Zoe took aim, using every bit of her heightened awareness to zero in on her target. Using both hands to steady her glock, she pulled the trigger and fired.
The bullet sliced through the air, impacting Dima in the shoulder. He fell to the ground, and his men jumped to attention, returning fire in a spray of bullets.
Zoe jumped behind a tree trunk, ducking out of the line of fire. Her heart pounded. She hadn’t killed him. The gunfire stopped and Zoe peeked around the tree to see the men approaching. She shot at them and ducked back behind the tree.
Another volley of bullets sprayed through the air, impacting the trunk and sending bark splintering all around.
Zoe gritted her teeth, wondering at the wisdom of her plan. She growled. She was not going to let these men have the last laugh.
She changed her clip and moved in to shoot at the approaching men. Just then, she saw a squadron of police cars rip through the field.
The Bear Patrol jumped out of the cars, parked in a perfect blockade. They opened fire on Dima’s gang. The men approaching Zoe ran back toward the helicopter as it started to elevate into the air.
Dima’s gang fired at the Bear Patrol and the Bear Patrol met their fire with their own. The helicopter inched into the air, and Zoe ran out from behind the tree. She opened fire on the helicopter, unwilling to let Dima get away.
Rollo saw her and ran out to grab her and pull her back behind the patrol car.
“What are you doing here?” he screamed over the sound of gunfire.
“Taking care of my own problems,” she shouted back.
Rollo lifted a scoped rifle, aimed, and shot. The bullet sliced through the air, impacting the helicopter’s propeller.
Zoe watched in amazed horror at what happened next.
Chapter 16
Rollo could not believe his eyes when Zoe emerged from the forest, shooting at Ivanov’s helicopter. There had just been two men over there, shooting at her. He didn’t know whether to be furious at her or to weep in relief that she hadn’t been shot.
“What are you doing here?” he shouted at her over the spray of gunfire and whipping whirl of the helicopter blades.
“Taking care of my own problems,” she shouted up at him.
He gritted his teeth. Zoe was a pistol and apparently knew how to use one. He hefted his rifle, resting it over the top of his patrol car. Looking through the scope, he shot the ascending helicopter’s propeller.
The helicopter swung wildly in the air, twisting violently down to the ground. It landed with such a force at impact that the engine tanks burst and exploded. A loud blast filled the air and the Bear Patrol recoiled behind the squad cars. Zoe screamed and Rollo grabbed her, protecting her with his body. Heat washed over his back as he held Zoe away from the blast.
“Oh my God,” Zoe gasped, pulling out of Rollo’s arms. “They’re all dead.” He heard the horror in her voice and the tightening in her heart.
“It isn’t your fault, Zoe,” he said, putting his arms around her. “They were bad men.”
“Holy shit!” Gauge howled.
“Commander, you shot that thing down.” Knox proclaimed, slapping Rollo on the back.
The guys were already moving out to inspect the crash. Damien sprayed the wreckage with a fire extinguisher, putting out the fire.
The bodies were all burnt to a crisp and littered among the twisted metal.
“We need to find the jewels,” Rollo said. “And return them to their rightful owner.”
The bears dug through the wreckage as backup crews showed up to deal with the bodies. Finally, Gauge pulled a metal box out of the crash. He brought it over to the squad car and hefted a crow bar. Rollo watched him as he forced open the box.
Inside, the velvet bag was slightly melted but not ruined. Gauge handed the bag to Rollo, and Rollo pulled it open.
The jewels were all there. He could now return them to Caitlin. But this case was far from closed.
Right then, an unmarked black SUV pulled into the field beside the squad cars and two suited men stepped out. Rollo knew immediately that these guys were feds.
“Commander Rollo Morris?” one of the man said. “Agent Black and Agent Wick, FBI.”
They flashed their badges and the Bear Patrol all looked up, taking notice of the newcomers.
“We’ll be taking over this investigation now,” Agent Black said. “You and your men can clear out.”
