“I'd recognize him anywhere.”
Zander went to find his C.O., Hawk, who was standing with his mate Elena. Both were full of smiles and excitement.
“Hawk, we have a situation,” Zander told him.
“What is it,” Hawk asked.
“Emma has spotted the man who murdered the mayor.”
“I remember,” Emma said, her hand squeezing his so tight it made him realize how strong she really was. “I remember what happened that day in the shed.”
He turned to her and leaned down to hear her more clearly over the din of the crowd.
“Five, four, three, two, one.”
The crowd burst out in cheers of excitement. Couples kissed each other all around the square.
“Zander,” she said. “I'm so scared.”
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Then he looked into her eyes. “You don't have to be. I'm here for you. I'll protect you. Tell me what happened.”
“The man. In the shed, on his knees. I remember the name he said to the shooter. He called him Wilson Hill. And he mentioned someone else. Someone named Stanley.”
He took Emma's hand and quickly found Sampson. He told Sampson the names and Sampson was immediately on his cellphone, working his magic.
Only two minutes later, Sampson had an image on his phone. Emma saw the face and gasped, taking a step back. Zander put his arm around her and held her tight against him.
“That's him, that's the man.”
Zander looked up and scanned the crowd. He must have known Emma would be here tonight for the party. She was the witness to the crime.
“The CEO of Windler Bank is named Stanley Hill,” said Sampson. “And this guy, Wilson Hill, is his son.”
“We need to get Emma out of here,” Zander said. “And then we need to take this guy down.”
“I'll take the ladies back to the saferoom in my house,” Hawk said.
The Justice Squad hurried out to the parking lot. But somehow Zander and Emma got lost in the crowd and separated from the rest of the squad. He hurried on, making his way to the car. There was a huge crowd of partygoers, crammed into the parking lot. In the confusion, Emma was yanked away from him and swallowed up in the crowd. He heard her scream and he followed the sound, his heart racing and his inner grizzly growing ferocious.
When the crowd cleared, he heard Emma scream again. Wilson Hill had her, a gun pressed to her back. He was yanking her away.
Zander lost all sense of propriety. His inner grizzly burst out from inside him. His clothes ripped, his body reformed, and he was transformed from a man into an angry, ferocious grizzly bear.
“Zander!” Emma screamed.
Zander charged at the man. When he saw the grizzly running down on him, he let go of Emma and jumped into his car. He nearly slammed into a couple behind him as he pulled out of the parking spot. Zander slashed his bumper with his claw and yanked it right off the vehicle. In the haze of rage, he noted the man's license plate number as the car sped away.
Emma was beside him, throwing a blanket over his shoulders as he shifted back into his human form.
“You go with Rider, get the helicopter. I'll take the women back home,” Hawk shouted.
Zander moved with his crew to Rider’s truck. They piled in while Hawk helped the ladies into his SUV with Max and Sampson. They were all going to gather the children and ensure their safety while Rider, Zander, and Titus tracked down Wilson Hill.
They zoomed off into the night toward the military base where the Justice Squad's chopper was located. Zander slipped into his military garb at the base while the others prepared the chopper. Five minutes later, they were in the air.
“I have a location on the vehicle from street cams,” Samson said through a walkie-talkie. He gave them directions that they followed, sliding through the night toward their prey. Fireworks were still flying as the residents of Fate Rock continued their celebration of New Year's. All Zander wanted to celebrate was the arrest of the man who dared to put his hands on his mate.
He was worried they might not find him. But then, on a secluded country road, they spotted a vehicle with the license plate number. The helicopter gave chase, but the vehicle attempted to outrun them. Zander grabbed his sniper rifle, aimed at the back tire of the vehicle, and took the shot. The tire exploded and the SUV began to skid. The driver lost control and ran off the road, plummeting down a steep embankment until it smashed into a tree. It was poetic justice for what this man had done to Emma.
The chopper landed. The men grabbed their rifles, surrounding the vehicle. Wilson Hill burst out of the driver’s seat, guns blazing. Zander stood back, locked target on the man's hand and shot. He dropped his Glock and screamed with pain. Rider and Titus moved in, arresting the man. The police arrived soon after and read him his rights. Now that they had an ID and a motive. This guy and his dirty crook father were going down.
The Justice Squad climbed back in the chopper and lifted into the air, making their way back to the base.
Zander went to the police station after the chopper landed. They were questioning Wilson Hill, and Zander wanted to be there to get the confession. He needed to implicate his father, or the case would not be closed. Samson knew in his gut that Stanley Hill, the CEO of Windler Bank, had put his son up to it.
Zander went into the investigation room and pressed Wilson Hill, using every tactic in the book to finally get him to confess. Wilson admitted that Windler Bank had been wrongly foreclosing on the homes and businesses in Fate Rock for years. The mayor was trying to put an end to their predatory practices. He had gone out to the gas station personally to stop another foreclosure. He’d found information to prevent them from doing any more business in Fate Rock, and that was when his father ordered him to take him out. The gas station owner had just been a casualty.
