And then I’m in his arms.
“Shhh, beautiful.”His deep voice rumbles through me.“I’ve got you.”
“How did you get in?What happened to the guards?”
“I took care of them.”He sits on the bed, still holding me tight, and I cling to him.He’s so big and strong, I feel so safe even though Allen and Lucky Lou might be lurking nearby.
“Are you okay, beautiful?”He runs his hand down my side and then lifts my face up to him, so he can look into my eyes.He’s not wearing his glasses, and his usual brown eyes flash with a blue light.He looks scary.Scary hot.
I rest my hands on his chest.The muscles under my palms are like granite, grounding me.“They drugged me with something.They just grabbed me and injected me with something, and I woke up here, and I’m so sorry…I missed our date!”
The corners of Matthias’ mouth twitch like he thinks I’m cute.“Shhhh, I’m here now.And everything’s going to be okay.Let’s get you out of here.”
He swings me up into his arms.I’m a big girl, but he lifts me like I’m light as a flower.Then he carries me out into the hall, where several of his brothers wait.The two assholes who kidnapped me lie in a crumpled heap on the floor.Darius is zip-tying their wrists together.
“Maisy!”Axel sounds relieved.It’s so good to see him.Even though we don’t hang regularly, he’s always looked out for me.
“Hey,” I say weakly.
I feel Matthias’ muscles tense even further.“I got her,” he growls.His voice is a deep bass that almost sounds inhuman.
Darius picks one of the thugs by the hair and drags him down the hallway where he shoves him into a supply closet.Hutch hauls the other one by the foot.I have a feeling they could easily lift them, but they want to give them the most ignominious treatment possible.
I find it immensely satisfying.
“Teddy’s parked out back, and Canyon’s in the lobby on standby, in case we need a distraction,” Axel says.
“Let’s go.”I love how commanding Matthias’ deep voice sounds.
Darius takes the lead, with Axel just behind him.Hutch and Bern close in behind me.
We move in quick formation down the hall.
“This way.”Axel darts forward and holds the door open to a stairwell.
The bear brothers make it down the endless stairs in record time.I knew I was in a high-rise hotel, but I didn’t realize I was on the twenty-fourth floor.
As soon as we reach ground level, Darius opens the door, and Matthias carries me out into the cool night, straight into a big white bus parked by the door.
Teddy nods from the driver’s seat as we climb in.
Matthias sets me down on the bench seat at the back of the bus.The whole interior is glowing neon purple.
“Is this a party bus?”
“Yes,” Matthias says.“It was the only thing that we could get quickly that would fit all of us.”
“Oh.”I let out a semi-hysterical giggle.I can’t help it–after the strain and stress of being kidnapped, leaving with a band of bear brothers in a party bus strikes me as funny.And also awesome.
Teddy pulls away from the curb, even though only Matthias and I are in the bus.We’ve left his other brothers behind.
“Where are we going?”
“Nowhere for now.Teddy’s going to just drive us around while I check you over.I want to make sure there are no ill effects from what they drugged you with.”
“I’m fine.”Even as I say it, I feel the heaviness in my body.The adrenaline rush of seeing him has ended, and I slump toward him.I can only sit there as he takes my pulse and blood pressure with the equipment he pulls out of his black medical bag.
“Pulse elevated, eyes a little dilated.How are you feeling?Any numbness, tingling?”