Agent Black showed Rollo the order by the feds to take over his case.
“We’ve recovered Caitlin Somerset’s jewels,” Rollo said, handing the bag to the agent.
“Good work, Commander Morris,” Agent Wick said. “We’ve been tailing this creep since he landed in the country. He gave us the slip in Arizona. But you brought them down and recovered the jewels.”
“It wasn’t just me. Zoe Bright has inside information about his gang.”
“Ms. Bright. We have questions for you about your involvement in this case. Don’t leave town,” Agent Black said, looking from Zoe to Rollo and back again.
“Let’s go Zoe,” he said, leading her to the squad car he’d driven to the scene.
She dropped into the passenger seat, noticeably exhausted.
“You need to rest,” he said, pulling out of the field and onto the road.
“First you kidnap me, then after you mate with me you start treating me like a baby,” she snapped.
Rollo could feel her emotions rolling inside his own heart. She was angry, scared, and frustrated. She felt like he didn’t see her. That couldn’t be any further from the truth. He tried to reach out to her and show her his total admiration. But she just stared out the passenger side window, not meeting his eyes or his heart.
“Just because I didn’t want to take you to a shootout, does not mean I’m treating you like a baby. You could have been killed.”
“I could have been killed for three years, Rollo. You have no idea what that bastard did to me. Once you finally convinced me to open up about it, I realized I’ve been a coward. I’m done with people treating me like an idiot. That includes you.”
“Wah, what? I don’t think you are an idiot.”
His own heart was breaking, wondering why she was so angry at him. All he’d ever wanted to do was protect her. He felt the confused jumble of energy rolling off of her. She was his marked mate. She should be able to feel him and understand where he was coming from.
“I know,” she said, looking at her lap. “I’ve just been so trapped for so long. I’m tired of it, Rollo. I’m not taking it anymore.”
“Let me take you home, darlin’. You need a nap. And so do I.”
He drove them back to his house. It seemed like it had been such a long time since they’d left that morning. Bringing down Ivanov and his gang had been a real win for him and the Bear Patrol. Now that the FBI was involved, he would have to work twice as hard to make sure that Zoe remained free.
They got out of the car in front of his three-bedroom suburban house in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Fate Mountain Village. He bought the house when he first moved to town and was proud of it. It was a craftsman with a big front porch and landscaped backyard. It was exactly the kind of place you would want to bring your mate and start a family.
Even after marking Zoe and her marking him, Rollo was still having doubts. She was obviously tired and cranky after the shootout, but her reaction to him was more severe than he would have expected from his marked mate.
He opened the front door and they walked inside. The front room was cool and dark in the late afternoon air. It felt good to come inside, and it made Rollo realize how tired he actually was. Contending with Zoe wore him out. But it was so much fun that he hadn’t realized his fatigue until now. All he wanted to do was take her upstairs, share a long hot bath and lie down in his big, soft bed with her.
Zoe looked tired and confused, as if she had no idea what to do. He put his hand around her waist and led her upstairs. She leaned her head against his shoulder as
they ascended to the second floor.
“Let’s take a bath in my whirlpool tub.”
“That sounds fantastic,” she said in a soft voice, stretching her arms.
They went into the master bathroom, and he turned on the sunken tub to fill it with water. It filled quickly, and he squirted the water with some of the bath oil he’d received as a Christmas present from one of the office ladies last year. He hadn’t had a chance to use it yet, but now that his lady was here, he decided it was the perfect opportunity. It filled the air with a spicy floral scent that he liked and had a feeling Zoe would like as well.
“That smells good,” Zoe said, kicking off her boots.
They both undressed and descended into the warm, bubbly water. They sat across from each other in the massive tub, and Zoe ducked under the water to wash her face and hair. Rollo did the same and when they were both clean, he pulled her over to him to sit beside him. Her warm, curvy body pressed up against his, and she laid her head on his chest, breathing slowly.