The police went over to his father's house and arrested the man. It was early morning by the time Zander arrived at Hawk's house for Emma. He collapsed on the couch and immediately fell asleep. He awoke to find her smiling down at him. She leaned in and kissed his cheek.
“I hear you took out the bad guys last night,” she said with a smile.
“We did,” he said, sitting up and yawning. “They will never be able to hurt you again.”
“I knew from the beginning that you were my hero.”
Chapter 14
Emma and Zander went home and napped together in his bed. And when he woke later that night, he smelled the scent of food. He crawled out of bed and made his way downstairs. He found that Emma had set out a table for them. He took a seat and gazed through the candlelight at his beautiful mate. She was dressed in a pretty lace blouse and a black pleated skirt, and she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
“I wanted to have a proper New Year's celebration,” she said. “Just the two of us alone together in our home.”
“This is wonderful,” he said, cutting into his steak.
“Megan and I went shopping while you slept. Now that I have my memories and the bad guys are in jail, I'm not afraid to go out anymore.”
“This is the best New Year's Day present I could possibly ask for.”
They ate their meal and shared a bottle of champagne. When they were done eating, they danced together to soft music by the firelight in the living room. He loved the feeling of her body pressed against his. It was the most enchanting thing he had ever experienced. After all his years in the military and with the Justice Squad, with all of the bad guys they’d taken down, and all of the risks they’d taken, it all was worth it just to see the look of pride and relief in Emma’s eyes when he told her they’d taken out Wilson Hill and his father.
She looked up at him, her eyes open and yearning. He pressed his mouth to hers, his inner grizzly grumbling to claim her. Their kiss intensified, and she groaned as his tongue slid through her lips. He took her hand and led her upstairs. In his bedroom, he kicked the door closed behind him. He growled with arousal and crushed her against him, ru
nning his hand up and down her back. He ran his fingers through her hair, gripping her head as he kissed her more deeply.
“I need to make you mine,” he growled.
“Yes,” she breathed. “Please.”
Zander lifted her off her feet and carried her to the bed. He laid her down gently and climbed over her body, resting between her legs. His manhood throbbed with need as he pressed against her soft, yielding core. He slid her skirt up around her thighs, revealing that she was not wearing any panties. He growled deep in his throat as he unbuckled his pants. She unbuttoned her blouse to reveal that she wasn't wearing a bra either. He slid his tongue over her nipple as his fingers slid over her core. She was so wet. So open. He consumed her mouth and gripped her breasts, rolling her nipples in his fingers as he descended her body. He slid his tongue up her slit, tasting the nectar of her body.
She gasped and ran her fingers through his hair, bucking against him as he licked her. She slid her clit over his tongue as he flicked and sucked and fondled her breasts. Emma growled, pulling her toward him. His manhood was erect and stiff, throbbing with need to be inside her. She was still partially dressed, her skirts hiked up around her hips and her shirt open. His arousal doubled at the sight of her body so prone and open to him.
He gripped his rod and used the tip to tease her clit. She growled as she lifted her hips toward him, quivering with need. He slipped inside her, inching into her channel. She moaned with release as she gripped his neck and kissed his lips fiercely.
Her pussy throbbed around his cock, gripping and milking his manhood in wild pulses that nearly did him in. His grizzly thrashed and growled behind his eyes. His canine teeth descended in his mouth. He roared as he gripped her hips and thrust deep and hard into her core. She mewled and leaned back, surrendering to the might of his desire. Her breasts bounced underneath him as he took her. Loving her, worshiping her with every fiber of his being. He flicked his tongue over her jugular. His teeth were so sharp. They itched to puncture her skin. She tilted her neck, exposing her flesh. With white-hot intensity, they came together. He bit down on her neck, releasing the mating venom into her blood.
Emma groaned and then went silent. The room around them disappeared and was replaced by the vast space of eternity. Solar systems and galaxies were born and died as he gazed into her eyes. Across all time and space and movement, they were bound together by the intimate cords of love. Their mate bond was eternal, perfect, primal. She smiled at him, throwing her head back. She laughed and spread her arms, twirling around as she danced on stardust. They flew together through the universe, seeing the birth, life, and death of stars. It all existed inside of them. Together as one. One heart, one soul. Together they were all and everything. Together they could create life anew, their love the seed of all things.
“This is everything I've ever wanted,” he whispered into her ear as he held her.
“It's everything there is,” she whispered back.
Then they were in his room. He retracted his teeth and Emma gasped. She groaned and laughed and threw her arms around him.
“That was so beautiful,” she breathed, tears falling from her eyes.
“You are beautiful,” he said, kissing her mouth.
He held her, breathless and spent. With Emma, he would always be whole, and he would always keep her safe.
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Sly Bear (Justice Squad Book 7) Page 7