The whole exchange could have lasted all of three seconds or several minutes. She wasn’t sure. All she knew was the closer she got to him, the more he took her breath away.
Carly nodded in understanding, and for a moment, she thought she could see the smallest ghost of a smile at the corner of his mouth before he put the bottle to his lips and took a long swig. She couldn’t help but admire at this distance his incredibly masculine features. His powerful, straight jaw. Thick brows that made his gaze even more intense. Tanned skin and broad cheekbones. And perfectly defined lips that pursed slightly as he drank.
It made her wonder what those lips would feel like on hers.
Carly’s last relationship had gone down in flames only a year ago, leaving her stuck in this town, working off debts she’d likely never repay, and she wasn’t eager to start something with a man again.
But something about Zeus made a woman want to try.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the clank of the bottle onto the counter, and Carly quickly went back to what she’d been doing before, hoping he hadn’t noticed her gawking.
She went to the cash register to break the hundred into smaller amounts so she could put the excess into the tip jar. But when she opened the register, she saw it was out of twenties.
Rob kept all the cash in his office in a safe, and Carly knew they would need money in the register before the evening regulars came in anyway, so she exited the bar and headed for Rob’s office.
“Excuse me for a moment,” she said to Zeus, trying to sound formal but hearing something that sounded more like a squeak come out of her mouth.
The man didn’t reply, just nodded, but still followed her intently with his eyes. As she walked past him, she could swear he was watching as she walked down the hallway that connected with the storage rooms and Rob’s office. But when she turned around to look, all she saw was the huge man hunched over the bar and turned away from her.
She went through a door for employees only, turned down the hall, and came up to the thick wooden door that led into the office. Carly listened to see if he was playing his oldies rock station. She knew Rob didn’t like to be interrupted if he was in the middle of doing financials or counting money, and the sure sign he was doing either of those was the sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd or Bob Seger coming from the office.
But instead of the sound of music, she heard voices coming from inside. Angry voices. She perked her ear closer to the door
“You’re way behind on your payments, Rob. Where’s the money you owe us?” said one voice, gruff and mean.
“I don’t have it yet. I will by the end of the month.” Rob sounded terrified.
“Do we have to remind you this is for your protection, friend? If you can’t make good on your part, then how are we supposed to keep you and your establishment safe from rival gangs in the area?” said another voice, this one more cool and conniving.
It sounded like extortion. She’d heard whispers from drunks and other locals about the town being under the control of a resident biker gang, the Red Devils, but she’d never seen any proof of it, and she wasn’t one to pry into dangerous things.
She didn’t know if she should run and call the police. If she did, it might be too late for them to do anything.
“Maybe we oughta teach him a lesson. Give him a taste of what’ll happen if he doesn’t meet the deadline by the end of the month,” said the first voice.
Carly couldn’t wait any longer. She had to do something. She turned to go to the bar and use the phone. But she’d only taken one step when the floor gave a loud creak beneath her.
Carly cursed and froze, hoping the men inside hadn’t heard the wood betray her.
“Did you hear that?”
“Go outside and check it out. I’ll stay here.”
Carly knew they’d found her out, so she rushed for the end of the hall and the door that led back into the main restaurant area. Behind her, she heard the door fly open with a bang, followed by loud footsteps coming up on her fast. Though the hallway wasn’t that long, it felt like a mile. Her heart was pounding as she ran.
Angry voices muttered behind her, and she knew they were close. She sprinted for the door and pushed it open, but before she could make it out, a hand grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her back into the poorly lit hall.
She was shoved against the wall and realized she was surrounded by three terrifying men dressed in various combinations of grubby-looking biker gear. One had a headband that was red and black. Another wore dark sunglasses. And the last had a smug grin that showed missing teeth.
“What do we have here?” he snarled.
“Rob didn’t tell us he had such a hot piece of ass working for him,” said another as he leered.
She was totally caged in by the three of them. At the other end of the hall, she could still hear someone else inside Rob’s office, making threats, but she was too frightened to make out any of it.
“What did you hear?” asked the one in front of her. He was by far the meanest-looking of the three.
“N-nothing,” Carly stuttered.
“Really?” he asked doubtfully.
“Honest, I swear. I don’t know anything.” Carly tried to sound convincing, tried to keep herself together. But she’d never been more scared in her life, and she could feel tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes.
Everything had just gone wrong for her, ever since she came to this town. No, even before that, if she really thought about it.
“Maybe we can take her as a down payment on Rob’s debt. I don’t think he would mind,” the one with missing teeth said with an evil grin. He leaned in, and she cringed away, avoiding his fetid breath as he tried to kiss her.
In that very second, the door behind them that led into the bar whooshed open with incredible speed. A huge figure stood on the threshold, looming just a few feet away.
All three men turned around at the same time and looked up at Zeus, standing at his full, intimidating height, hands clenched and blue eyes glaring down at them.