She looked so beautiful when she relaxed like this. She’d washed away all her makeup and all her worry and was just there with him. She seemed so tranquil. Zoe ran her hand back and forth across his stomach, exciting his desire for her even more.
He kissed her forehead and held her close. Zoe’s hand slipped further down, caressing his lower abs and thighs. He growled and kissed her head again as her lips pressed against his chest.
“If you keep doing that, this is going to become something other than a bath,” he said.
“Is that a problem?” she breathed.
“Not at all,” he said.
He lifted her chin up to look into her eyes and then kissed her pouty lips. Their wet mouths tasted each other as her hand slid over his erection. Rollo threw back his head and drew a sharp breath through his teeth at the sudden pleasure of her touch.
Zoe slid her other hand around and cupped his balls as she gripped his shaft. Her smooth palm slid up and down his hardness as her fingers clenched him. She increased her speed, pulling the pleasure out of him with each stroke.
She licked his chest, circling her tongue around his nipples. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He had to be inside her. Rollo put his hands around Zoe’s waist and pulled her up onto his lap.
She gasped at the feeling of his hard shaft against her quivering softness. He pulled her to his chest, squeezing her ass as he slowly pushed her down over his cock.
He slid inside, her pussy sheathing him like a velvety soft glove. Zoe panted as he sank into her. Her head was thrown back and her wet black hair hung down to her hot curvy ass.
Rollo held her close and still, their heartbeats pounding in the same rhythm. He kissed her mouth, her face, her neck and breasts, then nibbled her hard nipples.
“Rollo,” she breathed, her pussy clenching him as he held her on him.
He used his strength to move her little body up and down on his lap, her pussy sliding sensually over his cock. He thrust up into her, and she groaned through her panting breaths.
He felt her softness contract around him, letting him know she was coming for him.
“Good kitty,” he growled into her neck.
Zoe moaned with arousal and lust as he started to thrust in long, hard strokes up into her core. He held her with his big, strong arms, and cupped the back of her head to angle her mouth for a deep kiss.
He had her completely, moving her body with his own. He loved her here, where they shared a body and soul. Every movement of his hips brought her to a new level of arousal. And he wanted to taste the outpouring of her lust as he kissed her.
He squeezed her ass, showing her how much he enjoyed her ripe body. Zoe’s breasts pressed against his chest, her nipples hard as stones, rubbing over his own.
Her body clenched his cock as he thrust into her again and again. Zoe was like putty in his hands, and he needed all of her. He lifted her off of him, and she moaned at his absence. But when he turned her over the bath and slid into her from behind, she groaned with approval. Rollo gripped her sweet round ass, and pulled her against him. With each thrust, she groaned and called out his name.
His cock slid in and out of her sweetness, and Rollo couldn’t stand how good it felt. All these years, he’d been waiting for a woman like her. He’d been waiting for his mate. Now she was here and he could feel the pleasure inside her as he gave her his cock. Her beauty blew him away. As his release pulsed in hot jets into her core, Rollo imagined what it would be like to fill her belly with his child. He pulled away before drawing her into an embrace under the warm water.
“Is this thing birth control,” he said, rubbing the thin stick implanted in her bicep.
“Yeah. It’s one hundred percent effective,” she said. “Even for a shifter.”
“I thought I could scent it,” he said, a little disappointed.
Someday, when Zoe was ready, Rollo would be there to put a baby inside her.
“Rollo,” she said, as he held her in his arms.
“Yeah baby?”
“What’s going to happen to me? Do you think I’ll go to jail?”
“Don’t you worry about it, Zoe. I’ll take care of the feds. I don’t doubt you have information that would be useful to them. Even with Ivanov dead.”
“I hope you’re right,” she breathed. “I don’t want to be away from you now that I’ve found you.”
They crept out of the tub and wrapped themselves in bathrobes. In his bedroom, Rollo turned down the bed, and Zoe climbed inside with damp hair and warm, naked flesh. They laid together in the cool sheets with the heat of the afternoon sun outside. He held her in his arms as they drifted off to sleep.
