Page 8 of Bear In Mind

I stood dumbfounded in the short hallway outside my bedroom.All these years, I thought I was doing what was best for her, I thought I was doing what she would want.Fuck!

My bear roared, rising up within me.Rage didn’t even begin to explain what I felt.White hot fury blazed through me, burning my muscles, pumping adrenaline through me.

She never told me.

I never saw it.

Every morning when I came in, she was so polite.Even when her boss was there, they acted as if nothing was wrong.

But it was all a damned act.

For five years, I’d been financing her oppressor.For five years I’d ordered my own coffee and bought coffee for my employees regularly, all one hundred and twenty six of them.For five years, I’d purchased a crappy sandwich for lunch or on my way home.For five years, I gave my secretary a gift certificate to the place.Five fucking years!

My body shook, my limbs vibrated, trembled, as my bear began to breach my surface.I was the worst mate in the world.If I hadn’t defied nature, if I hadn’t defied my instincts, my bear, my own fucking common sense, she wouldn’t have endured any of this.

And I couldn’t change it.There was nothing I could do to change what was.I would have to live with that forever, knowing she sufferedbecause of me.

I ground my teeth, clenching my jaw as I attempted to regulate my breathing.I heard the crack of the phone’s screen before I realized what I was doing.Shit.Loosening my grip, I inhaled deep.“Don’t worry.I’ll take care of her boss.”The malice in my tone said I would be giving him more than a simple phone call.

“About damn time someone did.”The background noise got louder, telling me she was moving towards the crowd.“Thanks, Bear, you know, for stepping in tonight.That would have been on me if anything happened to her.So, I owe ya.”

“Yeah.”I sighed, my bear finally calming enough to be overpowered again, or perhaps my fury overruled his.“Look, I’ll have Bryn call you when she’s up to it, okay?”

“Yup.Thanks.”She clipped, immediately hanging up.She probably thought I blamed her for tonight, but, at the moment, I didn’t care.

My head was spinning with the new information she shared.Five fucking years.I couldn’t get over it.I would never get over it.

Fuck.

At the sound of metal and glass hitting the floor, I looked down.Shit.I’d crushed her phone.It was in tiny bits and pieces at my feet.I could only hope she didn’t have anything important on the device.

With a frustrated rumble, I stalked into the kitchen where I’d dropped my cell on my way in.In a matter of seconds, Jake was on the line.

“How is she?”He was genuinely concerned about her, as was to expected, now that everyone knew she was my mate.

“She’s sleeping it off.”I scrubbed the back of my neck, attempting to tame some of the tension thrumming through me.“What happened to the twerp?”

“Arrested.Charges are being filed and the evidence was bagged and will be processed for use by the prosecutor during trial.I told the sheriff we wanted attempted everything.”

“Good.”The news had me relaxing a little.“Listen, I need a new phone for her.”

There was a brief pause.“You broke it, didn’t you?”He laughed.

Irritation had me snapping at him.“Not now, Jake!”

A few more snickers escaped him before he sobered.“Sorry, man.Sure.Whatever you need.Okay?”

“A new phone, some fresh clothes for her, and everything you can dig up on her boss.”I cracked my neck, but the stress stiffened my muscles again.

“Her boss?Do I even want to know?”

I barely suppressed another snarl.Bitterness scorched my lungs with every inhale.“No, but find Bryn’s friend Tiffany and get all you can from her.I want every incident she knows about documented.”

He blew out a small breath.“Shit.It’s that serious?”

Guilt slapped me hard.I looked in the direction of my bedroom, where she slept in my bed, unaware that her secrets were being revealed little by little.I couldn’t change the past, but I’d be damned if she ever dealt with the bullshit again.Now that my clan knew, even if she walked away, she would have a group of brothers looking out for her at all times.The past would be repeated over my dead body.“Yeah.It’s that serious.So call me when you have something.”I ended the call, setting my phone on the counter.

Grabbing the broom and dustpan from the closet, I swept up the remnants of her phone before dumping them into a zip-lock bag.I’d have my tech guy see if he could salvage anything.Snapping a photo of the bag, I sent it to Jake so he could find out what he could about the carrier for a replacement.

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