She could feel the rage emanating from him, and somehow it made her feel secure, like everything was going to be all right.
“Let the woman go,” Zeus growled, assessing the men before him like a predator eyeing prey.
“Who the hell are you?” the mean-looking one spat, stepping forward. All three of the thugs were large, burly men. But they were tiny hills compared to the mountain that was Zeus.
“None of your business. Just let the lady go and there won’t be any trouble,” Zeus said darkly, taking a small step forward.
The man on the right stepped forward. “How about you go fu—”
His curse was interrupted by a loud crack as Zeus’s fist connected straight with the man’s jaw, sending him flying into the wall to Carly’s right with a loud thump.
For a split second, the other two turned and looked at their comrade, stunned. Then, in unison, both men charged at Zeus. He grabbed them both easily and pulled them into the main eating area, away from Carly.
Carly saw the man motionless to her side, but she still heard an angry voice coming from the direction of Rob’s office, so she took the opening and came out of the hallway, ducking behind a table in the corner of the restaurant and hoping to stay out of sight.
Zeus held both men by the collar, then tossed one to the side while the other swung wildly at him. He kicked that one in the gut, and the man flew backward, crashing through chairs and tables. The other man lunged at Zeus, who whirled around to meet him with a solid punch to the nose that sent the thug reeling back into a table and then falling to the ground, out cold.
Despite his sheer size, Zeus moved with incredible precision and speed. Most men around these parts were no strangers to bar fights, but the way Zeus fought was more practiced and honed. The kind of skill that came from a lifetime of training.
In that moment, another man came in, swearing up a storm and running at Zeus. It was the one who had stayed in Rob’s office, and Carly gu
essed he was probably the highest in command of the group, based on his size and how he’d been the one giving commands earlier.
“You picked the wrong people to mess with, stranger,” he said.
Zeus said nothing. Just replied by grabbing the charging man by his collar and throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The man shrieked as he landed square in the middle of a large table, which buckled beneath him and crashed onto the ground in a cloud of splinters.
The man groaned as he rolled over and tried to get up. Zeus didn’t let up, just walked over to the man, examined him for a split second, and gave him one swift blow to the head, knocking him out.
For a moment, the room was still, not a sound disrupting the odd quiet as Zeus looked around one last time, then came over to the table Carly was hidden behind.
Her blood froze. Not only was this the largest, most badass man she had ever seen in her entire life. But he was also dangerous. What would he do with her?
Zeus knelt in front of her and reached out his hand. The anger and coldness were gone from his eyes. Instead, there was a gentle warmth that eased her worry.
“You’re not safe here. You need to come with me,” he said, his voice low.
Carly’s mind willed her to move, but her body was still shaking from the adrenaline of the past couple minutes. Everything had happened so fast.
“But, my job… My shift doesn’t—”
“There’s no time for that now,” he said, cutting her off.
Carly looked around and saw the motionless bodies of the men around her. If they really were from the Red Devils, then Zeus was right; she wasn’t safe here. But maybe they weren’t. Maybe they were just loan sharks Rob had gotten in too deep with.
Zeus looked impatiently at her, then swooped her up into his arms. “Here, let me help you,” he said, more commanding than asking.
The feeling of being picked up off the ground and held in the humongous man’s arms was surreal. Carly was by no means a slight woman, so she’d never understood what it felt like to be carried. But as Zeus turned and made for the door, opening it with his foot and walking across the small parking lot, she instantly began to feel much better, much safer.
Even if Zeus was a complete stranger and a total mystery to her, there was something about him that felt right. She was safe with him. Somehow she just knew it.
He walked toward what Carly assumed must be his motorcycle, a big, black Harley with shining chrome and a pristine paint job. She had no clue how much bikes like this cost, but she assumed it was probably pretty expensive. Which made no sense from the stories she’d heard about him being half civilized and living in the mountains all alone.
Zeus set Carly down on the rear part of the large leather seat, quite gracefully to her surprise, and then handed her a huge helmet.
“Put this on,” he said.
She didn’t ask questions, just put on the helmet that was clearly for a head much larger than hers and buckled the strap tightly so it wouldn’t come off. Zeus climbed onto the bike, and she felt the shocks lurch under his sheer size as he clicked the stand into its place and started the engine with his foot. The motorcycle roared to life as he took a pair of large sunglasses out of his coat pocket and put them on.
From behind Zeus, she could see just how broad-shouldered he was and just how big his muscles really were. Part of Carly longed to slip her hands under his jacket and see just what he felt like, but the more rational part of her still told her she was crazy for just leaving with him like this when she barely knew him.
As her mind was still racing, Zeus turned back to her, his mirrored sunglasses showing her reflection.
