissed back. She could have told him that Lucas was her bodyguard, not her boyfriend. But the words came out faster than she could think about them. "Yes, I am. He's not a creep like you, he's a real man and he'd never do something like this. Of course I prefer him!"

  Harry rocked back on his heels as though her words were causing him physical pain. But it was clearly not enough to stop him.

  "Whatever, do what you like in your own time," he snarled, pulling on her arm and tugging her towards him. "But let me make myself clear – if you're not gonna do what you promised me, then you're not going to work here either. It's a straightforward choice, Emily; you sleep with me or you don't work here anymore."

  Emily gasped. Somehow, hearing it stated so openly made the situation feel more real, and more horrible. Harry leered down at her, his eyes filled with an awful hunger, and she couldn't pull her arm away fast enough.

  Her left hand came up in a stinging slap which knocked his face sideways. The loud crack of her palm on his cheek filled the room, then faded, leaving behind an ominous silence.

  Harry turned back to face her slowly, eyes narrowed and angry, face dark with rage. The disgusting leer was replaced with an angry snarl, and Emily's blood ran cold with fear. Oh shit, what will he do now?

  She looked for a way out, but he had her trapped. There wasn't any space to avoid him in his small office, though, and he reached out to grab her again, his fingers gripping painful and firm. This time, she couldn't pull away.

  "You shouldn't have done that," he hissed. "This didn't have to be unpleasant for you."

  Behind him, the door flew open, crashing into the wall. Harry froze, and over his shoulder, Emily saw Lucas standing in the doorway.

  His face was like thunder, eyes flashing with rage, his voice almost an animal's growl.

  "Let go of her. Now."

  The carefully controlled quiet of his words was scarier than any amount of shouting could have been. Harry jerked away from Emily, dropping her as though her skin was suddenly red hot. Lucas fixed him with a glare and reached past him to take Emily's hand. She had no idea how he'd known she needed him, but she didn't care – his hand on hers made her feel safe again, and she needed that badly.

  "We're leaving now," he said, still looking Harry in the eyes. "And you're never going to touch her again without her permission, or make any more threats. Am I clear?"

  Harry took a step back, as far as he could get from the huge man in the cramped space of the office. But despite the fear on his face, the nasty look didn't leave his eyes as he glanced between the two of them. "I won't need to, because she's fired. Hear me, Emily? Choose him over me and say goodbye to your job!"

  It was almost impressive, Emily couldn't help but think. Even in the face of the mountain of muscle that was Lucas, Harry's inner asshole wouldn't be intimidated into silence. Most bullies would have folded at that threat, but not him – he had to double down.

  Lucas, though, just laughed. A short sharp bark of a laugh, very little humor in it, but it was a laugh none the less. "You don't get it, do you? If you say or do anything – anything – unpleasant to Emily, you won't just have to face me. Once I'm done making you regret being an asshole, you'll get to explain your threats to the police."

  With his free hand, he dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Keeping his eyes locked on Harry's, he opened an app and a voice began to play.

  " – straightforward choice, Emily; you sleep with me or you don't work here anymore." Harry's voice sounded even more disgusting in the recording than she remembered it, and tha
t was saying something. She shivered, wanting to wash the memory of his touch off, and wondering where that recording came from.

  "That's pretty straightforward, alright," Lucas growled, leaning ever closer to the cringing Harry. "And very illegal. So here's what's going to happen – you're going to leave her alone. She works here until she chooses to go. If I ever hear you're harassing her, or any of your other employees, I'm going to come back here and you are going to regret it. And then I'm going to send this recording to the police."

  Harry was cowering now, hands half-raised defensively, sweat pouring down his face. His skin was white as a sheet and he trembled as he nodded. "Okay, okay, I get it!"

  Lucas towered over him motionless, and Emily was worried he wasn't going to stop there. She didn't want him to do anything stupid, anything that could get him into trouble – as much as Harry deserved to get some punishment, she was worried that Lucas would go too far. The anger radiating off him was powerful, uncontrolled, and if he started, she didn't know whether he'd be able to stop short of killing the man.

  She pulled on Lucas's arm, trying to get his attention. For a moment, he didn't react. Then with a disgusted growl, he stepped back, ushering Emily outside and not taking his eyes off the cowering manager. "Let's get out of here," he said.

  Emily hurried out, glad to escape the claustrophobic confines of the office. Lucas waited until she passed and then turned to follow. She could hear Harry's sigh of relief as her bodyguard stepped away.

  "Fucking bitch," the manager hissed after them, almost too quietly for her to hear. But she did hear what came next.

  The punch was too fast to see, but the meaty smack of Lucas's fist connecting with Harry's face was loud enough to turn heads in the kitchen. Harry dropped to the floor instantly, laid out flat by the force of the blow, and Lucas stood over him, raising his fist again.

  "Lucas, no!" Emily said, jumping back to grab his arm and pull him away. She couldn't move him, but he stopped his swing before it really started and looked around at her. His eyes blazed with rage, and she could feel the tension in the muscles of his arm. The power, too. If his control slipped, she didn't think that there'd be much left of Harry.