Later that evening, they woke again and he fixed her a hearty dinner before they sat together in the living room and watched a movie on TV. After the film, they went back to bed and woke early and refreshed the next morning.
Zoe seemed more nervous than he’d ever seen her as she dressed in the dirty clothes she’d worn the day before. He drove her to her dorm to change a little while later. He sat parked in his squad car in the parking lot of the Institute and got updates from his guys while she dressed. She was back in a few minutes, sexy but comfortable in jeans and a designer t-shirt.
“Are you ready?” he asked as she slid into the passenger seat of his squad car.
“No, but I trust that you will be able to help me with whatever happens.”
He appreciated her confidence in him. After their love making and rest, she was coming back around. The feelings of trust and respect cycled between them, and it did his heart good to be on the same page with her again.
They got to the police station, and the unmarked FBI SUV was parked out front. Rollo took a deep breath and let it out, not allowing himself to get nervous about this. He’d been planning for this inevitability for days. Zoe was going to be okay.
They walked into the station and the agents from the day before asked to see them both in private. He led the agents into his office. He sat behind his desk and everyone else sat on the other side.
“Bringing down Ivanov has been a boon for our department. We’ve been able to recover further evidence from the crash. But as you may know, Ivanov was not the head of his arm of the Russian mafia. What can you tell us about Boris Ivanov, Ms. Bright?”
“Dima’s father?” Zoe asked.
“Before you start asking her questions, we should discuss what context she’ll be giving her testimony under.”
“What are you suggesting, Commander Morris?” Agent Black asked.
“I suggest you give Zoe criminal immunity from her involvement with Ivanov in exchange for her testimony,” Rollo said.
Zoe squirmed in her seat, sweat visible on her tanned forehead.
“We can see what we can do,” Agent Wick said.
“I’d be happy to answer your questions,” Zoe said.
“Once we have the bargain in writing,” Rollo said.
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Agent Black sai
d, pulling his phone out of his suit jacket pocket. “I’ll get the director of our department on the line to write that up now. But it will be contingent on the quality of her information.”
Zoe shot Rollo a nervous look. He gritted his teeth, praying Zoe knew something important about Boris Ivanov. A few moments later, the agents were handing Rollo and Zoe both copies of the agreement faxed over from the FBI. In exchange for evidence in the Boris Ivanov case, Zoe would be immune to all criminal charges in relation to her involvement with the gang.
The agents asked her if she understood the agreement and she shook her head, biting her lip.
“I just hope I know something that will help you. I’ve only met Boris once, and he was worse than his son.”
“We’d like to take this to another interview room where Ms. Bright won’t be distracted by her mate. You two are mates correct? Our sources were quite clear about that.”
“Yes, we are. I will show you to a private room. Right this way,” Rollo said, feeling tension wash over him.
He opened the doors for the agents and Zoe. She gave him a worried look as she stepped through the door. He patted her back, trying to be strong for her.
“It’s going to be fine,” he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Two hours later, the agents and Zoe emerged from the room with a signed agreement to give her immunity. The agents were bursting at the seams with contained energy. One of them almost cracked a smile.
“Thank you for your cooperation, Commander Morris,” Agent Wick said, shaking his hand.
“You got what you needed?” Rollo asked, curious as to what Zoe had told them.
“Yes, and more. We may have more questions for her, but Zoe is free to go. No charges will be filed against her for her involvement with Ivanov.”
As the agents walked out of the station and got into their SUV, Rollo put his arms around Zoe’s shoulders, feeling like he’d just closed the biggest case of his life.
Chapter 17
After the FBI agents left, Zoe felt a massive weight slide off her shoulders and barrel to the ground. She was free. She was finally free. All those years under Dima’s thumb, all these months of being terrified she’d be killed or imprisoned, she was now finally free. Gratitude and relief spilled over inside her, and she could barely contain her emotions.