“You’ll want to hold on,” he said. Then he put the engine into gear. They moved forward, and Carly felt her body sway backward, causing her to wrap her arms tightly around Zeus in panic. She’d never been on a motorcycle before, let alone ridden behind someone, so the feeling was entirely new to her.
Zeus drove out of the parking lot and down the main thoroughfare that comprised most of downtown Bearstone Village. He turned the motorcycle onto a small side rode that pointed straight toward the hills and mountains that rose into the towering range where Bearstone Park was located.
But instead of heading toward Bearstone Park, this road went in a different direction. They drove up steep paved roads that winded along hillsides and passed through endless acres of ageless pine trees.
I must be crazy. This guy really does live out in the middle of nowhere, she thought. They turned off onto side road after side road, as if navigating a maze where only Zeus knew the layout. Carly held on tight as the Harley roared through the silent forests, and she couldn’t help but relish the feel of his tight muscles under the smooth leather of his jacket, despite the stress of the situation and the knowledge that she’d only barely escaped something terrible.
But she trusted Zeus. He’d helped her when no one else had, and for that, she’d give him a chance.
Soldier Bears Box Set
Terry Bolryder Reading Guide
A Note From Terry
Most of my series go by species. Most of my books are standalone, but if you want to read them in order and see characters reappearing, here is my list of the order for each species. So just choose your favorite shifter!
Bears
Bearstone Park Series
A billionaire tech mogul, a movie star, and an Olympic snowboarder come back to Bearstone Park and find unexpected but wonderful mates.
Bearllionaire
Bearlebrity
Bearthlete
Beary Sexy Boxed Set: All three brothers in one (BEST DEAL)
Soldier Bear Series
These ex special-forces fighting bears are about to find curvy mates in beautiful, remote Bearstone Village.
Big Bad Bear
Big Sexy Bear
Big Strong Bear
Bear Haven Ranch Series
These rancher bear brothers need to find mates to keep the family land. Luckily, three curvy city girls are about to arrive just in time.
Mountain Bear
Rancher Bear
Wild Bear
Mountain Lion
Bear Claw Security
These sexy ex-special forces soldier bears are ready to protect in a whole new way, as bodyguards of the exclusive Bear Claw Security.
Bear to the Bone
Bear-ly a Hero
Bear to the Rescue
Bear-ly Human
Bear to the End
Polar Heat Series
A matchmaking papa bear sets his three bear shifter sons up with women on a Caribbean island.
Bear-ever Yours
Some Bear to Love
One in a Bear-l-lion
Remem-bear Me (Dad’s book)
Polar Heat Boxed set (Savings!)
Trapped in Bear Canyon
Sheltered by the Bear
Craved by the Bear
Redeeming the Bear
Dragons
Dragons of New York (Menage)
Dragons work in pairs, the fire-breathing enforcers of the shifter world and rescuers of anyone in distress. And these sexy dragons are about to find mates:
Double Dragons
Desired by Dragons
Destined Dragons
Tiger Protector Series (Spin-off of Dragons)
Three tiger brothers trained by dragon shifters work to bring evil shifters to justice while finding the perfect curvy mates.
A Tiger’s Bounty
A Tiger’s Treasure
A Tiger’s Destiny
A Dragon’s Heart
Awakened Dragons
These powerful, newly awakened ancient dragons are stronger, more vicious, more powerful, and ready to save humankind, if only they can decide to be heroes rather than villains…
Onyx Dragon
Sapphire Dragon
Ruby Dragon
Diamond Dragon
Amethyst (this book)
Lions
&nb
sp; Lions of Pride Island
The hot royal family of shifters is ready to find mates!
King of Rock
Prince of Fate
Protector of the Pride
Wolves (The Alpha Series)
Alpha Games Serial (Complete story with boxed set)
An alpha female returns home to the pack mates she left and finds herself choosing between three alpha males in this paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder
Alpha Games Boxed Set
Alpha Rogue Serial (Novellas with cliffhangers between volumes)
An MMA fighting shifter meets his match in his exciting paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder.
Alpha Rogue Boxed Set
Alpha Contender Serial (Novellas with cliffhangers between volumes)
A average human woman finds out she’s a desirable female alpha and ends up in a mansion with ten possible suitors in this paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder.
Alpha Contender Boxed Set
Ultimate Alpha Boxed Set (One huge series)
Ultimate Alpha Boxed Set
Alpha Defender
When alpha wolf Thor finds an acquaintance on his doorstep needing his help, will he take the mysterious person in, or step aside?
*Stars Thor from Alpha Contender Series*
Alpha Defender on Amazon
Wolf Protectors Series
Three hot, wolf shifter brothers run a martial arts studio and divide their time between training to be the toughest around and winning over their sexy, independent mates. All in KU!
*Stars Asher from Alpha Contender Series*
Alpha Champion
Secrets of the Bear (Trapped in Bear Canyon Book 4) Page 13